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Restaurant Papillon
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
19 reviews for Restaurant Papillon
19 reviews in English
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Review from Linh N.
12/13/2011 8 photos
I would give this 10 stars if I can.
One of the many restaurants in Old Montreal but the boyfriend and I chose this place because they had escargot. We ended coming to this place a second time right before we left Montreal (that's how much we loved it).
An elegant restuarant that gave a romantic ambiance wasn't so filled with patrons. We knew what we wanted, so we ordered endless plates of escargot and even mussels. The escargot with butter and cheese tasted extreme, I couldn't believe something that is so easy can be so wonderful. We even took the bread and soak up the butter and juices. The mussels were great also, the blue cheese sauce was unforgettable.
Our second visit consist of a more normal meal than just endless orders of escargot, although we did order some. We had the braised rabbit and salmon. Braised rabbit was nicely done with the meat coming right off the bone. Tender and succulent which was more than what we expected. The salmon was cooked perfectly, very moist and flaky. The vegetables that came with the dish was actually sauteed, not just steamed but sauteed with salt and pepper.
One of the places that we will definitely re-visit whenever we get the chance to be in Montreal again. Price was reasonable and service was impeccable. -
Review from Hannah C.
4/25/2011
Coq au vin big enough to feed me and the guy outside. Fresh baked bread. Huge beautiful salad and very nice service. We had a great dinner here for half the price of other restaurants on the same street. Payment process was at the bar, kinda weird... But c'est la vie I guess.
Oh - the location is right in the center of everything in old town Montreal, steps from the Piano Rouge Jazz bar, and just around the corner from the Notre Dame Basilica.
If you're trying to save some sous, the food here is the right price and well done.Listed in: The Old Country
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Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
2/26/2011
In a sea of wildly overpriced tourist trap restaurants in Old Montreal, this one manages to serve some reasonably priced Italian food! The menu and the decor is by no means cutting edge stuff or that attractive but both serve their purpose. The table d'hote would give you a lot of bang for you buck with a starter plus coffee or tea, but nothing caught my eye on that separate menu.
I ordered some linguine with a rose sauce, mushrooms and green onions, substituting chicken for the prosciutto. Our wonderful server loaded me up with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. It was a decent meal, the chicken had a bit of a strange texture to it but the sauce was beautiful. I couldn't help mopping up every last drop with the bread basket.
What really made this place and this experience was our server. I can only hope you are lucky enough to have her too! She did not look down I my substitution, was timely with everything, so sweet, gave us directions and separate bills? No problem! Everyone enjoyed themselves and their meals. Go here for a less pricey, homey bite in this area. -
Review from Devin L.
3/24/2011
Stopped in for a nice lunch while in Old Montreal.
The place didn't have too many people in it, we were seated very quickly and the waitress was extremely nice and attentive.
I had a club sandwich and fries. The sandwich was so good! The bread was nice and toasted, the veggies were very fresh and the chicken and bacon were wonderful.Listed in: Montreal
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Review from Diiiriiik H.
North Vancouver, BC
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
good flavor, good portion, friendly service~ I really enjoy my time here
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Review from Michael F.
Boisbriand, QC
2/22/2012
I e of the best club sandwiches (brown meat) I've had in a long time. The onion soup was also great. Been there twice, and I'll definitely be back!
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Review from Brian T.
11/16/2010 2 photos
I dined at Papillon, solo, on a Monday night. It felt comfortable. The menu had a selection of starters, salads, pizzas, etc., as well as a "table d'hote" which amounted to an main dish and choice of soup or salad.
I ordered mussels to start, which are offered in a variety of preparations, of which I chose cream and onion. Among the best mussels I have ever had, these were plump, tender, pleasantly flavorful, and fresh. The accompanying bread and butter were served warm.
The soup of the day was "Washington" soup: a corn chowder, which was simple yet satisfying, nicely flavored and richly nourishing.
For my main dish, I ordered Osso Buco, which was a generous portion, expertly prepared with a rich sauce, carrots and mushrooms, and plated with flair, with a mashed potato side, a carrot slaw, and fresh parsley to garnish. I thought it was delicious.
However palatable the food, and pleasant the service, the decor is jarringly anachronistic. The drop-panel ceiling reminds one of Denny's, and the color palette is a bit Golden Girls. But if you're willing to sacrifice "the scene" for a simple unpretentious meal, this place is cute in its retro way. -
Review from Ami M.
