Stash Café! Discover an Old Montréal institution serving up traditional Polish cuisine in warm, inviting surroundings that showcases stone walls and a mix of Polish art and convent furnishings. This Polish restaurant offers a big selection of traditional foods. The specialities of the house are roast duck and wild boar Polish style. Spend an evening at Stash's, and discover a small corner of Poland!
Stash Café in Old Montreal is described as a warm, cozy spot serving authentic Polish comfort food with a lively yet intimate atmosphere highlighted by live piano and red lamps. The menu earns praise for generous, hearty dishes such as pierogies, kielbasa, cabbage rolls, golabki, schnitzel, and potato pancakes, along with soups like barszcz, zurek, ogorkowa and pickle soup, and desserts such as apple and peach cobblers. Drinks are enjoyable, with solid cocktails, vodka options, and memorable shots that friends remember. Service is repeatedly called friendly, attentive, and welcoming, though a few reviewers note slower service during busy times and occasional missteps or pricing concerns. Reservations are often recommended due to popularity, and many leave feeling they discovered a true Polish home away from home with strong atmosphere, live piano, and generous hospitality. Overall, the restaurant is described as a standout in Montreal for Polish cuisine, delivering consistently delicious food, a comforting vibe, and a memorable, live music driven experience.
I was disapointed by the Borsht Soup. I visited lots of Ex Soviet countries.Kazkstan, uzbekistan, poland, etc but Borsht is supposed to not be just Liquid. Patatos, cabbage or beets are supposed to be inside.... Please remove your soup form the menu. Thanks
We had a fantastic culinary experience at Café Stash & would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for comforting, authentic Polish cuisine in old Montreal.
The atmosphere immediately stood out - warm wooden tables, cozy bench seating, & those iconic red hanging lamps that give the dining room a lively but intimate feel. A live piano player during dinner added a wonderful touch & made the whole evening feel special without being overwhelming.
Food-wise, everything delivered. The beef stroganoff was rich & deeply flavorful, perfectly paired with crispy potato pancakes. The kielbasa was juicy & nicely grilled, served with tangy sauerkraut & mustard that balanced the dish beautifully. The breaded pork cutlet was classic comfort food done right.
Both soups were highlights: the pickle soup was surprisingly bright & addictive, while the mushroom soup was earthy & satisfying. Desserts - apple & peach cobblers - were excellent, pleasantly flavoured & not overly sweet.
Drinks were equally enjoyable. The cocktails were solid, & the raspberry & tobacco vodka shots were memorable & fun.
Great food, lively ambiance, & genuine hospitality - Café Stash is an easy recommendation.
Feb 21, 2026
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Between two people we ordered a rye soup, pierogi plate, kielbasa, plus a peach cobbler for dessert. All were excellent though the cobbler was the most memorable!
It was a well-rounded, tasty meal that was surprisingly light. The ambiance is well thought out too; it's dark inside & lit by red lampshades. Will go back again!
Stash is the reference for polish food in Montreal. It sure brings back good childhood memories of me waiting fork & knife up at the kitchen table of my Polish Lithuanian Grandma. Some of you won't be able to pronounce the original names of each of the plates at Stash, but your taste buds will happily tell you in a familiar language. From Bigos & Perogies, & across the many soups like the Barszcz (beet broth), the Ogorkowa (pickle broth) & the Zurek (sour rye malted broth), to something more filling like the Kielbasa (sausage), the Krokiety (meat pancake) or the Goulash/Strogonow (beef stew) with Placki (potato pancake), don't stand bewildered by what might seem too exotic. Jump headfirst, it's worth the adventure. If you can't make up your mind, try the beginner's plate, as it should satisfy the most skeptical amongst us, or throw in 1 or 2 Zubrowka shots, then the inspiration will come on its own ! Polish cuisine is very tasty, yet not spicy. It is hearty, however very healthy. It's the comfort food you wished your grandparents would bring you 3 times a day, or your significant other so to entertain the relationship for many more years. Once you are done with starters & main courses, I suggest pursuing with the awesome desserts & a kawa (coffee). Do keep some room for a couple of vodka shots; it'd be insulting the traditions not to take at the least two, & Stash does keep a stash of vodka (get it?!) in the freezer. After that, what else ? Maybe walk a stretch of a couple of miles so to lose the calories. Na Zdrowie (Cheers)!
