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La Salle à Manger
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
1302 ave du Mont-Royal EMontréal, QC H2J 1Y5
(514) 522-0777
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
23 reviews for La Salle à Manger
Review Highlights
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"foie gras torchon with granny smith apple salad." In 4 reviews -
"The deer carpaccio and charcuterie plates are fantastic." In 3 reviews -
"You must get the rabbit for your entree." In 8 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Alexandra M.
12/1/2011
From start to finish, one of the top five meals I've ever had in my life. Great food, good service, neat décor, hip clientele. I can't wait to go back the next time I visit Montréal.
Edit: people keep mentioning the rabbit. I also had the rabbit! -
Review from Alan W.
2/20/2012
My girlfriend and I went to La Salle because she wanted "French Cuisine" and with all the raving reviews, I decided to take her here. A lot of people say that reservations is a must, therefore we called and placed a reservation. We thought we were making a reservation for a table (the person on the phone didn't really speak fluent English), but when we got there, it was actually a reservation for 2 seats at the bar since the whole place was booked. While we're already there, we might as well try it out.
After being seated at the bar, we were given a menu and my girlfriend decide to go with the pork chops and I decided to go for the rabbit leg (a.k.a. Plat) since a lot of Yelpers say it's amazing. As for appetizer, we ordered the Foie Gras. After about 15 minutes, we were offered bread, and I don't know if it was because I was hungry, but damn, those bread with butter were darn good.
Anyways, even after 10 minutes of waiting, our server did not come and take our order. We waited and waited...after another 5 minutes, our server finally came and took our order. The appetizer came 10 minutes after we ordered, it looked like a piece of steak on top of bread. When we dug our fork in, boy was I wrong. The texture of the Foie Gras (Pork/duck liver) was like jello, or some kind of gelatinous piece of meat. I took my first bite, and it was okay, the taste was creamy and gamey. My girlfriend didn't like it much and I probably won't order it again.
The entrees arrived probably 15 minutes after we finished our appetizer. The rabbit leg was smaller than I expected, but boy was it good with the bacon and mash potatoes! If you order this dish, definitely take a bit of rabbit, bacon and mash potato and eat it all at once...it's like an explosion in your mouth with the sauce! Although, I must say that if I was blindfolded and given a taste test of rabbit's leg and chicken, I probably won't be able to tell the difference.
I also tried a bit of my girlfriend's pork chop, it had great taste and texture!
After finishing our entree, we had to wait a long long time for someone to take away our plates and even longer to get our check! We waited probably a good 20 minutes before the owner (I think) came over and asked us how our dinner was and went to the server and told him to give us our check.
Overall, the food was pretty good and I would come back and try other entrees. The Foie Gras is definitely a love or hate thing, for me, the texture was a turn off. As for the service, I know it was busy, but I hate it when restaurants treat me unequally, mostly because I look like a kid. I can't really blame them, because A LOT of restaurants treat me this way. But, I must say, I have to deduct a point because of the horrible service. If you want to come here, definitely make a reservation a day in advance or so. The food is definitely a bit pricey, don't expect to drop down anything less than 50$ for 2 people. -
Review from Huntting B.
11/29/2011
Perhaps my favorite "fancy" restaurant while in Montreal.
Couple things to keep in mind while eating here. They have a big chalkboard with the specials in plain view. I recommend you get the stuff off of there!
We had the rabbit. Oh man, loved the rabbit. It is a HUGE portion, though. So definitely you should only order this and MAYBE an appetizer if two people are eating here.
The mashed potato thingy with blood sausage and other things...was good. It's another HUGE portion! This, and a special is way too much for two people, maybe enough for 4!
The chautrucie board was pretty good. Not as amazing as people make it out to be, unless you like pates. If you like pate a lot then you might really love it. I don't, so not my thing...
The apple pie was delish! Yum Yum Yum! =) We got the last one of these and the last rabbits...which means...pay attention to the board, order it early, cause otherwise it will fall off the menu!
AMAZING customer service here! -
Review from Michael Z.
Montréal, QC
Updated - 1/10/2012
Everyone I know raves abut this place but I find the food average and overpriced. The service is excellent and the ambience is higher-end casual.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/13/2011
I've been here several times and have been disappointed each time. The service is good, the… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
10/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Manifique! Outstanding! The highlight of our trip to Montreal.
