Le Vin Papillon emphasizes the artistry of seasonal produce through a creative culinary lens. Vegetables take center stage in thoughtfully constructed plates that highlight textures and natural flavors. The kitchen maintains a philosophy centered on market-driven ingredients sourced with strict attention to quality and origin. Each serving reflects a commitment to simplicity while showcasing technical precision in preparation. The atmosphere is defined by an unpretentious focus on the plate, allowing the fresh, earthy components to command full attention. Diners encounter a rotation of preparations that shift according to the availability of local harvests. This dedication to botanical diversity ensures that each visit highlights the peak essence of contemporary plant-focused cooking.
Le Vin Papillon is widely celebrated as a standout dining destination in Montreal, consistently praised for its imaginative, vegetable forward cuisine and a skillfully curated wine list. Many visitors highlight the ham, mushrooms, and seasonal small plates as must try items, noting that the kitchen excels at transforming simple ingredients into memorable culinary experiences. The atmosphere is generally described as lively, moody, and perfect for dates or friendly gatherings, complemented by a lovely terrace. While the majority of guests rave about the attentive and professional service, a few diners have noted inconsistencies regarding portion sizes relative to price, occasional noise levels, or challenges with seating comfort. Despite minor critiques, the restaurant remains a top choice for those seeking a vibrant, high quality dining experience where the staff frequently goes above and beyond to accommodate guests.
I wish I could give more stars but our experience was underwhelming & disappointing.
We were seated at 9pm, with an 8:15 reservation. There were probably another 4-5 groups also waiting to be seated for their reso, & one couple bailed. I felt bad for staff, because it was clear that their reservation system was not working correctly. It would have been appreciated if our extra wait was awknowleged by management in some way.
This may also sound trivial, but the staff cleaning the silverware was doing so at the bar. The loud clinking sound of dropping knifes & forks into baskets contiued for the entire dinner right next to us.
Lastly, when we finally ordered our server came back & advised us that we ordered too many plates, & suggested to remove 3 of them. We had ordered 7 total under the recommendations we saw online. After our 4 dishes came out, she never returned to see how we were doing, & the bartender assisted in ordering us a few more plates. Honestly, it just felt weird.
For a $200+ dinner for two, everything was underwhelming & I hope the staff gets more help & the reservation system is fixed to avoid these issues in the future.
Came here with a friend for dinner recently & split several plates, we did not order any alcohol (this is reflected in the bill price per person). We started with the asparagus - it was super fresh but the bread crumbs were quite bland; the ham & Parmesan (excellent but would recommend perhaps ordering bread to go with it); & the radishes (one of their specials) - these came with a scone & herb butter, which were all quite good). We also had the chicken sausages (a special) & the mushrooms (regular menu). Both were very good but the mushrooms do not really given summer - would not necessarily recommend for a hot day. We tried two desserts, the labneh & rhubarb cake. Both very good, labneh was nice & tangy, rhubarb cake had lovely textures but I would have wanted the rhubarb flavor to stand out more. We could definitely have ordered fewer plates & still had enough food. The terrace in the back where we sat was also very nice.
Top five meals of my life. Sat at the bar & Bryan spent a lot of time with me going over the menu & wines which I could order by the glass. Let me sample the wines as well. I had five small plates & four glasses of wine. Some of these were absolutely exquisite, specifically the mushrooms. They made rapini taste good. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? The atmosphere was very friendly & decor interesting. Thank you so much Bryan & Chefs.
May 21, 2026
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The physical restaurant is cozy & not overly packed. The outdoor terrace is very casual with nice gas fire heaters & a solid roof that covers it, but our table & several others had benches with no back support (ouch). A decent view of the neighboring track/sports field. Reserved & indicated it was for a special occasion. Was no mention of it/acknowledgement from the staff which was too bad as we were celebrating a friend's engagement. Waitress was not overly friendly & after we mentioned it was our first time dining there, did not really guide us through the standard menu or indicate if we were ordering too much or not enough. We ordered multiple dishes which she mentioned would come in courses but the choice of what was served & when was up to the staff. It came out in random orders & often one plate at a time which kept the table looking a bit empty/sad as it's geared for family-style servings of small portions. Most of our dishes were extremely tasty & I'd recommend them (especially the steak & calamari skewers). The carbonara bread & rhubarb tart were extremely boring & lacking flavor. The caramel sauce with the ice cream sandwich was amazing but the sandwich on its own was bland. All in all it was an OK experience but it didn't leave me wanting more. Maybe we just caught them on an off night but we were definitely hoping for more.
What a fabulous restaurant!! This was our fifth time going & are blown away time & time again. Gabriel is always there to welcome us & sets a warm tone. The service was exceptional (thanks Grace!) & the support team was always present (high five to Thomas). The wine selection is extensive, with a great selection of natural &'less-natural' wines, & the cocktails were once again on point. The barman Bryan made one of the best dirty martinis!
What set this visit apart was that we had a guest that had allergies to Gluten, Dairy, Egg, & Citrus. The entire crew went above & beyond to understand our guest's needs & accommodate. We were able to have multiple share plates & entrees that made the dinner experience flow seamlessly. What's more is that Grace offered us a Vegan dessert option from their sister restaurant, Liverpool House, that checked all of the allergy-free boxes. The kitchen staff walked down the street, picked it up, & served it to us..this was the first dessert that our guest had been able to eat at a restaurant in years!! The team at Vin Papillon once again went above & beyond what was expected. Great job!
Very good. One of my favourite restaurants I've been to in the city. Also in a great location with other fun restos & bars around. Service was amazing from the start, explaining the menu throughly for us'first timers'. Fun plates to share, don't disregard the veggies as they are some of the best parts of the meal. The chilie cabbage was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. (Choi chili crisp). Thanks for the great service, food & ambience, will be back asap.
First visit to Le Vin Papillon for birthday celebration. We were 2 & sat at the bar. Wonderful service & a great atmosphere throughout. The food & wine were excellent, with small sharing plates that were original & delicious. Everything was perfect. A solid 5-star experience.
This was one of the best dining experiences of my life. My girlfriend & I came here for a nice dinner on a weekend trip & couldn't be more pleased! We got the bread, the ham & cheese, vegetable plate with aioli, the chicken & the lamb for dinner along with the carrot cake cream cheese ice cream sandwich with hot butterscotch sauce & Guinness infused chocolate cake with mascarpone for dessert. I also had the lemon grapefruit vodka soda to drink which was wonderful.
The only thing better than the food was the service. Huge shoutout to Brian for being incredibly attentive, especially to my allergies.
Such a wonderful experience & will be back when I'm in Montreal!
Cute date spot. Highly recommend going with a reservation. The menu is supposed to constantly change. Classic French with a bit of a twist. Definitely a go to if you like to order a bunch of different small plates to share. Get the dessert. The carrot cake ice cream cake with toffee dripping was amazing. Would go back just to have that again.