1/19/2009
So sorry to pull down the ratings. But, 2 stars are all we feel like giving. They do have nice and friendly staff but their menu (and decor) were a bit tacky. They are so lacking in creativity!
We got the lunch special that includes soup or salad and coffee or tea. My husband got the roasted duck in exotic sauce and I ordered apple-cranberry roasted rabbit. I found my order to be okay but my husband's duck was tough and we both didn't like whatever sauce it had. We felt duped for thinking it was a restaurant with a unique style.
The only consolation for ending up in a place like this was the fact that they genuinely welcomed our little ones- they allowed us to wheel in our double stroller and park it into a corner. And, though not mentioned in their menu books, they could make a "bambino" sized pizza or pasta dish.
{Oh, congratulations to me for my 100th entry!!!} -
Review from E D.
4/17/2011
A guy outside the Restaurant greeted us to have us try the restaurant. Our girls were wanting pizza so we gave it a try. We were trying to get to another Italian place on Yelp a block away but the guy was nice enough so we went in. The place was as described by others. Nice enough but nothing more elaborate than an olive garden in decorations. The wait staff was nice enough and spoke English and a little Spanish too. The bar looked big enough to handle any types of drinks. Nothing but LeBatt's on tap though. Visited the bathrooms and they were very clean.
I ordered one of the specials for lunch ( table d'hote ) which was Rabbit quarters with maple type syrup. Hey when in Rome.. er French Canada. The rabbit was great .. 3 legs on top of asparagus and potatoes. It came with hot tea and butternut squash soup ... which also was great. (CN$25)
My wife had a club sandwich and fries (CN $10).
My daughter had a linguini a la gigi which was a good mixture of meats. (CN $15)
The pizza was not the best and would give it a C-. By no means a NewYork Style. Too much spices and too soggy. But plenty for a medium size. Pass on this one if you are used to US Pizza. .
The wait staff was great and offered to take our pictures for us. He did not mind us having only water to drink . They get 15% tip included with bill automatically. But deserved it. got out of there for $80 for 3 adults 2 children. -
Review from Cliff R.
4/26/2011
Very acccommodating for kids on an early Friday night. Very friendly staff, great service. Food was a little heavy (oil, cheese), but quite tasty.
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Review from Jaci H.
7/6/2010
My boyfriend and I were exploring Montreal over the weekend. It was busy and hot in this area of town, so we were looking for a cute place to sit outside and enjoy a snack and a cold beer.
Papillon looked like it fit the bill. We sat down at the only empty table outside and waited for a server to come over. We reviewed the menu available on the table and were watching everyone enjoy their drinks and food.
The table right next to us, a bunch of young guys, were just starting on a pitcher of beer. The server came outside with fresh drinks for the table in front of us, gave the table their drinks - took one look at us and said they were no longer serving anyone.
We thought we miss understood and said that were more interested in a drink than food, so it was okay if they weren't taking food orders. She said "no, we're not going to serve your right now"
So, yeah - we were rejected service. Its the first time I ever had that happen to me and everyone looked at us embarrassingly. We got up and left and noticed another group sat down at our empty table. I didn't stick around to see if they were served or not.
Honestly, the server took one look at my tattoos and I instantly felt we weren't served because of that. I have a large tattoo of trees on one arm. Nothing distasteful, but definitely noticeable.
Perhaps this place is great, when they decide to serve you. I'll take my money elsewhere, thanks. -
Review from Jonathan K.
6/28/2009
I concur with MS. The inside is like a Denny's or Applebee's and doesn't fit with Vieux Port. The food was OK. They were open on June 24th, Jean Baptiste day, when a few other places were closed.
I had the Osso Bucco, which was pretty good. The service was reasonable, the price was OK, but just like a Denny's or Steak-n-Shake you pay the cashier on the way out, which was slightly surreal. -
Review from Jessica R.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2010
My boyfriend and I had dinner hear on our first trip to Old Montreal.
We both had the same thing: the Linguini Primavera. (Seasoned vegetables with garlic, fresh basil, and tomato.) Although this isn't the most exciting thing to order.. it ended up being just that. Unexciting. I think it was the sauce that wasn't thrilling to me, and my boyfriend said it was the mushy vegetables that made it "meh" for him.
