Paris may be an ocean away, but the art of casual French bistro dining is not lost at Le Pois Penché in the heart of downtown Montréal.
The menu reads like a who’s-who of Parisian comfort food favourites, with beloved classics the likes of steak tartare and duck confit in mustard sauce alongside an array of spectacular seafood platters. Boasting one of the most interesting wine collections in the city, Le Pois Penché offers an impressive selection of imported bottles and wines by the glass.
This authentic French brasserie delivers fine cuisine in simple opulence: plush red velvet, checkerboard floor tile, crystal chandeliers, large paintings and a blackboard listing the daily specials on the wall. In the middle, a large bar; around it, busy waiters flitting to and from, outfitted in the traditional white shirt, black vest and apron. French bistro, through and through.
Le Pois Penché’s terrasse buzzes with animated conversation while its private banquet rooms reserve their splendour for group functions. Le Cellier, in particular, offers a sumptuous venue for events up to 70 guests, with vibrant Parisian settings by artist Pierre Pivet, a vaulted brick ceiling, and the restaurant’s prized wine cellars displayed behind sleek glass panels. Connected to the brasserie, Salon Chez Swann, in the boutique hotel of the same name, is ideal for groups of 24 guests or less.
Our Specialties
Oyster bar, Tartares (salmon, tuna, beef) & shellfish platters.
Le Pois Penché offers a refined French brasserie experience with classic dishes given a Montreal touch, set in an elegant yet comfortable space where attentive service and a warm atmosphere pair with a standout wine and oyster program. Oysters, escargot, bouillabaisse, duck confit, mussels, and favorites like Paris Brest and creme brulee are frequently praised, and the bar area along with occasional live singing adds a charming, convivial vibe. The dining room works well for intimate celebrations or relaxed meals, with reliable, knowledgeable staff and thoughtful touches that make guests feel welcome, from wine pairings to easy reservations and a private room option for special occasions.
Best French food in Montreal hands down! I easily made a reservation & from the time I walked in, I was promptly seated at a lovely table on the side of the bar. It was a bonus the server was able to speak English, he even offered to speak French or English. We end up ordering wine & the waiter made an amazing recommendation. Along with food specials, he suggested to us some great items. We end up ordering a couple of appetizers, a few entrees & desserts! Every so often he'd come by to check in with us, & it's the little things that he does that makes our dining experience superb like pouring wine for us, cleaning any empty plates & maintaining a clean table. Other servers & even the hostess stopped by our table to make sure everything was to our liking. You can see a whole team effort & it doesn't go unnoticed! Everything was just absolutely incredible, unforgettable dining experience & I'll be sure to dine here again on my next visit back to Montreal!
Aug 8, 2025
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I ate here during f1 weekend. The service was top tier, our waiter was very patient & kind. The food wasn't anything special but it was still good, a tad overpriced for me. I had the French onion soup & steak frite.
Nice & cozy place, service & ambiance are really good. A bit pricy (well it's downtown Montréal)
We ordered the seafood platter for two.
Everything was very delicious. The lobster tail was a bit small for the price we paid(in my opinion) otherwise a really classic French style seafood restaurant.
PS we got our margaritas served in low-ball (whiskey) instead of classic margaritas shape glasses, & it was small size. I guess focus on wine & food instead of cocktails (after all it isn't a bar)
Yummy French food! Beautiful ambience. Emma added the perfect touch, wonderful service, great recommendation, lovely conversation in both French & English!
We went twice during our trip & would recommend to anyone! We first went for lunch & had the best French onion soup I've ever had in my life. Our waiter Andrew was wonderful & so kind as to recommend several other dishes, so we ended up changing our dinner plans the final night of our trip to return.
The salmon tartare, mushroom cavatelli, lamb steak, & profiteroles were all 10/10. Big thank you to both Andrew & Tony for top notch service & recommendations!
We picked this restaurant from the Google review & search. Overall , we enjoy our dinner right from the start to finish. The seafood platter has two types of oysters. One is from PEI & the other is from Northern Quebec. We ordered extra local Quebec Choux oysters. The French onion soups use sweet onion. The New Steak is well made with nice French Fries. The Crème brûlée is very tasty. The Strawberry & Mango sorbets are high recommended as a finish of the highly enjoyable dinner.
Jun 1, 2025
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This renowned French restaurant offers a taste of Paris in downtown Montréal. The décor was elegant & the service was exemplary. The long & complete wine list offered excellent choices. The food was delicious, featuring classic French fare with a local twisted. The duck confit boasted crispy skin & tender meat. The bouillabaisse was outstanding, simmered perfectly to extract all the flavor. The Paris-Brest was a must-enjoyed dessert.