Imagine us- two friends roaming the cold streets, cold, hungry & yet wanting something new during our visit to Montreal.
Imagine what Stash Cafe must've seemed to us as we stepped in through the heavy door & into its warm threshold! Warm & inviting, with gentle chatter from pleased patrons & lovely piano music trickling through the air. We did not have a reservation but luckily there were two seats left at the bar which we gratefully sat down at.
Straight away we ordered cocktails. I got the Bloody Polak, which I felt a little bad to order out loud but any guilt was washed away with the first sip. Finally, a Bloody Mary with enough horseradish! Do you know how far I've traveled to find one? I do not remember the name of my friends drink, but I think it was somewhat cherry forward & I know she thoroughly enjoyed it.
From our bar seat vantage point, we watched the bartender Nicolas mix & pour a great variety of drinks. He was extremely skilled & knowledgeable & treated our questions with kindness & patience. I wonder if Montreal knows that the maker of the best Bloody Mary in the world is hidden right here. He is also studying for his doctorate in medieval pilgrimage literature & let me tell you, one sip of his drinks & you'll beg to read the full dissertation. He's not finished yet, but that'll just give you the excuse to return to Stash Cafe.
We ordered a starter- I had the soup of the day, a barley soup, & my friend had a salad. Both delightfully fresh & appetizing, they only made us more exited for our main course to arrive.
I had ordered four perogies, a little doubtful that I would want the whole eight offered in the bigger size dish. Oh boy was I wrong. Each was a delightful little pillow ready to introduce me to the flavors of Polish food. When I finished them, I had no choice but to order four more, & I swear our waiter Adam had a knowing twinkle in his eye. He said the perogis were the same as his grandmothers & I do not doubt that for a second.
Speaking of Adam, what hospitality! He was so kind to us & we felt so lucky to be his guests! I do not doubt each customer there that night under his care felt the same way. He introduced us to a world of flavors we were not overly used to or even aware of, explaining the culture & history around different traditions & dishes at our request. & he also introduced me to the joys of pickle juice- never before would I want to reach for a sip of the vinegary juice. Now? Yes please!
I believe my friend got the Stroganow for her main course. I feel I can review it for I kept sneaking bites when she wasn't looking. The meat? Tender! The beet salad? Fresh! The potato pancakes? Crispy! All the flavors & textures came together in a lovely melange.
When our plates were scraped clean & you could see rings on condensation marked all over our placemats from our drinks, the inevitable question of whether we wanted dessert was asked. Reader, is the earth round? Of course we wanted dessert! Now I don't remember the name of either. I don't think we let Adam get to that when he was describing each dessert. We heard farmers cheese & apricot & said yes please, one of each! The folded crepe with the sweet cheese filling reminded me of my grandmothers blintzes on the first bite & the crumbly peach delight brought memories of summer to mind.
We left Stash Cafe warm & full, with new friends & new favorite foods. I cannot understate what a lovely experience we had! Thank you Adam & Nicolas! Dear reader, if you are scrolling through Google maps, a little overwhelmed by all the choices on here & can't make a decision let me make it for you. Go to Stash Cafe! Quick! Before the line is out the door!
Nov 27, 2025
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Excellent variety of Polish dishes to choose from. Food, service & atmosphere were great! Chose to return to try different dishes & we were so pleased we did. We had the Zurek soup, Barszc (beet soup), Golabki (stuffed cabbage), Sznycel Wiedenski (veal), Placki, (potato pancakes) & Pierogi, & all were all delicious. This is a definite place to stop to enjoy a fabulous meal if you are ever in Old Montreal!
Really great food overall. Service left a lot to be desired - sat down 15 min after reservation, took 30 min to really order drinks, then the server forgot our drinks & had to get the order again. When we ordered dinner, he didn't write anything down & things were wrong (wrong soups). When we asked to split the bill, he couldn't do it & had actually missed things on the bill (which I guess is to our benefit but not good for business!). A table sitting behind us left because the service was so slow. Would come back, recommend the food but hopefully the service gets a tuneup.
Très bon service. Plats typiques polonais/ukrainien.
Les saveurs sont à points.
Les pierogis & la soupe aux cornichons sont des indispensable à commander.