Customer Service was spot on. We could only get reservations for the bar. We sat, happily and ordered beverages. We were approached twice and asked if the situation was ok. We were just fine, no problem. They were not happy. If there was a possibility we could be given a table it was ours. A bit of shuffling, half a beverage later, we were seated at the perfect two top in the front window.
Moving on to the meal.
THE BEST CHARCUTERIE EVER. Changes daily, but ours had some beef, pig loin, pork shoulder, a pate, a liver and a rabbit (which we only found out was rabbit later) all to be enjoyed with a delicious (raisin? apricot?) bread, mustard, and pickled things. $17 a steal.
BEST CREAM ALE EVER some microbrew outside of Montreal? KILLED our local Ontario Cream Ales.
My main was a fish, and decent. Not the star of the show. The SO had a steamed pulled pork and duck bun that he loved, but he could not stop raving out the housemade Kimchi on the side. He is Asian, and lived in asia and eats an alarming amount of kimchi... and still said it is the best he ever had. Boutique Kimchi. Amazing.
The decor is "Punched-tin-Slaughterhouse-chic" with an glass walled walk-in and open kitchen. Specials on chalk boards if you can read French. Attentive, friendly, laid back servers. The women all effortlessly beautiful.
If this restaurant was near my home it would be over. Honestly over. I would not go anywhere else. Cannot wait to go back to Montreal just for dinner here.Listed in: Montreal
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Review from evan b.
Updated - 7/5/2011
July 5th, 2011
I have spent many an hour and countless dollars in this restaurant on both business and pleasure meals for two reasons.
1) When I lived in Montreal is was right around the corner from my house. This was often dangerous. And by dangerous I mean delicious.
2) It was, and is, still what I consider to be the best restaurant in Montreal. No joke. The best.
First off, the service is amazing. Laid back but attentive.
Perhaps it was because I went there so much but last time, the Maître'D remembered me even after a few months' absence. (I assume they lost ten percent of their profits when I moved to L.A. but maybe I'm just flattering myself. Have I mentioned I went to this place, like a lot?)
The ambiance is laid back but imagine a laid-back atmosphere filled with people who know food. I mean really know food.
The wine list is always good, always exciting. Still craving this strangely foggy looking white wine whose name I have long since forgotten.
And the food. The food the food the food, is always delicious.
I remember I once had a deconstructed Borscht there: A salad du Marché, beets, and a sherry sour cream sauce. My god.
The P.E.I. oysters never fail to be the best oysters they serve.
The deer carpaccio and charcuterie plates are fantastic.
Rather than relive every meal though I will say this time around I had:
6 Oysters. the tempura squash blossoms. And a BBQ rabbit. The BBQ sauce was not overpowering at all, and the rabbit succulent.
I should add too that there are vegetarian options and they are not afterthoughts. I don't think anything here is an afterthought, in fact.
Over the years I've noticed a subtle shift towards asian or pan-asian-inspired dishes but they are correct to keep the old favorites on the menu.
My one complaint, my only complaint, is that they either have no air conditioning, or they don't turn it up high enough. And on a sweltering august night when you're faced with ox-tails and sweetbreads and oysters and rabbit and deer, well, even a gourmet with a capital G wants to call it a day.
If they do install air-conditioning through, this will be a bigger problem for me, so maybe it's better this way....
Make reservations. Eat well. Live well.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/24/2009 First to Review
How do you like your meat? if you answered "raw," then La Salle À Manger (The dining room) is your… Read more »
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Review from Matt F.
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food from the bread to the main course! Upscale but very casual, not pretentious at all.
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Review from Kiera S.
7/24/2011
Went here for dinner last night, and it lived up to expectations.
Had the beet/onion salad cold dish starter, which was light, fresh, and perfect for summer. Main course was rabbit leg / whole cauliflower / cauliflower purée / greens - meat was perfectly done, and the cauliflower was surprisingly tasty, which was different since I usually associate cauliflower with the overcooked soggy stuff you usually find in the 'mixed vegetable' tray at cafeterias. This was the opposite. Finished with a ridiculouslyyyy good cheese plate that came with puréed strawberries. Even the starter bread at this place was excellent (three kinds in the basket: raisin, sesame, white).
