Mon Lapin, a neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Montreal's Little Italy. Inventive and delicious fare, all the seasonal favourites on an ever-changing menu by chefs Marc-Olivier Frappier and Jessica Noel, and team. Visionary wines, a list filled with vibrant and eclectic bottles.
Across reviews, Mon Lapin is widely praised for inventive seasonal dishes, a warm intimate atmosphere, and a dining experience that many call a standout in Canada. The service is repeatedly described as attentive and knowledgeable, with wine pairings and menu explanations that elevate the meal, though a few readers note moments of overcrowding, speed, or overly persistent attention. Portions are often described as small and prices high, with some guests feeling the experience is about culinary artistry more than meat on the plate, while others celebrate the finesse and balance of flavors. The menu emphasizes local ingredients and frequent changes, with signatures like the scallop pétoncle croque, preserved leeks with smoked mussels, and buckwheat cake standing out for many; the overall impression is one of creative presentation and thoughtful pairings. Reservations are hard to secure and the ambiance can be noisy, but the consensus is that the quality of food and service justifies the hype for many, even as a minority call it overrated or inconsistent.
J'ai toujours adoré le Mon Lapin j'ai eu la chance d'y aller quelque fois dans les dernières années & la nourriture est tout aussi excellente & le service était toujours tres bon aussi. J'y suis aller il y deux semaines avec une amie & je n'y retournerai pas par contre puisque j'ai maintenant l'impression de ne pas pouvoir avoir une table ou du bon service si je ne dépense pas 500$. Je comprends que ce restaurant a beaucoup de notoriété maintenant & je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès mais je ne peux plus me permettre d'aller là & les serveurs me le font sentir malheureusement
Had high expectations & it 100% exceeded those. Great food, great service, unpretentious, & overall pretty good prices all things considered. This is a must try.
Jun 7, 2024
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Probably the most overrated dining experience I've ever had. For the price point , absolutely miserable . Food was shockingly mediocre . Service was great but honestly I would never go back. There's probably 100 restaurants in Montreal that are better for a fraction of the price. Disappointing
Vin Mon Lapin is such a fantastic (& almost typical) restaurant on the Montreal food scene. The design & decor are fantastic, service is very quick, there are a ton of staff members, but the food left something to be desired & I feel when assessing it against its recent award of #1 restaurant in Canada, it makes you wonder, "did I just come on an off night for the ever changing menu?" Service was fast & attentive. Tons of staff floating around to serve you, & very knowledgeable on the menu. I found though, sitting at the bar, I was able to watch constant social gatherings from the staff everywhere - there were just TOO many for the shift. They could have spent more time serving, or upselling, or wowing, whatever it is they need to do. But gathering in pockets & chitchatting always looks odd. Getting to the food, the tartare was outstanding, with these little tiny cubes of something that had the texture of a firmer cheese - it was texturally fantastic. The bread on the dish was a soft, made a la minute almost pita like bread, soft, very ripable, but it lacked anything to it for it to be desirable. It was just kind of there. It wasnt stable enough to scoop, it was too floppy to hold anything so you either took a bite of tartare & then shoved a piece of torn bread in your mouth to enjoy together, or you ate them on their own. The soft shell crab was outstanding. It had a beautifully made sauce gribiche & was laced thoughout with tarragon which is my favourite herb. The crab sauce complimented well & I could have eaten plenty of those. As I get to the "unconfit duck leg", this was not well executed. It was sooooo tough. It was hard to cut & even harder to chew. I would have had a more tender cut of meat if I bought an eye of round steak from Maxi & cooked it to well & sliced it going with the grain. Very very disappointing dish. The sauce though was great & the baby turnips were excellent, super quality & packed with flavour. That main course just really fell flat. The dessert was a nice & refreshing sorbet, although, it was sorbet, nothing really inspiring. Overall - I would say it was a fantastic restaurant, just not number 1 in Canada or Montreal. I would welcome the opportunity to return & try some different dishes as the bartender told me the dishes change out every few days, but I can't say I would return with so many other great restaurant in MTL to visit. Don't get me wrong it was still a fantastic meal & definitely a top 5 in Montreal, but it doesn't hold a candle to Au Pied de Cochon, or Béba. Congratulations on your award - #1 in Canada is incredible. Most constantly strive to get better to maintain though, & feedback does help you grow.
Very overrated. Everything is fine, but nothing is great, so it makes you wonder how this place got its reputation. Perhaps the owners & chefs have lost their motivation. The service was fine when someone came by, but we went nearly 45 mins without food at one point & no one checking in on us. The food was fine, but extremely forgettable, & portions are tiny; if you're going to do a "shared plates" concept, perhaps you should provide enough food on each plate for multiple people. Definitely not the best restaurant in Montreal (maybe not even the best on its street), let alone all of Canada. It took nearly 2 & a half hours to get 5 plates, & we left hungry. We skipped dessert as we just wanted to get out & go somewhere else as fast as we could. There are much better options for food in Montreal. The best restaurant in Canada should be a place you can't wait to go back to again; after waiting so long for such mediocre food, we couldn't wait to leave.
