Reviews of Gia Vin & Grill describe a standout Italian dining experience defined by delicious, inventive dishes and a strong wine program, with highlights including fresh seafood, house pastas, grilled meats, arrosticini, focaccia, and standout desserts like tiramisu or chocolate tart. The atmosphere is repeatedly praised as warm, stylish, and unpretentious, with a lively bar area that still feels conducive to conversation. Attentive and knowledgeable service is often noted, particularly for wine pairings, though a few comments mention occasional slower service or a busy night that can feel rushed. Some critiques mention small starter or main portions and a higher price point relative to plate size, and one tasting-menu incident that led to frustration, but overall the sentiment emphasizes quality, creativity, and value. Many reviews call it a hidden gem in the area, a go-to for special occasions or memorable nights, and several repeat visit claims underline consistency across dishes, drinks, and ambiance, making it a top Italian option for food and wine lovers.
La nourriture est fantastique. Nous avons commandé le menu de groupe qui nous a permis de goûter à plusieurs spécialités. Notre coup de coeur a été la pièce de boeuf qui était cuite à la perfection.
Les pommes de terre croustillantes & la salade de betteraves sont aussi dans nos favoris.
& cerise sur le gâteau, le gâteau au chocolat & la panettone perdue.
Nous reviendrons !
Rarely been this disappointed by a restaurant in Montreal.
We started with the oysters & crudo: $4 per oyster for tiny bland watery oysters you would get for $1 a unit elsewhere. The crudo however was good.
We then took the pork arrosticini, which were average. Small, oily & fatty pork skeweres.
We then moved on to the raddichio salad, the trout & the tagliatelle. The raddichio salad & tagliatelle were average...the tagliatelle had potential, they were just incredibly bland despite having gorgeous & numerous chanterelles. As for the trout, it was very subpar to say the least. We barely touched it as the fish didn't taste right or fresh, & the skin was soggy.
& don't get me started on the wine...$30 a glass for some basic wine...?
Overall, I doubt ever being back. $400 felt like an incredible ripoff for such an underwhelming meal. With so many amazing restaurants in Montreal, I don't recommend anyone waste their money here.
Nov 30, 2025
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A casual, hip atmosphere that's a little off the beaten track, Gia Vin Grill offers wonderfully delicious artisanal fare with a gracious wait staff & accomplished, creative bar. We enjoyed every morsel-skewers of lamb, beef & pork; tomato salad with burrata; homemade focaccia; perfectly prepared hangar steak, lamb shank, & grilled pork chop-all to beat the band. We closed w/homemade gelato, hazelnut cake with Chantilly cream & berries + tiramisu-each one more delicious than the next. Will we return. You bet without question.
The food here was truly amazing. We had the raw halibut which was similar to a ceviche, the muscles with the salsa which were my favourite, pork & beef skewers, as well as three different salads, the green mint bean salad, the salad with mixed greens, as well as the zucchini salad. We also had the grilled arctic char & the lobster risotto. The risotto portion, I expected to be larger esp as a main, but with all the food we had, we were full.
2024: service was still excellent. Music was better. Lamb arrosticini, eggplant, fennel salad, & pici pasta with ragu were delicious. Great presentation overall. Suggested wine pairing worked well. Agua Di Gia cocktail was a bit boring. 2022: Friendly & efficient service. Great wine recommendations. Shared the lamb & beef arrosticini, the eggplant, the artichoke, the lamb sausage, & the duck tartare. All were unique & delicious. Music & decor could be a little more interesting, but overall a fantastic experience.
Nous sommes venus au GIA pour mon anniversaire & it did not disappoint! Tout était parfait. Les huîtres, les brochettes, la salade de fenouil, les pommes frites, le tiramisu 10/10. Merci Victor pour ton service & ton implication. He def knows whats up!!!! Highly recommend.
Very relax atmosphere Fun deco We shared: Entree: beef skewers ( lots of fat pieces ), fennel salad :dressing was blend the fish crocchette crispy on the outside but very very soft texture in the inside & the eggplant they were ok Main course: omble chevalier on a bed of peas & string beans tasteless rigatoni was blend & a piece of steak which no one ate it's was really a tough piece of meat couldn't chew it the waiter remove it from our bill Overall disappointed but their twist on the mai tai cocktail was unbelievable & their focaccia bred very good
Aug 12, 2024
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I've been to Gia before & it never disappoints! They have a nice restaurant inside as well as a big tent outside for the summer. We came for my bday dinner & immediately made friends with the bartender, Jon, who was super nice! We had the garlic honey brioche bread (divine) with the lamb & beef arrosticini (dip the bread in the oils!). We also had the fish balls & the fennel salad, which were delicious too. The salad has a strong taste of anchovy if that isn't your thing. We got the tiramisu & I wasn't crazy about it - a bit too heavy on the dark chocolate & espresso taste. Oh & the filthy martini was very good! Overall great vibe. Prices on the higher side because you'll get multiple plates. Fun specials. Parking on the street.
