Le Serpent opened its doors spectacularly on December 23, 2013 in Griffintown. Located in the Darling Foundry, an art-dedicated space, its name was borrowed from the former foundry, from the time when a massive pollution control duct crowned it. Today non-functional, this industrial artifact remains very present in the building’s architecture and the neighborhood’s urban landscape. Founded by Hubert Marsolais and Claude Pelletier, also creators of Club Chasse et Pêche and Le Filet restaurant, Le Serpent offers a menu with strong Italian accents in a contemporary brasserie spirit, with a strong personality and equipped with a unique, high-quality wine list. The team of associates is brilliantly completed by chef Michele Mercuri and sommelier Philippe Boisvert. Designed by architect Annie Lebel of atelier in situ in collaboration with Hubert Marsolais, Le Serpent enhances the industrial qualities of the space. Contemporary arrangements that contrast with the building’s raw and refined aspect, offering about 80 seats and a bar that can accommodate a dozen people. Wishing to be an accomplice to all occasions, Le Serpent is open in the evening from Tuesday to Saturday. Exclusive caterer for Darling Foundry events, Le Serpent also welcomes groups of different sizes.
Le Serpent is also a collector and integrates major contemporary artworks into the restaurant space that dialogue with the Darling Foundry.
Reviews describe Le Serpent as a standout with exceptional food and a warm, refined atmosphere. Many praise the pasta, especially the Bucatini and Paccheri, along with fresh seafood and well executed risotto. Desserts like tiramisu are highlighted positively, and dishes such as duck magret and octopus receive particular praise. Service is repeatedly described as attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly, contributing to memorable evenings, though a few observations note slower service or uneven attention during busy periods. The ambiance is described as elegant with an industrial chic design, high ceilings, and a bar that fosters an intimate feel, though noise levels can be high. Prices are described as steep, with some reviewers feeling the value matches the quality while others consider it overpriced for the experience. Several readers mention the restaurant’s Michelin star potential and recommend visiting with reservations, indicating it ranks among the top Montreal dining experiences. Occasional criticisms include small portions for the price, occasional misfires in the kitchen, and some nights when certain dishes seem underseasoned or cooler than expected.
Our overall experience was wonderful minus our steak being below average. Our server was beyond wonderful, attentive & helped us choose entrees & wine parings.
The pasta with pork reduction ragu was one of the best pastas we’ve ever had.
Our steak was below average. Tough, gristly & slightly cold. For $120 we thought it would be perfect.
The wine, service, & overall vibe was great! We’d definitely return.
J’ai pris le risotto au homard, grosse déception, un peu trop acide, manque d’assaisonnement, on ne sentait pas le homard… ca fait beaucoup d’erreurs dans une assiette à 45 dollars, je pense même faire mieux maison.
Beautifully placed in an industrial brick building. I attended a wedding there. I loved the design of the place, mix of industrial & modern style. The service & waiters were amazing, friendly, fast & very accomplished.
The chef created a special Vegan 5 course meal.
Each meal was meticulously designed & presented, the flavors were explosive & rich, worthy of a Michelin star!
Thank you everyone for this wonderful night!
What a great restaurant. The food, the service, the ambiance were all top notch. Our server, Laurence, was charming & super professional. All the details were attended to. Fantastic experience.
Les plats principaux :
- Risotto au homard : j'avais vu de bonnes reviews sur ce plat donc j'ai voulu l'essayer. Grosse déception. En soit c'est pas mauvais mais pour un plat à ce prix là j'aurais aimé quelque chose de plus relevé. C'était fade, c'est bien dommage.
- Bucatini travers de porc : on s'attendait à avoir un vrai travers de porc. Il s'agit en fait plus de Bucatini avec une sauce au porc. Bien que surprise, le plat était en soit très bon avec un mélange de saveurs très intéressant.
Les desserts étaient bons en particulier le sablé crème au chocolat.
Service
Très bon conseil en vin.
Serveur qui au début donnait un bon service.
Quand nous lui avons dit que nous avions été déçues par le risotto, nous l'avons senti beaucoup plus froid. C'est encore là dommage car cette "critique' s'est faite poliment & n'était pas liée à son service.
