Restaurant Pastel

The entrance to the restaurant has you walking past the kitchen where you are greeted by all the staff. After a very warm welcome you are given the drink menu with a lovely selection of cocktails and wines, they also do a wine pairing. The tasting menu is exquisite. Each dish highlights fresh local produce in a unique and welcoming way. The spices, sauces, plating are all expertly crafted and well thought out. They give you lots of time to enjoy each dish, allowing you to really savour the experience. Pastel is a unique tasting menu experience in all the best ways. If you haven't been you need to go & if you have I'm sure you'll be back soon!

Lovely open kitchen space with minimalist decor. Phenomenal service and dining experience. 📖 6-course seasonal menu (with an option for 1 additional service). We went with 6-course. 😋 The meal kicked off with an amazing amuse-bouche. The chawanmushi that follows was less exciting, because the kombu sauce tasted a tad sweet for my liking. The shiitake was tasty though. The venison carpaccio was eye-opening 🤩 didn’t know that venison could be so tender and scrumptious. The brioche was buttery soft. The dish melted in my mouth in a most satisfying manner. The black cod was good, but the star of this dish was the cream sauce. I devoured the sauce with the sourdough bread 😋 I’m not a fan of quail in general, so the dish did not stand out to me. I do remember the foie gras being delicious. We had a special risotto dish because we were still hungry 🐷 and it was the absolute highlight of our dinner. Perfectly al dente and the ultimate comfort food. The desserts wrapped up the meal beautifully. Particularly loved the marinated strawberry and soft chocolate sponge cake. Overall the food was enjoyable. Every dish feels very thoughtfully crafted in terms of the flavor complexity. While portions erred on the small side for us, this is fairly standard for fine dining. ✨ So deeply grateful for the exceptional service. Definitely one of the best restaurant service I have experienced. The servers were genuinely kind and friendly in their interactions, and really went above and beyond to make sure that we are enjoying the food AND full at the end 🙏 merci beaucoup! Appreciate the attention to my husband’s gluten allergy and making substitutions 🙏 🍷 Diverse wine selection. We scored a fantastic bottle of local pet nat orange 🍋 they have two wine pairing options (regular vs premium) and we did the regular one. The wine pairing featured a lot of interesting options, but I think we were so in love with the bottle of pet nat orange that everything else pales in comparison. ⏰ The meal too about 3-4 hours (as expected with fine dining). I think we found the breaks in between courses a tad pronounced because we were hungry 🙈😂 definitely make time for this dining experience so you can enjoy this in a relaxed state of mind.

I had a fantastic overall experience here. The service was excellent. A few days before our dinner I got a call from the restaurant to check to see if we had any allergies. Arrival was great we walked through the kitchen and were greeted by the chefs, which was cool. Our server Lilly was absolutely fantastic, funny and charming. She definitely helped cultivate the experience. The tasting menu we had this particular night was pretty good a good blend of flavors but nothing over the top. If you're in town and can get a reservation I'd recommend it for a great overall dining experience.

Had an excellent evening here and definitely a great place to visit for a fun night with great food. The staff was incredibly friendly and the food was delicious. My favourite was the amuse bouche (eel), mushroom dish and scallop dish. The cocktails were good but I definitely recommend asking them to make a custom drink. The reason I could not give it the full 5 stars is because they forgot about my dietary restriction and had to replace the beautiful squid ink pasta with a risotto which was a little disappointing as I was really excited when the pasta came out.

Excellent place. Just the pure joy of eating food that tastes so good. Each bite is an explosion of flavor, some bold, some delicates, but always with a lot of flavor and texture. The service is amazing with friendly and fun staff (just the right amount to make the evening extra special) Just wow! My favorite restaurant in Montreal from now on! (Oh! And we loved the call a few hours prior to ask for allergies and if it was a special occasion, we loved the little attention for our anniversary while we were dining). Update: Went back 1 month after and recognized me. Service was still amazing, food was still incredible and they made a special dessert for us as we asked for no chocolate! So nice and delicious!! Thanks to the chef and team for making our dinner such a wonderful experience! Update 3 months later: new menu (seasonal), still amazingly delicious. Service as remarquable!! I'm still in love with this restaurant!

