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.
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.
Had a very warm ambience. Did not expect at all but it is actually great for families. We had an early 4:30 pm reservation & lots of families with young kids at that time. It felt nice for parents to be able to go out & not feel rushed. Food was good too. My son never finishes resto food but he 99% finished the huge burger. Highly recommend the chocolate cake as well; rich & decadent.
Feb 15, 2026
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Excellent meal last night at Grill-Nature . The food as expected was very good ! The service & the atmosphere was old school comfortable, they make you feel so welcome !! The chocolate cake was insane !
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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Went there for the third time already was greeted by the owners & I was another fantastic night
The food was to die for had the sommelier suggest a bottle of champagne to die for..we definitely needed grilled nature in the West Island ..
Congrats to the whole team the ambiance & the staff are amazing
With two chefs that need no introduction to the Montreal food scene, it should come as no surprise that Grille-Nature offers some delicious food, great atmosphere, & outstanding service. Seeing Chef McMillan walking around & talking it up with everyone was a highlight. I'll have to ask him to autograph my Bourdain cookbook next time.
Excited to have this place in the west island.
Ordered from their specials menu. We got the fish. Was literally raw. Sent it back & the chef came back to tell us it was cooked perfectly. Pretty sure the fish was still flopping on my plate 😂 their baked potato taste was equivalent to an ash tray! Hoping that jukebox makes a comeback at this place ❤?
Incredible experience, the food was a party in your mouth, our waitress Noemie was excellent as well as all the other staff member that showed incredible care & attention to our satisfaction, thank you. I will be back
Feb 1, 2026
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L'hôtesse place mon manteau & après aucune aide pour le récupérer. Elle semblait même agacée parce que je ne le retrouvait pas & me disait « avez-vous regardé là??? » comme si je devais savoir où elle mettait les manteaux. On a commandé la tarte key lime pour dessert (au menu régulier) & notre serveur nous dit que la tarte citron crème doit d'abord être terminée avant d'entamer la key lime 😳. J'amais eu ça ailleurs. Donc pour le choix & le prix, c'est correct au plus. Dommage.
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?)
Ate here this past weekend with my husband & toddler & it was fantastic. Every bite of food was better than the last & the service was top notch. Cannot reccomend this restaurant enough.
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.
