Jatoba delivers a refined Asian fusion experience with inventive, well balanced dishes that range from sashimi and shareable bites to standout wagyu and miso elements, all presented with care and flair. The ambiance is chic and welcoming, mixing upscale polish with a lively atmosphere that many reviewers appreciate for celebrations or a stylish night out. The menu and wine list receive strong praise, and cocktails are often highlighted as exceptional, though some guests find certain courses pricey and note variability in portions or pacing, especially during busy lunch service. Overall, it stands out as one of Montreal's top spots for food, service, and atmosphere, with most visits leaving guests impressed and planning a return, even as a few experiences fall short or feel rushed.
Jatoba is hands down our favourite restaurant in Montreal. We're from out of town & every single time we visit, this is our must-have dinner reservation. We honestly don't even bother trying anywhere else anymore.
The food is always incredible & the menu has so much variety. We usually do the chef's tasting & it never disappoints. The sashimi is unbelievably fresh, every plate is beautifully presented, & even as someone who normally skips dessert, I enjoyed it.
What really makes this place stand out though is the overall experience. The service is flawless without ever feeling pretentious, drinks are never empty, the table is constantly refreshed, & every little detail is taken care of. Having Chef Olivier come by to check on us & walk us through the dishes really added such a personal touch. You can see the staff genuinely takes pride in what they do, & it shows in every part of the experience. You truly feel looked after from start to finish.
We celebrated a birthday this time & they made it feel so personal & special. Every visit here reminds us why we keep coming back. Whatever you're doing, don't change a thing.
I was there for lunch with a group. I had the miso soup & sashimi lunch express. The sashimi isn't served the traditional Japanese way with wasabi, & yet the ginger & the sauce made it very delicious. The side salad of kohlrabi was super fresh & it had such a nice crunch. The mocktail aloha jatoba is a nice drink if you like fruity taste. The restaurant has beautiful decor & excellent service. There's a complimentary coat room at the reception. An excellent idea for winter!
Mar 11, 2026
on Google
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Incroyable expérience au Jatoba! Comme d'habitude, nous avons adoré tout ce que nous avons commandé mais c'était notre première fois au bar & sincèrement, c'est devenu ce que je préfère! Le service que nous avons reçu par Thomas était génial! Dégustations de drinks, présentation d'aliments mystères, c'était divertissant & interessant & ca a rendu notre expérience encore plus wow. Nous avons découvert le drink le plus délicieux à base de cognac & liqueur de mandarine & pêche! Deplus, Nathan notre serveur a su nous recommander exactement ce que je voulais, un plat rafraîchissant & savoureux. Service hors pair, je leur lève mon chapeau. Quelle belle soirée! MERCI!! Worth every penny!
One of our absolute favorite restaurants. The food is incredible & beautifully presented. The service is outstanding, staff are very knowledgeable, attentive, & our drinks refilled quickly. We've been coming here for years, & I can't wait to go back every time.
Restaurant was empty with plenty of online appointments & we were denied seating because we have a 17 year old. He doesn't drink & they denied a party of 8. Business must be good.
I'd like to recognize both the positive & negative aspects of the service during our visit.
Service Rating:
⭐ 5/5 for the support staff (bussers, runners, & bar staff) - Everyone else on the team was attentive, friendly, efficient & really top-notch service worthy of the highest end restaurant.
⭐ 2/5 for the waiter who took our order - Unfortunately, our overall experience was seriously impacted by two concerning incidents. The 1st is not drama, the second in quite unnerving.
1. Drink Order Mishandled
One of our guests ordered a regular (non-diet) Coke. When the drink arrived, the server delivering it (holding the printed bar order in hand) stated it was a Diet Coke. The waiter who originally took our order quickly & firmly insisted it was not. However, a simple taste test confirmed it was Diet Coke.
Though the drink was eventually replaced, the way the situation was handled was troubling. The waiter's defensive attitude, dismissiveness, & his unwillingness to listen came across as unprofessional. It felt more like,'just take what you're given,' rather than an effort to ensure a good customer experience.
2. Allergy Risk - Serious Oversight
We ordered a multi-course tasting menu (we did not choose, we let our waiter decide on the menu) & clearly communicated one important dietary restriction: an allergy to shellfish. Despite this, the final course included two plates containing shellfish (crab & shrimps). Thankfully, we identified this (again thanks to the support staff) before anyone with the allergy took a bite - but that's not always possible, especially with items like dumplings where the filling isn't obvious.
When we raised the issue, the same waiter casually responded,'Oh yes, I know - but I really wanted the rest of the table to try these out.' This is not just a lapse in judgment - it's a dangerous & completely unacceptable approach to food allergies. It demonstrates a lack of seriousness, care, & professionalism.
Mistakes can happen, but the lack of accountability & the dismissive attitude from the waiter made both situations feel much worse. Service staff are not just responsible for delivering food; they are trusted to listen, respect guest needs, & ensure a safe & welcoming environment. In this case, that trust was broken.
I hope the management sees this as constructive feedback & takes appropriate action - particularly with regard to allergy protocol training & service standards.
We enjoyed our meal so much, the bartender made us fantastic drinks. Staff was attentive. Food came out with great timing & each bite better than the next
Jul 12, 2025
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The food & drinks were amazing, but the service was disappointing. It wasn't like that on our previous visit. Maybe the server was having a bad day, but at this price, I expect better than mediocre service
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.
One of my favourite gastronomic experiences. Got some cocktails & some food, everything was perfect. You REALLY have to taste their Amaterasu drink(the blue/green one), literally my favourite drink right now. The price was a little bit salty but honestly it was 100% worth it. Perfect to go as a couple to impress someone hahaha.
A group of ten went & it was a fantastic experience. The food was next level as were the drinks & the service was outstanding. Would recommend. The fish was so fresh & the dumplings I'll be thinking about for awhile.
I really don't know what to say. It's my favorite restaurant in Montreal. The chef is not even Japanese but is SO talented. Every single dish you order is just 100% good. The vibe & ambiance is the best. It's considered a fancy restaurant. The service is impeccable definitely pricey but justifiable. The drinks are so gooood. The manager is the best. 👌
We had a great experience overall, starting with the affordable valet parking service, to the great ambience & nice decor, going through ordering our drinks, entrance & plate. The duck confit fried rice is a must & for petoncle lovers also try the plate they have. Also as an entrance the fried mushroom is great & the dynamite shrimp are made their own way & it's really good. Will go again
We've been here twice all the way from Ottawa just because the food is so amazing! The key is to sit at the bar so that you can chat with the bartender & learn about new drinks. Our favorite menu items are the pork & shrimp dumplings & the star anise spare ribs with rice!!
Mar 2, 2024
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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.
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.
Wonderful service in an energetic yet cozy atmosphere despite being in a large space. Fantastic food & drinks were delicious. Will be recommending to others & plan to return on our next visit to the city.