While the food and wine (great selection!) were excellent, it was the service that really stood out in a class of its own. I felt like we had 4-5 personal servers, but not in a "I'm just covering for your regular server while he's out for a smoke break" kind of way. More of a "we're all here as an incredibly attentive team, and are totally on the ball" kind of way. And all this without being in your face or pushy.
Maybe the decor could be a bit more interesting? Other than that, not much to say about this place that isn't positive. I would recommend it, especially for a nice dinner with a small group of friends. -
Review from Albert H.
9/4/2011
Everything that the others have said is true. I do want to emphasize on the customer service. We had made reservations for 9:45 pm, but the place was still very crowded. Since we had to wait, the host gave my entire party a glass of this delicious white wine that I don't remember the name of.
You must get the rabbit for your entree. -
Review from Daniel B.
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
The poor bunny never had a chance.
He must have innocently popped his head up from his hole at precisely the wrong moment. The blunt force of the bullet or poison dart or whatever they used must have instantly rendered him unconscious and quickly drained the life from his furry white body.
God only knows how the couriers-de-bois managed to sweep his lifeless carcass from the woods of the townships to the heart of the plateau with furious speed and medical accuracy. I think that the body was still deliciously warm when he arrived on our stunning table.
He arrived de-furred and sans-le-tete but otherwise quite whole in the center of our dining area. The staff quickly and clearly disemboweled the creature and portioned the useable meat into distinct sections for each of the four of us. This was served over a delightfully fresh mix of vegetables and potato-based mash. This rabbit did not die in vain.
The name "La Salle A Manger" may be better expressed as "Le Plancher D'Abattage", but if you're a carnivore you're in for a treat. The wine list is outstanding. The service is exceptional. The crowd is gorgeous. The ambiance is slaughterhouse-chic.
A wonderful place to explore. Worth every shot. -
Review from Mike S.
7/6/2011
Very ordinary. Very. Very. Very. Blackboard and chalk. Over priced wine. Plain French food. Try something else if you're trying to impress someone. If you go here... You might not get a second date;)
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Review from Andrew D.
1/23/2012
2nd fancy place I hit up on my weekend trip to the MTL. Great ambiance. Dimly lit room. Loud but didn't have to yell across the table to have a conversation. Menu on a giant chalkboard was a great touch. Started out with the deer carpaccio and foie gras au torchon which was out of this world. Rabbit for the main course lived up to its hype. A definite place to check out for any tourist or habitant
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Review from Mario M.
Montréal, QC
Updated - 10/11/2011
Although it's pricey, every time I come here I have a great time. They have 2 group services, 1 at 6 and 1 at 9. Which is why the restaurant is ALWAYS full, at the weirdest times (9:30 on a Monday night, for example). If you don't have reservations, get ready to sit at the bar (even though you call an hour or two in advance and they assure you they have a table for your dinner for 2). I spent over 175 for 2, but we had oysters and salmon tartar as appetizers, and cocktails. Certainly not a place you go to when you're on a strict budget. The only disappointment was with my boyfriend's salmon (which was pretty standard and kind of boring). My meals have always been delicious. And their plates for 2 (specials they generally put up on the blackboards) are over priced in my opinion! But I'm sure they're delicious.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/16/2011
As a food connoisseur this is one of my favorite restaurants in Montreal. Certain dishes, like the… Read more »
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Review from Russell S.
6/30/2009
I'd heard this place was hit or miss. Luckily for me last weekend it was a hit.
Group of friends gathered to celebrate with cocktails, wine and supper.
The space is very sparse and unassuming. A bit too much for my tastes, but it works for the location. Oysters on the half shell appetizers were good. Sauteed scallops with a balsamic vinaigrette were cooked to perfection.
Great place for "scenery" on a Saturday night. -
Review from Erica L.
2/21/2011
So good here! Big and open, sunny and warm, this place is really comfortable and fun. I've been here twice, once for an anniversary dinner, and once with another couple. While there are a number of private tables, our four-top was actually an eight-top that we shared with another party. But the high ceilings and great light-- maybe, I don't really know -- made it so our neighbours didn't make us feel uncomfortable or crowded. Instead, it just felt really fun and relaxed. It also helps that everyone in the place is young and beautiful. This place has an amazing vibe with a great wine list and a beautiful hanging light-bulb lit bar. The decor is definitely reminiscent of Au Pied du Cochon, but it's more open and not as dark, and less tables makes it less crowded.
