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.
Très belle expérience ! Les plats sont généreux, les saveurs explosives & l'accueil impeccable. On a passé un super moment entre amis. Bravo à toute l'équipe, vous méritez largement vos 5 étoiles ⭐?
If you're a foodie like me, you'll love this Restaurant (Kwizinn) The menu has a fantastic selection of dishes, & we loved everything we tried. We only had good comments about the food. The service was mind blowing. For the Ambience, it was welcoming.
I can't wait to come back again!
Oct 3, 2025
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.
Absolutely loved this place! The flavors were bold, authentic, & perfectly balanced. Super friendly staff & the ambiance & aesthetic vibe made the whole experience even better.
This spot is a gem.
I recently had the opportunity of dining at Kwizinn, a charming spot that boasts a beautiful ambiance & a playlist that sets the perfect mood for the evening. The setting itself is inviting-warm lighting, sleek decor, & a cozy yet sophisticated vibe. It's the kind of place you'd want to bring a date or catch up with friends.
Let's talk about the food. The appetizers were absolutely fantastic-bursting with flavor & creativity. The oxtail patty was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, & paired with a subtle sweet dipping sauce that left me wanting more. The deconstructed sushi roll was refreshing, & the mix of citrusy tang with delicate seafood that was spot on, which my colleagues raved about. The drinks had the pure essence of Caribbean culture that really helped tie in the whole start of the meal. I was definitely excited to see what the main dishes had in store.
As for the main dishes, they were a bit of a hit or miss. Some were absolutely delightful, like the griot dish with riz collee & plantain-juicy, rich, & all around complete full meal with good portions. On the other hand, the Picahna dish, while tasty & well cooked, it was lacking on the fullness you'll find in the griot dish. Let's not forget the 4 meat plate dish, that sadly was the most disappointing of all, the chicken served was completely charred than anything & the sides lacked in flavor. For the price it was truly a lost opportunity to really hit the spot. Still, nothing was truly disappointing, but the consistency wasn't quite there, aside from the chicken.
Now, what really soured the experience for me was the service. Our waiter, Justin, was incredibly subpar & fairly rude. From the moment we sat down, he seemed disinterested & unapproachable. He was curt with his responses toward us & made no effort to engage or make the meal more enjoyable. There were many moments where he seemed bothered by simple requests, like taking our group picture, & the overall attitude he projected was unpleasant & uncomfortable. To tell a group of people he will only take a single picture of us, truly shows how he did not want to be around our table or have to serve us a minute longer, which was amplified by how little he asked about our drinks or advise us the delay for our desserts. Any questions or follow ups from our end, were met with push back & fake smiles. For a restaurant that otherwise excels in its atmosphere & food (somewhat), this was a huge letdown.
In the end, Kwizinn offers a nice varied dining menu if you're looking for delicious appetizers, a solid main course (depending which one you take), & a vibe that's both relaxed & chic. But, I hope they pay more attention to service in the future because it really detracted from what could have been a perfect evening. A little warmth & attentiveness from the staff would go a long way.
Everything about this restaurant is just WOW! The food is mouth watering; from flavor to presentation & even variety, it was just perfect. Every cocktail I had was gorgeous & well balanced! They even offer tasty mocktails for those who don't drink. The staff is so kind & the service is quick! Need I mention that there was a soul/jazz band there playing live music?! The ambience is wonderful & I highly recommend for all ages. Would be perfect for a date night or even a night out with friends. A true gem!
Sep 12, 2025
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.
Loved this spot! The vibe was cozy, the staff was super friendly, & the food was amazing, fresh & full of flavor. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to!
Caribbean food with a flair! Excellent costumer service, flavours that have you daydreaming & quality ingredients. The owners & chefs pour so much love into their dishes that it's impossible to leave unsatisfied. I will continue to recommend this place to every foodie! Tried the duck patty this time & it was absolutely divine. Comfort in a bite. The cocktails were also exquisite, where every sip had me closing my eyes haha. Honourable mentions: Great variety of mocktails & vegetarian/pescatarian options which is highly appreciated. Can't wait to return!
