Le Virunga
RestaurantTop Pick
Le Virunga
Stylish, cozy bistro plating braised goat leg, slow-cooked oxtail & other African-inspired dishes.
Opens Today at 6 pm
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 6 pm - 10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 pm - 10 pm |
| Friday | 6 pm - 11 pm |
| Saturday | 6 pm - 11 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Info & Location
About us
Virunga Restaurant is the story of two women passionate about African culture, who invite you to discover the gastronomic richness of this continent, which is so dear to them.
Through revisited traditional recipes, the restaurant celebrates the authentic flavors of sub-Saharan Africa, while showcasing local Quebec products.
Both simple and creative, this cuisine demonstrates, above all, a respect for ingredients and gastronomy.
Virunga Restaurant aims to be a warm and friendly place, offering professional and quality service.
Chef Maria and her daughter Zoya generously welcome you for a unique culinary experience, combining history, modernity, and heritage.
100% South African wine list
Through revisited traditional recipes, the restaurant celebrates the authentic flavors of sub-Saharan Africa, while showcasing local Quebec products.
Both simple and creative, this cuisine demonstrates, above all, a respect for ingredients and gastronomy.
Virunga Restaurant aims to be a warm and friendly place, offering professional and quality service.
Chef Maria and her daughter Zoya generously welcome you for a unique culinary experience, combining history, modernity, and heritage.
100% South African wine list
Our Specialties
Sub-Saharan Pan-African gourmet cuisine.
Amenities, services & more
We accept: Master Card, Visa, AMEX, InteracPhotos (19) More
on Google
Press
International Women's Day: These Women Are Reshaping Montreal's Restaurant Industry
Montréal en Lumière: When the City Shines Through Its Flavors
Eating Local in Montreal: Our Top Picks Committed to Serving Quebec Foods
Gastronomy and Black History Month: The Restaurateurs Bringing Montreal to Life
Where to Eat in Plateau Mont-Royal
Le Virunga: l'un des trop rares restaurants africains à Montréal
Behind The Scenes: Le Virunga (article en anglais)
Events Nearby
POP Montreal International Music Festival 2025
Sep 24, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025
BLVD Festival 2025
Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 31, 2025
Reviews often mention
Display Allsaveur(44) african(42) dishes(36) cocktail(36) dessert(34) vin(31) recommend(28) unique(27) wine(26)Page 1 of 1 - 29 Reviews
Nicole
Amazing place with very unique dishes. The only comment would be the amount of food per dish, felt like they could have been more generous. But totally recommend & worth paying a visit!View more
Akua
Tasty & diverse dishes from different African regions. Menu changes depending on what's in that season which makes the experience exciting.View more
Fern
Lovely food, lovely service. This is a fantastic little restaurant serving unique & flavorful dishes, deliciously prepared & beautifully presented. Very friendly & accommodating staff. Highly recommended!View more
Rohan
Unique African dishes. Tapas format, so plan for ordering more than one dish per person. Nice cocktails.View more
Raha
THIS PLACE IS CRAZY GOOD! The dishes (the appetizers, the goat main, those plantain beignet fritters), the paired wines... & the lovely service. I come here every year for my birthday meal & this might be our favourite Le Virunga meal yet!View more
Syeda
Delicious food, service & presentation! We tried multiple dishes as well as both desserts, & everything tasted extremely comforting & delicious! The service is really good too, the server took her time to explain everything to us about the dishes & we also had some help pairing a perfect wine with the dishes! Highly recommended!!View more
via LibroRich & balanced flavours, beautiful dishes, attentive & thoughtful service. Will come back as soon as possible
Eran
Interesting delicious dishes! Great service & atmosphere. Everything ws really great! Warning half the dishes were spicy, but in a good way 😁View more
via LibroLovely first experience & exceptional dishes. Will definitely be back again.
via LibroWe had a wonderful experience at Le Virunga! Excellent & unique flavors & dishes. The service was TrueType outstanding. A memorable evening. I would recommend this restaurant for any special occasion!
via LibroBeautiful small restaurant! The flavors were really different & delicious. You get to try not so common ingredients in beautifully inspired dishes. We will definitely put it on our list of favorites neighborhood restaurants.
via LibroAbsolutely loved everything. All dishes had nice flavor combinations. Excellent all around.
via Librowe were there for a special event, part of Montréal en lumière & a special menu conceived of & produced by Lysanne O'bomsawin was our treat. a happy marriage of pan-African & Abenaki ingredients were presented (with beautiful pairings of South African wines) in a parade of gorgeously plated dishes, each with its own twist: confit de canard on a base of cloudberry jam, smoked trout, wapiti tartare,, smoked mutton & a rasberry paté with coconut ice cream. everything was delicious, the portions were adequate, the service & the atmosphere with a great pan-African playlist at a reasonable level wrapped the evening in a bright red bow. we'll be back for their regular menu, soon!
via LibroVery refined & delicate food & attentive service. Sort of a French version of African food, dishes had many flavors that all went together very well. Be sure to try one of their drinks, the Elephant Tree. Yum
via LibroOur initial excitement for this restaurant dwindled after our starters. While they had more variety of flavour, our main dishes (mutton special & goat leg) were surprisingly lackluster. They weren't bad, but they seemed to be missing the 'gastronomie Africaine' that we were expecting. The cassava gnocchis that came with the mutton special were very dense. We surmised that the toned down flavours were possibly to accommodate the older crowd that filled the dining room. In terms of service, the restaurant was understaffed for a Saturday night. With around ten tables, two servers were also running food, hosting & bartending. This lead to slow service through no fault of their own. Overall, it was good, but nothing spectacular, & we probably wouldn't return.