We were a table of 4. The locale is pretty cool. A touch loud but tolerable. Drinks ? So we can't make a cosmo because we have no cranberry juice (yes I'm old school). Ok let's have an Aperol spritz, sadly it's a little flat but we move on. We order a whole bunch of different entrees. Polenta, green bean salad, fennel salad, crostini & the focaccia. Everything was delicious &'fresh'. Fresh is in parenthesis because the young lady who was waiting on us used that description for almost every dish she explained. Although the dishes are pretty self explanatory. Our finished drinks stayed on the table a little too long & she never came back to ask if we wanted anything else to drink. So we flag her & order wine. We get our mains but still no wine. She finally comes with glasses & the bottle. & then proceeds to disappear with the bottle. We ask another staff member where the wine is because our mains are getting cold .... She proceeds to return with an opened bottle of wine & no cork She was making sure it was good. Euh no you open the bottle in front of me ... when I ask she told me that this is how sommeliers do it not to disturb the guests at the table. She has worked in a Michelin star restaurant & that's how it's done. Well I didn't share with her because it's not necessary but amongst the four of us we are well traveled & have done a few restos here & abroad, starred & not & no. You open the bottle where the guest can see you. You don't want to trouble? you do it in retreat but not where I can't see you. Anyhoo. This post has gone on enough. All is all food was really really worth it. Service staff was very friendly & smiling but this one girl although very sweet lost a lot of points with saying fresh 12 too many times & hiding to open our wine. Would go back ☺️
L'ambiance est tendance & invitante & le service fut impeccable sans être prétentieux. Chaque plat était délicieux tout en mettant de l'avant des ingrédients saisonniers. Nous avons particulièrement aimé la salade de radis. Belle sélections de vins nature & cocktails. À ne pas manquer!
The focaccia is unlike any I've ever tried. For that alone I'd give four stars. The beef was unfortunately on the tougher side, & the salad felt experimental, though I'm willing to concede the other menu items or on a different night it may have been better. For us it was a bit confusing since the server came over & was borderline indignant that we didn't already know the menu, saying "didn't someone else already come over here?" Aside from that the atmosphere was refined, yet comfortable. I look forward to going back in the summer months.
Mar 17, 2024
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Very mediocre. Thought it was pretty odd that the restaurant didn't serve coke or Diet Coke (or any traditional soda that matter). Waitress came off as a little condescending when she told me to order an espresso martini which was "basically the same thing" as a vodka & coke. Also thought it was odd that she refused to bring a slice of lime or orange for my vodka & when we asked someone else they said no problem & brought it. Drinks took about 25 minutes - which I understand could take long but it's a pretty small place. Eggplant dish was good, but also had the fish & the special of the evening (similar to coquille st Jacques), both of which were mediocre. They forgot to bring our side salad & the waitress said it was because they were having "communication issues" with the kitchen (strange comment?). These were only the issues that happened with me but there were a few more with the rest of the party including receiving the wrong dishes & not having the wines that were on the menu & the waitress suggesting 3 others l, all of which were more expensive. Overall not impressed for over 150$ per person.
Jan 5, 2024 The food here is always amazing. That being said, the staff has some sort of attitude issue which i cannot stand. Not all of them of course, but some think that they do us the honor of accepting us. We ended up spending close to 1K & we were only 4 people. Yet we got extremely poor service. When we got there, one waiter recommended a drink that ended up costing $60 per shot. We only found out the price at the end when we tried to re-fill. Who suggests that as a first drink without a warning? Anyhow, another waitress then asked us progressively what we wanted (entree, main dish...ect) & we ordered accordingly. When we got to the main dish, we were told that our choice takes 1h to prepare & that we wont have time to eat it because our table is only reserved for 2h. I argued that is not our fault & that we should have been warned from the beginning. In addition, we ordered on time everytime the waitress had requested it. She didnt want to accommodate us but we agreed to eat something else in exchange of keeping our seating. 30 min later another waitress who we never say the whole night took over & told us the agreement doesnt work & that we have to change seatings regarldess. We argued our case without success. 30 min later, the chef came causing a scene & saying we wont have enough time. We finally got them to bring our main dish (they of course forgot the side dish salad which they nevertheless charged us for) & we ended up having the time to eat it fast fast. Ultimately, we had finished on time anyways & this entire thing lasted 1h. In no instance were we provided with a solution, a free drink or anything else to compensate. If we were told to change seatings but that dessert was on them instead of arguing with us & giving us attitude we would have been fine. Instead they made us feel unwanted & we were pretty much rushed out. My friends, who always tip 25-40% sometimes, decided not to which caused another scene where we were explained how wrong we were & that it was "weird". I am sorry, but when a table spends close to 250/300 per person in a short window of 2h & your waiters do not warn anyone about cooking time & blame you, the restaurant is the problem, not the customer. easily, they could have proposed free cheap drinks to the next clients & to us or just could have not said anything & we would have finished on time anyways. extremely arrogant.
Been at Gia several times & always an amazing experience, excellent food (Fenouil salad is a must!!!) & private import wine selections are great, all this with a great vibe. On top of this, parking super easy due to location.
