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.
Leméac is repeatedly praised as a Montreal staple for classic French brasserie dining, delivering consistent food, attentive service, and a chic yet welcoming atmosphere. Reviews highlight well executed, timeless dishes such as duck confit, beef tartare, escargots, moules, and the beloved pain perdu, with many noting that the menu remains reliably high quality and the wine list generous. The setting is described as bright and lively, with large windows and a vibe that blends upscale dining with a neighborhood bistro feel; it can be busy and loud at peak times, but reservations and patience pay off. Brunch and lunch are valued for solid options and decent value, though a few dishes or experiences surface occasional setbacks like over-salted components or slower pacing. Overall, Leméac is seen as a top-tier, dependable choice for special nights, dinners with friends, or celebratory gatherings, and many consider it one of the best in Montreal.
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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We have been going to Lemeac over the past 15 years & we are never disappointed. Most recently we had an exceptional experience with Jonathan as our waiter. Merci Jonathan!
We got A+ service the whole night, he was attentive to our needs & had a great sense of humour.
We started the night off with cocktails & then progressed to champagne, Sangiovese & then an Anarone to end off the night. The wines & champagne were exceptional.
The food hit the mark as usual with fresh, salty, briny oysters from Nova Scotia, salmon & beef tartare, grilled calamari, fried goat cheese salad.
For our mains, the hanger steak, scallops & arctic char were on point & you can never end the night wrong with a pain perdu.
We never felt rushed the whole night & our whole experience was memorable.
While the wine prices have gone up significantly over the years, the quality of product makes up for this for the most part.
Portions were great, service & company even better. We will definitely return again soon!
Lovely lunch at Leméac! The classic salad was crisp & refreshing, the asparagus perfectly cooked, & the salmon tartare was fresh & delicious. The pasta was rich & satisfying, paired beautifully with a smooth latte. Ended on a sweet note with a delicate macaron. Timeless French bistro charm & excellent service-Montreal at its best!
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!
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.
This Montreal gem offers an elevated brunch experience while maintaining a warm, inviting atmosphere. The space strikes a perfect balance between cozy & french traditional restaurant a place where comfort is at the forefront but the touches of elegance never feel out of place. It's the kind of restaurant where you feel at home, yet pampered, which is no easy feat. We gathered as a group of eight for brunch, & every detail, from the food to the service, was meticulously crafted. The highlight of our meal was undoubtedly the Norwegian platter, featuring fish so fresh it seemed to have come straight from the sea to the table. The prawns were succulent, & the accompanying vegetables & salad added a refreshing, vibrant contrast. The Egg Benedict & Pain Perdu were also standouts, each dish executed with care & attention to detail. The finesse was undeniable-every bite revealed a layer of thoughtfulness, from the presentation to the flavors. Service matched the quality of the food. The staff was attentive & accommodating, seamlessly navigating the needs of a larger group without missing a beat. Their warmth & attentiveness added to the overall experience, making it feel as though the restaurant was made for intimate moments & gatherings alike. If you're searching for an exceptional brunch spot in Montreal, this is undoubtedly a must-visit. In fact, if we weren't leaving the city today, we'd already be planning our return visit for tomorrow's brunch. It's that good-a meal worth repeating.
Oct 14, 2024
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All in all, we were satisfied with the food. The crab cakes were a little disappointing ! I would not recommend this appetizer as they did not stand out in any way. The main dishes were all great : salmon tartare was perfectly seasoned + came with a choice of either green salad, French fries or veggie of the day (which was green beans : the waiter suggested a green bean salad). The option of a different side for the tartare was very refreshing & the green bean salad complemented the tartare very well ! The scallop main dish was filling enough which sometimes isn't the case depending on portion sizes ! The grilled beef hanger steak was quite good & came with enough fries for 4 people ! Finally, special mention to the salted butter served with fresh baguette as we waited for the food to arrive. That butter was creamy & flavourful, one of the best butters I have had in Montréal so far !! Great atmosphere, great waiter, great attention to our table & needs throughout the evening 🌃 Thanks Lemeac 😊
Leméac had been on my list for ages, & I finally had the chance to experience it for myself. There's nothing like catching up with a friend over great food & a relaxing atmosphere. The service was friendly & attentive, although there was a mix-up with our order-we received two of the same dish instead of the two different dishes we requested- they ended up replacing the wrong dish. Despite this, the waitress was kind & friendly, & we never felt rushed, to finish or harry up, which was a nice bonus. As for the food, my friend opted for the Poached Eggs with Smoked Salmon & Spanish Caviar on Blinis, while I chose the Salmon Gravlax with Nordic Shrimp, Caraway Bread, & Cucumber Salad, along with a side of Fingerling Potatoes & Homemade Doughnuts. Everything was fresh & well prepared. While I personally preferred my friend's dish, that's just a matter of taste; there was nothing to fault in the food itself. The potatoes were crispy, & the doughnuts were delightfully fluffy. I believe I will be going back soon but this time to try the dinner menu.
July 2024 - Well, in my last review, I said we would be back. We went back for our anniversary. The food was amazing as always. We each started with an appetizer. I had the Crab Cake, & my husband had the Foie Gras. The crab cake was served with a gribiche sauce & julienne cucumber salad. I wanted more. The Duck foie gras au torchon was served with a brioche bread & a feuit chutney. The fries Gras was absolutely amazing. It was so finely done that it melted in your mouth. The main dishes consisted of a Hanger Steak served with fries & a mustard mayo. The homemade Bloody Pudding was served with finely whipped celery root & a cider sauce. Wow. Believe it or not, we were so full, I guess because of the wine, we shared a Rum baba with chantilly cream & grapefruit ice cream. The service was on point, & all the servers were attentive, courteous, & friendly. This restaurant is not cheap. But the experience & food were well worth the price. Reservations are a must. We were there on a Tuesday & the restaurant, inside & out was full. Another must. 2016 - The food was excellent. We had the grilled octopus as an appetizer. I had the onglet of beef & fries. The steak was cooked to perfection. My husband had the blood sausage. He said it was the best he ever had. The decor is nice but it is a bit noisy. Reservations are required because it is a small restaurant. Will go back.
