Reviewers consistently praise Place Carmin for a beautiful Old Montreal setting, a modern yet elegant ambiance, and a dining experience that works well for brunch, dinner, or private events. The French menu attracts high marks with numerous dishes described as delicious and well cooked, including bone marrow, duck a l'orange, arctic char, gnocchi, and a variety of inventive starters and desserts. Service is frequently called attentive, professional, and friendly, with many servers earning specific praise, while a few notes mention slower service when the restaurant is busy or a billing hiccup. The private rooms and event hosting receive steady compliments, with guests citing seamless organization for birthdays, group lunches, and corporate gatherings. Several reviews suggest the experience can feel Michelin-worthy and highlight the quality, presentation, and atmosphere that keep guests returning whenever they are in Montreal. Even where portions or value are debated, the overall impression remains highly favorable thanks to the caliber of ingredients, the refined décor, and the consistent hospitality. In sum, Place Carmin is described as a standout favorite and a must return for many, a neighborhood gem that delivers on ambiance and cuisine.
My experience was amazing because of service (first & foremost shout out to Jean-Michel), food, & atmosphere.
During our visit, we started with ordering what we thought were good plates (they absolutely were) but it turned into a Michelin star experience when Jean -Michel took the reigns & ordered his recommended plates & side dishes.
Listen. Everything here is amazing. There's a reason you found this restaurant in a list somewhere of best in Montreal so the last one here doesn't mean it's bad but in order of our favorite dishes, we had:
• Brussel Sprouts - this is a side dish but it's got main course energy. I would undoubtedly order this by itself for take out. Place Carmin could open a side restaurant that ONLY makes this dish & it would be wildly successful. Yes, I'm hyping this up. No, I don't take it back.
• Bone Marrow - this is as good as the picture shows. I was surprised with the escargot & mushroom but the flavor was strong. Sharing is the way to go. It's very flavor forward so if you are this by yourself, it may get overwhelming but this dish also stands out.
• Soup of the Day - this dish, as the name suggests, changes but we had a cauliflower cream. It felt like such a home dish cooked by grandma. It took me back to my childhood in Montreal (I'm not from here - that's how good it is).
• Boston Lettuce - I am from Boston so you know I had to order this. The yogurt is everything. The croutons & texture all works in tandem. Take a picture (we failed to do so) but then mix it all & enjoy this.
• Arctic char à la Grenobloise - this is a big fish. Definitely for two. Yes, we order another main along with this & I regret nothing. I've never had such a large piece of dish cooked to perfection throughout. It's garnished with what felt something pickled & it complemented the charred earthy skin of the fish.
• Crêpe Suzette - this dish starts hot out of the kitchen as the video shows. It's delicate, not overwhelmingly sweet, & just what we needed after ordering 3/4 of the menu
• Surf & Turf - this also changes on the daily (I may be wrong). During our visit I believe it was a hangar steak with shrimp & scallops. It came with a sauce. Meat was perfectly cooked, juicy, & tender. Towards the end, the sauce was strong that gave it a saltier than preferred taste but still had no issues.
• Gnocchi - I've never had gnocchi the way served here & I absolutely would order it again. It comes over home made sauces that have a yogurt flavor. Great crunch outside & fluffy inside.
• Salmon Tartare - the salmon was mixed in with cucumber & came accompanied with lettuce, crackers, & French creme that helped balance the dish. It was a great start of the culinary journey
• French Fries - these came with surf & turf. Done well, but it's just French Fries
I want to end with a huge thank you to Place Carmin, it's kitchen for their amazing work, & front-of-house staff that made it unforgettable, particularly Jean-Michel. I will visit every time I'm in Montreal
Fantastic food & incredible service. If you have a large group, highly recommend the tasting menu where you get to try all of the popular dishes. Jean Michelle was our server & he was very kind to our group + great about answering the questions we had.
Dec 7, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
I got really nice experience here. The restaurant atmosphere is nice. Environment is quiet & the service is good. Orange duck & the fillet are awesome, & I really love the scallop which is really refreshing. Other dishes are good as well. The price match the quality of their food. Wait time is not so long. Strongly recommended. I will revisit this restaurant if I come to Montreal again.
An elegant restaurant in old Montreal. Visited for brunch & all dishes we ordered were amazing. Nice atmosphere. Service can be a bit slow when crowded.
Service was good.
Staff are polite & knowledgeable.
But the food was simply ok! a bit disappointing! Portions seemed on smaller sides given the price & the taste was ok.
Out of 5 dishes we ordered 3 were either too salty or the sauce was off on the salad! maybe they are stronger on Brunches!?
