Vargas is situated in the heart of downtown Montreal business district, and walking distance to all the major hotels. Vargas is a chef driven American classic Steakhouse in an elegant and sophisticated ambiance, Our focus is on quality and freshness, from our sustainably sourced fish to the perfectly aged Canadian Beef. Vargas is unique to the city to offer the combination of Sushi and Steak, you can’t go wrong with such a varied offer of flavors. Our wine cellar is extensive and offers something for everyone by the bottle or by the glass. The staff are always attentive and professional your GM’s Mike Digaletos and Stefano Apostolatos can cater to any private function and special requests.
Vargas is described as an elegant, versatile dining spot where steaks, sushi and seafood shine, with meals praised for fresh ingredients, bold flavors and beautiful presentation. The atmosphere is repeatedly noted as warm and beautiful, with a renovated bar that adds a New York vibe and makes it a good setting for date nights, business lunches and celebrations. Service is often described as friendly, professional and attentive, with staff who know the menu, though a few visits mention slower pacing or occasional missteps in timing or food delivery. Dishes receive strong marks, from tender ribeye and tomahawk steaks to standout sushi plates and creative appetizers, while some sides and seafood platters disappoint or feel pricey for the portion. Desserts and cocktails garner praise, especially the creme brulee and well crafted drinks, though some diners call out uneven value for money. Corporate and private events are described as well organized with efficient wine service and generous portions. Overall, Vargas comes across as a reliable choice for flavorful, quality meals and a memorable night out, with many guests planning to return for celebrations or regular visits.
The food was delicious. I had the 8oz filet mignon with peppercorn sauce. It was cooked just right, & it was tender & very tasty. My wife had the organic salmon meal with deep-fried cauliflower. The salmon was fresh & cooked just right with a delicious mango sauce. Personally, I don't like anything deep-fried. Perhaps, the chef should consider another method to cooking the cauliflower. My friend had the roast beef. Unfortunately, it was not tender. The roast beef should be almost melt-in-mouth tender, & could have had more spice… Otherwise, I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Our waiter Christo, was very friendly, knowledgeable, professional, attentive.
We had family visiting from Florida & they wanted steak dinner. We used to go to Moishe's before it was sold. It appears to have been bought by a Conglomerate which is akin to Loblaws buying L'Express on St. Denis...they actually moved this iconic restaurant to the Biz district of Montreal. C'mon, the ambiance & history were part of the attraction. Not to mention the prime cuts of beef & Yiddish menu. Vargas appealed as an option. The Service was impeccable for our table of 6. They had a small but excellent wine list. The decor was spacious, the coffered ceilings were high, with lots of Art Deco finishes, plus views of the Mtl skyline. I loved the touch of specialty bottled & well chilled H2O. I shared the Mediterranean Salad, it was big enough for 4. I'd love to know where they sourced such luscious tomatoes in February. The sprinkling of dried grapes offered an nice crispy texture to the juicy tomatoes, & it was a nice fresh appetizer to contrast with the main course of Ribeye I chose. The others had Onion Soup which tasted sweet & everyone finished to the last drop. Everyone enjoyed their choice of Sirloin, which was very tasty. No one actually used the different sauces on the side, as the steaks did not need any accompaniment. My only complaint is that my steak was medium rare & not rare as I chose, & was lukewarm on arrival. The desserts were absolutely divine. I shared the Chocolate souffle with dark thick chocolate syrup & the most heavenly ice-cream, surely home-made. I am not a fan of overly sweet desserts, & Vargas did not disappoint in that regard. We had polite, attentive & discreet service throughout.I took one star off due to the lukewarm steak - but this would not prevent me from visiting this lovely & elegant restaurant in the future.
Feb 8, 2025
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My wife & I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by having dinner at Vargas. It was absolutely amazing. My wife had the prime rib, which was done to perfection, accompanied by the garlic mashed potatoes. She absolutely enjoyed it! I had the Beef Wellington. It was also amazing! I also had the lobster mashed potatoes, & oh my goodness, they were brilliant! We followed up our meal with the strawberry cheesecake. Wow, it too was amazing!! Our waitress/bartender Amy was very friendly & extremely professional. She is a great conservationalist & wise beyond her years! You are very lucky to have such an amazing employee. Bravo!
Waitress was amazing! She had to do it all at the bar & tables & took great care of us. Prime rib could be better & sea bass was a bit salty. Foies gra was great as well as beef tartare. Oysters were amazing as well.
Can't believe I had never been before... my husband brought me here for Valentine's Day... & what a great meal it was! We ordered: shrimp tempura, beef satay, cap steak, roast beef, grilled mushrooms, fries, & baked potato. My water glass was never empty, the service was excellent overall. While I didn't like the peanut sauce with the satay, the meat was super tender & flavourful on its own, & we were happy the sauce was on the side. The mushrooms were insanely delicious as was my cap steak, the roast beef was good, just nowhere near as good as my steak... looking forward to our next visit!
I brought an associate from out of town to Vargas not too long ago, as I've been several times before & always had a great experience. We requested to sit at the bar & ordered an assortment of appetizers, including, the shrimp cocktail, shrimp tempura, grilled angus beef satays & the tuna tartare, as well as, several delicious cocktails. The shrimp tempura was notably very delicious, but everything else was still very good; the food has never disappointed. The only downfall of this particular visit was the atmosphere on this specific night. Someone who looked to be either the manager or possibly a supervisor seemed to be hovering around the bar area, staring at the customers sitting at the bar for prolonged periods of time. As someone who has been there before, it felt very odd, & for my friend who had never been before, he felt very uncomfortable as a result of this individuals actions. It was a little disappointing & led us to cut our time shorter than we would've liked because we didn't feel very welcome. The bartenders that night were phenomenal & made one of the best espresso martinis i've had in a while (would recommend) Johanne & Cris were extremely kind & made our experience notably better. We loved talking to them & spending the night with them at the bar, excellent service! Overall, will be returning, as the restaurant is normally wonderful in all aspects, but this particular evening was a little bit disappointing.
