Pintxo focuses on the vibrant traditions of Basque culinary heritage by serving a diverse array of authentic bite-sized snacks known as pintxos. Small plates dominate the menu, featuring carefully curated combinations of fresh seafood, cured meats, and seasonal vegetables arranged on crusty bread slices. The preparation emphasizes high-quality ingredients sourced to mirror the traditional taverns of Northern Spain. Diners encounter a bustling atmosphere designed to facilitate the communal sharing of multiple dishes across the table. Each creation reflects the methodical balance of simple flavors found in coastal gastronomy. The establishment functions as a specialized hub for those seeking to explore regional Spanish delicacies through a structured yet accessible format of varied, flavor-forward portions served continuously throughout the service period.
Pintxo is widely regarded as a standout destination within the Le Central food hall, earning consistent praise for its high-quality tapas, particularly the octopus, lamb chops, and scallops. Most visitors commend the attentive, friendly service and the creative culinary approach of the kitchen staff, often highlighting the excellent value of the lunch menus and tasting options. While the food and service frequently impress, the experience is notably influenced by its location, as many patrons find the vibrant, bustling atmosphere of the food court to be loud and energetic rather than quiet or romantic. Opinions on the overall quality vary, with some diners describing the experience as world-class and reliable, while others find certain dishes inconsistent or the environment less appealing, yet the majority of guests view it as a must-visit spot in downtown Montreal.
First off, the restaurant inside is very small, we were a party of 13 & took up most of the space in the front. There were two other small tables in the front & two in the back., there is also a bar area & a small terrace in front. We went there for a birthday celebration & none of us had been there before. We thought we would give it a try due to all the rave reviews. Our reservation was at 6:00, & we ordered drinks right away. We chose to order from the tapas(entree) menu instead of the main dish menu, (which did not have a large choice to begin with), so that we could try many different things. We were told by the waitress that the dishes(tapas) were small but that they can be shared between two people, therefore 4-5 dishes amongst 2 people. This was not even the case since the dishes were too small to share. For example, the dish with the ravioli had only two raviolis on it. There were several dishes like that, too small to share, such as the beet tartare & salmon tartare(which was one of their best dishes). Their octopus salad was one dish that could have been shared as well & which was not bad. But even that did not impress me too much, since I am greek & eat octopus here & in Greece quite often. The worst dish was the grilled vegetables dishes (which was big enough to share), we had ordered two & they were one of the ones that were forgotten & brought to us near the end. The vegetables were completely raw, they just had a bit of grill marks on them just to say that they were put onto the grill & with a bit of oil. Completely tasteless & hard as if you took them out of the fridge & threw them into the bowl. We also found that the tapas were expensive considering their size, average was $8/ dish (ex: for 2 regular-sized raviolis!!!) The service was very slow & our waitress was completely lost. Not only did five people still not half of their order at 8:15 but we were suppose to be out of the restaurant by 8:30 for the next seating. In the end she even got the bills wrong. She charged one person for 12 items instead of 8, even though those items were charged on someone else's bill already. This was brought to her attention. We wanted to really like this place since it seemed like a quant little place but I don't think any of us will be returning again, there are too many other places in Montreal to try rather than a place that did not leave an impression the first time around.
C'était une déception, c'est le genre de restaurant où vous ne savez pas pourquoi on vous apporte la facture. Les portions sont certes de qualité mais très très petites & très chères. Si vous voulez manger de l'espagnol il y a à Montréal des biens meilleurs choix.
May 1, 2018
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Attendez vous à payer minimum 85$ par personne sans boisson, car les bouchées sont très petites, bien que succulantes. La serveuse était très sympathique & connaissante du menu.
Nous avons trouvez ce petit resto sur internet & nous avons été charmé... L'ambiance est chaleureuse, on nous explique bien le concept & les choix du menu... Belle Carte des vins avec plusieurs importations privées... C'est une belle découverte & je le recommande vraiment...
Bel endroit. Même si ce n'est pas très grand on ne s'y sent pas étouffé. Belle décoration. Service impeccable & excellents tapas. Difficile de faire un choix. Tout est délicieux.
Le Pintxo est un de mes restaurants favoris à Montréal. Une vraie expérience culinaire. J'y retourne régulièrement. Je recommande un menu dégustation pour deux + 3-4 tapas additionnels (le foie gras a la plancha en particulier). Seul petit bémol, depuis leur déménagement suite à l'incendie de leur ancienne bâtisse au printemps 2015, leur nouveau local est assez exigu mais rappelle ceux du Pays Basques espagnoles !
