Hayat receives consistently strong praise for delicious, authentic Middle Eastern cuisine and a warm, welcoming atmosphere in a stylish setting by the Old Port. Dishes are described as flavorful and well presented, with favorites like baba ghanouj, fattoush, soujouk, shish taouk, and lamb shank praised for depth and balance, and portions noted as generous enough to share, though some guests felt certain mains were small for the price. The dining experience is repeatedly highlighted for excellent service and friendly, professional staff who make guests feel cared for, with cocktails and wine offerings also earning compliments. The ambiance is often described as lively yet intimate, though a few visits report inconsistencies in pacing or service and occasional delays or billing issues. Overall, Hayat is seen as a top pick for celebratory dinners and a go-to for authentic Lebanese and Syrian flavors in Montreal, with many guests planning to return and recommend it for the combination of atmosphere, hospitality, and high quality food.
Had a lovely time at Hayat last Saturday evening. I was showing a prospective student around the city & chose this restaurant as our final spot to end our tour. We were sat at the bar where the very engaging Otis took great care of us. We ordered dips as starters, which we shared, & honestly I had to cancel my main dish because there was more than enough food to fill us both up. We chose the baba ghanoush & the shawarma & hummus, which was served with two types of fresh bread, & the portions were plentiful. Our cocktails were also delicious. We both stated we would love to come back & try the mains, but we would need to work up a bigger appetite!
The design of the restaurant is lovely & the atmosphere was good. The only hiccup was that when I made our reservation, we only had the bar as an option, however when we arrived the restaurant was almost empty & it did not fill up by the time we left 2.5 hours later. Although our corner seats at the bar were cozy, we would have appreciated the option of booking a table.
Je suis venue manger avec mes amies & les plats étaient juste délicieux !
Le service également était tout simplement parfait. Un grand merci à Maxim qui était au petit soins avec nous.
Je recommande, l'expérience était plus que satisfaisante
yesterday
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Excellent service grâce à Maxime ! Souriant, professionnel & de très bon conseil. Il a rendu notre expérience encore plus agréable. On reviendra sans hésiter 👌
Une tres bonne adresse pour découvrir cette cuisine savoureuse.
Le menu de st valentin a ete une découverte extraordinaire.
Des entrées a partager offrant un choix de saveurs toutes aussi délicieuses & étonnantes.
Le dessert a ete une surprenant & savoureux.
Le service est courtois & aux soins de leur clients.
Merci de nous avoir fait passer une si belle soiree.
My partner & I dined at Hayat to celebrate valentine's day, & within a few hours, we were both very ill. For an appetizer, 2 small plates, 2 glasses of wine each, & dessert, it costed us upwards of $300. The server was kind but terribly inefficient, he took an awkwardly long time (like several minutes standing there struggling) to be able to open the wine bottle he brought to the table to fill our glasses, & spilled wine everywhere & made zero effort to clean it up. We were done eating & waiting to pay for over 20 minutes & even got his attention & it still took another 10 minutes to even be brought the bill. While the service was severely lacking, the biggest issue is that the food made us sick. For the price of this place, I expect to be able to trust the safety of the food. Beware.
The experience was amazing at Hayat. Our server Maxim was a great host, went above & beyond to insure a great service for us. The food was fantastic & every dish from starters to main were delicious & tasted like home. Would recommend to everyone & anyone I know, you should definitely book your important dates & anniversaries & everything in between at Hayat!
Waww 10/10 food was amazing , everything was top , Otise the guy who serve us he was very very adorable , customer service 10 on 10 , omg i dont dont drink alcalooj so i asked him for mocktail , usually its not good but wow its was délicieuse cominf back for sure!!
Feb 7, 2026
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Wonderful place with really nice food , was obsessed with the Mojito btw! & gotta give it to our boy Otis , really made us feel comfortable , & being my birthday as well , really loved our dinner there , would recommend 100%
Je suis du même avis que mon amie Karine Elkhoury!
La place en a perdu depuis que la nouvelle gérante Celya est en charge! C'est mon avis & celui de quelques amis aussi.
Beaucoup d'anciens au service ne sont plus là & ça fait une experience pas aussi bonne qu'auparavant!
C'est notre place favorite surtout l'été (la terrasse) & espérons avoir une meilleure atmosphère & surtout un meilleur management après cet hiver!
Le chef & la place sont toujours super par contre.
Espérons que les propriétaires de la place fassent de quoi & qu'on revoit du monde à la hauteur & comme les gérants qui étaient là en été!
Je suis une habituée de la place, j'y vais avec ma famille & parfois avec des amis, notre place préférée.
Mais malheureusement ce n'est plus la même expérience, surtout depuis qu'ils ont changé de gérant & ont mis Ceyla en charge..
La nourriture & les choix de menus sont aussi bon & avant il y avait une serveuse marocaine super sympathique & aussi le gérant Pierre était très professionnelle & accueillant.
Ceyla a de l'attitude & elle n'est vraiment pas à l'écoute !
C'est dommage, mais à cause d'elle on ne va plus à cette place.
Personnellement, je pense que les personnes qui sont en charge ont beaucoup d'impact sur notre experience comme clients..
Super belle expérience chez Hayat ✨
Dès notre arrivée, nous avons été chaleureusement accueillis, en particulier par la gérante qui a été absolument adorable & attentionnée. Le service était impeccable & l'ambiance vraiment agréable. On se sent tout de suite à l'aise, on reviendra sans hésiter !
