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.
I used to love coming out to Grille Nature for the steak frites, it was the only thing that made the drive from the city worth it. But going from $29 to $39 since December, roughly a 35% increase, is hard to justify. At that price, I might as well stay in the city & go to L'Express or Liverpool House instead.
We ate like kings here. The portions are very generous. We ordered 3 mains off the specials menu (black cod 10/10, pork with lentils 9/10, & the Denver steak 8/10) along with a side of fries which were surprisingly exceptional, bread (11/10), Caesar salad (10/10), & warm olives (10/10) to start. Everything was delicious. Our only complaint was that the cut of steak was very very chewy & probably should have been cooked a bit more (which would have compromised the juiciness but may have helped the chewiness). I also ordered a ceasar & I think that may have been the best Caesar (drink) I've ever had.
Mar 30, 2026
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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.
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.
Honestly, I found it overrated. The presentation wasn't very appealing, & the meat was quite disappointing, as was the sauce. There was also a real lack of vegetables- even for a steakhouse, where you already don't expect many, there were barely any at all. Overall, everything felt underwhelming. The atmosphere felt more like an upscale pub than anything special, & the prices were extremely high for the experience you get. The service, however, was good.
Feb 18, 2026
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It's truly in the details. You get a 5* experience from food to service without breaking bank thanks to the small attention that make it feel special. The windbreaker curtain to avoid drafts, the'coat service', the replacement of utensils... Small things that don't mean much alone but compound when added together. Didn't feel like we were bothering anyone even when we asked for things from someone who wasn't our dedicated server. Again, simple things but all together made it a great night out for tired parents on Saint-Valentine. We had the foie gras to share, steak poivre & scallops. All excellent & cooked perfectly. I was suggested an excellent wine pairing for my scallops & the spicy margarita had a strong kick! Generous portions so we did not have space for dessert.
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.
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?)
Went to Grille Nature with my wife, & my parents & had an absolutely wonderful experience!
We ordered the ginger shrimp & chopped salad to start! The shrimp were very tasty & the Chopped Salad tasted very very fresh!
For the main, we ordered two specials (New York steak & Black cod) & we also ordered the scallops which is on the regular menu! Steak was served in a jus that was absolutely delicious. It was cooked pretty rare & I wish it were closer to medium but it was still very very good! The black cod was also delicious. It had a slight sweetness to it (probably a sauce), & tasted very fresh! The scallops were very flavourful & super tender! I honestly would recommend all 3 dishes! (Pictures of the mains included)
The service was very polite but I found the pacing was a little off. The appetizers came in a good amount of time but it felt like 35-40 minutes between the end of the appetizer & when we got the dinner. All that being said, the server was very polite & I think she was pretty new so I should give her more slack than I am giving her.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this restaurant. It's so great to have a restaurant of this quality in the West Island
I will absolutely be back & I can't wait to try more things on their menu!
Jan 25, 2026
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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!
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.
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
Jan 12, 2026
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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!
Outrageous. One of the best salads I've ever had. Wagyu steak from Australia with the craziest Japanese steak sauce directly from chef. The chocolate cake you dream of. In the West Island? A dream come true.
Loved our meal from start to finish & left feeling stuffed & satisfied. Had the alpine salad, tuna tostada, foie gras, sausages, steak frite, desserts & everything was perfection.