The food was incredible. I've had beet salad with manchego cheese and pecans-- a dish I've attempted at home numerous times since. It was served on a narrow and long slab of wood-- it was pretty but made keeping everything off the table a little difficult. Maybe a little gimmicky. The venison carpaccio was beautiful and delicious-- although as other reviewers have pointed out, it really could ditch the mayo sauce. My first experience with gnocchi was at this place. And although the creamy sauce was a bit rich for me, I've since craved it many times. The blood sausage was perfectly crumbly and buttery. The pork belly was crispy-- and had the melt in your mouth fattiness that tastes so good it's sooo worth the bad things it does to your arteries. I love meat-- one of those people who can't be friends with someone who orders a filet well-done-- and this place does pork and game right. The portions are quite generous, I've never been able to finish my mains. Accordingly, I can't comment on the desserts as I've never tried any. It's pricey, but nothing you wouldn't expect to pay for such bistro fare.
My only complaint with the place is that they didn't put enough cassis in my Kir. Also, while I found the view of the racks of animal carcasses in the back comforting and cool, it may make some squeamish, I guess. -
Review from lucinda k.
Vancouver, BC
6/2/2011
Yum.... Came with a friend last Friday and was impressed. Great laid back friendly service, and amazing food. I had the salmon tartare with home-made chips~ close to perfection- some of the chips were dripping grease, but they were fresh:)... I also had the warm vegetarian main- asparagus and fiddlehead salade-- wow, the flavours were a symphony in my mouth. Very good and looking forward to when I can try more from their menu.
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Review from Spencer T.
6/27/2011
I am not speaking in hyperbole this is my favorite restaurant in the world right now. Dominic the front of the house man is wonderful. If you can get Alex to be your sommelier all the better. Go here it is epic!
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Review from tina l.
5/28/2010 2 photos
Dinner at Salle a Manger was the only thing capable of distracting me from my sexy date. Yes, it was that delicious.
On recommendation from a local, we ventured over to Le Plateau for dinner here and were not disappointed.
We shared Buffalo Mozz/Tomato/Pancetta salad, Foie Gras/Granny Smith salad, Scallop Ceviche, and the BBQ Pork Chop. While all the dishes were fresh, well-seasoned and delicious, the salads were hands-down the standouts.
* Creamy mozz, sweet tomato, crispy thick-cut pancetta with a bright pesto
* Creative combination of foie gras alongside tart green apple, sweet roasted pine nuts and a perfect drizzle of honey
Can't say enough about the attentive and friendly service.. no less than 4 different members of staff, including the Exec Chef and the Proprietor, stopped by to check on us.
Atmosphere is casual and funky fun with an open kitchen, reclaimed wood tables (made from old bowling alleys?), and low lights. The blackboard offers several dishes to share which many of the groups around us seemed to be enjoying.
The only sadness? I live 2500 miles away. Thank you for a lovely dinner Salle a Manger! -
Review from Daniel N.
5/3/2011
If you like interesting food that tastes as good as it looks, this is the place to go. There's nothing boring on the menu, they usually have daily specials as well as sharing specials. The presentation is excellent, the atmosphere is fun, and the food is even better.
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Review from Khanh L.
5/26/2010 1 photo
a friend took me here because she heard through friends that it was good.
it is good.
the deer carpaccio is amazing, fresh meat well accompanied with a special mayo sauce and balsamic vinegar, and fried onions sprinkled on top, nice very nice.
the mackerel is nice too, surprisingly, i usually don't like mackerel cuz it's smelly, but this dish has bacon bits in it and the sauce has honey i think so the sweetness adds a nice touch.
The gnocchi is so very good, just as good as Il Mulino, and that's as good as it gets. It's made fresh, it's soft and just melts in your mouth, the sauce is a bit creamy but not rich, but smooth and well balanced. With a touch of parmesan and crushed pepper and suddenly the last bite is up and you wondered how you inhaled the whole thing so quickly...
