Damas

Everything about Damas was perfection. From the lively Syrian decor and warm ambiance, the balanced, intriguing cocktails and wines, the bold and diverse mezze and shareable platters, the decadent yet invigorating desserts, to the enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, this restaurant offers an immersive dining experience. It's elevated without being pretentious and authentic without being cliche.

As a table, we couldn't agree on a favorite menu item. Everything was fantastic and memorable. If you ask me, the muhumarra, stuffed vine leaves, and sour cherry lamb kebabs are a MUST. We barely scratched the surface on the menu, I will definitely be back ASAP.

We had an amazing dinner experience at the Damas. The food was amazing, service was outstanding and the ambiance would definitely teleport anyone to the best version of Syria.
The charcoal flavor was very distinctive in the meats. We loved it! I tried Arak for the first time and it was great. It's claimed to be the first alcoholic beverage made by the humans.
I totally recommend this place for anyone visiting Montreal.

We wanted to start off the new year on a very high note so we ventured to @damasrestaurant. We had to see for ourselves if this very well-known and beloved Syrian restaurant lived up to its reputation.

Upon entering, the decor and warm welcome set the tone for the evening and we knew we were in store for a treat!

Despite their extensive wine selection we decided on cocktails for the evening. There is something for everyone. The hibiscus sipper gave us a light summer feel and the very herbal Aleppo Gin Sour was complex   creative and well balanced.

As for food, the highly recommended Tasting Menu did not disappoint! It was a culinary experience that left us impressed with flavors, presentation, and impeccable service.
Our first few courses were bite-sized but packed with flavor. It was followed by dips, fatoush salad, seafood selections and finally a beautiful variety of meats which were cooked to perfection.
We finished off with a baklava selection for dessert.

It is no secret that @damasrestaurant is very popular and also on the pricier side but we loved this delightful meal and highly recommend it!

Damas is an absolute dream: delectable food that manages to amplify authentic flavors with brilliant innovations. For me, the absolute standout was the molokhia with confit duck. The molokhia--a stew of mallow leaves with garlic, onion, and cilantro--was fragrant, and its hearty flavors were complemented by the most tender, luxurious piece of duck I've ever eaten.

We also loved the salty chew of the grilled halloumi and the tangy fragrance of the yelanji. My friends also gobbled up the beet mutabbal and the kibbeh appetizer. Even my ginger lemonade was remarkably tasty.

The big surprise came when we ordered pistachio ice cream for dessert, but what arrived was a beautiful slab of mastic ice cream with fresh pistachio pressed all around it, topped with halva cotton candy. An absolute masterpiece!

It is worth noting that the service during our meal was great AND management made the effort to find us a last minute reservation for a special birthday. I cannot thank-or recommend--Damas strongly enough!!

World class Syrian / Mediterranean food. Service 5-star. Ambiance is perfection... drinks, amazing. This is from another Yelper review and I second that!!!! There is nothing else to add!

We sat inside of this beautiful decor ceiling lamps atmosphere by the window on this summer evening!
Amazing food, great atmosphere and first-class service! We were amazingly surprised with the quality and flavors of every single dishes. This may be the best food I ever had! Right now, my favorite restaurant in Montreal. I am traveling back with friends and family only to eat here again!

The appetizers and entrees were fantastic -- fresh, balanced spices, balanced textures and all of the meats just literally melt in your mouth. One dish that was unforgettable was their lamb dumplings.

Alan was our maître d' and he was ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!! I can't image this restaurant maintaining without him, he is Damas!

Reservation is hard to find please book far in advance.

This is one of my go to restaurant when I want a treat.

Lots of street parking and public transportation.

The ambiance at this place is always amazing. Gréât Vibe and staff is always paying attention to detail.

Started off with the octopus salad.
The octopus was cooked so well I did not even need a knife to cut it . The flavours were all there and you can tell the chef knew what he was doing.

Next up was the mixed grilled vegetables and the rack of lamb.
The grilled mixed vegetables were charred but I would like it done a bit more. Tons of variety and seasoned perfectly

The rack of lamb was cooked to a medium to medium rare. The way it should be done. They say they season the lamb with 7 types of spice. You could tell it was seasoned well and cooked with love.

I would take the lamb again wit he out hesitation.

I can't wait to go back

This was by far the best meal I have ever had in Montreal! We went here for a work dinner with 10-12 people and this is just some of the amazing dishes they brought out.

Each and every dish was fresh with so much flavor. I am absolutely blown away by how fantastic the food, atmosphere and service was!!

