Sumac specializes in vibrant Middle Eastern cuisine, focusing on freshly prepared pitas, hearty falafel, and meticulously seasoned rotisserie chicken. The menu features an array of traditional salads and spreads, including smooth, house-made hummus and rich, smoky baba ganoush. Ingredients are sourced to ensure authentic flavors and textures that define the region's culinary traditions. The kitchen utilizes a blend of bold spices like zaatar and sumac to elevate simple, high-quality components into cohesive, flavor-forward dishes. Patrons can expect a casual atmosphere where the focus remains entirely on the integrity of the food. Every plate serves as a direct exploration of Levantine staples, crafted with a commitment to consistency and depth. This establishment remains a reliable destination for those seeking robust, well-balanced Mediterranean-inspired dishes prepared with precision and respect for classic cooking techniques.
Sumac is widely celebrated for its authentic and flavorful Middle Eastern cuisine, with many diners praising the high quality of the hummus, fresh pita, and diverse salads. The restaurant is frequently described as a welcoming, casual spot where friendly staff provide efficient service in a cozy atmosphere. While the majority of visitors highlight the generous portions and consistency of the meals, some patrons have noted concerns regarding portion sizing, pricing, or occasional inconsistencies in food preparation. Overall, the establishment remains a popular destination for those seeking delicious, fresh, and creative Mediterranean dishes in Montreal.
One of my favourite restaurants in montreal!! The falafel is perfect, not dry & very flavourful. I also love the sumac fries. I always get the falafel plate & it’s enough for two people. The restaurant can get loud around dinner times but it’s still very nice. I highly recommend this place & I always bring people here to eat when they visit montreal.
This is not my first visit & every time I go I just love it.
The food is excellent & the staff always willing to help.
The pita bread is the real thing & unlike anything else I've had before.
The Sumac French Fries are excellent as well.
Baba Ganoush is very good as well as the chicken & the salads.
This is a few steps above the typical Lebanese restaurant we have in Montreal.
Love middle eastern food, & kept seeing this one recommended.
Had late lunch (2pm) on a Friday afternoon. Serious problem with acoustics. Although the restaurant was nearly empty, the noise level was deafening. Every conversation + music echoing & reverbing off the high bare walls.
Service was less than stellar. Although the restaurant was empty, the server refused to turn down the music & seemed completely unconcerned that the noise level was too high. Having to order at the counter was a bit weird, given that there were lots of servers. A different server offered us hot sauce, which we both accepted, but forgot to come back with it until we were finished eating.
I quite liked the food, especially the walnut puree thing. The kefta was good, the hummous very creamy, & the cooked salad was rich. Though pricey if you're used to Boustan, Amir, or Basha, everything was tasty.
It seems to have potential, good food, good location, fresh airy decor, but the execution is off. Must do something with the acoustics. & the sourpuss servers.
Tried it once, no need to go back. I only wanted to try the Falafel, that was recommended in a Gazette article. It was very tasty, as was the Baba & Hummus & pita. The fried eggplant 'salad' left much to desire. The chicken tasted like Chinese 5-spice chicken, & was almost disturbingly moist/soft (like at a Chinese buffet).
The service was quick & friendly although the ordering setup with the one cash register needs to be changed. What is stopping them from having their numerous servers taking orders from clients sitting down, at the tables? (considering this is how you order more food or drinks, if you wish).
My suggestion: get a takeout order of the hummus & baba & pita & pick up some chicken from Adonis to make at home.
The ambiance & the restaurant was great! Simple as it gets in terms of decorations, yet that is what I like. The food in general was delicious, unlike many other restuarants who have a heavy hand on the salt, Sumac was perfect on the salt. At last a restaurant that doesn't rely on only salt for flavor.
Our meal arrived to our table in a matter of 10-15 mins, while the restaurant was packed. So I was impressed with that. While our meal was very tasty, it lacked warmth. It wasn't cold, but borderline of being cold. Nothing was too warm. Disappointing!!
My biggest disappointments: The method of ordering your food & the dessert. When you walk into the restaurant you first have to wait for a table, then order at the counter. There was one person with one cash taking all the orders. Because they only have one cash available. When you have a full house of 40+ people, you need more staff than just one person taking all the orders. So we waited 20-25 mins for our table, plus another 10 minutes to place our order. Very disappointing!!
Our dessert was the Nutella brownie, with a cinnamon whipped cream not at all a Lebanese dessert yet, I was curious to try it. My question is.. Where was the Nutella? I honestly didn't taste one bit of of it! Luckily the whip cream was not out of can or spray, at last a restaurant that uses the real thing! Yet, it lacked taste. Bottom line, Sumac opened very recently & it needs time to make some improvements. My biggest suggestion to them, serve the food warm & not dry & semi-warm.
The best thing: Their Hummus, Felafel &, all their salads. They were superb!!!
Tried this restaurant but would not go back. The food was less than average, & definitely not worth the price. I get better middle Eastern food at the fast food chains than that restaurant. It's inevitable to wait for more than half an hour as you can't make a reservation. The ambiance is loud, not in a good way, & the music (hip-hop) really not suiting the place. Tried the kafta, the meat was chewy & dry. The mouhammara (red pepper paste with walnuts) was good, the baba ghannouj (eggplant side dish) was average, & salads average or less than. The owner was there & was very rude.
