Le Garde Manger est une sorte de joyau culinaire qui, de prime abord, n'en présente pas les apparences. Il faut d'abord dénicher l'endroit, dans une ruelle quelque part près des quais du Vieux-Montréal. De plus, ce bistro sans prétention, situé près du centre des affaires, ne possède pas d'enseigne extérieure. Malgré tout, depuis son ouverture en juin 2006, il est devenu une adresse de choix auprès des professionnels branchés qui ont envie d'une cuisine de la Côte Est et d'une pinte de bière locale après une dure journée de travail.
Dans l’ensemble, les avis sur Garde Manger décrivent une expérience culinaire maritime exceptionnelle mêlant ambiance chaleureuse et service attentif. La cuisine est largement saluée pour sa fraîcheur, ses fruits de mer généreux et ses plats créatifs, présentés avec soin et équilibre. Le menu degustation est souvent un point fort, même si certains visiteurs trouvent les portions parfois petites et le déroulement des plats peu clair sans support imprimé. La carte des vins et les cocktails reçoivent aussi des éloges, avec des accords judicieux, même si quelques convives regrettent le choix au verre et préféreraient des options plus fruitées ou off-dry. L'ambiance est décrite comme vivante et accueillante, et le cadre du Vieux-Montréal est souvent mentionné comme un atout majeur. Des critiques signalent néanmoins des réalités pratiques comme une certaine confusion autour du menu, une arrière-salle bruyante et des tables serrées, ou des temps d’attente qui peuvent décevoir lors des soirs plus chargés. Malgré cela, l’enthousiasme demeure fort et beaucoup recommandent Garde Manger comme une expérience mémorable à Montréal, un lieu où la nourriture et le service s’accordent pour offrir une soirée exceptionnelle et inoubliable.
Outstanding. I will remember this meal for a long time. Not only is the food fantastic, the service & atmosphere of the restaurant is like no other. The staff are knowledgeable, fun & create a dining experience that is something to remember. The food is quality through & through, & each plate is delicious without being pretentious. Fine dining made fun. A must stop in Montreal.
By far the best meal we've had during our stay in Montreal, dining at Garde Manger was an incredible experience from the moment we walked in the door. The atmosphere is everything you want in the old city--exposed brick & stone, light just bright enough to enjoy the meal but not overpowering, tables set far enough apart to give a sense of intimate dining. The staff are outstanding. Our server was charming & attentive & never seemed rushed. The other staff supported him well & were equally attentive & polite. Our server helped us choose a crisp white wine, perfect on one of the hottest days of the year. We ordered the Chef's Menu & loved the cold seafood platter that came out first. I don't know how the cold lobster could be so tender, but it was. The salad course included a turbot dish & another with potatoes that we practically fought over--it was that good. The protein course included hanger steak & scallops, which were also excellent. I preferred the scallops--I'm not a fan of steak--& my partner preferred the steak, so that worked out well. We were full when the dessert course arrived, & somehow we devoured both the flourless chocolate cake (which we both usually dislike & couldn't stop eating until it was gone) & the lemon curd with a moist cake beneath, & this too we finished off & then sat back in a stupor after eating so much great food. On our way home we agreed that when we return to Montreal, we'll return to Garde Manger--in fact, we would come back to the city just to eat there. This place is that good.
20 juin 2024
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One word - Awesome! Sat at the bar. Fantastic food & staff. Loved the whole vibe. Great experience. Made a point of going back a second time before heading back to the US. Highly recommend.
Loved it again. Was here many years ago & we went for dinner. Service is impeccable & amazing. Food is spectacular. I can say enough great things about the experience. See you again soon I hope.
14 juin 2024
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Superb place, really enjoyed our time. Recommended to everyone. The staff is amazing, the food & wines choices are outstanding. My compliments to the chef!! I highly recommend to take the 4 course meal, it was truly an amazing experience.
Incredible spot , snuck in as a walk in, sat at the bar... the staff were an absolute delight. The swordfish, tuna & sea snails were what we needed. Washed down with 3 nice cocktails & a lovely glass of white . Photos to prove. Thanks Loris & Nickolai (pardon any misspellings)
4th time coming to the restaurant & best experience yet. Manager Nick & hostess Taylor really went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Ordered the carpaccio, salmon, & sturgeon as starters (no pictures) unfortunately. Got the duck, steak, & mushrooms for mains. The steak was the clear winner but everything was great. They have a great ginger & pineapple mocktail as well. Had a parking issue on the way out & Nick went above & beyond to help out. Thank you!
30 mai 2024
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This was our splurge meal on our trip to Montreal, & it did not disappoint. We had the chef's choice, which I recommend doing. You get a lot of different items & every dish was fantastic. I'm still thinking about the sweetbreads. So good. Our waiter was Nicholas with assistance from Wesley & the service was impeccable. Worth every penny!
Repas festif en famille. Ce fût une expérience délectable. Nous avons pris le menu dégustation; je ne saurais compter le nombre de services que nous avons eus (peut-être une dizaine). Mais je peux dire que chacun, chaque met, était préparé avec grande attention & minutie. & chacun était un délice. Mon coup de coeur est le ceviche de pétoncles qui est l'un des plats les plus réussis que j'ai eu la chance de me mettre dans la bouche. Service avec écoute, entrain & joie. Arrivée des plats bien cadencée. Ambiance chaleureuse! C'est cher, mais ça en vaut le coût. Une réussite sur toute la ligne, & des souvenirs grandioses!
My husband, good friend & I had such a good time at garde manger while we were visiting from California. Montreal is famous for it's food & garde mangers reputation precedes it, but it was even better than we expected. The vibe of this place felt like it was bringing fine dining to a millenial crowd with the music & ambiance. & unlike many other fine dining establishments where the clientele skews much older, this place was packed with people between 25 & 40. The dress code ranged from smart casual to jeans. Our favorite part of the meal was how bilingual it is. My husband & friend are native French but fluent in English, so we tried using English for me. However, the meal used uncommon ingredients that they didn't know in English so our server was giving us a full rundown in English & French without missing a beat. She checked on us constantly & seemed to always have time for us despite having several other tables. It was pricy, but for a special experience or occasion you won't be disappointed
Carpaccio de Boeuf X 3 all day. Phenomenal. More Chuck for the Buck. tattooed arms & hipster barber/lumberjack hair a plenty. bring your chainsaw & pipe.
Had such a great dinner last night at Garde Manger! We had the chef's plate.. Every course was spectacular. Expensive, but worth it for the experience.
