Marven's offers a straightforward exploration of authentic Greek culinary traditions through a menu defined by classic preparations. Freshly grilled meats seasoned with Mediterranean herbs serve as the foundation, accompanied by traditional sides like creamy tzatziki and crisp vegetable salads. The environment maintains a functional focus on the ingredients themselves rather than excessive ornamentation. Signature offerings include succulent souvlaki skewers and hearty platters designed to showcase fundamental flavor profiles. Guests encounter a consistent approach to preparation that emphasizes simple techniques and reliable product sourcing. This establishment prioritizes the execution of standard dishes, ensuring that core components like tender pita bread and salty feta cheese remain central to every plate served. The result is a pragmatic representation of regional cooking that relies on the natural compatibility of high quality staples.
Marven's is widely celebrated as a legendary Montreal staple, known for serving generous portions of authentic Greek cuisine in a warm, cozy, and family-oriented atmosphere. The menu, highlighted by their famous crispy calamari, succulent lamb chops, and expertly grilled steaks, consistently earns high praise for quality and flavor. While the restaurant experiences frequent lineups due to its immense popularity, guests generally find the efficient service and overall value well worth the wait. Although the establishment operates on a cash-only basis and can become quite busy and loud, the welcoming staff and classic neighborhood feel keep local patrons and visitors coming back for years.
Used to come quite often & loved the food. Very disappointed. Have not been there for a while & wow did the food quality go down. The chicken was tasteless . The gyro was missing so many ingredients. Too bad , definetely not going back again . When i think i was always recommending the place.
Stopped by Marvin's in Parc-Ex after years away, chasing a bit of Montreal nostalgia-& it did not disappoint. The chicken pita & plates were excellent: generous, tasty, & totally satisfying. This iconic spot still delivers. If you haven't been in a while, it's definitely time to come back.
STILL ONE OF THE BEST!
I've already given Marven's a 5-star review before, but I feel the need to update it because every time I come back with my family, the experience remains just as excellent. The service is consistently great, the staff is super friendly, & even though the place gets pretty crowded at times, the atmosphere stays warm & enjoyable. Plus, parking is never a hassle you can always find a spot around the block.
Now, let's talk about the food. We had the Lamb Chops, Salmon, Steak, Chicken, & of course their signature dish the Calamari with their famous Secret Sauce. Absolutely delicious! As always, the meal starts with some bread, followed by a salad of your choice, & then your main course.
The flavors never disappoint. My family & I enjoy every visit, & it has become one of our go-to spots for a satisfying meal.
If you haven't tried Marven's yet, I highly recommend it, you won't regret it!
Jul 7, 2025
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*edit: unfortunately like many other good restaurants the food has changed here. Not sure if it's new chefs but the food doesn't even taste like Greek food anymore. Feels salty & tastes like heavily doused in Montreal steak spice & other strange flavors. The pitas aren't even wrapped properly, like someone who never made a pita before. It's sad because the service staff is so nice & it's a staple in the community. Hopefully it will get better again like to used to be.
Always the the best chicken/porc souvlaki & calamari. When most restaurants are giving smaller portions, lesser quality, Marvens doesn't change their portions, freshness & flavors! The service is always great at takeout . Keep it up!
Very tasty food. Even with the higher prices it's still ok because you're getting real food!
They need to wrap their pitas with wax paper or something. It's a wet mess! One layer of wrapping is not enough for takeout. But still yummy!
Been eating here for years...Porc souvlaki pita or stick is great! Big portion, good flavour & lean but soft. Calamari is great when it's hot & crispy & the oil doesn't taste fishy... same goes for the fries. Chicken gyro is very good too. The lamb gyro needs improvement...they need to slice it a lot thinner & it should be leaner. Overall would definitely recommend.
The service is quick & friendly. We ordered calamari, lamb chops & chicken souvlaki.
Calamari was a big portion, delicious & tender! Must get as everyone in the restaurant had a plate on their table. Lamb chops were also very good, moist & flavorful. The chicken souvlaki wasn't that great as I found it to be dry, wish I ordered the rib steak instead. Every table seemed to have gotten basket of bread but we didn't & we didn't realized until halfway through our meal.
Would come back next time we're in Montreal to try the steak & definitely back for the calamari!
Simply amazing!
We had the Chicken Skewers, Pork Skewers, Lamb Chops (so tender & perfectly cooked), & fried Calamari, along with all the classic sides. Everything was full of flavor & cooked just right. Big kudos to the kitchen staff, & a heartfelt thanks to the service team for always making me feel at home whenever I visit.
Came here for an early lunch while in Montreal. This place has quite the reputation so we needed to try it out - & happy we did ! We had heard they are famous for their calamari but we didn't order that dish. I had the chicken souvlaki with a Caesar salad. Chicken was cooked perfectly! The open gyro plate was a hit as well - contained both chicken & beef. Both also cooked perfectly.
Not what it was 30 years ago. Waiter can be rough at times (pause). & cash only is a dead giveaway to whatever what ever it is one would be suspicious of. Used to live two buildings over on Ball on the same block. But you notice that about a lot of great restaurants in Montreal & that were peeking in the 90s to early 2000s. On top of that, with Uber/Skip/etc, cooks all over the place are given more work for the same wage. Not surprising, just a shame. Miss the days where you had to actually go to a place to get great food & delivery was (generally) for quick fast food like pizza or fried chicken. OK BYE
Do not order their greek style whole chicken. Tasted boiled then bbq lightly. Barely seasoned. It was awful. We left 4 pieces & did not take the rest home. Yes that's how bad it was. Tzatziki is so so. Salad was pitiful, with soft feta. What remains good is their marvens sauce & good service. But that's not enough to beat competition which is not far from them, see my other review. Wish it was like before years back but it's lost its touch.
