Grille-Nature by chef-owners Derek Damann and David McMillan is an end-of-career promise kept. These two longtime chefs, bound by mutual admiration, have teamed up to bring to their beloved West Island a restaurant for everyone. Seafood, vegetables, and prime cuts of responsibly farmed meats and local products are always on hand. A welcoming bar, an eclectic wine list, and a warm staff are ready to create something new in hospitality, surrounded by purveyors of true quality.
Two chefs, two farms, two families, one restaurant. Quality goods only.
Grille Nature is widely described as a west island standout that brings downtown quality dining to the neighborhood with a warm, welcoming space, attentive service, and a creative menu that combines bold, adventurous dishes with true classics. The food is repeatedly praised for freshness, ingenuity, and generous portions, and the drinks program and wine list get many compliments, while prices are noted as high for the area. Some reviewers note drawbacks such as occasional noise, pacing delays during busy evenings, and a few dishes that fall short or feel pricey for what is delivered, along with a couple of service or cleanliness hiccups. Overall this restaurant is felt to be a welcome, family-friendly yet refined destination with easy parking and a consistently strong dining experience, inspiring many to return to try more dishes.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was living in the 2000's when there was no rushing, tables that have enough room around them to breath & staff that were pleased to be there. This paired with the incredible food & show stopping fries (fried in tallow?) & very best dirty martini. 10/10 would recommend
Amazing dinner at Grillé Nature. Great restaurant with a fun vibe, delicious food & excellent service. We were a group of five & enjoyed sharing several dishes.
The fresh bread & butter to start was amazing. The Caesar salad was delicious. We loved the Lumache rose pasta . The honey butter rotisserie chicken with fries & salad was a standout, & the NY strip steak was perfectly cooked.
The fries were so good we ordered a second serving.
We finished with a chocolate sundae & sticky toffee pudding for dessert, both fantastic.
The only small note is that the seating could be a bit more comfortable, but it didn't take away from the experience.
Will definitely be back.
Mar 15, 2026
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Absolutely incredible restaurant from the service to the food we really enjoyed our visit here.
We had the scallops , carpaccio , marmite oyster & milano ham. Each dish was better than the next. The scallops were the best i ever had!
For the main dishes we had the steak & duck. Absolutely amazing!
Our waitress was super friendly & did a really good job. Huge thank you to David Mcmillan for coming over to our table & speaking to us. Was such a good experience wish i could eat there every day ! 😂
Staff very friendly. Service excellent. Food delicious. Except for steak frittes all sides seem to cost extra. The decor was lovely but I personally would re-think placing rugs under the tables. Could be an accident waiting to happen. Also, very noisy. All the above criticism is constructive. On the whole I enjoyed my experience at Grille Nature. I personally think it's geared for the 40, 50, 60's crowd.
Grille Nature lived up to the expectations & I will definitely be coming back. The space is beautifully curated with rugs, warm lighting, thoughtful decor & soft jazz music-making it so that you feel as if you're having an intimate dinner at a friends home. The food was delicious- the ribs with their sweet red pepper sauce, & the bitter caramel of the sticky toffee pudding really stood out. Our server was a delight, being very personable. I dropped a star because the bathroom was not that clean (water all over the counters, & the toilet paper holder looked like it had rust or something brown splashed all over it), which took away a bit from the experience for a restaurant of this calibre you would think they had someone tending to the washrooms more often.
Overall, we had a great experience, with a few areas that could use improvement.
The service & staff were excellent. Everyone was attentive & friendly, the food arrived quickly, & the pacing of the meal felt well thought out rather than rushed or sluggish.
The menu is genuinely interesting, with a lot of tempting & well-curated options. It feels creative without being gimmicky. The drink program is also a strong point. Cocktails were very tasty, & the wine list is solid, offering great selections both by the bottle & by the glass.
Food highlights really stood out. The calamari were excellent, perfectly cooked & flavorful. The scallops were cooked just right, & the fries deserve a special mention. Honestly, they might be the best fries I've ever had.
That said, a few elements didn't fully live up to expectations. The 8oz bar steak was cooked perfectly in terms of temperature/crust, but the quality of the meat itself wasn't there. It was chewy & had noticeable sinew, which took away from what should be a highlight at a grill-focused restaurant. The mortadella appetizer was also overhyped by our waiter. It ended up being very standard German-style mortadella (Leberkase), nothing bad - even very tasty, but nothing memorable either. I would skip it next time.
