Discover Emilia, a Portuguese diner in the heart of Villeray with creative cuisine, where abundance is in the spotlight.
Established in 2018, Cantine Emilia aims to change the way Portuguese dishes are served in Montreal. With a local "twist", they have made going beyond the trends a point of honor. Emilia offers an explosive menu where both adventurers and fans of the classics will be satisfied.
Emilia draws praise for flavorful Portuguese inspired chicken, generous portions and tasty sauces, with desserts like nata and a cozy, welcoming ambiance and friendly, attentive staff; takeout and delivery are reliable and the overall value is considered good, prompting many to say they would return with friends or family. Some reviews note drawbacks such as fries that arrive cold or soggy, occasional overly salty or underwhelming chicken, and inconsistent service, but the overall impression is of satisfying food, hearty portions, and a place worth trying.
Ordered for delivery. Astonished by the size vs price ratio for a chicken Cesar Salad, super disappointing. & they didn't even include dressing. Fries underwhelming & soggy. Save your $
I really enjoyed the flavor of the chicken & rice, & especially the sauces. In my opinion, the chicken was cooked to perfection.
For dessert, we ordered « natas o natillas « & loved it-a delicious sweet flavor. I'd also like to comment on the customer service; I was very satisfied with the attention & it was completely to my liking. I would definitely like to try the other options they have on the menu.
Had the half chicken, generous portion but I had it with the mild sauce & I frel like the chicken lacked in flavour, saltiness & punch. Overall it's good.
I tried the La Tia Graça chicken sandwich at Emilia & it was absolutely delicious! The bread was fresh, the chicken juicy & well-seasoned, & the flavors came together perfectly. It's simple yet full of authentic Portuguese taste.
The staff were friendly & welcoming, & the atmosphere of the restaurant was cozy & inviting. It really felt like a little piece of Portugal in the city.
If you're looking for authentic Portuguese comfort food, I highly recommend Amelia - especially the La Tia Graça sandwich!
Even though the service was friendly, I feel like they were not super welcoming. We felt like we were a bother when walking into the restaurant & sitting down. The food itself was fine. The fries were quite soggy & a bit burnt. It was the first time that I was having poutine & not finishing the fries. The sauce was decent in flavours but I wish it was less watery & a bit thicker to complement the rest of the poutine. The cheese & the homemade sauce were both pretty enjoyable & the chicken was tender which was great. The salad was made up of kale which was a bit too dry for my liking. The small restaurant has nice interior decorations but I feel like all the tables were left dirty. Most of them still had sauce stains or liquid on them which made it less appetizing eating there. The food in delivery is pretty much the same but a bit less enjoyable since the fries are even more soggy & the sauce more watery.
Went for a salad & a poutine; neither are particularly good.
The salad had slimy skin, chicken bones & ligaments that I simply gave up on it. I guess if you're one of those to devour all parts of an animal this salad is for you, but I was expecting clean chicken breast.
The poutine sauce was good, cheese was good, fries tasted like they had been cooked many times over. The potatoes had no mash to them when you bite in.
Meats were the same quality as the salad, but the skin was better masked by the heavier flavours.
Portions were great.
I bought a natas; they looked super good, but I'm saving it for later.
Overall; it was fun to try, but we won't be returning.
Aug 30, 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.
More people should know about this new place. The food is flavorful & the portion is generous. The price is very reasonable. Service is friendly & efficient. I love Portuguese chicken & this one is one of the best here in southshore
THE NATAS.. OMG please start selling those by the box full. They were still warm, ughhh I could have eaten a plate of them they were just perfection. I had the chicken sandwich. Anyone worried about spice level, the mild is virtually no spice, the Hot was quite hot. Those nata's though the Nutella on top getting melty from the warm pastry was just divine.
I grabbed a full chicken it to go, the taste of chicken was really good, the spicy sauce gives a nice hit. For sure eating on spot would be even better! Recommended!!
Jul 22, 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.
The chicken is not cooked over charcoal like real Portuguese chicken. It tastes oven baked & the only seasoning is the sauce they put on top .The chicken itself is bland. Salad is not Portuguese dressing, but still tasty & so were the fries. The people were very friendly. I was craving authentic Portuguese food….this was not it.