via LibroLe Virunga was the most pleasant surprise I've had at a restaurant in a long time! The atmosphere is warm & inviting, even on a cold rainy night! The music was superb, & played at a volume that allowed for normal conversation. & the food ... absolutely delicious. We were 5 friends for dinner , & everyone adored their dishes. Mine was a pan seared Sturgeon, just delicious. & the plantain donut for dessert ... wow. I don't want to forget our server; she explained the dishes & eagerly answered our questions & even asked the chef when we had questions about substitutions. Cannot wait to go back. One more thing, lovely wine list, our Riesling was superb!
via LibroWent for our anniversary. Lovely small space, excellent service. We had the goat salad appetizer, oxtail & duck leg as mains, & for dessert, the beignets with rum sauce. All was DELICIOUS! Only criticism is that the food could have been hotter. Would certainly visit again to try some of their other dishes, including the goat.
via Libro
Excellent cozy in a warm & welcoming ambiance.
Friendly & knowledgeable staff.
Authentic, well-prepared & flavorful dishes.
A must!
via LibroLe Virunga was wonderful! We love trying new (to us) foods & everything here was delicious. We started with pan-African-inspired cocktails that were delightfully refreshing on a warm night....we especially recommend one named after Nelson Mandela. The appetizers & main dishes were skillfully prepared & subtle spicing perfectly complemented the flavor of the food. The restaurant is lovely & the ambiance calm & welcoming & service was very efficient & friendly. We're from Maine & come to Montreal each year to savor new experiences...& Le Virunga definitely provided a great new dining experience! We'll be back!
via LibroI wanted to discover something new & authentic during our recent visit to Montreal. While browsing eater, Le Virunga caught my attention & I decided to try it. While my diet is mainly vegetarian, I occasionally eat non vegetarian dishes. My husband & I were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the dishes & a range of amazing new flavors at this neighborhood restaurant. We absolutely loved the fact that the atmosphere was very relaxing & comfortable yet sophisticated. I sincerely admire the mother & daughter team & their determination to bring a piece of their African heritage to this northern city. Thank you! I wish you all the best in your persuit of your dreams! PS If possible, please add more vegetarian dishes to your menu.
via Libro
Le Virunga – a visit well worth it!
Last evening, I set out with a foodie friend to discover Le Virunga. Traffic woes, street closures & exasperating parking frustration almost changed my plans. But perseverance prevailed, & turned out to be well worth it. Tucked away in the heart of the Plateau, Le Virunga restaurant is cozy, intimate & tastefully decorated. A life-size, chalk-drawn map of Africa on the back wall faces the entrance; other walls are adorned with hangings depicting African art & culture. The table runners in hues of blue, brown & gold, some patterned, some plain, are an imaginative evocation of the African continent. Le Virunga features a Pan-African fusion menu with touches of French gastronomy, & highlights a few local Quebec products. Offerings are diverse, all very tempting & include vegetarian options. We particularly enjoyed the starter named after the resto itself, Le Virunga: spicy marinated shrimp showcased on a macedoine of fresh mango & papaya, lightly drizzled with pili pili vinaigrette & garnished with sprigs of arugula & slices of avocado: delectable. Suya – tenderloin brochette - was tender & tasty. For mains, ginger-&-cinnamon-roasted Marieville duck was flavourful, the plantain fries extraordinary. Veal sirloin topped with a mound of mashed mauve sweet potatoes, a layer of sautéed spinach & a plantain crisp as a finishing touch, melted in the mouth. Hot pepper sauce condiment served on the side. Dishes are creatively plated & presented to appeal to both sight & appetite. The background rhythmic music, at just the right volume, playlisted on Spotify created just the right vibe. Prices are eminently affordable. Service was warm, gracious & attentive. Definitely worth an encore visit, & an opportunity to explore the wine & dessert offerings.
via LibroWe had a great dining experience at Le Virunga. We both had the leg of goat & it was absolutely delicious. In addition, the service, drinks, & ambience were all great. We would definitely come again to try more dishes & we highly recommend it to others.
via LibroExcellent. The menu included options suitable for pescetarians, vegetarians & vegans as well as a range of meat & fowl dishes. The oxtail was to die for. Exceptional cocktails.
via Libro
It has been a long time since we had not gone to a restaurant where all the dishes we order were not only amazing from starters to dessert. They were original , well presented & mixing ingredients in a different way.
The service was equally efficient & courteous.
The minus will be the wine list- but definitely a most return.
Completely recommend to go discover.
via Libro
An outstanding meal, especially the knockout main dishes, but all the rest, the appetisers, the dessert & the fine African wines were, well, fine.
We will be back.
via LibroAbsolutely delicious & creative dishes. The catch of the day was one of the best fish dishes I've ever tasted in my life!
via LibroOutstanding! The presentation of the dishes, the flavors & combinations of authentic herbs & ingredients makes this restaurant & authentic jewel of Montreal. The meat was perfection. The vibe of the restaurant was also excellent & truly diverse. Super chic & also family friendly. One of the best restaurants I have experienced in Montreal & looking forward to going back!
via LibroOne of the best meals we have had in a long time. Ambiance, service & most of all flavorful dishes made this an unforgettable night! Will definitely come again next time we are in Montreal!
via LibroWent for Valentines Day & had an amazing experience. Congolese chef incorporated various flavours across the African continent into delicious dishes. Definitely going back!