Restaurant 1881 receives consistently strong praise for both food and service, with many reviews calling the dishes fresh, well balanced and beautifully presented, featuring items like duck salad, tartares, shakshuka, tuna tartare, beef, salmon, and a highly regarded breakfast and brunch lineup. The atmosphere is described as modern, cozy, and welcoming, suitable for business lunches, dates, or casual meals, with attentive, friendly staff and smooth service at quieter times. Several guests highlight generous portions and good value, while a few note occasional issues such as slower service during busy hours, minor hiccups with table setup or wine service, and one or two encounters with less attentive staff. Coffee is praised by some and criticized by others, but overall the cafe style breakfast and brunch are repeatedly celebrated, including standout items like the classic breakfast, croissant breakfast sandwich, shakshuka, and duck salad. Overall, Restaurant 1881 is regarded as a reliable, high quality spot in downtown Montreal with standout food and solid service, particularly for brunch and casual dining.
Excellent restaurant. Nous avons apprécié la tranquillité, le service amical des employés. Il y avait peu de clients mais les gens parlaient à voix basse. Un endroit où l'on peut finalement avoir une discussion sans être obligé de crier. Les plats sont savoureux, tout spécialement la salade de canard. Portion très généreuse. Nous avons également découvert un excellent vin blanc & un autre rouge suite aux recommandations. Vraiment une belle soirée. Nous y retournerons c'est certain.
Took a colleague out for lunch & we ordered the table d'hôte with a delicious fresh salad & tasty cod with vegetables. It was so good! We both enjoyed our food & the service was friendly.
Mar 21, 2026
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We had dinner here on our first day in Montreal. We were so impressed by the food & the atmosphere. The waiter was very nice, & the restaurant was not noisy-it was quiet & easy to have a conversation. We ordered three dishes: the soup of the day, duck salad, & sirloin steak. The portion of dishes was large. I really liked the duck salad. It was special with the crispy duck skin.
This was the first time my husband & I visited Montreal. We stayed at a hotel next to this restaurant. We searched on Google for nearby
a restaurant & decided to have dinner here.
We ordered soup, a house salad, duck salad, & sirloin steak. Everything was excellent! The staff were also very nice.
We highly recommend this restaurant. For me, this was the first time I had ever tried such an amazing duck salad.
After a delayed flight, we arrived as the final guests of the evening, not expecting much. To our surprise, every dish exceeded expectations. The fish was delicately seasoned, highlighting its natural freshness, while the duck leg salad was a standout - the meat meltingly tender against the crisp, sweet greens. The thoughtful flavors turned what could have been a tiring night into a warm & memorable welcome, marking the perfect start to our trip. Recommend!
Very nice lunch here. Duck salad was excellent & the club sandwich was a bit too bready but delicious nonetheless. Great service & atmosphere too. Good date spot.
Nous avons mangé un club sandwich & une salade avec canard .
Deux portions généreuses , bien présentées & de bon goût
Service rapide & attentionné.
Salle peu bruyante.
On y retourne sans hésitation
Aug 6, 2025
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Very nice cozy restaurant with the most incredibly nice staff ever 😇😇 They really take care of you! We had the salmon tartare with salad along with the catch of the day (sea bass with potatoes & grilled vegetables) & each bite was just Wow! Full compliments to the chef 😇😇 Cannot wait to come back to this 11/10 restaurant as it's the perfect venue for date nights & chilling with friends ❤?❤?
I don't usually do reviews. But. The food is flavourful, the ingredients are fresh. In line with the MAA spirit the meals are healthy, no chemical or salty sulfite taste. Perfect salads, well seasoned tartares (without tons of mayonnaise), best fries in town... The place feels personal: the team is sweet & the chef - passionate about flavors - is always in the kitchen & often comes to exchange with the customers, to get their honest reviews & to thank them. I have eaten at this place at various occasions by now & I am pleasantly surprised with the consistency of flavors & cooking techniques. & let me tell you - the value for money thing is mind-blowing: good luck finding an alternative for that price! I highly recommend this place.
Nov 22, 2024
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. The salads were perfect, with dressings that were full of taste without overpowering the greens or cheese. I dared to try the catch of the day-ray- & was pleasantly impressed with the subtle taste & soft texture. The lovely wife had the Cavatelli & enjoyed the last of it despite being very full. The shared chocolate dessert was superb. We couldn't have asked for a more helpful & pleasant server/bartende
Rather excellent restaurant, food was amazing & professional service in a modern, but relaxed setting - I took a large portion each of the salmon & beef tartare as entree & main, the salmon in particular was one of the best I've ever tasted Kids had the burger & cedar salad, & crème brûlée & chocolate mousse - they loved it I was slightly less impressed with the wines, but that might just be me, & I would have liked there to be a cheese plate for dessert
Chef Gary makes sure all the food is delicious! I already tried most of the plates on the menu & I've never been disappointed. My top recommendations are, garlic shrimps, burger 1881, oysters plate & the salads to go.
Very basic cuisine. Green salad to start was effectively bagged salad with a couple of pieces of cucumber & a non-existent dressing. Friendly service but the culinary aspect of the experience will not encourage a return.
