Hayat is often described as a standout Lebanese and Syrian restaurant in Montreal's Old Port, with elegant decor, a warm atmosphere, and a lively yet comfortable vibe. Reviews praise generous portions, fresh ingredients, and a variety of signature dishes such as baba ghanoush, shawarma, hummus, fattoush, lamb shank, and baklava pancakes. Service is repeatedly highlighted as a strength, with many noting attentive and professional staff and a welcoming front of house, though a few guests mention occasional slower moments or seating that could feel more intimate. Bar and patio options add to a flexible dining experience, suitable for dates, celebrations, and casual meals alike. While many describe consistent quality and a memorable overall experience, some reviews mention the price and portion sizes being out of balance. Overall, Hayat is seen as a top choice for authentic Middle Eastern flavors in Montreal, offering delicious food and a warm atmosphere, with room for improvement in service consistency and value.
For a new high end restaurant I expected more. Although the food was very flavourful - it was extremely overpriced. 24$ for two small burek cheese rolls? Charging 3$ extra for bread? No tea or have with dessert? Also being a new restaurant that doesn't have many tables- maybe having a manager, owner or chef come by the tables & checkin or ask for feedback or offer a round of drinks or dessert would have been a nice touch. It's too bad because the flavour is there & the place has potential.
1.Friendly waiter but 0 patience... less than 2mins after we sat in he started to ask us what we want to drink & it felt a rushed service.
2. Same thing for the payment...(mind that we spent almost 400$ on 1 bill) , bill was dropped at our table & we were having dicussions & not on a rush to pay...took him less than 1minute to come with the machine to pay.
4. Prices are overpriced .
5. Food feels fresh & good.
6. We got asked multiple times if we were done with our plates.
Nice experience overall but we feel like a number on a rush. Work on it !
Oct 29, 2023
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Nice place, cozy, loved the decor, the food was exquisite. My favorite was the kafta kebab. Cocktails were nice. Must try if you are around. Recommended to make a reservation.
Oct 25, 2023
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
J'ai réservé le pour ma fête. En arrivant, notre table n'était pas prête à leur nous avons attendu à l'entrée. C'est un très beau restaurant, bel ambiance. Le service est rapide, la nourriture correct. La serveuse n'était pas très souriante. Une fois assis on m'informe que nous avons la table pour 2h, ça serait bien de le spécifier lors de la réservation? & pour terminer 2 de nous 3 avons été malade donc je me questionne sur la fraîcheurs des aliments. Je n'y retournerai pas malheureusement.
Nous avons pris l'option de se laisser servir par les choix du chef. Le premier service était incroyable le deuxième très bon, mais un peu moins « wow ». La salade fattouch & falafel était peut être de trop dans l'ensemble. Le plat hummus & agneau aurait été bien en premier service. Simple suggestion pour l'équilibre des services... Nous y reviendrons. Belle expérience
Oct 22, 2023
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
I was holding a business meeting in Montreal for 4 nights & Hayat was our best meal of the week. We have 2 vegetarians in the team & there were a ton of options for them. The hummus is absolutely delicious as were our mains which included beef & chicken skewers along with the short ribs which were exceptional. Service was the right combination of friendly, helpful & timely. We also had chance to sample our wines before trying which was greatly appreciated & even ended up ordering a Lebanese wine which we had never tried before. If you have the chance get the IXSIR Altitudes white wine....it was exceptional. Again this was our best meal of the week & really enjoyed our time there.
Presque parfait sauf erreur sur le vin qui a rajouté 40$ sur la facture (20$x2) mais je prends la responsabilité de ne pas avoir fait plus attention. Appellations trop similaires...
Par contre la maison nous a offert 3 desserts exquis en prime, ce qui a été très apprécié par nous 4.
Nous le recommandons & y retournerons!
Was expecting a lot better! Service was terrible, long waits, forgetting orders, not very polite waiter. Coming from a Syrian - Armenian background , I've definitely tasted way better middle eastern food in Montreal for half the price. Food was missing flavour especially the fattoush. For the price of it all unfortunately it was not great. Decor & ambiance was stunning!
Charming restaurant, with lovely decor - though the lights were quite bright for dinner. The food is the star of the show. Everything was delicious.
The service was very disappointing. When we arrived (table of 3) before even saying hello the staff began to remind us that we had toi hurry up because our table was needed in 1.5 hrs, another staff member said 2 hrs. They rushed us to order but then took forever to receive our food. The server continued to clear our tabler & plates without asking , when we ere not yet finished eating or drinking. We spent over 100$ a person & felt completely unwelcome & rushed the entire evening. It was both unprofessional & disappointing as the food is excellent but the service left s sour taste in our mouths.
