Le Nil Bleu on St-Denis Street in Le Plateau is a rare Ethiopian restaurant to offer flavourful, yet exotic meals that patrons keep going back for. The cuisine at Le Nil Bleu is composed of lamb, chicken, beef, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Le Nil bleu also offers combo plates which allow diners to sample several offerings. The exotic decor features art, musical instruments and print fabrics. The environment is intimate and relaxing. We now offer delivery!
Le Nil Bleu in Montreal delivers a warm, refined Ethiopian dining experience with a welcoming service and a cozy yet stylish ambiance that many reviews describe as transporting and intimate. The menu features a generous tasting approach that showcases a spectrum of flavors, with a shared injera centerpiece, richly spiced stews, and a range of vegan options that satisfy both meat lovers and vegetarians. Cocktails and wines complement the dishes, and the desserts provide a polished finish to each meal. The staff are repeatedly praised for knowledge, attentiveness, and friendly hospitality, making occasions feel special whether dining as a couple, with friends, or with family. The atmosphere, decor and music often earn compliments for being calm, elegant and inviting, and the option to dine on a terrace is noted as a pleasant bonus. Some comments mention slower service at times or portions that could be larger for bigger groups, but overall the experience is described as consistently delicious, well presented, and memorable with an emphasis on authenticity, freshness and hospitality.
Nil Bleu - une expérience chaleureuse, savoureuse & pleine de découvertes 🍋🫓🌿
Dès notre arrivée, nous avons été accueillis avec chaleur. Toute l'équipe était souriante, & l'ambiance tamisée du restaurant nous a plongés tout de suite dans une atmosphère intime & apaisante. Nous étions assis dans la salle du bas - un petit cocon parfait pour profiter de l'expérience.
Notre serveur était charmant, attentionné, & a pris le temps de bien nous expliquer les plats. Nous avons partagé deux menus dégustation : un végan, un avec viande. Notre groupe de quatre a été unanime : chaque plat était savoureux, parfaitement exécuté, & surtout très différent l'un de l'autre tout en s'harmonisant. 🌿🍖
Ce que j'ai adoré, c'est l'expérience de manger avec les mains, à l'aide de petites crêpes éthiopiennes.
Mes plats coups de coeur :
✨ Salade maison - légumes caramélisés
✨ Kitfo - tartare de filet mignon
✨ Gommen - épinards, oignons & ail
✨ Yekik Alicha - pois cassés au curcuma
Les breuvages étaient tout aussi délicieux que beaux à regarder. & le dessert… wow. La tarte citron meringuée avait une texture crémeuse & un bel équilibre. Elle n'était pas trop sucrée, exactement comme je les préfère! 🍋
Un endroit où je retournerai sans hésiter, autant pour l'ambiance que pour la générosité de l'expérience.
From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed. The entire team was smiling, & the soft lighting created an intimate, peaceful atmosphere. We were seated downstairs - a cozy space, perfect for fully enjoying the moment.
Our server was lovely & attentive, walking us through each dish with care. We tried two tasting menus - one vegan, one with meat. The four of us agreed: every dish was delicious, unique in flavour, yet perfectly complementary. 🌿🍖
One of the highlights was eating with our hands using small Ethiopian crêpes - a beautiful & sensory way to connect with the culture.
My personal favourites:
✨ House salad - caramelized vegetables
✨ Kitfo - beef tenderloin tartare
✨ Gommen - spinach, onions & garlic
✨ Yekik Alicha - split peas with turmeric
The drinks were just as delicious as they were beautiful. & the dessert? Wow. The lemon meringue tart had that perfect texture - creamy & perfectly balanced, & just lightly sweet. 🍋
I'll absolutely go back - for the atmosphere, the flavours, & the overall richness of the experience.
Nice presentation & ambiance. Had the tasting menu which were generous portions, difficult to finish. First time trying ethiopian food, everything was varied & excellent! Would highly recommend.
It feels like I was in a resort the whole atmosphere , the service was nice & very great foods. I would highly recommend the tasting menu also the hummus & beef tartare was delicious. so many vegan options, perfect spot to come with your vegetarian friends
Food is great & very tasty but some portions are a bit weird. We ordered the taste menu for 3 people & some of the dishes could barely be split equally between 3 person so everybody could have a proper tasting of everything. Some drinks are served in a tiny, talk glass full of ice. On a 4$ Coca-Cola? Come on... Service was outstanding.
