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 delivers a warm, stylish Lebanese dining experience with a lively yet welcoming vibe and consistently attentive service. The menu shines with vibrant, well presented dishes and an array of mezze, lamb, kebabs, and brunch classics like shawarma eggs Benedict and baklava pancakes, all made with fresh ingredients. The brunch and dinner experiences are repeatedly praised for generous portions, bold flavors, and creative twists that honor tradition while feeling modern. The atmosphere, on both the dining floor and the terrace, is frequently described as beautiful and energetic, with knowledgeable staff guiding guests through thoughtful recommendations. Overall, SHAY stands out for reliable quality, standout dishes, and a memorable, friendly guest experience that makes it a go-to for meals with friends or celebrations.
Great service from Jason the barman! We loved his service & his drinks were amaaaazing!! Food was a 10/10 along with the drinks he made for me & my friends. Would definitely come again & sit at the bar!!!
Really good place to eat for a date. Food is generally great (except maybe the desserts) & drinks are good. It's a bummer they got rid of me & my girlfriend's favorite cocktail which was in a big oriental tea pot.
Feb 19, 2025
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Food & drinks were great, but the best thing today was our waitress, Audrey. She took such good care of us, made us feel like VIP, even though the place was packed & we could see she was a busy bee. She was so bubbly! It's nice to see that we can still get great service in Montreal.
We had a wonderful evening bringing old & new friends together. Dom was one of the BEST servers I have ever had. The food was amazing & the drinks were fun too! Thanks for an amazing night 🎉
Delicious authentic middle eastern food! Dom, our waitress was fantastic & gave us amazing recommendations for our meal. It was fantastic! Great drinks & wine selection too. Thanks :)
Recommended by a friend & we went there for dinner. Definitely lives up to its recommendation. The food was flavorful & delicious with amazing mix of ingredients. If you get Audrey as your server take her recommendations cause she is amazing & she knows what pairs well with the food you are trying to order. I would recommend getting the falafel & the amazing hot drink (genie's cup) that we tried. Also be ready to share food its more of a sharing thing but on your table only 😊
Oct 1, 2024
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I was visiting from out of town on Saturday & I stumbled upon this restaurant & boy am I glad that I did. Dom truly was one of the best servers we've ever had. Everything she recommended was delicious (lamb chops, tuna crudo , & drinks). The service was amazing. Food & drinks came out fast. Dom made some light hearted conversation every time she came to check on us. I'll make sure to come back when I visit Montreal again!
A new discovery & definetly will be back. Had Sunday brunch a few weeks ago with my niece. We received a warm welcome from the hostess & the service was top notch. The food was very tasty & the drinks were so flavourful. Want to thank specifically Jason & Charles for their amazing service. They were so attentive . Such great energy. See you soon!
First visit & I will be back for sure. First let me give Jason a shout out he gave excellent service & suggestion both on the food & drink menu. We went for brunch & I can wait to go back for dinner ! Pretty atmosphere, might try the terasse next time.
This place was almost perfect. Lovely decor, great service & considerate hosts, who were happy to recommend but left it up to us. The food was almost perfect. Some of the best Lebanese mains I've ever had but sadly the dessert & drinks lacked something. My cocktail was original but didn't seem to have much alcohol in it at all. Personally I like to have fairly strong cocktails as otherwise it just feels like drinking juice. The baklava at the end was some of the worst I've had. Taste wise it was fine but very dry, papery & not something I wanted to finish. It may be that I'm lucky where I live (Austria) with a huge Turkish population & Turkish bakeries. The tiramisu was ok but again we've had better. It really would have been an absolutely 5 star evening if the dessert had been up to the standard of the rest of the meal. It is 100% worth a visit though, & in my opinion not too expensive for the standard they provide.
Jul 12, 2024
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Such a nice place for brunch, we were visiting Montreal & wanted a nice relaxed place to grab good food & drinks. It gets super busy at around noon & would recommend you make a reservation. We were a group of 5 plus a baby & the staff were super friendly. The patio was really nice & the food has an interesting western twist to it. We got the ful, Nutella French toast (a must try), labneh toast, eggs & everything was tasty. They have fresh orange juice as well. The only tough part is finding street parking around, but the restaurant offers valet parking for $15.
located in the reviving, industrial Griffintown neighborhood of Montreal, SHAY offers an up scale, modern take on Middle Eastern dining. A lot of the prices are a bit expensive, but you can find a good deal on some meals. Sadly, the meals don't come with a carb by default, so it is an extra cost. I don't think that you will be disappointed by coming here, nor will you be missing out. Compared to other restaurants around here, it's a bargain! Also, our waitress was a pure joy, offering great drink recommendations & treating us to the patio. PSA: you get your food faster if you sit here. It's also much quieter & nicer than indoors & completely dry in the rain.
I don't even know where to start. Absolutely outstanding experience. Everything from the food to drinks to vibe & furthermore the staff. Special thank you to manager Aboudi, server Kat , bartenders Max & Robin. Every interactions, sip or bite I had brought me into the extraordinary Lebanese culinary experience at Shay Griffintown.
Apr 14, 2024
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Honestly, the food was overpriced & mediocre at best. You're really just paying for the atmosphere. It's a nice setting for drinks with friends, but that's about it. Service wasn't bad.
Overall it is a great place but definitely overrated. I ordered a Shay chai & at first it tasted like a glass of milk. Definitely not worth $10. There was no shot of espresso, chai or caramel mouse as claimed on the menu but when I asked the server to add a bit more chai to it, they remade the drink for me without any issues or without me having to ask for a new drink. The food was delicious & not overly expensive for brunch. We had the Shawarma Benedict, soujouk omelette & the baklava pancakes. The shawarma benedict was amazing, highly recommend & the rest of the dishes were great too. We went on a Saturday at noon & the place is packed, a bit loud as it is anywhere for brunch. I enjoyed it but I've also been to other brunch places that have better coffee/drinks & delicious food!
The were a little issue at our arrival, they didn't have our reservation even though we did talk to a hostess on the phone a week prior, we showed proof of our claim & after 15 minutes they finally told us they can arrange something, but that we only had an hour & a half to eat & enjoy our drinks so that was a bummer. They tried to make it up to us with shots which was appreciated. We were just sad because we wanted to enjoy our girls brunch properly. It was our first time too. But on to the positive stuff, food was amazing, absolutely delicious. We loved everything & they had a lot of variety.
10/10... everything was amazing! The food, drinks, service & ambiance were all on point. The flavours in the food were SO good. Will definitely be back again & again!
