Overall reviews describe Jatoba as a refined Asian fusion destination with outstanding, beautifully presented dishes and fresh sashimi, complemented by a chic, lively ambiance and attentive service. The cocktails and wine pairings are frequently praised, and staff are noted for knowledge and friendliness, making celebrations or date nights feel special. While the experience is consistently described as excellent and worth the price, some comments call out the high cost, occasional slow service or pacing during busy times, and a few notes about uneven service at the bar or in the dining room. The restaurant is often listed among Montreal's best dining spots, with many guests planning a return and appreciating the chef's touches and the care in plating and ingredients. Reviewers also highlight the variety of dishes, the ability to accommodate dietary preferences, and the opportunity to sample many plates in a shared, tasting style, even as a few find acoustics or meal pacing could be improved.
We celebrated my girlfriend's 40th birthday last night & had an unforgettable supper at this restaurant. From the moment we walked in, the host greeted us with a warm smile & made us feel genuinely welcome, setting a relaxed & celebratory tone for the evening.
Our waiter was attentive, courteous, & friendly throughout the meal, always checking in at just the right moments & acknowledging that it was a special occasion for us.What truly elevated the experience was when Chef Olivier personally came to our table to say hello & present a few of the dishes himself. This thoughtful gesture made us feel incredibly honored, & my girlfriend felt extra special, as if the whole team was celebrating with us.
The combination of warm hospitality, professional service, & that personal touch from the chef turned a simple night out into a beautiful memory that we will cherish for a long time.
We would wholeheartedly recommend this place for anyone looking to celebrate an important milestone or simply enjoy a memorable evening.
A heartfelt thank you to Chef Olivier & the entire staff for making this celebration so memorable & for treating us with such care & kindness. Your attention to detail & genuine hospitality did not go unnoticed, & we are deeply grateful for the experience you created for us.
Jan 31, 2026
on Google
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The sole reason I don't give it 5 stars is the lack of meatless dishes. I was hoping for perhaps some tempura but I settled for Chinese eggplant & I broke down & ordered the gyozas because I was starving.
Service impeccable.
Food quality unsurpassed.
Menu selections abundant.
My partner had crispy rice cakes with salmon tartare & ha gao dumplings. He went on to order the firecracker dumplings also & they were wonderful.
We loved our dinner at Jatoba! Never had such tender tuna... all the dishes were amazing & so were the desserts! Not inexpensive, but definitely special.
Beautiful place & great ambiance. Food is very fresh & vibrant. Many options for meat & fish. Staff were all on point with well informed on all dishes & pairings. Dessert options are also vast. Must try spot.
Jul 6, 2025
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Absolutely delicious! The cod recommended by the server was excellent, & the mushroom side dish was just as impressive. The bartender, a genuinely friendly man, customized a cocktail to suit my taste - a nice touch that made the experience even more enjoyable. I come to this restaurant often because the dishes are consistently flavorful & well-executed.
My bill came to $200 for a cocktail, one main dish, a vegetable side, & a glass of wine. It's not cheap, but the food & service are definitely worth the price. Highly recommended for a refined yet welcoming dining experience.
Culinary excellence at its finest. The dishes are beautifully presented, & the unique way in which the flavours come together in each dish is just sensational & a true work of art. Even the cocktails are crafted to perfection. The ambiance at Jatoba is chic & vibrant, with comfortable seating. Service is fantastic. It is a gem of a place, & the absolute perfect setting to enjoy delectable, refined Asian cuisine. Forever a favourite !
This was our first time eating at Jatoba. We sat at the bar. The bartender, Thomas, was so friendly & informative. He gave us some tips on making cocktails for when we entertain. Our server was very attentive. She gave us good recommendations. Our dishes were brought out promptly & everything was delicious & well presented. The atmosphere was cozy & inviting. The place was filled with beautiful plants.
Dec 6, 2024
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I have gone pre-covid when this place was fairly new/hyped & recently. I recall the whole experience about the same both times. Let's quickly talk about Service & Atmosphere. Service for what we had was 5/5 on par & up to basic expectations. Greeted warmly & well informed of their menu. Atmosphere they have 2 areas, front & back with the back being more open in a glass room enclosure & a lot of plants, it had a nice vibe but the front does have this cozy warm Asian inspired feel to it. 4/5 Let's get to the food: This place is on the pricey side & I'll describe it as best as I can for what I have had, & seen. I will also describe how to go to this place & really enjoy it. Food is pricey, easily call it double of what you would expect from a standard Asian restaurant. High price, small dishes, almost tapas style if you want to call it that. Some items from their menu, Filet mignon, Lobster ginger & King Crab ($60+) offers at most 5-10 bites. Their other items which would be your go to for sides like Fries ($20), Calamari ($40) or dumplings (3) (~$18). There is only so much you can go high for price. Flavours had that hint of Asian cooking with a more quality preparation & plating. Tasty yes, unique no. Be full & happy? Not at the prices. Desserts are double the price of something typical but nothing unique that I haven't seen or tasted before. Drink wise, everything stands around $15+ for your alcohols. They made some fairly nice drinks & I would say they made an amaretto sour that is going in my books (super frothed egg whites). I make this drink blind folded & even started to make it with egg whites but this was another level of froth, almost whipped cream line. Half the glass was alcohol & the other half was whipped but it was well worth it. Listen if you go to this place as 2 & you order a app, main & dessert, you are easily over $100 & you won't be full. The best suggestion is going to this place as a group of 4-5 people & each spend about $75/all in (2 orders each). This will get you about 8-10 dishes that you'll be able to try tapas style with just 1 maybe 2 bites. This way you can try a lot of different stuff without hitting a price tag of $200+ (person) which you can easily do. Food is 3/5. It's not bad food, it's just pricey & with pricey food, your expectations are just up there. Go here with friends, real friends that know how to food share & you probably won't be disappointed.
