Elegant space featuring traditional Portuguese dishes & plenty of seafood, plus uncommon port wines.
At a glance
#12 of 15 Event venues in Montreal #4 of 5 Cocktail bars in MontrealLocalGuideWorld score: 4.21
Rating breakdown
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5 ★59%
-
4 ★21%
-
3 ★7%
-
2 ★5%
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1 ★8%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Restaurant Solmar?
- Restaurant Solmar is rated 4.2 out of 5 based on 340 reviews.
- How does Restaurant Solmar rank in Montreal?
- Restaurant Solmar is #12 of 15 Event venues in Montreal by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Restaurant Solmar located?
- 111 Rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1G7, Canada — 1.1 km from the center of Montreal.
- How can I contact Restaurant Solmar?
- Phone: +1 514-861-4562 · Website: solmar-montreal.com
Although its bit pricey but definitely worth of it to visit. Great during patio season. They welcome your dog friends as well.
An old school fine dining Portuguese restaurant. The attention to detail and service throughout the dining experience are hard to find now. This has been one of my regular stops when visiting Montreal for a long time.
This was our first trip to Montreal. My wife and I are both foodies, always ready to try something new. We decided to walk, the streets were busy, and there was little parking. We hoped to find something interesting and see if we could be successful as walk ins. And at that moment, in the historic Vieux Montreal, we came to Restaurant Solmar, specializing in Portuguese dining. The restaurant was not on street level and required climbing several steps to the second floor. I can't comment on whether there was an elevator or not. We had the place to ourselves! Our waiter, a well groomed professional who was as polished as the wine glasses he was wiping down welcomed us. The ambiance was intimate. A restaurant like this is meant for you to sit back, listen to the menu selections and the wine pairing. "Our chef is from Portugal," our waiter said, "and he prepares your dinner like he is still in Portugal." Now, that's what I'm talking about.I wanted the grilled octopus and my wife had the seafood paella. We went with a rioja gran reserva as recommended. Our dinner arrived beyond expectations. The wine worked wonderfully. Our lavish ncomments to the waiter prompted the chef to visit our table where he parted his only cooking secret ... "grilling octopus has to be low and slow, or it is too tough." He got that right.
Absolutely the best service and food I have ever had. The octopus was just fantastic.
Amazing authentic Portuguese food. Just like being back home. Highly recommended. The owner was extremely friendly and a fantastic host.
In a new city, you randomly pick a restaurant on a very busy touristy street and hope to get a pleasant meal. The meal was good, but the service was dreadful. The scallops were in a very salty sauce. The bisque was mediocre. My fillet was nice with vegetables, and the lamb shank was decent. Most of the time, the staff just ignored us and were not very friendly.
Enjoyed traditional Portuguese cuisine in Montreal! Had the pleasure of meeting the owners! They were so gracious!
They spoke to us in Portuguese!
Family owned restaurant! Celebrating 51 years in 2023!
Highly recommend!
Thank you for a lovely dining experience on our last night in Montreal!
They spoke to us in Portuguese!
Family owned restaurant! Celebrating 51 years in 2023!
Highly recommend!
Thank you for a lovely dining experience on our last night in Montreal!
Restaurant with excellent location, good for people watching (but not exactly quiet, although I suppose none can really be in this neighborhood).
We were excited to come here, since we're Portuguese ourselves, but we were very disappointed. We asked for several dishes to share ("tapas", although that's not exactly the word we use in Portugal): clams, shrimps, grilled vegetables and chorizo. We didn't really like any of our dishes: the clams still had sand/debris and were very salty (and not really "à Bulhão Pato"), the shrimps (only a few) were, on the other hand, had no salt at all and didn't have the taste we expected, the chorizo was too spicy and not Portuguese neither, and the vegetables were simply bad (hard, unappealing...).
Also, the service was very, very slow (we were in no rush, but we waited a long time for our food and, if you call them "tapas", then they are usually served at the same time or in a quick succession).
One final thing: we understand that, even though this is supposed to be a Portuguese restaurant, not every member of the staff has to speak Portuguese, but if you try to, don't say "postre" or "muchas gracias", because that's Spanish... it's like speaking German to a French or vice-versa just because they share borders.
Ah, and yes, as others have stated, it's really expensive for what you get.
P.S.: next morning, we were both sick with diarrhea! Great!...
NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL !
We were excited to come here, since we're Portuguese ourselves, but we were very disappointed. We asked for several dishes to share ("tapas", although that's not exactly the word we use in Portugal): clams, shrimps, grilled vegetables and chorizo. We didn't really like any of our dishes: the clams still had sand/debris and were very salty (and not really "à Bulhão Pato"), the shrimps (only a few) were, on the other hand, had no salt at all and didn't have the taste we expected, the chorizo was too spicy and not Portuguese neither, and the vegetables were simply bad (hard, unappealing...).
Also, the service was very, very slow (we were in no rush, but we waited a long time for our food and, if you call them "tapas", then they are usually served at the same time or in a quick succession).
One final thing: we understand that, even though this is supposed to be a Portuguese restaurant, not every member of the staff has to speak Portuguese, but if you try to, don't say "postre" or "muchas gracias", because that's Spanish... it's like speaking German to a French or vice-versa just because they share borders.
Ah, and yes, as others have stated, it's really expensive for what you get.
P.S.: next morning, we were both sick with diarrhea! Great!...
NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL !
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