I had a good experience here. They called a few days before our dinner to check if we had any allergies. Arrival was special, we walked through the kitchen and we were greeted by the chefs. I loved that! Our server was amazing! The tasting menu we had this particular night was pretty good a good blend of flavors but nothing over the top(my fav was the dessert that I didn't take a picture). If you're in town and can get a reservation I'd recommend it for a great overall dining experience. The experience suits the name of the restaurant. Ps. It was almost 4 hours of service.

Dishes are very avantgarde, and were fine. My favorite was the dessert with the celery liquor. My least favorite was the Bao buns, as I found them dry. I don't particularly think the wine pairings added anything special to the dishes, however, the service is pretty fantastic. The servers were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Unorganised staff and overpriced food. We opted for the 10 courses tasting menu with wine pairing. The food was way too salty especially the duck skewer. One of the staff poured the wine into my wine glass, when the wine reached half of the glass he said “oops it was too much wine for you” then he took the glass away and poured half of the wine out of my glass. Nothing was impressive. Not recommended.

The entrance to the restaurant has you walking past the kitchen where you are greeted by all the staff. After a very warm welcome you are given the drink menu with a lovely selection of cocktails and wines, they also do a wine pairing. The tasting menu is exquisite. Each dish highlights fresh local produce in a unique and welcoming way. The spices, sauces, plating are all expertly crafted and well thought out. They give you lots of time to enjoy each dish, allowing you to really savour the experience. Pastel is a unique tasting menu experience in all the best ways. If you haven't been you need to go & if you have I'm sure you'll be back soon!

Lovely open kitchen space with minimalist decor. Phenomenal service and dining experience. 📖 6-course seasonal menu (with an option for 1 additional service). We went with 6-course. 😋 The meal kicked off with an amazing amuse-bouche. The chawanmushi that follows was less exciting, because the kombu sauce tasted a tad sweet for my liking. The shiitake was tasty though. The venison carpaccio was eye-opening 🤩 didn’t know that venison could be so tender and scrumptious. The brioche was buttery soft. The dish melted in my mouth in a most satisfying manner. The black cod was good, but the star of this dish was the cream sauce. I devoured the sauce with the sourdough bread 😋 I’m not a fan of quail in general, so the dish did not stand out to me. I do remember the foie gras being delicious. We had a special risotto dish because we were still hungry 🐷 and it was the absolute highlight of our dinner. Perfectly al dente and the ultimate comfort food. The desserts wrapped up the meal beautifully. Particularly loved the marinated strawberry and soft chocolate sponge cake. Overall the food was enjoyable. Every dish feels very thoughtfully crafted in terms of the flavor complexity. While portions erred on the small side for us, this is fairly standard for fine dining. ✨ So deeply grateful for the exceptional service. Definitely one of the best restaurant service I have experienced. The servers were genuinely kind and friendly in their interactions, and really went above and beyond to make sure that we are enjoying the food AND full at the end 🙏 merci beaucoup! Appreciate the attention to my husband’s gluten allergy and making substitutions 🙏 🍷 Diverse wine selection. We scored a fantastic bottle of local pet nat orange 🍋 they have two wine pairing options (regular vs premium) and we did the regular one. The wine pairing featured a lot of interesting options, but I think we were so in love with the bottle of pet nat orange that everything else pales in comparison. ⏰ The meal too about 3-4 hours (as expected with fine dining). I think we found the breaks in between courses a tad pronounced because we were hungry 🙈😂 definitely make time for this dining experience so you can enjoy this in a relaxed state of mind.

I had a fantastic overall experience here. The service was excellent. A few days before our dinner I got a call from the restaurant to check to see if we had any allergies. Arrival was great we walked through the kitchen and were greeted by the chefs, which was cool. Our server Lilly was absolutely fantastic, funny and charming. She definitely helped cultivate the experience. The tasting menu we had this particular night was pretty good a good blend of flavors but nothing over the top. If you're in town and can get a reservation I'd recommend it for a great overall dining experience.

Had an excellent evening here and definitely a great place to visit for a fun night with great food. The staff was incredibly friendly and the food was delicious. My favourite was the amuse bouche (eel), mushroom dish and scallop dish. The cocktails were good but I definitely recommend asking them to make a custom drink. The reason I could not give it the full 5 stars is because they forgot about my dietary restriction and had to replace the beautiful squid ink pasta with a risotto which was a little disappointing as I was really excited when the pasta came out.