The service was friendly but really rushed. We sat outside on a beautiful night with a busker covering Radiohead on acoustic across the street, so we were happy. But the restaurant was quite busy, the service didn't have any "How are you tonight?" or anything, and we were never checked on at all after receiving our food.
It would be interesting to re-experience this restaurant when they are less busy, because it seemed to have potential. As of now, it was only OK for me. -
Review from Daniel G.
8/12/2011
Fantastic pizza bearing little relationship to Pizza Hut. Fresh and artisan products, lovely thin crust, richly season home-made sauce, mixture of artisan cheeses. Never had anything like it before. If we ever return to Montreal, it will certainly include a vist to Papillon.
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Review from Gen M.
1/11/2009
Amazing. It is in Old Montreal. It was open Jan 1st when everything else was closed. The waitress was sweet and friendly, even to the loud spoiled iPhone addict US tourists at the next table. The wine was good, even the house wine. The cuisine is French and Italian I think. The escagot were almost without taste, did not care for them. However, my duck breast (prepared medium rare) and my boyfriend's sirloin were perfect. Delicious sides, delicious meat and a great atmosphere -- a touch of old romance with great ambiance. I absolutely felt great in this restaurant, I remember it fondly and I think it will always stick out in my memory.
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Review from Daniel C.
1/6/2010
I can't believe what I'm reading in the two star reviews. This place is a real gem. Great food, service, price and location.
I had Coq au Vin, which was probably the best prepared chicken I've ever had. The manager ordered it after we walked in (my mother stalled for a long time before ordering), so I figured it had to be good. The potato ladkes were delicious. Vegetables perfect. The sauce was amazing and the chicken tender off the bone. Perfect. The buns were crispy and hot, the mediterranean salad was au naturel with olive oil. Very tasty.
My mother had their Sicilian pizza, which had salmon and scallops on it with mussels still on the shell. She said it was excellent. I didn't try it, I was too stuffed.
The bill came and it was extremely reasonable. The prices ranged from $12 to $14 each for our meals for huge portions. Service with a smile.
The front windows of the restaurant look out on beautiful and romantic St-Paul in Old Montreal, facing 18th century architecture. The snow was falling on the cobblestones.
The only thing I could call attention to would be the decor, which could use a reno, but it was fine. My mother liked it though, so who knows. I disagree with those below who say it looks like an Applebee's or Denny's. It's much more upscale looking than that.Listed in: Favs
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Review from Jennifer R L.
London, ON
7/6/2010
We went as a group of 5 and we were in rather a rush, but the service was rally slow, it took about 30min to get a table... There were a few empty tables for 4 and 2, but instead of combining them, they made us wait for the table for 6. The people at the table were done and were just sitting and chatting, the waiters did nothing to hurry up the situation... We decided that we would determine what we wanted as we stood there waiting, when we finally for a table and ordered, the food took a while to get to us. Among us we got 2 penne win sundried tomatoes and Italian sausage, one Sicilian pizza, a linguini carbanara and chicken in wine sauce with came with Greek salad. The salad was tiny and the veggies were drenched in oil. The pizza and chicken were both well done and the chicken dish came in large portions and the meat was rather tender. The carbanara serving was small, but good in taste, the 2 penne were good, the sauce was sweet but one thing that was odd is the fact that the 2 penne dishes looked really different ( one was tomato red and the other was more a rose sauce) although the fast was rather similar... The service was pretty bad, the food was served and they forgot to ask of we wanted cheese or pepper...
Overall, the food is still decent (although it's pricey) but the service was terrible... -
Review from Jean-Marie W.
6/11/2010
The food was pretty good. My guest and I ordered the filet mignon. It was cooked perfectly (mine was medium rare). The presentation was tasteful. The soup that came as part of the Table d'Hôte was simple but tasty. I have to confess that there were a few specs of dirt (maybe the leak hadn't been rinsed thoroughly?). That didn't bother me. The wine selection however is pretty limited. I would say about 70 wines total. I will advise that you check your tab thoroughly; they had charged us an extra bottle of wine ($49) and they included the tip (I would say that is unusual in Montreal for a party of 2).
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Review from James W.
7/5/2011
The meal was OK, but in this city, you shouldn't have to settle for OK. The Bruscetta was pretty good, though.
