Leila receives broad praise for fresh, flavorful Mediterranean and North African inspired cooking, generous shareable plates, and a warm, inviting atmosphere with attentive, professional service. Dishes like sardines on toast, octopus, lamb merguez, tagliatelle with ragu, and other seafood highlights appear across reviews, and the wine list and cocktails are well regarded, with a speakeasy back room adding charm. A few notes mention occasional saltiness or small portions for the price, and some nights with louder music or slower service, but overall the consensus is that Leila delivers a standout, hospitality-driven dining experience with creative, high-quality cooking and a welcoming vibe.
One of the best dining experiences I've ever had, Montreal or otherwise. We came with a large group & Philippe happily accommodated us. The service was fantastic & personal, the food stellar, & the overall vibe great.
The food is outstanding. The way every dish came out & was presented was so thoughtful. The octopus & merguez were particular standouts. Even the bread & cheese that came out to start was delicious. Danny walked us through every dish, helped us pick our drinks & wine, & accommodated all of our other requests without an issue. He's a gem & made the experience that much better.
This spot is a MUST try. It's great. Cannot recommend enough & anytime I'm back in Montreal I am absolutely coming back.
Très belle découverte ! Le restaurant a une super ambiance & le service est vraiment chaleureux. Les plats étaient délicieux & bien présentés, on voit que les ingrédients sont frais. L'équipe prend le temps de s'assurer que tout est parfait pour les clients. Je vais définitivement revenir & recommander la place à mes amis.
What a Gem! Found this new spot that doesn't look flashy at all but was legitimately delicious. The food was absolutely incredible, the prices were very reasonable, & the service was quick & genuinely kind. Highly recommend!
I attended a private party in the back room - so my review speaks only to this experience, which I cannot recommend unless you want to be trapped in a small space for 4 hours at dinner time, eating miniature food samples paced 30 minutes apart. The food was decent - the red sauce was fresh, but the *three* (lol) pieces of rigatoni pasta I received were very overcooked.
I don't enjoy leaving bad reviews, & I'm sorry for that. But when we left, I was so hungry & cranky I couldn't speak to staff. & I think It's important for people to know what to expect: for two guests - we spent 200$ to eat out of takeout containers, & drink on an empty stomach. Sure food can be costly, but I've never experienced this anywhere else in Montreal, & we eat out a lot. Anyways, this is one place we won't be going back to.
Ne mérite clairement pas 4.8 étoiles actuelles. Les plats sont 50/50 certaines saveurs bien réussies, d'autres un échec total. Les portions sont beaucoup trop petites pour ce qu'on paye. Je recommande pas.
Jan 16, 2026
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deliciousssssssss 10/10! The food is amazing! Their concept is really inspiring & the service… wow! It's like they're all happy to greet you like you're family ! Highly recommend
The food was quite good but disappointed in so many other ways. The service was terrible . Extremely slow & non engaging . As it was our first time she recommended the'tasting menu' as we were 4 people. Portions were so small I felt like I was robbed . The main course was 3 pieces of swordfish for 4 people how does that make sense ? The food was good but a restaurant is more than just the food & they did not deliver .
Everything about the experience was amazing. The service, the food & the vibes were great. Thanks again to Danny & team for the great recommendations, & the time they took with us. Highly recommend!
Nov 8, 2025
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What a wonderful evening at Leila!! The food, the ambience, the service all so top notch! You will not be disappointed & especially if you get to see Amine! Congratulations 🎊 to all the staff & owners! Everyone seems to love working there! Can't wait to go back! I will recommend Leila to all the people I know who are visiting Montreal! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Les gens qui y travaillent sont tellement sympathiques. Les explications & conseils pour le menu sont clairs & les vins & les cocktails sont recherchés. L'expérience est plus que satisfaisante. Je recommande!
This place was recommended by a friend. Parking was tough & called in to say we may be a bit late & we were comforted that our table would be waiting. Once there, we were warmly received. Our waiter Danny was excellent. Was very enthusiastic about his presentation & adept in both French & English. Decor was nice as well as the atmosphere. The wine list was good but not many value options. Thought that pricing was high & could use more lower price options. I liked the small'market fresh' menu. As for the food, there were some winners & some losers. The buratta straciatella was good but the brown butter wasn't browned enough in my opinion. We were told easily shared among us 4 but better for 2. The sardines on toast was delicious & again, good for 2. The bitter salad was excellent & was a play on a Caesar salad & that was ok for 4. The merguez sausage was by far the most disappointing dish of the night. As soon as the plate was placed on the table, I could smell how gamey the lamb was. It was way too strong & they said it was Quebec lamb but smelt more like New Zealand. Nobody at the table was a fan. Three at the table took pasta as their mains & the portions were quite small. The cavatelli fagioli was ok. Nothing really special about it. My Guinea fowl was well prepared & juicy with crispy skin. The beans on top were ok & I find detracted from the delicate meat & I found the $58 price tag a bit steep. The food was very homestyle. With a few adjustments to portions & plate composition, this place could easily be 5 stars. The highlight was definitely the service which is a great place to start.
Sep 23, 2025
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Very tasty food & friendly staff. We had the octopus, olives & shishito, sardine toast, sucrine, busiata, espadon, pistachio cake & basque cheesecake & every single dish was delicious. The outdoor seating was nice too. Highly recommended! We will be coming back for sure.
What an amazing night in my hood! Nice, cozy & friendly little gem. The service was over my expectations which I didn't have, the food experience was very good & all this at a reasonable price. Would strongly recommend.
Leila est une véritable trouvaille & un incontournable de Montréal qui saura vous surprendre & vous charmer.
Appelez-les même si leur système de réservation affiche complet : il y a de très bonnes chances qu'ils puissent vous accommoder, que ce soit dans l'alcôve à l'arrière ou au bar à l'avant.
Le personnel est compétent & passionné, & l'échange avec eux rend l'expérience encore meilleure.
Leur cuisine témoigne d'une réelle maîtrise technique & d'un soin attentionné.
Demandez des recommandations : on vous orientera vers des plats que vous auriez pu écarter, mais que vous regretteriez de ne pas avoir commandés en les voyant arriver aux autres tables. C'est d'autant préférable de leur demander des recommandations, que le menu change au rythme des arrivages de saison & surtout car les descriptions des plats ne rendent vraiment pas justice à ce qui vous attend.
Les portions sont généreuses & prévues pour être partagées. Les desserts étaient si réussis que j'envisage déjà d'y retourner prochainement simplement pour un digestif & satisfaire ma dent sucrée.
From the beginning we were greeted warmly, service was impeccable, food was very tasty & fresh bringing a nice twist to Mediterranean cuisine. Would definitely recommend 10/10
I read the reviews & was excited to try this place but must say fell short of some expectations. The drinks , food ( portion ) are wildly overpriced. Atmosphere is great, service is lacking profoundly. Spent over $100.00 to leave extremely hungry & to some extent upset. The waitress was of no help in any way, hardly ever asked if seconds were required ( this was an event ) . I honestly think they over shot their idea & did not prepare properly as such. Farm fresh to table is not expensive or is not meant to be. If the chef knows his/her stuff then portions would be great & variety inexhaustible. As well asking if allergies are prevalent & offering or discussing a plate , advising it would be served & never was , is misleading & to some extent disheartening. Suffice it to say will not go back nor recommend to friends or acquaintances. A lot to be desired!