Out of all the restaurants I've visited over the years in Canada, Le Pois Penche is by far the One to Rule them all in my experience. Situated directly under Hôtel Chez Swan, the clear & soothing music that flows gently through folding glass patio doors that open up to the posh upscale interior of the restaurant. Having made a reservation a few days earlier, we were quickly assisted in Anglais, as conversational french is not a strength I have in my bag of tricks. Once we had chosen our preferred seating, we were quickly greeted by who we believe was the manager of the establishment(he wore a tan suit) who welcome us, chatted with us a small bit, & then took our order when ready. A reisling wine, decently priced, atlantic salmon with butternut squash spaghetti, & a medium rare steak with salad was what we ordered. Within 10 to 15 minutes we were brought the wine & the food immediately. The bustle of the crowds walking past the tables, the kumquat trees lining each patio space, & the wonderful vocalist serenading us with Frank Sinatra as we ate was by far one of the most memorable & enjoyable experiences at a restaurant that I've had. It is well worth the price of the entire meal. The quality of food was very high & there was nothing on either plate left untouched. Even the remaining sauce was mopped up by the delicious basket of bread placed on our table. I would recommend that if you are coming to Montreal, make absolutely sure you reserve time to eat & enjoy at Le Pois Penche. You will not regret it.
P.s. the logo was very, umm, unique. My partner & I were very amused by it.
Beautiful traditional French restaurant. High-end but has all the basic good French fare. Service is attentive & the ambience is welcoming. While it has a lot of tourists, few French speaking locals are spotted. Food was excellent.
We celebrated my birthday at this wonderful restaurant & were fortunate to have Mina as our server. Let me tell you, Mina is an absolute gem-she's hands-down, the best server we've ever had! We told her we wanted to practice our French, & even though we were pretty terrible at it, she patiently helped us understand everything with a warm smile. The rigatoni maison aux crevettes tigrées was a flavor explosion & a must-try, & my fiancée was over the moon with the lamb. Mina's perfect wine pairings elevated our meal, making my birthday dinner truly unforgettable.
A huge thank you to the kitchen & staff for an incredible experience-we had such a blast!
When we come back to Montreal, we will definitely visit again.
Apr 21, 2025
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Visiting Montreal for the first time was an unforgettable experience, & when in Montreal, you eat as the French do! At Le poison Penche from the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with warmth & hospitality. The Duck skin was crispy & the meat tender, Brussel sprouts cooked perfect & the sauce simply divine. The server/bartender was not only knowledgeable but also incredibly kind, making the experience even more enjoyable. The atmosphere was absolutely beautiful-relaxing, elegant, & never too loud. The service was impressively fast, & the food? Simply incredible! Every bite was bursting with flavor. I had an amazing time & would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic & delightful dining experience in Montreal. Made my birthday so special 💗
As a trendy Montréal french bistro restaurant... they hit all the notes perfectly. Warm knowledgeable attentive staff, very nice atmosphere & as to the food, well, perfect is an understatement. Oysters served by a passionate oyster maestro chef, hanger steak, beef tartare, salad & perfect fries... qui dit mieux...
Revised rating following defensive response of the establishment (only the stars are changed not the content, but we won't go back to this restaurant anymore ) : Overall a good French restaurant in Downtown Montreal. The typical French food with a correct quality/price ratio & generous portions. The majority of the customers are not local. However, the service was actually disappointing & unprofessional & the guy didn't care & we had to ask for every single thing (eg. Water, bread, salt, etc)
No doubt the food here is excellent: the oysters were perfectly complemented by the mignonette, scallops with sea urchin emulsion was buttery & luscious, & the confit canard was crispy while still being fall off the bone. We went on New Year's Day evening & these were standout dishes that we would definitely come back for. However, the cocktails & more importantly, the service was really where they dropped the ball. The cocktails were too dilute, like they were overmixed or otherwise let to stand too long so the ice has melted significantly & made them too watery. Our server was friendly enough, & he started us off well with a warm welcome, the menus, & specials. After that, he appeared to ignore our table for pretty much the whole meal. Different servers brought us water, wine, & our food while he was preoccupied with other tables. We thought it was because we were a party of two & he was just busy with the bigger tables he had, but then we noticed he was more attentive of other tables with parties of two (for example, two other couples were seated after us, & they received their bread & butter without asking within minutes of being seated, whereas we waited around 30 minutes for bread service & had to ask the server that brought our wine for it--it came just as our appetizer was dropped). Throughout our mains, we did not get so much as a check-in, a re-pour of wine, or a top-up of water. We were not asked if we wanted to order more wine while the couples beside us & the family behind us got multiple check-ins. When our dessert came, we also didn't get a check-in. When we asked for the bill, it took close to ten minutes to get it while he was attending to other tables, topping up their wines & waters. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing service experience especially since we were visiting the city & were really excited to try out the restaurant. We were at a loss as to why it went downhill so quickly while others appeared to have decent service. Was it because we are a queer couple that did not speak French? The place was busy but it didn't feel slammed to warrant how we were neglected. Either way, the food was quite impressive but we would be wary of returning because of the service especially with the amount we spent (& we could have spent more).
An absolute gem. Great service complimented by a delicious brunch. Cheesecake french toast had just the right amount of sweetness. The staff are all incredible. High level service & quality meal without pretense. Will return to try the table d'hote.
Extremely limited vegetarian fare. Granted it's a French restaurant, they aren't known for veggie cuisine, but to charge that price for cauliflower soup( delicious), & then a baked cauliflower seems overly um, uninspired, like I'm an afterthought. The service was great, but slow. The coffee came cold. I never got the 2nd drink I ordered & the first drink took 35 minutes to get.
