If you’re fortunate enough to have experienced a meal in the Middle East, you know all about their warmth, ambiance and extravagance. Whether it’s on a terrace accompanied by an afternoon tea, or sipping Arak in the evening, the “joie de vivre” can’t be missed.
Having successfully recreated the magic, our chef Joe Awad and his team have put together a menu featuring traditional flavours reimagined with a modern flare.
Our friendly and attentive staff will make you feel as though you’ve walked through the fabric of time to the other side of the world. Prepare your tastebuds, they’re in for an amazing experience!
Shay is widely celebrated for its exceptional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, with many diners highlighting the flavorful dips, generous portions, and expertly prepared dishes like the shawarma eggs benedict, lamb, and baklava pancakes. The restaurant offers a chic, cozy, and vibrant atmosphere that makes it a popular destination for both brunch and dinner. Guests consistently praise the warm, professional, and attentive service provided by the staff, who are frequently described as welcoming and genuinely caring. While experiences are overwhelmingly positive, the restaurant remains a top choice for groups and special occasions in Montreal, leaving many eager to return.
The service here is excellent. Everyone is smiley ans friendly. We came for brunch, had the lamb & eggplant.... absolutely delicious. Cant even describe how tasty it was. Then we ordered the pancakes & french toast... huge portion... & excellent. Something about the pistascho baklava & syrup... will def come back
Amazing service & incredible food. I had accidentally booked our reservation for the wrong day, but when we showed up a day early with a party of five at 10pm, they accommodated us right away without any issues.
It's clear this restaurant is very well run-everyone was welcoming, attentive, & consistently checked in without being overbearing.
The food was outstanding. We ordered a variety of dishes, & the highlights were the baklava pancakes, the mezze dips, & anything featuring their lamb-absolutely delicious.
A special shoutout to our server, Leyla, who was fantastic & made the experience even better.
Also the playlist at the restaurant was a vibe.
Overall, a great experience at Shay-we'll definitely be back!
Food was expensive & not cooked properly. Ordered bénédictine eggs with mushrooms, 24$. Plate arrived it's 2 eggs cooked all the way through on a single piece of toast with mushrooms. Honestly the meal was very tasty apart from the egg not at all being bénédictine. Showed my plate to the waiter when he came back. He told the kitchen, that's it.
Honestly I almost didn't say anything for my eggs but there were also other things going wrong.
When ordering a mokaccino I asked for extra whipped cream on it, the drink he brought had no whipped cream on it. Had to ask him to bring it back.
2 (out of 3) of the wine glasses that were brought for our drinks were dirty (one had a food bit on it the other white drops on it), had to return them.
My friend ordered baklava crepes, they brought her pancakes (she doesnt like pancakes). We felt bad cause it felt like we were complaining on everything, we didn't say anything for the pancakes.
Ended up paying 42$ for a toast with 2 hardboiled eggs & a mokaccino, issues with both of those items. :/
Don't recommend
Mar 24, 2026
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.
Brunch at Shay delivered the kind of experience that reminds you why the ritual of brunch deserves to be done well. From the moment we sat down, the service set the tone. Layla, our beautiful bubbly server, brought warmth & attentiveness that elevated the entire meal, while the floor manager moved through the room with the kind of thoughtful presence that signals a restaurant that truly cares about hospitality.
The bottomless mimosas were generous & consistently refreshed, the kind of offering that feels celebratory without becoming intrusive to the flow of the meal.
We ordered several dishes to share, which proved to be the right approach given the restaurant's notably generous portions. The shakshuka was deeply flavourful, its rich tomato base layered with light spices that made it both comforting & satisfying. One portion was more than enough for our table of four, & we still had some left behind.
The shawarma eggs benedict offered a creative twist on a classic. The dish balanced savoury shawarma spices with the richness expected from a good benedict, resulting in something both familiar & distinctive.
The lamb & eggplant tartine was perhaps the standout of the table: buttery, decadent, & beautifully composed. The combination of tender lamb with silky eggplant created a dish that felt indulgent yet balanced. It was my first time trying it, & it alone is reason enough to return.
For something sweet, we got the baklava pancakes. Fluffy & well-structured, they captured the nutty, honeyed essence of baklava without tipping into overwhelming sweetness. They are undeniably filling, so sharing is the wise choice.
The atmosphere tied everything together. The DJ played a relaxed selection of R&B that added energy to the room without overpowering conversation, a small but thoughtful detail that made the brunch feel lively yet comfortable.
Overall, Shay delivers a brunch that is generous in both flavour & hospitality. The menu rewards sharing, the service is attentive, & the atmosphere strikes the right balance between vibrant & relaxed. It's the kind of place you leave already planning your return, as we did.
Also, we were honoured with tasting their upcoming drink, we are excited for the summer.
We had one night to eat in Montreal & I'm so glad we chose this place! The food was incredible & the service was beyond amazing from the hostess to the servers. Jasper, the bartender, was a gem during his service. The chicken & beef in our dishes were very tender & flavourful & the baklava tiramisu was heavenly. It is pricier, but portions were fair & it was worth it. I look forward to trying the tasting menu next time!
Nous avons passé un excellent moment dans ce restaurant. Le lieu est bien décoré & le service très agréable.
Notre serveur était de bon conseils & nous a bien aiguillé pour découvrir de bons plats libanais.
Pour commencer, un mocktail hibiscus/gingembre. Ensuite, nous avons pris deux mezze froids qui étaient vraiment très bons (hummus & un autre avec de l'aubergine) & nous avons partagé l'assiette Kebab. En dessert, nous avons pris le baklava à la pistache. Nous nous sommes régalés !
Les prix sont bons pour la qualité de la nourriture !
Great food overall. We tried the shawarma eggs Benedict, lamb Reuben, waffles with fried chicken, & the baklava pancakes-everything was excellent. The service was just as good: kind, fast, & very helpful.
