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L'Orignal
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
18 reviews for L'Orignal
17 reviews in English
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Review from Belle D.
Montréal, QC
3/3/2012
When you're out having an awesome time, sometimes you forget about some rather important things, like having your camera on the right setting considering the lighting around you. You might wake up the next day with slightly hipster-esque grainy-style photos whose subject you can barely see. Your excuse? It's all in the name of fun, babe. All in the name of fun.
If, like me, you liked l'Orignal before, you'll love it now. The food was always great - hello, spicy tuna tartare? But now, hold on. It's amazing.
My friends and I had, well, the tuna tartare to begin. It's been on the menu for years and it should stay there forever. It went too fast for me to even think of taking a picture. Next, I had the miso marinated black cod (with tamarind, celery root puree, sautéed shiitake mushrooms and Braz potatoes in a mushroom broth). Seriously delicious. The juicy black cod flaked off perfectly and the celery root puree and mushrooms were a wonderful complement to the fish's miso marinade.
Keep reading: http://belledenuitmont... -
Review from Loli L.
12/19/2011
The good: The food. Hot damn, these people make excellent food!
The bad: I'm getting old and it's starting to show.
The ugly: The music is terrible and I felt it attracted super loud people
In the L'Orignal's defense, we showed up a bit early for our reservation. It was not their fault that I had to fight my way past obscenely loud and drunk patrons down the stairs and into the coat area. We did, however, have to wait about five minutes, standing around with these super loud people who were talk/shouting to each other because there was no host person and we couldn't figure out who worked there.
When someone finally came by, they invited us to sit by the bar until our table became available. It was another lonely five minutes before someone came by to drop off a drink menu.
By the time our table was available, I was already pretty tired of all the loud patrons, the crappy music, and hoped that we would be seated by people who didn't feel the need to shout to their friends sitting across from them - we weren't that lucky :(
It was late and packed, so by this point, I just wanted to order, eat, and go. We decided to share our starter, the pork terrine (with pistachios and figs, red cabbage and daikon radish cole slaw) and get our own mains. The pork terrine and the slaw was fantastic! It calmed me down a bit and helped me regain some of the patience I had lost earlier.
Our mains came - I had the elk steak with mini bok choy on beans with some type of salsa with chorizo. It was incredibly delicious and soul-soothing. My dearest had the deer stew with veggies on mashed potatoes. He said that he enjoyed it.
Overall, the food was fantastic. I just wish we would have known to expect the overjoyously loud music and patrons.Listed in: Montreal without a car
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Review from Jules G.
5/11/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Absolutely the freshest, tastiest, BEST oysters I've ever had. Period.
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Review from Betty E.
Montréal, QC
This off the beat bistro with its authentic Quebecois dishes features venison, game meat, fish, fresh local produce, a great selection of wine and the service is impeccable. For after midnight, try their delicious poutine! Best service, the food is delicious and the decor is homey and elegant.
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Review from M C.
2/19/2012
Duck leg was good. Their Deer meat was not tender. This restaurant has nice, local flavor however the dishes as a whole, lacked balance.
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Review from Alessandra V.
7/6/2010
Went here for a birthday dinner in Montreal. The food was good, but being from NYC it was really nothing amazing. It was pretty pricey too...my boyfriend had the boar which was 40 dollars. this seemed a little much, esp since it was fairly plain. I had the rack of lamb which was ok, nothing special. Dinner ended up being $230 for 2 people, definitely not worth it.
One plus is that Fred Savage was dining at the table next to us. That was very exciting! -
Review from David H.
7/28/2010
We had a really great time at L'Original. The whole hunting lodge theme was cool.
The staff were very friendly and attentive. There was a food paparazzi (possible fellow yelper?) eating at the table next to us who seemed amazed by everything.
The oysters were great, they had six different kinds, so we ordered two dozen.
The lamb mini-burgers were great ans was the Bison tartare and the venison. -
Review from The Vong Choice I.
Toronto, ON
6/22/2011
My former roommate and dear friend Stacy suggested L'Orignal, which means "the Moose" in the quaintness of Old Montreal to have dinner while I was in town. This restaurant felt like it was a hidden gem off the beaten path as the entrance is just off Rue Notre Dame, on a narrow side street. It was very intimate as you walk in with its candlelit dark interior and original stone walls and woodsy cabin-like feel. The menu featured traditional Quebecoise cuisine (fish, game meats and top local products) and a fresh oyster bar. They also have a late night menu which features poutine which I must try!
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Review from SM J.
Montréal, QC
4/27/2010
Walked into this restaurant on a whim one Thursday evening, and while it was pretty empty when we arrive around 7pm, it got pretty full by the time we left.
I particularly enjoyed their cocktails, which were curious and creative - a fig and date martini came with a "chaser" of blue cheese and their "red russian" was a fresh blend of pressed apple and beet juice.
We indulged in a few oysters and scallops from the raw bar, which were tasty but ended up being a fair chunk of the bill (which should have been expected, but that's what happens when you don't ask when the waiter is tempting you with the selection).
Our food (cerf tartare, gnocchi & coleslaw between the two of us) was otherwise pretty decent though not outwardly spectacular by my Montreal resto standards, with the exception of the filet mignon which stood out as being melt-in-your mouth tender. -
Review from Claudine C.
