At Kwizinn Vieux-Port, co-owners Michael Lafaille and Claudia Fiorelli bring a vibrant fusion of Caribbean flavours to the heart of Montreal's Old Port. Chef Mike Lafaille expertly blends traditional Caribbean spices with contemporary culinary techniques to create unique fusion dishes such as our octopus carpaccio, lobster poutine, plantain burger, and bao fall of di bone. The bold use of fresh herbs, rich marinades, and zesty sauces brings out the authentic and vibrant flavours that define Kwizinn Vieux-Port’s Caribbean fusion cuisine.
For a more immersive experience, Kwizinn Vieux-Montréal offers a range of special events throughout the week. Enjoy jazz nights every Thursday from 6 to 9 pm, while Fridays and Saturdays feature local DJs spinning beats late into the night. Every Friday to Sunday, indulge in a delightful brunch from 11:30 am to 3 pm, where you can savour dishes like our Fried Chicken Sandwich with coconut-marinated chicken, maple syrup, pikliz rosé, or the Tropical Wrap filled with sautéed vegetables and a choice of shredded griot or braised beef. The menu also features our creamy 3 Cheeses Mac n’ Cheese, the flavourful vegetarian dish Grilled Eggplant Obe Ata, and the savoury Chef Lafaille's Griot with fried plantains and pikliz. After brunch on Sunday, enjoy a lively Cuban night from 6 to 9 pm. We also have a private dining room perfect for groups and special occasions, and we regularly host thematic evenings, from Caribbean-inspired culinary nights to rum-tasting events.
Diners celebrate Kwizinn for its elevated fusion of Haitian and Caribbean flavors, with dishes that are flavorful, well seasoned and beautifully presented, from griot and octopus carpaccio to plantain burger and lobster pasta. Portions are generous and the tasting menu offers great value for exploring the varied menu. The drinks and cocktails are memorable, with inventive presentations like cocktails served in a whole pineapple. The atmosphere is warm, chic, and festive, with a mix of intimate dining rooms and a lively Old Montreal vibe, enhanced by live music on certain nights and a welcoming terrace. The service is consistently described as impeccable, attentive, and friendly, with staff guiding guests through the menu and making celebrations feel special. Kwizinn is recommended for celebrations, group dinners, dates, or simply discovering Caribbean cuisine at a high level, and many guests plan their next visit as soon as they leave.
I went on a sunday night with 2 friends. & it's their cuban night. The cuban music was so loud that the we add to yell for the servers to hear us & they had to yell back in our ears. Really did not enjoy that athmosphere. Was the music good? Yes, but the noise level is wayy to high. Altough the restaurant call itself "carribean fusion", I knew the chef is Haitian, so I had faith that the food would be good. But oh my. We ordrered accra, oysters & boa buns as starters. The oysters were fresh & good. The accra was burnt & undercooked, probably because the oil temperature was too high, & frankly it's a disgrace to call that an accra. For main, We had the fish with djondjon rice, the burger & the pork chop. There was a big chunck of epis in the fish (see picture)🤦🏾♀️. The fries in the burger were burnt🤦🏾♀️ (see pictures). The pork chops were ok though. For the riz djondjon, I get that it was late, but we only got Graten (overcooked crispy rice for the non haitians reading). It would have been better if they told is that they are out of djondjon rice. Paying 9$ for a small bowl of graten is crazy man. We also ordered 3 coktails that were good. We ended up paying about 300$ for an experience that we did not enjoy at all. Maybe it was a bad night for them. But I will not come back.