Le prix est abordable.
This place was phenomenal! I strongly suggest the sausage soup & the debutant main dish as it allows you to try multiple dishes. All of them were delicious.
Jun 29, 2025
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We walked here from our hotel on a Sunday evening for dinner. The pierogi & kielbasa were so delicious that we ordered a second kielbasa. The ogorkowa (pickle soup) was surprisingly balanced, with mild & just the right amount of pickle flavor. The drinks were delicious, although I ordered a prosecco & got a second Polish mimosa instead. The Polish mimosa was delicious, so I just drank it without complaining. The pork was a little dry & service was slow. However, the pianist was lovely - great song selection & not too loud - so overall, it was a very enjoyable dinner!
First time having Polish food & left very satisfied. The restaurant has a very good vibe, you can enjoy tasty cocktails while a pianist entertains. We ordered the dill pickle soup, peirogis & kroketies! Personal fav was the soup, very light flavorful & nothing like I've ever had.
Dinner on Friday night.
Lunch on Saturday.
(It was that good.)
If you love Eastern European cuisine, this is your place.
We tried:
Dill soup. Latkes. Perogies. Cabbage rolls. Breaded chicken. Sauerkraut. Beet salad. Everything 💯
Can't say enough abt this place. Food. Atmosphere. Cozy dining room. (Live piano player)
Would be wise to make a reservation.
Mar 4, 2025
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What a surprise this spot was! We had never eaten Polish food before & boy have we been missing out. The food was great! Our server was super nice & helped us get the best food for our first time. We left stuffed & happy. Loved the cabbage & mushroom pierogis plus the potato pancakes along with the barszcz (beet soup) make sure to add the mushroom dumplings. The sauerkraut is warm & so so delicious. The piano player is phenomenal & plays covers of popular songs. The ambiance is kitschy & cozy. Make reservations or go early because this place is popular. A must when in Montreal.
Amazingly delicious place!! Warm & cozy! We loved the Dill Pickle soup & the beet consume with the mushroom tortellini. We tried the sampler platter & it was fantastic! We are planning to come back for dinner!!! Definitely worth the effort to eat here. The service was friendly & efficient & everyone was so nice!
Simply amazing. Came in around 9:30 pm on a Saturday & were seated right away. Ordered the pickle soup as an appetizer. Then for our mains we got the cheese & potato pierogis, & the kielbasa sausage (with potato salad, mustard, & sauerkraut). For dessert, we shared a crepe. All of the food was incredibly delicious. In addition to the perfect food, the live piano & the vibe of the place is great. Our waitress was amazing too.
& dire que j'ai attendu 13 ans avant de venir enfin essayer ce restaurant. Enfin, restaurant... C'est bien mieux qu'un restaurant. On dirait plus une cantine pour le côté plus décontracté. La nourriture est vraiment délicieuse! De la vrai cuisine Polonaise. Il y a une formule Découverte très abordable & qui permet de goûter plusieurs spécialités. Vraiment parfait pour découvrir les plats. Je recommande fortement une soupes. Celle aux cornichons est délicieuse. Profitez également de goûter le cocktail qui a le goût de tarte aux pommes. Ils le servent en shooters si vous ne voulez pas le cocktail en entier. Si vous êtes amateur de Vodka, c'est également parfaitement l'endroit. Ma préférée est la Zubrowska mais la Chopin est très... forte ;) Allez-y en amis! C'est vraiment le genre de restaurant pour passer une belle soirée entre amis!
We arrived quite early on Saturday evening with no reservations & were just lucky that there was a no show. I would definitely suggest making reservations. Just as you walk in they had a gentleman playing piano which definitely provided a great lounge atmosphere along with the lighting. It was our first time there & so we wanted to try a bit of everything. I ordered an entree of 4 meat pierogis which were hands down the best I've ever had. The meat was spiced to perfection & the caramelized onions rounded it out. I had the strognow as my main meal which the mushrooms & the meat were superb. I enjoyed the beet salad. I would say the only negative was the potato pancakes were a bit on the oily side for me. My partner had the Table hôte which came with a soup, coffee & dessert. The soup was very tasty with fresh herbs. For a main course it was the veal sznitchel, potatoes & beet salad. Dessert was apple crumble which was delicious. We would definitely go back.
