HENI specializes in the vibrant culinary traditions of the Middle East, emphasizing charcoal-grilled meats and authentic Lebanese flavors. Skilled preparation centers on seasoned skewers, freshly prepared hummus, and an array of traditional mezze that highlight robust spice blends and high-quality ingredients. The kitchen maintains a focus on consistent execution, delivering plates that prioritize the smoky profiles inherent in open-flame cooking. Patrons experience a direct reflection of regional staples through meticulously assembled platters and hand-stretched breads. This establishment balances structural simplicity with an unwavering commitment to traditional Levantine preparation techniques. Each menu selection serves as a testament to classic flavor profiles, ensuring that the essence of the grill remains the focal point for every visitor seeking an authentic experience within this specialized culinary landscape.
Heni is widely celebrated as a standout culinary destination in Montreal, offering an innovative take on Middle Eastern fusion cuisine that consistently impresses guests. Many patrons describe the tasting menu as a must experience, highlighting the creative presentation, layered flavors, and the care taken in sourcing fresh, quality ingredients. The staff is frequently praised for being professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely enthusiastic, adding a personal touch that makes guests feel welcome and well cared for. While opinions on pricing, portion sizes, and service speed vary, the majority of visitors cherish the cozy, elevated atmosphere and unique wine list, often expressing a strong desire to return for future visits.
My I came here before proposing to my wife, we got the chef's tasting menu with the wine tasting. The experience was perfect, my now wife & I enjoyed our service, the dishes were all fantastic & our server was extremely passionate & knowledgeable. Would absolutely return any time I could. Bring your phone to the restroom for a selfie 🤳
Decided to go with the à la carte menu over the degustation menu cause there were specific items that I absolutely wanted to try.
Overall amazing experience, staff were super friendly & attentive.
Great, cozy atmosphere in the restaurant.
Only 2 dishes I ordered I would say was a 5 star dish for me but still generally liked everything else we ordered.
I would come back for sure since we enjoyed our time here.
I've been watching this place since it was being renovated in December 2023. Finally found a chance to visit with my friend. We were served by Niles who was impeccable with his service. Always attentive & making sure everything was okay even though we were seated in the corner of the restaurant. We ordered Koobideh, cauliflower pickles, bread, kibbeh, lobster curry, milk punch, & cocktail of the week. The food was delicious beyond my expectations & we were completely satisfied with the number of dishes we ordered. The only things that I would prefer to be different were the cocktails, the fact that the bread wasn't complimentary, & how hot it was in the restaurant with no AC. The cocktails tasted like juice & did not seem to contain much alcohol. However, these points would not stop me from going back for the rest of the menu.
2025: came back during Mtl a la table to try put their menu. We had a lovely experience & certainly an improvement from my last experience. We had the lovely server Sasha who kept us entertained all evening. The food was even better than I remembered. Their bread is probably my favourite thing (warm & smells like cinnamon). I will be back again to try their regular menu for sure.
I went to Heni with a large group, which meant we had to do the tasting menu. I'll be honest, I've never been a fan of tasting menus, they often miss the mark, & unfortunately, this one did too.
It started off okay, the first few bites had solid flavours & promise. But as the dishes kept coming, it just went downhill. The vine leaves & mushrooms on a stick were overcooked & completely flavourless. The portions were tiny, which I could overlook if the food blew me away, but it didn't.
The real disappointment came with the quail & side of kale & lentils. The quail was rubbery, bland, & had zero seasoning - honestly, it felt like it was just thrown on the plate. One of the pasta dishes was also way too salty, with what was supposed to be a beautiful egg yolk on top that was instead overcooked into a dry lump.
The only thing that saved the night a bit was the ice cream dessert - simple, but actually good. Unfortunately, the second dessert, a baklava, was just pure sugar with no real taste. It left me feeling like I needed to brush my teeth right after.
So while I get that this place gets glowing reviews, I can't follow the crowd on this one. For me, Heni was a complete miss.
That said, don't just take my word for it. Try it yourself & see. But if you're looking for high-end Mediterranean food done right, I'd say Garage Beirut or Shay Restaurant are much better options.
