Le Violon is a neighbourhood restaurant tucked away in Montreal's Le Plateau. The menu by chefs Mitch Laughren and Danny Smiles and team focuses on seafood-forward dishes and seasonal Quebec produce. Our wine list is refined and approachable, plus find new spins on classic cocktails.
Le Violon in Montreal is widely praised for inventive, beautifully executed dishes and attentive service in an elegant, cozy setting, with standout items like lobster, beef tartare, gnocchi, seabream, and lamb chops frequently cited; the bar and the kitchen view add to the experience, though noise levels can be high and some nights show inconsistencies in dish execution or portion sizes for the price. The dining atmosphere, wine and cocktail program are highlighted, and many guests say they would return, with several calling it one of the top experiences in Canada, while a minority note that portions are small and service can be uneven during busy periods.
Nous sommes allées pour une soirée entre filles wow tout était délicieux ! Même les cocktails étaient excellents. Je recommande vraiment pour une date night ou une sortie entre amies.
From start to finish everything was excellent. We asked Dylan to give us the Le Violon experience in selecting the appetizers & entrees. He did not miss, it was spot on with the lobster & persimmons appetizers with the fleur des monts cheese. Followed by the beef flank & trout entrees…not great but stupendous. Thank you Dylan. Thank you Andrew for the warm greeting & chat as we left. Priceless! Highly, highly recommended….see you in December!
Nov 18, 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.
Food was amazing! Service was good! The ambience was perfect. Enjoyed every bite & sip of our meal & will definitely come back! 10/10 would recommend!!
My husband & I came here to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Food was exquisite, & service was attentive without being overbearing. The staff are young, but knowledgeable & passionate about what they do - a delight! We loved the lobster, braised leeks & hollandaise, as well as the blue fin tuna bruschetta & squid & mussel escabeche - but the hand pulled ricotta gnocchi Boscaiola was the absolute star of the night. Rounded out the evening with espresso, Valhrona Basque cake & the Peaches Eton mess, followed by a tipple of Amaro generously offered by the chef. The decor was elegant, spare, but still cosy. Chef Danny Smiles & his team have created a complete gem. Outstanding & highly recommend!
Hats off! All the acclaim & amazing reputation are well-deserved! I've had some of the best food in a long time, & the atmosphere & service were truly amazing! Highly recommended!
Le violon est digne de la recommendation Michelin. C'est restaurant qui ne se prend pas la tête même si il est réputé pour être un des meilleurs à Montréal. Le service est chaleureux & une attention au détails pour que notre expérience soit des plus agréables. L'atmosphère est agréable & petite touche très spéciale, aux salles de bain, nous entendons des chansons jouer au violon. Les plats étaient divins, très bien exécutés & les vins recommandés se mariaient bien avec les services. Je suis conquis.
Everything here (start to finish) was phenomenal. We like to go out for nice meals & some of the top restaurants just don't live up to the hype but chef Danny Smiles & his team definitely do. We had lobster & tuna tartare to start then the sea bream & gnocchi as mains & were mind blowingly good. I 10000% recommend. Go there for those two mains in particular. Service was also excellent. We sat at the bar accross from the kitchen. I like what they've done with the place (post Maison Publique). The bar looks like it's made of pink salt. Very appropriate. Anyway, congrats team! You have a great restaurant.
Sep 5, 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.
SO impressed by this place!! i rly have to highlight the service first cuz it was seriously exceptional, our waitress was the best ever & made the whole experience super nice :)
for the food we rly enjoyed almost everything we got (personal ranking below), & the desserts were delicious too!! that basque cake is sooo decadent i love it. definitely recommend this spot ⭐?
would get again: tuna bruschetta > melon > gnocchi > beef tartare > lobster
Our waitress Mel gave exceptional service & played a huge role in our amazing experience!
Food was 10/10, would definitely come back & recommend to anyone
Le service est super professionnel & la nourriture & EXTRA. L'atmosphere tamisée & intime, la déco est sympa.