Went there for the first time to try Ethiopian food. The decor & ambiance are nice, with good music. The food was very good, & we got the tasting menu for two. The food is great for spicy & spice lovers, with many options & generous portions. However, the desserts were quite average & didn't really relate to the cuisine. Overall, the experience was nice. It's a good spot if you want to explore Ethiopian food.
Jun 10, 2024
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Surprised to be able to reserve a table for two last nminute on a Saturday night, but really glad I did.lovely decor & vibe, with comfortable seating, & background music that allowed customers to carry out normal conversation. Although the place was packed, from the time we walked in to the time we left, service was friendly, attentive & very helpful with questions about a cuisine we were not familiar with. The star of the show was the food. Tasty, plentiful, with just the right amount of spice & aromatics. We chose the meat (they also had a vegetarian option) tasting menu, since it provided a nice intro to Ethiopian cuisine. It included a nice selection of starters to share & a platter of lamb, beef, chicken, lentils & vegetables all cooked in different sauces/styles, with plenty of injera to scoop everything up. Delicious!,
The food was great & we really enjoyed the tasting menu. Unfortunately the waiter didn't seem to be very happy doing his job & he smelled like cigarettes.
This was my 1st experience with this kind of cousine. It was fantastic. We got the tasting menu for 2 & it was a beautiful presentation & wonderfully flavored. The staff was attentive & friendly. Our server explained the food & was very pleasant. The bathroom was beautifully renovated. However, if I wanted to see my hair, I would have to bend over to look in the mirror. There was a wodden decorative panel that blocked my view from the chest up. There is a lovely water feature on the stairs giving a nice atmosphere. I would go again without question.
Mar 18, 2024
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Friendly service, nice ambiance & delicious vegan options. I have been several times & usually get the vegan tasting menu, it has 5 different dishes & lots of Ethiopian bread.
I loooove this place, food is soooo good & tasty! I love this cozy vibe & atmosphere in Le Nil Blue. I had so many different exotic Ethiopian food like meat tasting menu, ebeg alicha, kitfo, eshiro watt, zizil Tibbs & other food that I don't remember the names, & everything was so tasty. I will definitely come back here with my boyfriend ♥️♥️ & btw, the service was sooooo gooooood😍😍 very nice people! THANK UUUUU
Service was good (for instance offered wet towel to clean hands before the meal, & wi-fi credential, even without me asking for it). I ordered the vegan two courses tasting menu for one person, as I know nothing about Ethiopian food. The size of everything was indeed for tasting, however in light of the relatively high price ($35), I was expected more. Most of the items were not that spicy (good for me). There was only one really too spicy to my taste - not sure what it was (color was dark brown). It was interesting experience, but personally I'll likely keep it as one time experience. They are not take-away friendly (I tried). The place is not too large' the mirrors make it seem to look larger. It was busy, though. It worthwhile mentioning that the google entry is outdated: - there is no Israeli cuscus on the menu.
Had a wonderful evening.
The tasting menu for 2 was more than enough & the cocktails are nicely unique with combinations you aren’t likely to fined elsewhere
Sep 5, 2023
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My daughter & I celebrated her 19th birthday at the restaurant. She has a vegan tasting menu & I had the kitfo tartare. The last time I was here was 10 years ago, & the quality of the food is just as good now as it was then!
One of my favourite places to eat in Montreal. I've been going to Nil Bleu for years. Excellent service, delicious food (I recommend one of their tasting menus to share) & a great atmosphere.
The food was great: it was presented beautifully & in large portions! Some of the best Ethiopian food in Mtl for sure.
Service: much better than what I'd expected, but there was a bit of chaos! There was a long wait btw our starters & main course with nobody showing up to ask if we were done! Someone from our party asked about wifi & they said they had it but never came back to provide the details...
Otherwise we had a lovely time there. Highly recommend the tasting menu!
I made a reservation for a big group for my birthday & everything was perfect! I had the vegan tasting menu & it was absolutely wonderful. My friends had cocktails & they enjoyed them all. The service was impeccable, they even cut the cake that one of my friend brought! 10/10
Intimate & exotic atmosphere with wonderful staff & incredible food. Try the tasting menu to sample everything with ease, pair it with a bold South African red like Cloof Inkspot, & prepare to explore!
