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.
Reviews describe Mon Lapin as a bold, creative Montreal restaurant that champions seasonal local ingredients in a playful shareable format with inventive dishes like the croque pétoncle, preserved leeks with smoked mussels, sea urchin and buckwheat cake, all set in a warm, intimate atmosphere with a standout wine program and consistently attentive service; reservations are notoriously hard to secure and the experience is hailed as imaginative and worth the hype, though some notes point to small portions for the price, occasional pacing issues, and nights when the wow factor is a touch muted.
After making a reservation several months ago, the big day finally arrived! My husband & I left the restaurant extremely happy & delightfully full. The concept of ordering multiple dishes to share worked wonderfully for us. For starters, we tried the restaurant's signature sandwich & some bread, both of which were fantastic. Our main courses included an outstanding carbonara pasta & fish, not particularly extraordinary for our taste, but still quite good. For dessert, we indulged in a maple tartlette, a definite highlight & perhaps the best dessert I've ever tasted, along with the recommended signature dessert from our waitress. We paired our meal with white & orange wine, an excellent choice suggested by our waitress. I loved the service; the staff was consistently attentive, swiftly clearing tables & plates. Everyone was friendly, & they provided service in both English & French. The bathroom is small, but it's immaculately clean. An unforgettable dinner experience!
Really exceptional experience. I sat at the bar & the server there was amazing. She really knew her food & wine, & just clearly loved being there. The food was incredible, wine was great, & the place just had a great vibe in general. I can't wait to go back, this will become a regular for me when in Montreal. In a city of great restaurants, super happy to have found another gem.
Dinner here was a special experience. Part of the fun is sharing dishes with people you are dining with. Another enjoyable aspect is the brilliance of the dishes. They are not showy. Yet great care has gone into creatively & playfully preparing ingredients that are familiar. There is a twist to everything we tried. I really appreciate the novelty & skill this requires. But I don't think that this would be noticed or enjoyed by all. Service was excellent, wine recommendation spot on, atmosphere of the space was casual but stylish. I expected the bill to be far more than it was. Very cool night out.
I really wanted to love this but it didn't hit it for me. I don't get why it was listed #1 restaurant in Canada 2023. Staff very attentive & our mixologist was top notch. The drinks were the highlight. The food, I'm sure very well executed with all the techniques but the flavours were unusual & not that special.
Honestly, underwhelmed by the food, given the price. Best in Canada? NO. However, waitstaff was exceptional & the interior design is beautiful & some wines delicious - so we still had a fun time. But won't return. Too bad.
Tout était délicieux & très bien exécuté. Pas le meilleur restaurant au Canada selon nous, mais très haut dans nos restaurants préférés. Le menu change souvent donc ne vous fiez pas au menus dans les images. Le service était impeccable. Le poulet au levain est le meilleur poulet qu'on a jamais mangé!
Nov 14, 2023
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I had a really great experience here, & I would say that is very much due to the extremely passionate waitress we had, Rose. Don't get me wrong, the food was good, the entrees were pretty good & the two main dishes were very good, as were the drinks. But the intricate presentation of the menu & the drinks were on another level. The prices were actually not as high as I thought they would be, it is an expensive restaurant, & this was a special occasion, but I've been to more expensive ones that are not as good
Oct 30, 2023
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It's such a lovely restaurant with great food & amazing people. The food looks simple but cooked with so many details in mind. We were traveling from Amsterdam, & one of our friends highly recommended it. We tried many of their dishes & a few wines. They were all perfect.
We love the food, especially the scallops appetizers! The ambience is good. It's a bit too loud that you need to raise your voice to chat. The service is great. The staff are nice & patient.
Très belle expérience, service parfait. Nous avons adoré les poireaux & les chips & le gâteau sarrasin. Super concept de croque-pétoncle, mais le goût de beurre était un peu trop prononcé.
Très belle expérience culinaire. Le service était parfait avec un personnel très sympathique. Repas de type plats gastronomiques à partager. C'était délicieux. La musique mettait beaucoup d'ambiance mais elle constitue aussi mon seul petit bémol puisqu'elle était un peu forte, on a parfois un peu plus de difficulté à se comprendre. Mais ce petit point négatif ne doit pas vous décourager car tout le reste est fantastique & il est certain que j'y retournerai.
Nous avons beaucoup aimé la nourriture qui fût très inventive & délicieuse, ce n’est pas très cher & c’est un très bon point, j’ai adoré les carottes ainsi que le tartare de boeuf
Le service est bon mais un peu insistant, oui les serveurs sont très bons & qualifié.
One of our standout meals in Montreal, we enjoyed VML’s warm welcome & excellent meal of 5 or 6 small courses, with perfect wine pairings.
I had to plan ahead to get a reservation, but I’m so glad I did.