Je recommande les côtelettes d'agneau & le Fraisier en dessert ! 😍
I was so looking forward to trying this place . Overall , it was good but nothing more than that . I was expecting to be wowed , unfortunately I wasn't , I think because I had very high expectations cause it's so highly rated & recommended . The portions are very very small & not very filling & when my main dish was delivered (the monkfish ) it was cold . The highlight of the night was the sourdough bread with their whipped local
butter . We had the green salad , i
I do appreciate simple but there was
nothing special about it . The
melon & cheese appetizer is a must , the lamb chops were cooked perfectly (2 chops in a plate ) & their tiramisu was impressive The place is modern but has an old charm , it's small & very pretty . The big issue here was the noise level , we had the speaker underneath us , the music for this type of resto was unusually loud & the back ground chatter made it very difficult to have a conversation at our table , my partner & I kept repeating ourselves Service was friendly , the host at the door was very welcoming & we appreciated the Happy
Birthday wishes at the beginning of our meal by our waitress .
Jun 30, 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.
I really loved my experience at Le Violon. From customer service to the food to the vibe.
The staff were very friendly & helpful. Loved the interior design & the atmosphere.
The food was excellent. We had the sourdough bread with butter & the beef tartare for appetizers. The beef tartare was delicious. & the lamb chops were so well cooked & were definitely the highlight.
Very much recommended!
Food was great, tartare was delicious. Would recommend the affogato tiramisu for dessert. Very creative options. Ambiance is nice, staff are very friendly & attentive.
Really beautiful spot for a date night. The staff were all so friendly & the ambiance of the restaurant was amazing. Really great music & lighting. The cocktails are amazing. Highly recommend!
May 9, 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.
On avait beaucoup d'attentes pour Le Violon (peut-être trop?). L'endroit est absolument magnifique, la verrerie est belle, les assiettes sont belles, même les salles de bain sont belles!
Par contre, je recommanderais d'essayer le resto au bar ou de demander d'être assis derrière le stand de l'hôtesse. Pour notre part nous étions assis vraiment face à la porte, les gens qui enlevaient leur manteau nous accrochaient toute la soirée & il faisait très froid avec les courants d'air.
Ça ne nous a pas empêché d'apprécier la nourriture, le menu est délicieux. Les portions sont très petites, ça se partage bien à deux, mais à quatre faut doubler absolument!
Le service était bien, sans plus, notre serveuse était anglophone & j'imagine que la barrière de la langue lui empêchait de donner plus de détails sur les vins & les plats. Par contre l'équipe de suite faisait un excellent travail!
Overall, je donnerais une deuxième chance, mais je demanderais d'être assise au bar! Nous avons partagé 5 plats salés, 2 desserts, nous avons bu chacun 1 martini & 2 verres de vin. La facture s'élevait à 370$ avec pourboires.
Le Violon - a wonderful gastronomique experience! Chapeau to the chefs, especially Chef Mitch who passionately shared with us (table of 8) the "behind the scene experience" for each course - truly appreciated Chef Mitch! An innovative menu - dishes curated mainly from locally sourced ingredients, with a multi-cultural touch, a wonderful experience in a chique, without being pretentious, environment. Highly recommended!
We had an amazing dining experience! We were a party of eight & what a special evening. The chef's plate option was a delicious variety of specialty items that did not fail to impress. The restaurant has a comfortable & warm energy that we quickly settled into. Thank you Mitch, Andrew, Danny & Esme for taking such good care of us. Highly recommend.
The food is delicious & creative, the restaurant is beautiful, music is great, staff are warm & welcoming. I will visit Montreal just to enjoy a dinner here. Highly recommend!
Amazing time at Le Violon. The food is amazing, the drinks are fantastic & the wine list is out of this world. Great place for a date night & to share with small to medium groups of friends. I would highly recommend having a great night at Le Violon! Bon appetit!