It is hard for me to start explaining how bad the food was! It's a restaurant that is not flexible when it comes to food allergies & tastes. The menu is highly limited. Either you pick pre-made degustation menu or u are left with 3 dishes… all in small portions! Oily, greasy & not sure how else to describe it… Pricy but not for a good reason. On the flip side, tea was good & the place is huge with nice decorations. Maybe if you're into calm atmosphere & good vibes, this is your place but do not count much on food!
Beautiful setting, but underwhelming experience overall.
I had high hopes for this restaurant - the place is absolutely beautiful, with a lovely patio & friendly service. We ordered five à la carte items & the first two were truly excellent: the mosaïque of aubergines was delicious & the kibbeh nayeh was incredibly flavorful - a great start that really set expectations.
Unfortunately, the main dishes fell short. We shared the spicy fish & the kebab of the season. The'spicy' fish was simply a small salmon filet with a plain tahini sauce - not spicy at all &, at $32, it felt overpriced, especially in a place known for its elevated cuisine. The choice of fish & lack of depth in the dish was disappointing.
The kebab was the biggest letdown. What was served appeared to be two skewers with small pieces that looked & tasted like mushrooms. The new waitress first told us it was mushroom, then returned after checking with her colleague to say it was meat - but after trying it, it was clearly mushroom. We pointed this out again, but aside from a quick apology, there was no real acknowledgment or gesture to correct the issue. It was a frustrating moment, especially given the miscommunication & the price point.
We ended with the atayef, but again, it was disappointing - overly fried, oily, & stuffed with halloumi, which didn't balance well.
On a positive note, the wine list was interesting, & we did enjoy the glasses we had. I really wanted to love this place, & I'm all for supporting new restaurants - but unfortunately, the experience left us underwhelmed, especially for a first visit & at this price point.
What an incredible way to wrap up 2024! Heni Restaurant absolutely nailed it with their New Year's Eve dinner. Everything-from the food to the service-was flawless. Their creative twist on babaganoush was a revelation: smoky, silky, & packed with unexpected layers of flavor. But the real showstopper? The orange blossom duck. It was tender, fragrant, & hands down one of the best dishes I've had all year. Sasha, our server, was the MVP of the night. He struck the perfect balance between warm & professional, guiding us through the menu like a true pro while making us feel so at ease. Huge kudos to the host & support staff as well-they were friendly, attentive, & kept everything running smoothly. Heni, you gave us a night to remember. Thank you for making our last dinner of 2024 so special. We'll definitely be back in 2025!
We went for MTL a Table & while the service was friendly, we were a bit disappointed with the food. The portions were not that big (especially the frikkeh, which was unbelievably small). Dishes were hit or miss for us. We didn't really like the kibbeh nayeh (raw beef) but we liked the kask-e bademjam (eggplant). The side dishes were good. We particularly liked the halloumi & potato one. The dessert was also good.
My group & I were generally not super impressed with our experience at Heni. The restaurant was presented to us a Middle Eastearn & North African cuisine, yet no mocktails or alcohol free drinks appeared on the menu. Our server informed us uppon asking that the two cocktails shown (18$), are just as good without the alcohol. Seemed liked a missed opportunity to have a well crafted mocktail list. We got the tasting menu, of which we genuinely loved one dish - the tuna. We asked about replacing an item in the tasting menu with another & were discouraged to do so, & ended up adding the quail dish. Good thing we did because the quail was great! The rest of the menu lacked the something special that the tuna & quail dishes seemed to have, especially for the price (313$ for two people, including a bottle of wine & tip).
What an amazing experience at HENI, thanks to Timeleft (meeting people app) -I met the great group of people Timeleft organized there & was blown away by the warm welcome & fast service! The owner was super charming & let us sample a variety of dishes, & while there weren't as many vegetarian options as I'd hoped, everything was incredibly delicious. We paired the meal with some great wine, & though I spent a bit more than expected, it was worth every penny. The cultural richness & thought behind the menu are truly impressive. Don't miss out on trying these fantastic dishes!