Tucked just a stone's throw from Montreal's vibrant city center, this restaurant comes with an enviable location & solid reputation, making it an attractive choice for dining. However, when our group of 20 gathered there to celebrate a birthday, the experience revealed both the restaurant's strengths & some significant shortcomings. Due to our large party size, we were seated in an upstairs room-functional, but undeniably lackluster. The space felt dated & underwhelming, hardly the setting one might hope for in a celebratory gathering. Downstairs, the ambiance was visibly more polished & sophisticated, but for the upstairs, it seemed the focus had been on capacity rather than charm. Perhaps with fewer guests, we would have enjoyed a more atmospheric space. But let's talk about the food-the one area where the evening truly shone. The dishes, particularly the beef cheeks & salmon tartare, were executed with finesse. Both were well-prepared, flavorful, & offered excellent quality given the price point. From a culinary perspective, the restaurant exceeded expectations. Yet, where the kitchen excelled, the service fell short. Despite genuine effort & an overall willingness to please, the waitstaff were clearly overwhelmed by our group size. The service was stretched too thin, leading to delays & lapses-bread missing from one table, items needing to be requested, etc. Though accommodating, the staff struggled to manage the two separate tables, leaving a noticeable gap in coordination & attentiveness. In sum, this restaurant delivered a strong culinary experience but stumbled in service execution. If you're considering it for a large group, it's worth confirming in advance how they handle sizable parties & whether they can provide the seamless experience you'd hope for on a special occasion. A few logistical improvements could easily elevate what was an enjoyable evening into something truly memorable.
Oct 14, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
I loved my dining experience with Place Carmin. As a non French speaking tourist I was worried but the staff were all very friendly & took time to explain the dishes. 100% of everything we ordered was top notch quality & memorable. I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to any friends.
A beautiful spot for a business dinner, the quality & variety of dishes were extremely high. I went through plate after plate of the octopus salad as my compatriots did not adequately appreciate it - more for me! The steak was also cooked to perfection, & I loved the whimsical canapés which kicked off the meal. Quite generous with the house wine as well, I would love to come back anytime.
Posh branch near the old town. Very good service & food. Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Wed did a 10:30 brunch / lunch, & it was quite good. First of all, staff is really friendly & helpful. Answered our questions / took our orders promptly. Drinks came in 1 minute. Menu is small, which is a good sign. & very reasonable. Dishes were tasty. We opted for Shrimp / avocado toast, & omelette. Price was reasonable. Around CAD 100 (50 per person) with lunch, drinks, dessert, etc.
Beautiful & stylist place for meat lovers, amazing steaks with different choices of sides dishes & choice of sauce to go with the steak. My favorite are the shrimp cocktails, a steak served with asparagus, bearnaise or pepercorn sauce crispy french fries
Jun 4, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Very nice experience & good food here. We love a lot of dishes here. From starters to main courses we really enjoy them. We really love the scallop ceviche, refreshing. The sweet bread is awesome. Duck orange & the Arctic char (fish dish) were really nice.
A1 dinner, really nothing to say. Service was immaculate & all the dishes were really good. On top of the restaurants I've been to in Montreal! Amex card accepted
We're kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner since we already knew Francois Nadon's other 2 gems: Bouillon Bilk, consistently one of the best restaurants in town, & his more casual place Cadet which serves equally inspired food at somewhat more modest prices. Place Carmin is more affordable again, in this case serving classic French bistro dishes with an unexpected level of refinement. It's all in the execution... I'm very curious about his onion soup (haven't had one for decades) but elected to start with a scallop ceviche that may be the best I've ever had. A hint of lemon & paper thin slices of a mildly spicy radish complemented the flavors & textures of the raw scallops perfectly. The dorade was a generous portion with nicely crispy skin. We had no room for dessert. The bill rose to $300 not including tip since we couldn't resist a superb Knoll gruner that accounted for half of it. Actually, the wine list is notable for having so many good choices under $100 & even under $80. This place is an easy recommendation for foodies & casual diners alike.
Nov 13, 2023
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
It is rare that I feel this confident about a restaurant recommendation, but Place Carmin is one of the best restaurants in which I have ever eaten & should certainly be on your list if you are in the Montréal area. Having visited several Michelin star restaurants this year, the experiences are still fresh in my mind, & I can honestly say that the preparation of the dishes at Place Carmin were as precise & wonderful as anything I have had this year. Although I am certainly not saying this was a Michelin experience, the food was definitely of similar quality. We had the honour of chef Émile Colette preparing our food, & although the dishes were simple in concept & design, they were delicious & prepared without fault. Techniques employed here allowed only the best aspects of each dish to shine & ensured just enough of the bitterness or burned flavour of certain ingredients came through, giving the diner a fulsome experience while downplaying the harshness that is required to balance the dish. Portions were reasonable given the quality of the dishes, & the price for this type of meal was very reasonable & far less than that of local restaurants with more tenure & a higher profile. While other Montréal staples still did not disappoint, I will certainly say that this is the first time visiting Place Carmin, but definitely not the last.