Fall-off-the-bone kabrit! Where to begin? It was honestly such a fun night. The place looks amazing. It's very immersive & it feels like we're entering a fancy grave. I loved the music by A$h Banks; it was top-tier selections nonstop! The food was so tasty, really well-seasoned & exceptional. Each dish was so unique & well-executed. We had 2 cocktails which were very delicious & potent! The mac & cheese was baked & creamy, & it didn't taste like water, as opposed to 99.9% of other places where they serve mac & cheese. It was really authentic & comforting. My discovery is the octopus carpaccio - let me tell you this one is a show stopper. SO fresh. & it was topped with a bruschetta-like sauce & focaccia. It was so unexpected & daring to compose a dish like that, but the tastes blended so well together, & it was also topped with mashed avocado. SO creative. I recommend this dish to everyone! The kabrit was G.O.A.T. It came with shishito peppers & it was literally the most tender kabrit I have ever tasted in my entire life. It just fell appart & melted like butter in my mouth. The griyo was outstanding! This dish is very authentic & simple, but it is executed exceptionally by Chef Mike Lafaille. The pikliz was pikliz! Very delicious & it's just what you hope for & more. We also ordered allocco which was just a delight! They use the sweet, ripe plantain & it was such a perfect addition to our dishes. I find the the menu is ecclectic & unexpected, but there is definitely caribbean tastes & influence in every dish I've tasted. I find it so rare to find fusion restaurants that make sense & Kwizinn makes sense! It's really well-executed & it was worth every penny. Don't go there without an open mind. It's truly an experience & they also do brunch & have fun events. I also appreciate that they were very family-friendly. We came with a baby & they didn't make us feel uncomfortable, which some fancy restaurants can sometimes make you feel like & inconvenience if you have a family or young baby, but it was not the case at Kwizinn. It's very welcoming. The service was great! I could feel the passion in every person who served us. It shows that they love what they do. They tended to our needs & were super friendly. I love that it's a chic environment, but it's also very warm & loving. A huge shoutout to Claudia who is such a great host & made me feel at home! This one is already a staple in the city. It's so worth it. I can't wait to go back & try more dishes. I'm really proud that we have such an institution here in Montreal. Bravo to everyone involved! Fantastic experience. Will recommend & tell everyone.
May 26, 2024
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Je suis extrêmement déçue de mon expérience chez Kwizinn du Vieux-Port. Selon moi, cet endroit est surévalué. Les plats étaient fades & la sauce du poisson était amère lors de la première dégustation. Heureusement, le chef l'a modifiée par la suite, ce qui m'a ravie. La serveuse, malgré quelques oublis, était sympathique & a bien géré la situation.Cependant, j'ai trouvé que le menu à 75 $ par personne aurait été plus approprié pour notre groupe de 7 personnes, au lieu de la commande individuelle qui s'est avérée très coûteuse. Payer 8 $ pour un extra de pikliz ? Qui fait ça dans notre communauté ? Au minimum, assurez-vous que le service soit de qualité irréprochable du début à la fin. Malheureusement, j'ai eu l'impression que cet endroit & ceux qui connaissaient mes cousins & ma famille ne s'adressaient pas à moi. Peut-être que la clientèle visée est d'une autre communauté, qui sait.Pour plus de 200 $ par personne, je m'attends à un tout autre niveau de service. Mes cousins, qui connaissaient le propriétaire, m'ont dit qu'ils avaient reçu un délicieux cocktail au pamplemousse en arrivant. Étant arrivée plus tard à cause de la circulation, j'aurais aussi aimé déguster ce cocktail & en apprendre davantage. Lorsque le propriétaire est passé devant nous, je lui ai dit, comme nous l'avions fait plus tôt avec mes cousins : "Hey mon ami!" à deux reprises. Cependant, il m'a ignorée en tournant le dos comme s'il n'avait rien entendu.En d'autres termes, je ne recommanderais en aucun cas cet endroit à ma clientèle, mes amis ou ma famille comme une référence de la cuisine haïtienne. Nous sommes bien plus sympathiques & chaleureux, sans mépris ni ignorance... & surtout pas avec une facture de 150 à 175 $ par personne.
On etait un groupe de 12 & nous avons prit le menu decouverte.
C'est un repas de 4 services, absolument TOUT était délicieux. Ca vaut vraiment le prix. La place est conviviale, la musique est bonne, le service etait parfait & le propriétaire chef etait super compréhensif malgré que nous avons eu dès cancellations dernière minute.
Nous allons définitivement y retourner.