I'd give the restaurant a solid 4 stars, but a few details pulled the experience down.The bar stools were extremely uncomfortable, to the point where my legs were going numb. We eat at bars often, both locally & while traveling, & these were among the least comfortable bar seats I've encountered. It really affected the enjoyment of the meal. The steak knives also felt cheap. It may sound minor, but ripping through meat isn't appetizing, & for a place branded as a grill, this feels like a basic expectation. Lastly, the toilets were a bit dirty, with things like urine on the floor. Nothing dramatic, but still unacceptable for an establishment at this price point & level.
Overall, it's a bit on the expensive side for the portion sizes, but the food is very tasty. I would definitely go back, & if some of these issues improve, I'd be happy to update my review.
We had a reservation for a Wednesday night at 2030. It was busy but not crazy busy. We waited a descent amount of time for our entrees. They were delicious. We had squid & the chicken a la king soup. On a side note, I had asked about the hot avocado but waitress described it poorly. It sounded terrible. Sadly, we waited close to one hour for our main dishes. I think they forgot them under a heat lamp somewhere. When they arrived, they were luke warm. I ordered the baked ribs. The sauce was just off putting & they were very dry & inedible, actually. My friend ordered the chicken. It too was very dry. It also had a chemical tasting sauce on it. We both barely ate. Our waitress did not question this, even when she asked about take away & I said no. My dish was mostly untouched. The whole time we were there, there was a lot of staff but we had to ask for water to be refilled. Not a redo for me.
Feb 4, 2026
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Wonderful ambiance, lovely soft music, & impeccable service. A very friendly, warm & inviting restaurant. Menu is a bit lacking & very meat-heavy with not many vegetable or grain sides. A menu offering balanced dishes as well as affordable non red-meat options would make this a perfect dining experience.
Highly recommend getting dishes to share. The tall salad was so refreshing. Calamari was tender, perfectly cooked. Flavourful carpaccio. Intensely beefy steak. Delicious umami fries. Perfectly balanced spicy margarita. Generous sundae.
This cuisine is straight-forward, perfectly executed, focused on the joy of eating. The menu is a mix of classics with some eclectic additions (hot avocado in escabèche, anyone?)
Had a wonderful dinner with friends where we ordered all the things! Food was beyond expectations. Service 10/10 out waitress Paige was fabulous. So happy to have such a great spot in the west island.
Local high quality ingredients with simple delicious recipes expertly prepared & didn't break the bank!
From the moment you walk in you're greeted with a warm smile & friendly banter. The service was EXCELLENT, she knew the menu inside out & we didn't feel pressured.. only supported.
It's a very chill local vibe inside & I can't wait to try the terrace in the summer!
You HAVE to get the Furley bread with churned butter, Hudson's finest really delivers.
The shrimp were the perfect starter & weren't overpowering.
The spicy margarita was strong & so yummy!
The scallops & bar steak were the perfect combo, & the value on the streak is crazy imo. There are some elevated options, but you can enjoy this restaurant without breaking the bank easily. Incredible addition to the West Island!
Jan 25, 2026
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As a fan of Chef Derek Dammann & Maison Publique, I had very high expectations for this new spot. Unfortunately, despite the hype, it was one of the most disappointing steak experiences I've had in Montreal.
?The space feels similar to a refined McKiernan, industrial & modern but the ambiance was thrown off by three TVs over the bar blasting football. For the price point & the open-concept style, it felt out of place & cheapened the atmosphere.
?Service started well with a nice hostess, but things went downhill. We waited 45 minutes for our starters. The Caesar salad was unremarkable with scarce bacon & parmesan. Worse, the bread (which isn't complimentary) arrived late & ice cold with hard, unspreadable butter. We also had to ask for wine by the glass because it wasn't on the menu; the server brought bottles to the table with no price transparency, eventually suggesting glasses that turned out to be $17 each.
?But the main disappointment was the steak. We skipped appetizers to save room for the meat, which was a mistake. I ordered the $110 Australian Wagyu Delmonico special.I was told it was'Chef's choice' for temperature, but what I got was a disaster. The portion was massive (honestly, too big for one person), but the cut was absurdly thick, over 3 inches. Because of this thickness, the cook was terrible. It had an inch of dry, well-done gray band on top, while the bottom was completely blue, cold, & unrendered. For a Wagyu cut, you need a better cook to render the fat, but this was chewy & unseasoned inside.
?To make matters worse, both my steak & my partner's fillet were served in a pool of overwhelming, salty, HP-style sauce that completely masked the taste of the meat. Between the bad cook, the cold interior, & the heavy sauce, I struggled to finish even half. We ordered fries on the side, but they were oily & lacked crunch.
