Al Rayan Poissonnerie & Restaurant offers casual dining with a Middle Eastern feeling. Enjoy a deliciously fresh meal; nothing at our restaurant is pre-made. Enjoy our friendly service while chefs prepare the fresh seafood you select from the wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish lining the bar. The service is prompt and convivial. Head to the seafood bar to handpick your dinner. A wide selection of Shrimps, calamari, whole fish or shellfish are offered by the kilo, and you only need to decide how you would like them prepared: grilled, sautéed, or fried. There are several gourmet sauces to choose from, as well as traditional ones like tahini and baba ghanoush.
Reviews portray Poissonnerie Rayan as a standout for fresh seafood in Montreal, with praise for the variety and quality of items such as calamari, swordfish, octopus and shrimp, and for the option to select seafood from a display and have it prepared on the spot in a market style. Several notes mention that sides are not included and must be ordered separately, and that prices can be high with some reviews noting a lack of upfront price display. Service is often described as friendly and attentive, with many praising the staff's hospitality and knowledge, though a few readers report rushed checkout or inconsistent service. Many reviewers value the freshness, the ability to taste a wide range of seafood, and the overall atmosphere, comparing it to a seaside or Mediterranean setting. Some comments mention price increases and urge clearer menus and better price transparency at the start, while others feel the quality justifies the cost. Overall the place is described as a beloved go to for seafood lovers, with generous portions and strong loyalty, though a few reviews warn to check the bill carefully before paying.
Rayan is a favourite of mine, I am a regular. It reminds me of being in Egypt where fresh fish has been caught. You pick your fish & let them know how you would like it prepared & seasoned. Our favourites the smelt, shrimps, potatoe wedges & salad. There is bound to be left overs. Portions are generous. The seasoning, textures & freshness are unbeatable.They have sustainable take boxes & paper bags. We were three women & could not eat it all. Served family style. The owner is a delightful Egyptian Canadian gentlemen. The staff, team are helpful. Service is great. The flavours, freshness of our seafood & fish dishes are delicious. I feel as if I am by a seaside restaurant in Alexandria or the Red Sea. With Egyptian music playing in the background. Fun as I would recognise the music!
They have no beer, wine, alcohol nor is it a BYOW.( just like in Egypt). They do have Egyptian soft drinks.
Its always full after 20h00. The diners come diverse backgrounds, just like the neighbourhood & it is just beautiful.
If you are a sea food lover, this is your place, whether eastern or western recipes, helpful & clean staff, whenever I visit Montreal, I do not miss this chance to visit Rayan, although I noticed the prices increased a little bit lately, but still, one the best!
Nov 26, 2025
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If you are seafoods lovers this is a place you must come. Here you need to come & select your fish & ask them how to prepare it!!! Such a nice experience!!
We had potato wedges; definitely one of the best potato wedges I have ever had.
Grilled octopus was fabulous; the preparation was completely unique; probably the best grilled octopus I have ever had in my life. But you need to eat it when it's hot; the more cold it becomes it will lose the taste.
Then comes to fried red snapper; it was delicious as well.
Overall it was an amazing experience; very friendly customer service.
However keep it in mind; it's really expensive place as well; so it's not somewhere you can go a lot even if you want.
Very good fish place. You can buy the fish to take or have it cooked in different ways & eat at the restaurant.
We tried the red snapper & the calamari. Both were very good.
Had veggies & bread too with our meal.
The service was good, but thebl place can get busy, so you need to be patient. Definitely worth it.
I will definitely came back here & try other items.
Shrimp looked good too.
Make sure you have a debit card or cash. They do not take credit cards.
The only negative I have is the bathroom, please have it checked & cleaned little more often.
This restaurant has become one of my go-to spots, & for good reason. The food is consistently excellent-beautifully prepared, flavorful, & clearly made with care. The service is warm & professional, & the ambiance strikes the perfect balance between cozy & refined. Whether for a casual meal or a special occasion, it never fails to impress.
I ate at Rayan Restaurant in Montreal the food was really good, fresh, & full of flavor. Fatim Zahra was very helpful & friendly, & the guys who helped us with the portions were great too. Excellent service & generous dishes . I definitely recommend this place!
Décevant.
L'accueil est bien vaut 4🌟, mais le service à la poissonnerie moins que zéro en plus la cuisson laisse à désirer.
La constance n'est pas au rendez-vous, ce qui est pourtant essentiel dans un restaurant.
J'y suis déjà allé par le passé, & malheureusement, ça ne s'améliore pas.
Pour le prix, la qualité n'y était pas. Dommage, car le potentiel est là.
The food is very good & fresh, but the service is strange, definitely not in a good way.
When you enter, they guide you to choose your seafood items from the fridge, & then in a matter of seconds(!), you are stuck with some big portions, to which you really didn't consent! You have no clear idea how much your food is going to cost or weigh.
They have a wide selection of fish & other seafood items which is nice, but there is no one to properly explain for you what they are, how they are cooked (grilled? fried? etc.) I think they should respect their customers more, give them a decent menu, & enough time at the table to order properly, instead of rushing them to order right away in front of a crowded fridge.
We have ordered on 3 occasions & we live in ndg so we traveled a 25$ taxi fare to get their food which was delicious the salmon & the shrimp with rice all in all worth every penny. I recommend a visit to their place if you want fresh seafood large portions yes a little expensive but if you calculate the cost of seafood then their prices are reasonable.