The seared foie gras with balsamic vinegar was nice too. But we're in montreal and foie gras is done well everywhere... this one was good but it doesn't stand out that's all, but it was very good.
At first glance this place reminds me of au pied de cochon, open kitchen eating bar concept. the ambiance is similar But the food is different.
all in all this is was a wonderful surprise, on the strength of the mackerel, carpaccio and gnocchi. the price is decent about 130$ tax tips included for two, two entrées, two main dishes, two desserts and one glass of wine.
This and Kazu, are my new favorite restaurants of 2010 -
Review from eric g.
Toronto, ON
6/8/2010
If I could give this place six stars, I would. Five of us dined there the other night, sharing about 10 dishes, all of which but one were home runs.
Highlights:
- duck ravioli with fresh morels and foie gras - so great we got a second order. So many layers of umami in this dish, I could eat it every week and die a happy man.
- lamb tartare. Who's heard of such a thing? I wish we'd had the room to order another serving.
- grilled octopus with clams and lentils, and a strong hint of vanilla. The octopus was slightly over-charred, but the lentils were so unusual and and interesting, this was another home run for me.
- lobster salad with asparagus - the perfect dish of the moment (early June).
- halibut sashimi with black bean purée. So fresh and perfectly simple.
- foie gras torchon with granny smith apple salad. What a perfect combination - could have been dessert.
- the incredible charcuterie plate - something like 8 or 10 items, all healthy portions, for $16. (Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone - if too many people find out, they may raise the price.) All the charcuterie is housemade, and almost all the pâtés, terrines, rillettes, etc. distinct and delicious. Consensus favourite was the pork liver pâté.
The only disappointing dish was the stuffed duck leg - the only one we had from the Viande (mains) menu. The duck was kind of dry and underflavoured, and the foie gras side didn't quite make up for it.
The wine list: 90% French, intelligently chosen and with a lot of options in all price ranges.
The service: extremely professional, smooth, friendly and knowledgeable, in both languages.
The room: a bit loud - lots of hard surfaces - but great design (love the Edison bulbs) and a really fun, boistrous vibe. The kind of place you could come to for after-work drinks and snacks at the bar, for dessert at the end of the night, or - as we did - for a full-on, all night dinner. This is my favourite kind of restaurant - bravo! -
Review from Stacy D.
7/10/2011 10 photos
I came here at the recommendation of a friend after being unable to secure a reservation at Au Pied de Cochon for my last night in Montreal, I'm pretty happy about this choice.
As I came with a large group, I had the chance to sample almost every item on the menu. The seafood appetizer platter is a good choice, you get to sample 4 kinds raw seafood: the oysters were delightful, halibut crudo had the right amount of sweet and spicy taste, and the lobster bisque surprised me as to how good lobster bisque can be when done right (the previous one I've tried was so awful I did not take more than a bite). Out of the main courses tried, I liked my selection of the rabbit leg: it was very tender, with a great sauce, and served with kohlrabi and snap pea salad. BF's dish came with 2 huge fried braised beef ravioli, with side of 2 foie gras medallions, == decadent.
One mishap with the service was that the waitress had forgotten about a friend's order of steak tartare, she apologized profusely and brought the dish within 5 minutes. Other than that, service was everything you could ask for.
Apparently celebrities like this place too. The people in my party recognized 2 men sitting behind our table as 2 Quebec stars, I have no clue who they are. -
Review from melissa m.
10/30/2011
Picked this based on Yelp reviews. Adorable place with wood accents, a lovely bar, and a pressed-tin wall. Lively, but easy enough to hear the person next to you and carry on a conversation. A round of cocktails was carefully prepared by the man behind the bar, and I was able to select how sweet I wanted my Manhattan. (I went with the middle level, "perfect," and it was.) The gravlax appetizer with roasted veggies and what appeared to be a homemade mayo was fantastic. We had a roasted salmon that was perfectly cooked, served with the most amazing squash agnolotti and fresh radishes in three colors. We also had a mushroom tart that was unique, with gorgeous pieces of huge mushrooms. The only miss came at dessert. Neither was a revelation. The praline was ok. The apple crumble was a dish of baked apples with approximately two teaspoons of the namesake crumble. Given that I never stop after the main course, I removed a star for the "meh" desserts, but otherwise would definitely be back the next time I am in Montreal.