On etait un groupe de 12 & nous avons prit le menu decouverte. C'est un repas de 4 services, absolument TOUT était délicieux. Ca vaut vraiment le prix. La place est conviviale, la musique est bonne, le service etait parfait & le propriétaire chef etait super compréhensif malgré que nous avons eu dès cancellations dernière minute. Nous allons définitivement y retourner.
Jan 14, 2024
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I went on Naija night & the food was absolutely amazing! I've had the haitian food before, everything is great! This is a must go restaurant. Congrats to the chef for his creative fusion style!
Loved my experienced at Kwizinn! The food was great & the server was attentive & helpful. (I asked how the choco-banana mousse was made, & she asked the chef for me.) I had never tried this kind of cuisine before, & really liked what I had.
Fantastic place, & the food was delicious. The food is authentic Haitian cuisine. The customer service is courteous. The chef & owner warmly welcomed us & offered us shots because we were celebrating a special occasion.
Kwizinn is a must go. The Chef has put together an authentic & well thought out menu. It hits comfort & technique. The dishes are unique with fully developed flavors. The kitchen team was on point you could taste how much they enjoy working there. The service team was friendly, helpful, & knowledgeable. The floor manager was amazing to deal with. She was attentive & helped guide us through a full tasting menu with 14 people. For a small space, we were comfortable & taken care of. Really, just a well executed restaurant with a great staff.
Highlights Food: Crab Legs with Herb Butter/Braised Goat/Chicken Wings/Steak Frites/Rum Cake
Aug 23, 2023
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On a demandé a changer de table car trop bruyant a l'arrière, une table se libère in nous dit on la nettoies & vous pourrez vous asseoir, elles le donnent a d'autres clients on a dû attendre une autre table pour 15 minutes
J'ai commandé le plat dégustation 1/2 fruits de mer 1/2 viande j'ai eu 1 brochette de 3 crevettes & 2 petits morceaux de pieuvre. Je n'ai pas eu de tasso/chèvre mais de la pintade. J'ai demandé ce qui ce passait? On m'a répondu que les plats dégustation sont au choix du chef
C'est ma 4e visite en 6 mois & c'est la première fois que j'entendais cela! Je n'ai pas apprécié. Comment dépenser 130$ & que mon repas soit au choix du chef J'ai demandé a parler a Claudia & on m'a dit qu'elle était a un good court pour la soirée
J'ai dépensé 210$ & je n'ai pas été satisfaite du service mais pas du tout cette fois-ci.
Je recommande beaucoup ce restaurant mais il faut respecter les clients
Hands down, la meilleure cuisine haïtienne que j'ai mangé 🤤 de l'entrée jusqu'au dessert, un délice pour les papilles 💕le griot est tellement tendre qu'il fond & les saveurs sont explosives. Mention spéciale pour le feuilleté au canard confit avec la sauce pimentée...juste WOW! Kwizinn sera dorénavant ma seule & unique destination pour les plats haïtiens! Bravo chef Mike! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The meal went above our expectations. Very good presentation.. Cooking technique: perfectly crisp yet moist shrimp & it's the first time I've ever had bean rice that wasn't mushy; Chefs originality was evident in the preparation of the ceviche. We all intend to return.
Quelle belle soirée 🥰 ambiance géniale service impeccable, bouffe wow tout était délicieux savoureux & le ti ponch exquis, on reviendra c'est sur un samedi pour la musique cubaine, félicitations au chef & Toto, merci & à bientôt 🎊
WOW, l'ambiance, le service,
Super bouffe (nous avons choisi un menu dégustation & quelques autres plats) TOUT était bon, pas juste bon, excellent.
Le chef est sympathique, motivé & talentueux.
LOVE IT! Food was sooo good! Service was soo good! 100% recommend. We got the plateau du chef so you get a little bit of everything & it was just great!
The food are super good & the ambiance are really good service is A+ I Recommend it everybody to come & try this incredible food I'm soo happy to be here. & the chef Mike is amazing so I give Chfe Mike 5 Star for the great decoration great food & service thanks for the waitress & The great service definitely I will be back 😋😊🤙