Excellent place. Just the pure joy of eating food that tastes so good. Each bite is an explosion of flavor, some bold, some delicates, but always with a lot of flavor and texture. The service is amazing with friendly and fun staff (just the right amount to make the evening extra special) Just wow! My favorite restaurant in Montreal from now on! (Oh! And we loved the call a few hours prior to ask for allergies and if it was a special occasion, we loved the little attention for our anniversary while we were dining). Update: Went back 1 month after and recognized me. Service was still amazing, food was still incredible and they made a special dessert for us as we asked for no chocolate! So nice and delicious!! Thanks to the chef and team for making our dinner such a wonderful experience! Update 3 months later: new menu (seasonal), still amazingly delicious. Service as remarquable!! I'm still in love with this restaurant!

I had a good experience here. They called a few days before our dinner to check if we had any allergies. Arrival was special, we walked through the kitchen and we were greeted by the chefs. I loved that! Our server was amazing! The tasting menu we had this particular night was pretty good a good blend of flavors but nothing over the top(my fav was the dessert that I didn't take a picture). If you're in town and can get a reservation I'd recommend it for a great overall dining experience. The experience suits the name of the restaurant. Ps. It was almost 4 hours of service.

Dishes are very avantgarde, and were fine. My favorite was the dessert with the celery liquor. My least favorite was the Bao buns, as I found them dry. I don't particularly think the wine pairings added anything special to the dishes, however, the service is pretty fantastic. The servers were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Unorganised staff and overpriced food. We opted for the 10 courses tasting menu with wine pairing. The food was way too salty especially the duck skewer. One of the staff poured the wine into my wine glass, when the wine reached half of the glass he said “oops it was too much wine for you” then he took the glass away and poured half of the wine out of my glass. Nothing was impressive. Not recommended.

I really want tell you guys, Do not come to this restaurant! A waste of your money and your time, no dish is delicious! terrible!

So yeah. The reputation is earned as one of the best restaurants in the city. Pastel's food, service and attention to detail is exemplary. Do try the pairing menu if you get a chance, it is definitely well put together. The open kitchen concept is taken to the next level as seating is arranged all around the kitchen. Obviously the price point is not for everyone (7 course dinner for 2 with pairing + a couple additional drinks ended up over $400). But if you can afford to splurge and treat yourself, it is a great experience! The menu changes with the seasons, but stars of the show when I visited in late September were the gnocchetti and the duck breast over duck confit.

When Mtl a Table 2018 announced Pastel as one of their participating restaurants: 43$ for a three course service- I was ecstatic and made a booking right away. This venue as fun casual demeanor to it for an upscale restaurant. Something you would definitely see in the SOHO district of New York . When you first enter- it feels like a pediatric Doctor's office- with chalked up black board walls that you can scribble on as you wait to be seated. The dining hall is small and cozy with the kitchen located in between two seating area. Everything on this menu was phenomenal, the flavours, details, and originality of items will blow your mind. My favorites of the mtl a table menu are: Oasic of foie gras- the foie gras was so light with no usual aftertaste that is usually left behind, the maritime halibut was excellent, bonfire chocolate deconstructed smore was a nostalgic child's playground of food. I was so happy from the meal- I had to order one shot of Laphroaig select- neat just to process the wonderful dining experience. I look forward to update my review of the true tasting when I go in January- stay tuned!

Put this restaurant on your must try dining list. It's an amazing experience that you don't want to miss. Make sure you engage the services of the sommelier. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Tell him what you like and he'll come up with tasty recommendations. The chef and his staff make every course a tasty surprise. It isn't often that we spend 4 hours at a restaurant. Everything was 5 stars. Cheers to Pastel.

