Leméac café bistrot in Outremont is an elegant-looking restaurant serving fine French and bistro cuisine. Some items on the menu include: smoked salmon platter, asparagus and wild mushroom risotto, grilled bavette (skirt) steak and frites, canard confit (duck preserved in its own fat), etc...
Leméac café bistrot also boasts a nice terrace along Durocher street. On the week-ends, brunch is served at Leméac.
Overall, reviews portray Leméac as a beloved Montreal staple that delivers classic French bistro fare with a polished yet welcoming vibe. The food earns frequent praise for items like duck confit, beef tartare, salmon preparations, moules and the pain perdu, with many noting generous portions and reliable flavors, though a few dishes are described as over salted or underwhelming. Service is described as warm and attentive when the house is bustling, yet there are occasional comments about slower or uneven service on certain visits. The ambiance is repeatedly praised as stylish and lively but versatile for brunch, lunch or dinner, with large front windows and a neighborhood charm that many find special, even if the space can be noisy when crowded. The wine list is extensive and well chosen, albeit at a premium, and reservations are often recommended to secure a good table and pace. All in all, Leméac is regarded as a dependable, high quality French dining destination in Montreal, offering menu variety, a memorable atmosphere and a reason patrons keep returning.
This is my favourite restaurant in Montreal. The service is always phenomenal & the food never misses. I highly recommend the mussels , duck confit & the escargot's. 10/10 every time !
Very good French restaurant with crab cake with seaweed vegetables & tomatoes, the fish with vegetables, cheese with seaweed , calamari , pig blood with mashed potatoes & cooked potatoes!!!!!! We had two main courses lamb chops with mashed potatoes & green beans & duck sauce pasta with seaweed & fresh cheese !!!!!!!!!
Mar 14, 2026
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The food was good overall, while the salmon tartare was a bit too fishy for my taste, everything else was delicious, especially the duck confit. However, the service was disappointing at first as several staff members passed us without acknowledging us & we had to wait a while for the hostess which was odd because it wasn't busy (just before 6:00pm). Overall, the experience was just ok.
What a gem. Had the foie gras, duck breast, & chocolate tart with ginger ice cream. All so delicious & beautifully prepared. Service was wonderful too & he suggested nice wine pairings. Would definitely recommend.
Lemeac is beautiful & vibrant with the food to match. Duck confit was perfectly done with buttery flesh & crispy savory skin. Probably the best duck confit I've ever had. Rack of lamb was good as well. Pain perdin was expectedly good.
Onto the downsides.. skip the foie gras. Worst I've had. It was prepared with a fruit jam & bread but butter instead of the foie gras would've tasted better. You couldn't taste it in the way that it was done & it was probably better that way. Barely spreadable & cold, iron-ey, & without much flavor.
Also service was a 1/5 for me personally.
Overall for the price they had good entrees , were slightly pretentious with weird service, & served some poor foie gras. Best duck confit I've ever had though. Happy I went but would not personally go back because of the service
Leméac is a wonderful place to dine elegant, polished, & known for being very strict with their menu & dining standards, which truly shows in the quality of the food. Everything is prepared with intention, consistency, & care, making it a standout spot in Montréal's restaurant scene.
The appetizers were a great way to begin the meal. The salmon tartare, whether with classic seasoning or truffle oil, was fresh & bright. The grilled calamari was tender & full of flavor, while the crab cake had a perfectly crisp exterior & a rich, satisfying center. The panko-crusted goat cheese was a highlight warm, creamy, & beautifully balanced with the apple & walnut salad. The vegetable & grilled sausage minestrone was hearty & comforting, packing great flavor in every spoonful.
For the main courses, Leméac continues to impress. The duck leg confit was cooked to perfection tender, flavorful, & fall-off-the-bone good. The prime grilled rib eye was juicy & cooked exactly as ordered, a great choice for any steak lover. The asparagus & wild mushroom risotto was creamy, earthy, & satisfying, while the braised beef cheeks bourguignon offered deep, rich flavors that showcase true French cooking technique.
Dessert was just as memorable. The Pain Perdu was warm, soft, & indulgent, & the Crème Caramel au Café had the perfect balance of sweetness & coffee notes. The Vanilla Crème Brûlée was silky & perfectly torched, & the Pudding au Caramel was smooth & comforting, a great way to end the night.
The flavors overall were very good & surprisingly casual for such a refined setting, making the restaurant feel approachable while still luxurious. Service was excellent, quick, attentive, & professional, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
Leméac is definitely a spot worth visiting if you want a well-executed meal in a classy, welcoming atmosphere. I would absolutely return.
Complimentary bread & butter. Appreciated, butter just ok.
Crab cake was good, real crab & not a lot of filler but would not get it again. Not worth the price.