Meilleur restaurant au Canada?! Je ne croirais pas! Service expéditif, limite arrogant, notre serveuse avait l'air de penser qu'on était à « la cabane d'a coté » (y a décontracté & « pitché »), & a tout fait pour nous vendre le menu dégustation (groupe de 6, plus simple pour eux) qui consiste à nous envoyer ce qu'ils veulent, question de goûter à tout. Aucunement à l'écoute du pouls de la table tout au long du repas, ce fut une des pires expériences que j'ai expérimentée dans les dernières années à Montréal. Seule la carte des vins vaut l'intérêt, & même la. Plus jamais!
Apres une longue attente pour pouvoir avoir une table dans ce restaurant nous avions beaucoup d'attente & avons été déçus. Overpriced & overrated. Tout d'abord pour espérer avoir une table il faut réserver un mois au préalable a l'ouverture des réservations. Enfin le service était correct mais pas incroyable non plus. Les plats décevants. Le rapport qualité prix mauvais, nous avons paye plus de $150 par personnes pour 5 petites assiettes partagées & du vin. Les produits sont frais & nobles mais les portions très petites & les gouts décevants. Je pense que malheureusement ce restaurant est victime de sa popularité. A tester pour une occasion ou si votre portefeuille est bien rempli.
May 21, 2024
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Snagged a reservation here because I thought, if something was rated Canada's #1 restaurant, it's gotta be good right? It was. The dining experience & Vin Mon Lapin was surprising, delightful, & totally unpretentious. I could tell that every staff member knew the story & intent behind every plate they served. Every staff member was passionate about the food, & I could taste the creativity & purpose from every dish. The cherry sorbet has got to be the most amazing ice cream I've ever tasted, & it was also unlike any ice cream I've had as well. Be prepared to have your expectations subverted & expect to be pleased about it! Also, the place has a very casual atmosphere, which suits me perfectly. 10/10 & I will be back when I'm in town. Thank you for the experience!
Had the tasting menu. Best meal I've had anywhere in Canada, ever. Plus, impeccable service, wonderful vibe & relatively super affordable. Will absolutely be returning here everytime we visit Montreal.
Most memorable night! We were lucky enough to walk in & find a spot for two. The service was fantastic from start to finish! The food was super fresh, flavourful & well balanced. The ambiance was delightful with semi low lights & chill music. We started off with the crispy scallop croquets & local asparagus followed by the lightly fried soft shell snow crab & steamed halibut. We polished off our great Saturday night with their rhubarb ice cream & chocolate tart. Everything was reasonably priced & delicious. This has officially become our favourite restaurant in Montréal if not North America. It was so good that we immediately decided to book our next reservation in a month. Thank you Vin Mon Lapin for finding us a table & hosting such a memorable night. Special shoutout to our server Sam who made our night even more delightful. Keep doing you my guy!
Lucky me got table tonight. Tried scallops sandwiches, soft shell crab & half chicken with crispy sour dough. Everything is perfect as well as group of mon Lapin. Feel welcome:) I have to come back more often
May 18, 2024
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Realised this place is steps from my house after learning of it on the news (top restaurant in Canada!) So I went at opening alone on a tuesday & they sat me at a cozy spot at the bar. My server was Dimitry & he was very knowledgeable about wine & very generous with translating the menu & offering recommendations. There was ample Vegetarian options too. First off the service is probably the best Ive ever had. Secondly, the food & wine were a journey. I was able to order half-dishes of some items so I could try more plates & that was a great call. I had 3 different wines which was a really cool journey to taste from first to third, & the food was similar. The (listen im a barbarian idk what its called) cannoli? Canolini? The pasta tube. I will be coming back for the full version of that because it was heavenly. The asparagus was the freshest Ive ever had & the rest was delicious too Very happy to have a new local spot to revisit!
I had very high expectations for this place & it did not disappoint. Yes, the food was absolutely fantastic, but it's probably the best (personalized) service from Rose I have ever received in a restaurant ever. The wine pairing was also outstanding. Simply WOW!
Vin Mon Lapin, c'est LE restaurant à essayer absolument à Montréal!!! On le retrouve en tête du classement des 100 meilleurs restaurants au Canada & il mérite amplement sa 1ere place! De l'entrée au dessert, c'est une expérience unique de textures & de saveurs grâce à la créativité du chef Marc-Olivier Frappier. Mon entrée préférée a été sans aucun doute le classique « croque-pétoncle », Yummy!!! Mon plat préféré : l'épaule de porc sur lit d'épeautre... trop gourmand! & finalement mon dessert préféré (ils étaient tous trop trop bons) : le cannolo à l'érable. C'est une expérience à refaire souvent surtout parce que le menu varie selon les saisons & les arrivages alors j'y retourne assurément très très bientôt!