2/21/2009 6 photos
After failing miserably to get walk-in spots at Garde Manger right when they opened, we tried to locate L'Orignal in Montreal's Old Town, run by the same folks behind GM. It was not that easy to locate, though it was our faults... we stupid Americans thought we were looking for a place called L'OrigInal; not L'Orignal, after -- "the Moose" -- rather than "the thing that is quite different from everything else."
Finally, thankfully, a hotel concierge in the area was able to (after much chagrin over our mispronounciation of "Orignal") point us in the right direction and we found it -- though it's also tucked away somewhat quite inconspicuously down a side-street...
Saturday night without reservations is tough everywhere, and they graciously fit us in only after the slightest hesitation - luckily, we were there early enough. All in all, after all the excitement of getting turned down at Garde Manger, and wandering in a near fruitless search for option #2, we settled in. And - while the service was charming and attentive, and the restaurant had a wonderfully chic but warm ambiance, the food was... just... ok.
We both shared a tuna tartare with home-made potato chips. The tartare needed more acid; the potato chips crisp but overcooked and a little too browned. The boy's peppercorn-crusted steak had nice flavour; the broccoli accompaniment was a surprisingly plebian ho-hum. My coca-cola braised duck breast, though cooked a nice medium-rare, was just too sweet for my liking.
By this time we had already been to Au Pied du Cochon and Toque! just the previous evening. And L'Orignal left just just a tad wanting...we'd be willing to go back and give it a chance, though... next time we're in Montreal. -
Review from Jason S.
9/7/2009
My friend and I went to L'Orignal at the recommendation of our concierge. We arrived for our 7pm reservations (a bit early for dinner in Montreal on a Saturday, I must admit, but we were hungry!) and sat at the bar for one drink before moving to our table. I was a little worried because the restaurant was pretty empty, but the waiter and bartender made us feel at home. Once at the table, the place started to pick up--we had certainly arrived just in time.
My friend and I wanted to relax, enjoy your dinner, and order food as the night went on. Our waiter was pleased to accommodate and permit us to have the table the entire night. Really--I can't say how great he was! We started with the Tartare de bœuf et bison that had a wild mushroom salsa, cornbread chips, and an interesting homemade ketchup. Overall, very very tasty.
I enjoyed a delicious poitrine de poulet grillée marinée au vin blanc, paprika fumé et ail confit. It was splendid. The chicken was perfectly grilled with a hint of crispy skin and marinade in white wine, garlic, and smoked paprika. The jus was yummy, and brought out the freshness of the meat and the taste of the potatoes, which also had bits of chorizo sausage mixed in. Delicious! My friend had one of the specials, which was their take on a shepherds pie. He said it was very filling and he was unable to finish it.
Overall, I enjoyed this meal immensely. It was difficult to make myself try another restaurant the next night, but I knew that I'd eventually make my way back to L'Orignal. I can't wait! -
Review from Greececan G.
Brossard, QC
12/21/2010
One of the best restaurants I've been to in Montreal! The food was exquisite and the ambiance delightful. The oysters were excellent, as was the selection of creative main dishes. A must see, especially on Friday and Saturday nights as the night life picks up around 11 pm.
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Review from Craig R.
7/14/2010
An inventive, creative menu with helpful and attentive staff. I was dining by myself, so sat at the bar and enjoyed a nice selection of oysters with my martini. That was followed by the bison tartare, which was excellent. Several entres and specials looked very tempting, most running $23-25. I really liked the feel and general environment of the restaurant and look forward to returning on my next trip to Montreal. Certainly on the expensive side, but considering its location and food, but well worth it as a destination for a special event or couples/date night .
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Review from Erik K.
5/5/2010
I had one of my best dining experiences in a long time here. The duck gnocci and the venison carpachio appetizers were excellent. The entire menu looked good and the wine list had several interesting, reasonably priced options.
The decor is comfortable, cool and elegant at the same time. And while service in Montreal seems generally better than Boston or New York, this was one of the best service experiences I can remember. It took some will-power not to just keep coming back here. -
Review from Coren D.
7/31/2010 1 Check-in Here
What a great hidden gem in Old Montreal! We stopped in for a late night snack on a Saturday night. The entrance is just off Rue Notre Dame, on a narrow side street. Walking down the stairs, you enter into a true Quebecois restaurant. L'Orignal, which means "moose", is decorated like a hunting lodge, with moose heads, wooden floors and walls, old-timey knicknacks and dimly lit with candles. At 11 PM, the dining room was still buzzing with activity, but it wasn't hard to get a table. The late night menu includes oysters on the half shell, tuna tartare, mini burgers, mac and cheese, and poutine. I chose to start with a selection of six oysters, from PEI and Massachusetts. Served simply with lemon and a little ground horseradish, they were perfectly fresh and briny. I followed that up with a hearty portion of mac and cheese, dense with cheddar and sprinkled with chopped scallions. My wife had the tuna tartare, wonderfully balanced with avocado and a punch of chili and ginger. Overall service was fast and attentive, and the drinks were nice and strong. Fortunately for us, we were staying right around the corner. We definitely will be back to try the full dinner menu.
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Review from Anita L.
1/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great ambience, amazing service, and solid food. The menu is eclectic and unique and the braised bison we got was delicious. I recommend this place highly.
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Review from Kristine D.
1/9/2011 1 photo
My boyfriend and I were visiting Montreal from New York and read about this place so decided to check it out. We wanted to get the poutine but didn't realize they only serve it after a certain time. So we ended up getting their lamb sliders and fries and they were delicious. If I'm ever in Montreal again I'd definitely go back. Still wishing we had been able to try their poutine.
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