Probably one of the best steaks I had in my life. Although I wish the sides had a bit of a mix of salad & fries versus a whole plate of fries. I'd come back just for the steak itself. It was perfectly cooked & melt in the mouth. Fries were regular typical fries that come with steak. Nothing spectacular.
Duck confit was good, crispy skin, & usual fall off the bone. I enjoyed every bite. The few potato wedges that accompanied it were just ok, somewhat under seasoned which was a bit disappointing. Salad was also just ok. Underwhelming vinaigrette & not a lot of flavour overall. Probably to balance the richness of the duck but still. It felt like three completely different elements just dumped together on a plate.
No house wine, all imported with a huge selection.
Fizzy water bottle at $7.50 + tx. Just stick to flat water. Appreciate the offer of lemon slices.
Atmosphere:
We found it interesting how most people were quite older (as in senior age). Honestly felt it was more'fancy' than needed & we were underdressed compared to some. It remains a bistro. Tables are quite close together in typical bistro fashion, but it makes it hard to hear each other as a couple nor does it make for a nice romantic dinner.
Service:
Server was friendly enough & kept our water glasses fill. Very professional.
Value:
Good value for money overall still & we'd come again for the steak or maybe brunch next time.
Nov 11, 2025
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The atmosphere was cozy but definitively noisy. We tried duck confit & mushroom ravioli, & profiterol as dessert. Fresh & natural ingredients & Pleasant flavours & textures.
The place is extremely noisy. The service is okay but not great & the mussels I ordered were full of sand. My friends ordered the leg of duck & they enjoyed it.
I've been to Lemeac everytime I've come to Montreal. We tried their Fish Soup, minestrone, Grilled calamari, mushroom ravioli, beef tartare, duck confit, mushroom risotto, profiteroles & banana sticky toffee pudding. Top dishes were the ravioli, beef tartare & duck confit. We reserved on the same day but could only get a 9.30pm reservation. Would definitely recommend booking earlier. Service was good & ambiance is always pleasant. Would recommend if you're looking for a casual French restaurant. 💯
Great service, & cozy atmosphere. Provided both a French & English menu. Good fries & mussels & duck confit. The salad seemed a bit plain in my opinion. They also brought us a baguette with butter for free!
Great food & drink. The duck breast was amazing! & the steaks were great. We had beef tartare to start & it was also great. Didn't come with enough crackers & the children are several helpings of bread.
Mar 26, 2025
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We had two people dining here & this was our first time in Montreal. We tried various French cuisines, but Leméac was one of the places that disappointed us. Here's what we ordered:
- Calamari: Not very impressive, the taste is quite mild but it's nice if you're looking for something easy to start with
- Duck breast: We were very disappointed with this dish. The ingredients didn't work well together at all. As someone from Hong Kong, I found the Asian-French fusion quite strange. The sauces didn't soak into any of the ingredients, & the dumpling was very average from an Asian perspective. Overall, it felt overpriced
- Hanger beef: The fries were hot & fresh, but the beef was served cold, so the butter on top didn't melt. This was another disappointment
- French toast: This was the highlight of the meal. The toast was large, served warm, crispy & delicious w/ a great balance of maple syrup & ice cream
Overall, I found the quality to be average compared to other restaurants we tried here. The atmosphere can be quite noisy when the restaurant is full. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend this place, except for the French toast.
Everything about this place is perfect. Been going here for 15 years + & yet the service, food & atmosphere has never declined. My new favourite (I usually stuck with tartare & mussels) is the duck with wonton. Ouffff it's delicious. Pain perdu is a classic & must have every time. For whatever reason I always need to get their goat cheese salad. Nothing crazy but hits the spot every time.
Happily, Leméac lived to all my hopes & expectations. It's always seems to have a bustling & lively atmosphere, so make sure to make a reservation. The service is top-notch, friendly, helpful, & always at your side. The seared scallops were wonderful, & don't forget to wipe up its luscious butter sauce. But the duck with portobello dumplings was over the top delicious, with a succulent Asian style sauce that will blow your mind. Even the baguette that comes complementary with your meal, was the best I've ever had. I'm told it comes from a local German bakery on St.Laurent Blvd called Hof Kelsten. I look forward to returning with my wife to Leméac for dinner to experience the more of their menu, over a bottle of red wine.
My goodness, some of the best food I've had: best crab cake, best duck (pictured), & best lemon tart. The staff was excellent - professional & friendly, attentive without being pushy. Happy to recommend, excited to return!
Went as a group of 5 & had an okay time. Oysters were phenomenal, the Avril Sour was delicious, the duck leg was quite good, but the cut of steak we had for the steak frite was extremely chewy & not enjoyable. Served seemed to have been sat a large section near the end of our night & was unable to be attentive to our table.