Thé filet mignon & fries is excellent. I did not love the jus on the side. The fennel salad with baby roquette & Parmesan, excellent. So simple yet so delicious. Our amazing server Andres recommended the mushroom & asparagus risotto, excellent. It was so wonderful that I kept eating long after I was full. Friendly, helpful & professional service. Reserve if you want to go, on a Tuesday evening it was busy.
Jul 16, 2024
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Great neighbourhood staple in Outremont where you will find a mix of usual patrons & those celebrating a special occasion. We had the asparagus appetizer, the Nordic shrimp guédille, the gaspacho & the lobster salad as a main. All exceptional. The wine list is solid. Had the Domaine Labet, fleur de savagnin 2020 which was lovely & reasonably priced.
A fun spot to spend a Friday lunch & an early glass of wine. Experience the delight of the buzz from the restaurant & the delicious Chablis. I enjoyed the scallops & a very indulgent Caesar salad. Coffee & a térasse, I'm happy.
My boyfriend & ( were celebrating our birthdays. We had the salmon tartare & eacargots to start. It was one od the best tartares I have ever had, amd that includes in France. The truffle oik & salmon flavors woth fresh minced shallots & herbs was simply magical. I could have eaten 3 more of them, I had duck confot with tender meat & perfectly crisp skin, served with a salad in a dijon mustard vinaigrette, & woth a few roasted crispy yet tender potatoes. My boyfriend had a creamy veggie rissotto, & we ahared a HUGE dessert of pain persu woth a maple syrup caramel & housemade vanilla icecream. We will be back 🥰
First time in Montreal & was recommended this restaurant. On entering the atmosphere was buzzing as we lead to our table
The waitress that served us was unhelpful & when asking for recommendations on the French menu did not give much advice.
Could not fault the starters of escargot but the mains were presented like pub food!
Ordered hanger steak & chips & that was exactly what was received - small steak with a very large plateful of chips.
Duck, salad & fingerling potatoes - little amount of potatoes, much more salad
When paying, omitted the tip as was going to pay cash - was harassed by both the waitress & the maître’d as to why a tip was not given by credit card at the time of payment.
Sorry - would not recommend this restaurant
Oct 5, 2023
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Hier soir, je me suis assis au bar comme d'habitude & cela depuis l'ouverture du Leméac. Je m'y rends 3 ou 4 fois par année & à chaque fois, je me paie la totale! Jamais je n'ai été déçu & cela tant au niveau de la cuisine que du service. Hier, on m'a servi
le demi poulet de Cornouailles sur un lit de ratatouille, accompagné de frites de polenta & d'une salade de tomates hyper fraiches commandée en extra. La chair du poulet était tendre & juteuse & la portion plus que satisfaisante! Sophie & Vincent, tous les deux derrière le bar, se sont occupés de moi & franchement, on ne pouvait espérer une meilleure prestation de service!
Toujours bien servi. L'onglet de boeuf & la salade de haricots verts sont exquis
On aime aussi le tian de légumes, la salade romaine à la volaille bio & le foie grillé
Avant tout, les choix de réponse sur ce site étant limités, ma note de 3 n'est pas uniquement reliée à la nourriture mais aussi à l'expérience dans son ensemble.
j'ai été au Leméac pour la première fois hier soir & au premier abord, cette ambiance brasserie parisienne vivante m'a plu mais aussi surprise, je ne m'attendais pas à une salle+ terrasse chauffée aussi grande! l'accueil fut cordial mais sans plus! À la lecture de la carte, je fus agréablement surpris par la richesse de la carte des vins (pour toutes les bourses & pour tous les goûts) & aussi de la carte des mets qui était plus qu'honnête pour une brasserie. Nous étions 2 & nous avons commandé les ris de veau dans la panure & le Croustillant de chèvre chaud aux pommes & aux noix, en plat le tartare de boeuf & l'onglet & en dessert Tarte au citron & digestif.
L'expérience alimentaire a été, dans son ensemble, convenable mais le prix du croustillant est prohibitif (pour la qualité du produit & la complexité du plat), au final c'est une galette de chèvre fris recouverte d'une salade style chicorée! Les ris de veau furent succulent!
Les plats furent aussi parfaitement réussis (assaisonnement du tartare & cuisson de l'onglet, & rien à redire du dessert.
Enfin, dernier point qui me semble important à relever ici, le bruit! Cette ambiance cacophonique qui a son charme dans une brasserie qui offre des formules entrée/plat ou plat/dessert à prix modique & où le patron finit la soirée avec nous à boire le café-calva n'a pas sa place dans un resto "bistronomique" à 110$ /personne! (c’est ce que cela nous a couté)
Trop de bruit, trop de monde. C'est de vouloir être une brasserie style parisien, un resto qui offre une expérience alimentaire haut de gamme, une carte des vins style gastro & une ambiance Mile-end BOBO!!
Ce mélange des genres a eu raison de moi! Je ne fus pas en mesure de soutenir une conversation avec ma conjointe tellement le souffle bacchanale était assourdissant!.
Dans sa formule actuelle, je ne pense pas y retourner, mais je ne dissuaderai personne d'y aller!
