Le Virunga
RestaurantTop Pick
Le Virunga
Stylish, cozy bistro plating braised goat leg, slow-cooked oxtail & other African-inspired dishes.
Opens Wednesday at 6 pm
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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) View More
PressView More
Must-Visit Restaurants on the Plateau-Mont-Royal
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
Le Virunga: l'un des trop rares restaurants africains à Montréal
Behind The Scenes: Le Virunga (article en anglais)
Events NearbyMore
The Lauriers de la Gastronomie Québécoise 2026
May 4, 2026
Montréal en Lumière 2026
Feb 27, 2026 to Mar 7, 2026
Related Links
Reviews for Le Virunga
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on Google (400+)
Reviews often mention
african(45) saveur(45) dishes(38) dessert(36) cocktail(36) recommend(33) vin(31) wine(29) unique(28) africaine(27) flavor(25) decor(25)Page 1 of 30 - 584 Reviews
Prisca
Toujours un plaisir d'y manger. Une très belle expérience culinaire. Tout est pensé dans les moindres détails & le service est impeccable
Samàdhi
A gourmet restaurant with flavors & dishes that are explosive & surprising in a cozy & hushed atmosphere. Perfect for foodies. I would like to test their entire menu.
Laure
Trop classe la bouffe. Un peu juste pour les gros mangeurs. Je suppose qu'on paie pour la qualité & le service.
Kaylee
Some really good food, nothing like you've had & it is amazing! Must try
Safiya
A delicious & innovative take on familiar flavours. I loved the quiet & personal atmosphere. The service was spot on was well.
Maxime
Bonne cuisine & service, mais 1h15 d'attente pour un plat dans le menu de base! Très peu de nourriture servie malgré l'attente .. :-( nous avons été déçus .
R
Delicious, great-tasting wines in the tasting menu, & what delightful medley of notes & ingredients in desserts & wines.
Roger
Excellente expérience au Virunga à Montréal.
Le jarret de chèvre fondant était remarquable, tant par sa tendreté que par la richesse de ses saveurs. Le service s'est montré courtois, attentif & efficace. L'ambiance du lieu, à la fois élégante & accueillante, a parfaitement complété l'expérience culinaire. Une adresse à recommander sans réserve.
Charbel
Service was excellent, the place is cozy. Unfortunately, I expected more food. Very small portions.
Coralie
Bon restaurant, super service.
Ça fait grandement du bien d'avoir un restaurant offrant une cuisine africaine dans le quartier, c'est rafraîchissant & tellement différent :). Merci
Moridja
Un restaurant magnifique. Un lieu qui représente bien ma culture africaine.
Marjolaine
Update 2025: whilst I had a good meal (& adapted for vegan options), for the cost of the meals, I think experience had some hiccups. We waited 45 minutes for our bill due to a payment machine issue & they didn't provide free drinks or a discount for the wait, which is honestly the LEAST they could have done for a party of 9 which had been seated for already over 3 hours. Really disappointed in that part of the service although the servers themselves were attentive & kind.
Old: Food is pricey but I really love the concept of this restaurant! Modernized food with a lot of care & thought out into the dishes. A little pricey but definitely worth a visit. The restaurant is beautiful but could do with more personality inside in my opinion. Overall happy with the place (wish there was more vegan options).
Ines
I gave a 3 because food was excellent & flavourful but the service was poor. They do not know how to handle groups. We were 9 people & we were made aware that we would need to get the menu for $90 each with 20% gratuity during reservation, so thats okay. However the issue was service was very slow. Our first course only arrived after 1h30 in the restaurant & at the end of the courses, we waited 45mins for the bills due to an issue with their machine. We weren't given any free drinks or discount for spending basically 3h45 in their restaurant. It was disappointing.
Nedjeda
La nourriture est très bonne, mais les portions sont petites. Resto gastronomique, mais service… comment dire… mon verre s'est renversé, je ne me suis même pas faite offerte un autre (même à mes frais); c'était l'anniversaire de mon mari, on a amené le gâteau & j'ai dit à la serveuse pour le mettre au frigo, elle a dit je vais voir avec la cheffe & elle a laissé le gâteau sur la table tout le long de notre souper & ne nous est pas revenue sur ça, donc on a compris qu'il fallait prendre leur dessert (on aurait aimé tout même qu'il nous offre de le garder au frais) … donc la petite attention qui aurait pu faire la différence n'était pas là. Je ne suis pas sûre de vouloir y retourner.
Brad
A hidden gem in The Plateau area of Montreal. If you're looking for something different, & mind-blowing flavours, give this place a try.
The restaurant is a Pan-African fusion restaurant; a hybrid of Saharan, Congolese, & Mozambican cuisine. The flavours of the unique spice blends were outrageously good. You can tell the sauces are very thoughtfully prepared. & the small, well-curated menu shows that they want to specialize in what they do, rather than offer a hundred different things & miss the mark on some. Also, a well put together all-South African wine list.
We will definitely come again!
Sylvie
Ma découverte de l'année! Plats succulents, saveurs nouvelles, & parfois relevées. Profiter de ce petit resto, c'est voyager pour quelques heures. Nous étions 6, & nous avons tous été ravis.
Vikki
Best restaurant I've been to in years & I've lived in NYC for 23 years. Excellent! Visit for the F1 weekend.
Maude
J'ai fait une réservation pour un groupe de 10 personnes, pour mon anniversaire. Ils nous ont obligé à prendre la table d'hôte (qui contenait très peu de choix), prétendant que ça serait trop de gestion pour eux qu'on prenne le menu à la carte. C'était très décevant pour nous, car la majorité des choses que nous voulions goûter n'étaient pas sur le menu table d'hôte.
Le repas était tout de même bon, bien que pas ce que nous souhaitions. La serveuse a offert un bon service. Par contre, elle nous a imposé un pourboire de 20%, sans possibilité de choisir ce que nous voulions donner. Leur pratique en la matière est probablement même illégale.
Aucun de nous n'a l'intention de retourner dans ce restaurant. Il y en a des tout aussi bon culinairement, où il y a une plus grande considération des clients.