Review #500! I like to save milestone reviews for special places so it works out nicely that I recently visited Pastel. It can be hard for a restaurant to distinguish itself from the competition. Enter Pastel, a restaurant from the same team that brought you Le Fantôme that is succeeding at doing just that. An experience here will get expensive but for Mtl a la table they were offering a three course menu for only $43 so I decided to come here with a friend to try it out. I love the way they decorated the dining room. You can expect to find exposed brick walls with splashes of pastel hues and modern furniture that fits the restaurant's colour scheme well. It feels very playful. The kitchen also happens to be located in the middle of the restaurant so while you dine you can see the kitchen team working their magic. For Mtl a la table there were two options for each course so we decided to divide and conquer so that we could taste everything. Every dish was beautifully plated and it was difficult to convince myself to start eating them because I didn't want to ruin the presentation. Starters were a tuna tartare and a foie gras dish. The texture of both was just excellent and the foie gras was surprisingly delicate considering how heavy it typically is. That was followed by a halibut and duck dish both of which were excellent. The halibut was light and delicate while the duck was tender. Dessert was a creme caramel and bonfire chocolate, which is an upscale s'more. The bonfire chocolate had a liquid graham cracker filling which was amazing. In addition to a delicious menu another thing that I love about Pastel is that they make their own bread and butter. Sure this aspect of the meal is minor but I do appreciate it when restaurants go that extra mile. To top it all off the bread is to die for and if you aren't careful you could easily fill up on just that. Apart from a delicious menu there is great attention to detail paid to every aspect of your Pastel experience. Waiters really seem to know the menu and do an excellent job of describing everything. The owner comes through the dining room frequently to check on customers and make sure that they are enjoying themselves. Heck even the soap in the bathroom is infinitely better than what you will find in most public restrooms. It is evident that the owners care deeply about their business because because everything about this experience was well thought out. They want to ensure that your experience here is nothing short of spectacular, which it definitely was. We are so lucky to have a restaurant like this here in Montreal.

Omg this restaurant is awesome! It's pricy but so worth it! We took a friend here for his birthday and we all left very satisfied and full! This place has an industrial look but is also very homey and welcoming. I like the brick wall and the flowers look too nice to be real but they are! This restaurant has a nine course tasting menu only. You can't just have an entree and a main. The waitress did not show us the menu and told us it is better not to know and be surprised. She did say we could get the menu at the end or she could even email it to us but we forgot to ask her for it. There wasn't anything that I didn't like. The plating was just fabulous and the service was impeccable! I had the mezcal margarita. It was good! It is not on the cocktail menu though. The first course was a bite sized cone made with sunchoke. I never had that before. It's also known as the Jerusalem artichoke. The second course was a think layer of foie gras with beets, nuts and flowers on top. I love foie gras so I was very happy wit this dish. The third course was a two kinds of tuna (regular tuna and tuna belly) on a rectangular bed of rice. The belly was better than the other piece of tuna. It was good but I found it to be a bit too fishy for me. The fourth course was duck. There was truffle in it too. The sauce was amazing! We all wished we had more of it on the plate. The fifth course was the gnocchi and I absolutely loved it. I ate it very slowly one small gnocchi at a time. The sixth course was another fish dish with mushrooms and daikon. The fish melted in your mouth. I personally don't like daikon so I gave it to my friends but the mushroom paired very nicely wit the fish. The seventh was a piece of steak. I liked that it was fatty. There was different kinds of sauces splashed around the meat which gave it a funky design. You could really taste the parsley and there was also a hint of dill in the sauce. Next for $10 extra we got this cheese and jelly Rubik cube looking dish. The jelly was sweet but also was spicy. It came with bread with cranberries inside. It was interesting to say the least. It was cool to try but don't think it was necessary to get. The eighth course was dessert. It was a cherry and some yogurt almost like kefir yogurt. I liked it but my two friends were not very keen on it. The ninth course was also dessert. It was a tiny crepe with banana and salted caramel sauce. Again I enjoyed it but my friends were not very impressed. On our way out the owner stopped us and offered some chocolate made in house. Basically they all looked different and you didn't know what kind you were going to get. We each had two and it was so good! Perfect way to end the night. The owner was really nice and you could tell he really cares about the customers. He was serving dishes and even folded my napkin when I went to the bathroom. I really enjoyed le fantôme when I went but I think I like this restaurant even more. Highly recommend!!