?The dessert sundae was good, but overall, for a restaurant of this caliber & price, the execution was shocking. I've eaten steaks all over the world (US, Japan, Spain), & this was a major letdown.
This place is an absolute hit. The food was spectacular. We tried the half chicken, the steak frites, the calamari & the shrimp tostada. Everyone was raving about how good it was. The french fries that come with the half chicken & steak are some of the best fries i've ever had.
Best restaurant in Montreal. I cannot believe a restaurant only a couple months old is this good. I knew it would be good when I heard David McMillan & Derek Dammann were at the helm, but it's even exceeded my expectations, by a lot.
Food - every dish is incredible. Unique, adventurous, & delicious.
Service - friendly, welcoming, sharp. Attention to detail very noticeable, & this is only 2 months in.
Drinks - a multitude of options. Great wine list, great beer list, incredible cocktails.
Ambiance - warm & welcoming. See for yourself.
An extremely talented team & they are only going to get better.
Selfishly, I do not want to tell anyone about this place, but it's so good I can't not leave a review.
What an well thought out environment. Everything is understated & you feel like you've walked into a friend or family's kitchen to grab a meal.
The service was excellent. We didn't ever need to flag anyone down & the staff clearly knew the menu well. Other establishments could learn from this staff.
Food was nothing short of amazing. The scallops we perfectly cooked, their chalkboard items we're mouth watering & their twist on something as simple as french fries we're already one of the many reasons I will be coming back.
One of my new favorite restaurants, everything was amazing from the service to the food. I was hesitant to try the cheese burger because there were so many tasty looking options, but this burger really stood out it was so juicy & had such flavor, I would recommend it! My boyfriend got the steak frites & it was also amazing cooked to perfection. Even the French fries were really good. Also you HAVE to try the fried squid the batter was so tasty the sauce on the side was also really delicious.
Our server was very kind, & quick to ask how we were doing or if we wanted anything else. Also the host at the front remembering my name as we left & saying good bye was a sweet touch. Overall a really good experience & we can't wait to be back
Grille-Nature is a wonderful addition to the West Island. A fresh & vibrant restaurant with great service & fantastic food. My wife & i shared a salad that tasted like it just came from the garden. My main dish was a 12oz beef filet with a side of french fries & my wife had a 16oz steak with a baked potato, absolutely mouth watering. A definite must try.
First time trying this restaurant & it won't be our last! Everything was delicious & so nicely presented. Upon entering, you're greeted so warmly & everyone who approached the table once we were seated was so friendly which made the whole experience even nicer. We ordered some drinks & the Mortadella & the Hot Avocado as well as the bread service to start & all I can say is WOW! The mortadella had a drizzle of honey on it & put such a simple dish over the top. The Hot avocado was so original & tasty too. For mains we ordered the steak frites & the rotisserie half chicken. The chicken was fantastic - it came with a salad & fries. Those fries were just perfect! Crispy & crunchy on the outside & perfection on the inside. The chicken itself was amazing - almost buttery inside & the sauce is scrumptious & different than any other rotisserie chicken sauce. The salad it comes with, I believe is the Alpine salad & I was surprised by how fresh tasting it was - the slightly sweet vinaigrette was just right & I couldn't stop eating it. My husband had the steak frites & he was raving about it - saying if this is how tasty a steak frites is, imagine their better cuts of meat. We ended the meal with their tropical sundae, which was coconut gelato mixed with vanilla soft serve & coconut flakes with some infused pineapple & dulce de leche. It was the perfect ending. Honestly, this was a wonderful dining experience & we plan to go back soon so we can try other dishes on the menu that we missed. Go, you won't be disappointed!
Review: A Hidden Gem in DDO! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
?If you are looking for a top-tier dining experience in Dollard-Des Ormeaux, you have to check out Grille-Nature. We had an absolutely stellar dinner here recently that hit all the right notes.
?The Food Highlights:
?Beef Carpaccio: A must-try starter. Fresh, flavorful, & the perfect way to begin the meal.
?The Roasted Chicken (Demi): I loved the seasoning on this-it had a delicious hint of a piri-piri style flavor profile but remained unique. The meat was incredibly tender & fell right off the bone.
?Duck Confit: My date's duck was equally impressive-perfectly tender & cooked with care.
?The Value:
One of the best parts? The portions are generous. We actually left with enough for a second meal! For the quality of food & the experience, the bill (around $100 for two) was very reasonable.
?The Service:
A massive thank you to our server, Tyler, who was friendly & attentive. A highlight of the night was being personally welcomed by one of the owners, David, shortly after we sat down. That kind of hospitality is exactly what we love to see at Montreal in a Box.
?We will definitely be back! 🥂