5 star service for our server, Camra (?), who had the hard task to tell us that inspite of reserving Sunday brunch, with the option of a bottomless mimosa, when we arrived on site, there was no prosecco available. The manager could not provide an ETA of her arrival so we didn't know if it was happening or not. But the food is FANTASTIC … when it arrived - so just be prepared to pivot from your expectations:)
La nourriture est excellente & le cadre est agréable. La musique était un peu forte en début de soirée, ce qui rendait difficile la communication autour de la table, mais ça s'est calmé en milieu de repas. Le service laisse à désirer (de nombreuses erreurs dans les commandes pour un groupe de 8) & il est très lent (nous avons attendu plus de 30 minutes)
Sep 8, 2025
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.
First time visiting Kwizin since it moved to the Old Port. Wow! Everything!! The service, the atmosphere & most importantly, the food. It was absolutely delicious. The oxtail Jamaican patty is a MUST! Such a flaky dough with a tender & creamy meat filling. The (sweet) homemade ketchup pairs perfectly with it. For the main, we LOVED the plantain burger. Again, the dish is so well thought & balanced. The cheesy sauce adds an amazing flavour & extra moisture, it's finger licking good. Finally, the beignets were a pleasant surprise. Like a warm crispy donut with a sweet glaze drizzle on the plate. Will definitely go back! Ultimate date spot.
Came here with a group of 7 people & overall I'd say there were highs & lows with the meal. The highs: oxtail patty & its salsa were out of this world - meat was tender, the pastry was flaky & it paired really nicely with the sauce. The vibe & decor is also really nice. The medium: had the plantain burger. The beef was nicely cooked & seasoned & I thought it was an interesting take to have plantain as the bun. Overall wasn't out of this world or enough to get me to return. The lows: yucca fries & the beignets felt overpriced for what they were. Both coming in at about 13$, the yucca fries were very salty & the seasoning was really uneven. The beignets were 13$ for 3 timbits sized donuts. Our party commented that the seasoning across several dishes - the burger, the sushi, the yucca fries - were pretty similar. Service was patchy & very slow. It took maybe 20 minutes to get our drinks & then we weren't really offered another round until way after we finished our meal. Dessert was also really slow coming out after an already long meal. Overall I know some delays are to be expected with a larger party but I'm not sure the food & service were enough value for money for me to return.
Very Disappointing 🙁
Food was ok. Ambience was ok.
Service was good.
Ordered the Table d'hôte ($75+ tax)
Honestly the food was too expensive given its quality & quantity.
The steak was 4 tiny slices ( each as big a a loonie) buried under a mountain of sautéed carrots
For the amount we paid for two persons, we could have had a better experience elsewhere.
The food overalll tasty & good! The sauce chalè is spicy & good I loved it. Their pikliz need to be better The oysters were good I love the sauce that comes with it. The sauce for the oysters was tasty but tho thick it would be nicer to have more a liquid sauce. The oxtail patty very good but would love if it was more juicy & saucy inside but the tasty was there very good ! Then the lobster pasta was good too! But I would love it more saucy. The service was a bit slow they seem low staff. The lady on the front was ok I think she could be more warmth & welcoming. The atmosphere & deco are nice but they were playing latino music all night. I would love to hear some carribean vibes in a carribean restaurant . Would I go back? Definitely it was good
What on earth?! It takes a lot for me to be disappointed in a restaurant experience, but tell me who pays $75 for a sampler platter per person & doesn't even get dessert. Our reservation was for 8:30 P.m. & we didn't get the first dish at our table until 9:50 P.m. if it wasn't for the quality of the food & the company, I would've given a one star rating. It's unfortunate. They put a very inexperienced server to take care of our table of 12. She didn't even know whether dessert was included in our prefix, & my friend specified that this was her birthday. & it seemed that every single time we ask the server for a drink or whether there was more food coming, we always had to prompt her as opposed to her, asking us what we needed honestly, honestly, I felt sorry for the waiter because if she was the only one working then it's the responsibility of management to make sure that if a group is coming for an event, they should be well taken care of & we were not. I sincerely hope that the owner reaches out to my friend who made the reservation to rectify the situation because, she spoke so highly of the last time. Granted, I found out that her wonderful experience happened at the previous location, which may be one of the reasons why this was not what she expected.