I will eat here again, soon!

Road trip getaway from NYC to Montreal with my husband for a few nights. Read about this place on several websites (mtl.org, google, TripAdvisor) and also by recommendation from a friend who grew up in Montreal.
What a top notch restaurant. Their staff was on it. Attentive. Well trained. Professional. Attractive. And genuinely engaged and interested in serving us.
Beautiful decor, lighting and table and serving ware. Staff was wonderful changing out our place servings with each new course.
Go for their tasting menu. So worth it! We selected the menu with shrimp and lamb...but opted out of their wine pairing option. Seriously...what a treat! So many flavors. The spices. The presentation. Such attention to every detail. Food was so fresh. So amazing. Come hungry! We ended our meal with their dessert selection and a mint tea. So good.
Enjoy!!!!

By far the best dinner in Montréal. Got a last minute reservation at the bar. Book far in advance!

Nearly 20,000 steps that day hiking Mont Royale in the snow and we could not finish the pescatarian tasting menu. Definitely enough for 3-4 to be full. Spent three to four hours feasting.

We started off with cocktails (Aleppo gin sour and apricot safranne). They gave us each a complimentary shot of the others' cocktail. While beautifully served, these were not the best or most interesting cocktails of our trip. My Aleppo gin sour honestly reminded me of my moms delicious salsa and the apricot safranne was very one dimensional. Recommend skipping the cocktails and opting for the wine pairing.

The tasting menu included:
SLIDERS DE MAKDOUS & QUAIL EGGS - 2 pita sandwiches, packed with flavor
FATTOUCH & HALLOUMIS - very fresh. Best salad.
COLD MEZZE PLATTER - the best mezze platter I've had.
FALAFEL WITH MINT HUMMUS - one of the best falafels
HUMMUS WITH OYSTER MUSHROOM AND PINE NUTS - super savory mushrooms
GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD - they import the octopus from morocco. Very tender.
GRILLED WILD SHRIMP - 4 huge shrimp dripping in flavor
SAMKÉ HARRA WITH SAYADIYEH RICE - 4 massive fillets with a huge scoop of rice.
MOUJADDARA - massive platter of spiced lentils.
BAKLAVA - incredible pistachio and walnut filling.

We got $85 wine pairing with dinner and were served 6 wines. Considering the rarity, cost, quality, and unexpected variety of wines we were served by the extremely knowledgeable and friendly sommelier Daniel, this was incredible value. Highly recommend the wine pairing. In the end, Daniel shared shots of their house made liquor with us.

Phenomenal experience. Sitting at the bar we watched as bartenders crafted beautiful cocktails and as staff prepared fresh pitas at the kitchen. Extremely friendly and professional. If you're going to Montreal you must eat here.

The most unforgettable anniversary dinner experience E V E R.

After looking up some romantic dinner spots while we came to Montreal for our anniversary, I came across Damas multiple times. Syrian food? Yes, SYR!

Here was the biggest challenge: actually getting IN for a reservation. They book SOOO far in advance but (spoiler alert) TOOOOTALLY worth it. I was able to find reservations only 2 weeks before for a late night 9pm dinner which worked PERFECT. You can book them on Resy and it's so fast an easy. I decided to surprise my hubby for this one to make it extra special.

There's street parking available and at night, you can't really tell what you're about to walk in to. Now.. when you DO walk in, you're instantly transported and just blown away at this gorgeous restaurant and modern/Syrian twist.

We really wanted to order from their tasting menu but didn't think this was possible since online, they don't show the vegetarian one only the pescatarian option. Thanks to our amazing waiter, he immediately recommended it to us even though it wasn't listed and made it possible. This itself, took our experience to the next level and we just weren't even ready for what we were about to experience: a culinary palette explosion to never forget.

From halloumi to falafel, moujaddara to beet hummus, they were able to elevate classics to a whole other level. Every single bite, every single dish just got better and better. Our extensive vegetarian tasting course was infinitely worth it from start to finish.

We spent about 2 hours eating and despite the restaurant closing, there was zero rush in getting our. The servers were extremely amazing and truly made the whole dining experience even better with their descriptions, suggestions and attention to detail.

Drinks: abricot safranné and bourbon griottes were just what we needed.

This chic and enchanted, warm and colorful, lively restaurant was everything we could've wanted and more for our 9th year anniversary. Damas: you exceeded and over the topped our experience and we will never forget this culinary journey.

If you're looking for a date night, special night or just a nice night out this is definitely a staple of Montreal. Can't wait to be back!