Ambiance
Restaurant style industriel.
Trop bruillant à mon goût.
Food was good but very small portion & pricy. Service was great. The restaurant was noisy & the music restaurant played was terrible , & some of dishes didn’t meet my taste.
Si vous cherchez un bijou bien caché dans un building qui paraît abandonné à Montréal pour passer une superbe soirée en amoureux ou entre amis, vous devez aller au restaurant Le serpent. Je suis une foody & je ne suis jamais déçue. Tout est bon. Osez prendre leur suggestion du jour ou allez avec un classique incontestable: leur fameux risotto au homard. Petit conseil: poursuivez la soirée en allant boire & danser au Bord’elle qui est à distance de marche du restaurant.
Aug 26, 2023
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First time. I was skeptical at first, the entrance is dodgy & once you walk in, the furnishing is industrial & spartan. Parking isn't easy. Menu is slim & focused. I wasn't happy to see $35 pasta dishes but it was worth every bite. I had the pork flank/nduja dish & every bit was an umami joy. I started with the Serpant Sazerac, great cocktail with freshness & strength. Can't wait to go back & try more.
Une des meilleures tables de Montréal!
Excellent service, cuisine très fine avec de très nombreuses saveurs. Chaque plat est une aventure pour le palais.
Personnel attentionné, souriant, agréable.
Quelle belle découverte. Nous sommes allés un vendredi soir & nous étions 9. Lorsque nous poussons la porte du restaurant, nous sommes accueilli avec un merveilleux décor qui mari parfaitement le contemporain & le rustique. C' est beau, c'est chic, c'est invitant. Étant arrivé premier & un peu d'avance, je commande le drink portant le nom du restaurant. Un bon petit drink succulent & rafraichissant. Le personnel est extrêmement poli & compétent. Le repas est parfait. Tous ont été conquis par la nourriture. Fait intéressant: nous avions dans le groupe 2 végétaliens, pour qui le chef a concocté un risotto hors menu 100% végétalien qu'ils ont adoré. J'y retournerai assurément.
Just came back from a lunch date with my wife & our experience at Le Serpent was filled with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the meal in & of itself, was delicious, colourful & well plated. The flavours were fantastic! We ordered the pieuvre as a starter which melted in your mouth. Then I ordered the lobster risotto with mascarpone, which was by far one of the best risotto's I have ever eaten & my wife ordered the salmon confit with lentils... Just melted in your mouth.
Now for the serving staff... The service was slow, we had to refill our own water glasses several times & the waiter didn't seem to interested in checking in on us once we ordered. A real shame, since the food was devine when it did come, but the poor service unfortunately takes away from the overall experience.
The worst part of the meal: As my wife was eating, she bit into a piece of salmon & something crunched between her teeth. She took it out of her mouth, placed it on the table & we both analyzed this clear, tiny piece of... GLASS?! Could it be? We looked at it carefully to make sure it wasn't just a piece of corse salt & so we tried to see if it would dissolve or break apart & it did not. I called the waiter over to tell him he should let the chef know to be careful, as perhaps a glass may have broke near my wife's dish when plating it. The waiter was surprised then quickly came back with a handful of white salt & tried to sell us on the idea that it was just a piece of salt. Let me tell you, it was not a piece of salt! It was a shard of glass & he tried to insult me & my wife's intelligence! I didn't as for a comp or anything at all & only wanted him to advise the chef as a precaution, but the blatant insult from this horrible waiter was completely disrespectful & unnecessary. The Chef should seriously revise his staff, as he is producing a very good quality product, but the people he has up front will ruin his perfectly good business.
Then, on the way out, the bar keep tells us, "we apologize for the misunderstanding... I assure you we would not have served you glass." What a complete asshole! I guess you can't teach class. A normal thing to do in such a situation would have been simply to apologize, maybe have the chef come over to say hello & check on us... There wasn't even a need for any type of comp... But a sincere, "sorry that happened, I hope it didn't ruin your experience here..." would have been well appreciated. Well, guess what, now even our friends heard about the unpleasant, classless event of today's lunch & it tarnishes a perfectly good place to eat.
My suggestion to the chef... Get more professional employees that have some basic etiquette & class.