Hands down the best restaurant we've been to in Montreal. From the chic decor & vibrant atmosphere to the impeccable service & incredible food, Jatoba sets the bar high. Chef Olivier personally attended to us, offering a chef's recommendation menu that allowed us to sample some of the finest dishes on offer. Every plate was a delightful masterpiece, showcasing extraordinary flavors & culinary skill. Highly recommend Jatoba for an unforgettable dining experience.
Lovely meal but a bit rushed. Edamame was brought out with cocktails as ordered, then sashimi, then 5 other dishes at once. The four of us were done in an hour, so we ordered dessert. Would have preferred the other dishes spaced out maybe one or two at a time. We understand there is a 2-hour limit for seating, but to be done after 1 hour at a nice restaurant seems unnecessary.
I recently dined at Jatoba & had an excellent experience. The sashimis were top-notch, incredibly fresh & delicious. If you're lucky enough to get a seat in the back room, you'll enjoy a cozy atmosphere with a great vibe, perfect for a relaxing meal. The crowd tends to be older, which adds to the refined ambiance. Our waitress, Catherine, was fantastic. She helped us decide what to order & her recommendations were spot on. The selection of sake is good, though not extensive, but you'll still find something pleasing. We had the bigger table with a spinning center, which was really cool & made sharing dishes with others a breeze. Overall, Jatoba is a great place for a memorable dining experience.
May 26, 2024
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About a couple of weeks ago, my friend & I had dinner here to celebrate my milestone birthday. We ordered several different dishes & they were all excellent; the food was a highlight! Delicious, creative, & good-sized portions. Where I was disappointed was in the cold service of our main waiter. The other wait staff (who refilled our water & cleaned the table between dishes) was great. The main waiter was efficient but strictly business, nothing more. When my friend told him it was my birthday & that he wanted to make my dessert special, it's as if the waiter didn't register it at all or didn't care to. We ordered from the dessert menu & were served it regularly while other tables (including the one literally right beside us) received sparklers in their desserts for their own celebrations... ☹️ Thankfully, the food made the night. Compliments to the chef ❤️because what struck me was the play with texture, which many restaurants forget about. It is this attention to detail that really elevated the food for me.
We were very unimpressed with the quality of the food for the price. Basic preparations with unexeceptional flavor profiles - there was absolutely nothing about any of the dishes we tried to suggest they would be more expensive than your average bistro. We did very much appreciate that the wine list was not all natural wines.
We had a wonderful time at Jatoba & left the following review on Google:
We had dinner at Jatoba to celebrate our 20th anniversary. This was our first visit here, being from out of town. We were greeted warmly & received a complimentary glass of champagne for the occasion. It set a really nice tone to the evening.
We love sharing plates & ordered a total of 5 dishes & 1 dessert. Our server made excellent recommendations to help us choose. My husband had the sea urchin with caviar & LOVED it ( I don't like sea urchin or caviar, so am not a good judge for this dish :-). My favourite was the filet mignon, which came with a sauce & vegetables that were simply dreamy. Dessert was a blondie with caramel & marshmallow cream - delicious.
The food at Jatoba is delicious & thoughtfully prepared. The service is remarkable: personable, professional, prompt, smooth, knowledgeable. & the ambiance is the right mix of lively & relaxed. Be prepared for a higher bill, especially if you order dishes with premium ingredients, & have several drinks or a bottle of wine. The only regret is that we could not sit in the terrace room with the red lanterns, maybe next time.
Fantastic evening with absolutely delicious food!!
Only downside is the price... 400$ for 2 persons with a bottle of wine (wine & dishes were all from the least expensive ones...) is too much even though the food is delicious....
We had dinner at Jatoba to celebrate our 20th anniversary. This was our first visit here, being from out of town. We were greeted warmly & received a complimentary glass of champagne for the occasion. It set a really nice tone to the evening. We love sharing plates & ordered a total of 5 dishes & 1 dessert. Our server made excellent recommendations to help us choose. My husband had the sea urchin with caviar & LOVED it ( I don't like sea urchin or caviar, so am not a good judge for this dish :-). My favourite was the filet mignon, which came with a sauce & vegetables that were simply dreamy. Dessert was a blondie with caramel & marshmallow cream - delicious. The food at Jatoba is delicious & thoughtfully prepared. The service is remarkable: personable, professional, prompt, smooth, knowledgeable. & the ambiance is the right mix of lively & relaxed. Be prepared for a higher bill, especially if you order dishes with premium ingredients, & have several drinks or a bottle of wine. The only regret is that we could not sit in the terrace room with the red lanterns, maybe next time.