We had the 9 course tasting menu and really enjoyed the majority of dishes that were well thought out and executed. What we really liked was that they offer a different non alcoholic drink that pairs with each course. The standout dishes were the pasta, quail sausage and the beef. There is a nice ambience, we liked the open kitchen and they did little modifications to the menu for my pregnant wife.

Date nights in our busy lives are a rare event so when there is one, we try to go somewhere really special. Newly opened Pastel had just gotten a glowing review in the Montreal Gazette, and miraculously had a table on short notice on a Friday night when we had babysitting, so the stars had aligned for us... Fun, fresh decor featuring an open kitchen and little touches of pastel color here and there on an exposed brick wall. Friendly greeting at the door with attentive and enthusiastic service throughout the evening. Do NOT come here and skip the tasting menu. Seriously. You will be missing out. Really one of the best tasting menus I've had in a long time. I couldn't single out one dish that stood out, although if you twisted my arm I'd say the gnocchetti I suppose. Every dish was excellent, and the presentation was exquisite. A lot of thought and care obviously went into each dish. I also really liked the pace of the meal - sometimes tasting menus can go on for three hours or more and you're uncomfortably stuffed before the end. This one took a little over two hours and we were left feeling pleasantly full. There were two desserts, and then little chocolates and then little jellies and then a lollipop at the door... I was kind of done by the chocolates but I appreciated their enthusiasm. We didn't take the wine pairings but opted instead for a cocktail and then a few glasses of wine with the meal. I guess if I really wanted to nitpick I would have liked a few more options of wines by the glass but I was very satisfied with the ones they had available. Really a delightful addition to the Montreal dining scene, the server was telling me they change up the tasting menu every few months so I look forward to coming back. Although I suspect it won't be so easy to get a table next time!

We've been to Pastel twice ( in 2019 and 2021) and on both occasions founds the service outstanding, the wine pairing exceptional and the menu innovative and playful. Surely from 8 courses, not all 8 will be 5-star-with-accolades but the ones that are - and for us this was the majority - are fantastic and the (few) ones that aren't are still great. For us, Pastel beats by far Mousso in both service and general dining atmosphere, and is similar in creativity, is more modern than Toque and less gimmicky than Europea. All in all, it doesn't disappoint for a special occasion and you will have a evening to remember.

We went here during a visit towards the end of July. Wonderful restaurant! I started with a green cocktail. I've forgotten the precise name but it was something like Peas for Peace. It was quite tasty and a pun thrown in! We went for the tasting menu along with the wine pairing. About the wine pairing. The pours were generous, but the wines themselves were quite good, matching the tasty bites! I would say that the pairs were somewhat unexpected but worked well! And the food? Excellent! Quite a wide variety of food and flavors from sushi to fish to beef. And the desserts were a great way to finish. Super and informative service. This is the best of the restaurants we went to in Montréal this visit.

It doesn't look like a fancy restaurant but almost all the plates surprised me. The only negative was after a course menu I was still hungry...

We just ate our last morsel off our plates, ending a wonderful Valentine dinner experience. Really excellent variety of tastes, textures, and despite being a takeout meal, terrific presentations. The minimal preparation required was quite clear and painless, the timing of the cooking- (of the seven courses, only the pasta and main meal required oven heating), flowed very well, and there were no dishes to clean when we were done! Would highly recommend this restaurant to others, and will certainly return for another tasting adventure. Thanks so much for making our evening so enjoyable!

From the owners of one my fave restaurants Le Fantôme comes Pastel, this new addition to McGill in Old Montreal. The space is sleek, modern and beautifully decorated with touches of pastel colours on the exposed brick walls; looks like chalk markings which is exactly what the from sign contains, pieces of broken chalk. The open air kitchen is right as you walk into the front door, you have a few tables by the open windows overlooking the street, and the back of the restaurant has comfortable banquet seating. We decided on the seating at the bar which is always my top pick for any resto. Knowing the chef from their first location, we opted for the tasting menu although a la carte is also available, but why would you do that! From the first to the last course, the use of textures and flavours will leave you wanting to lick the bowl. We had a simple salad to start, a beet dish, poultry, lobster, beef, fish pasta, and two desserts; amazing from start to finish. Luckily they served us their homemade sourdough bread with the pasta dish cause that sauce was divine! The wine list is great too; the waitress helped us select a beautifully balanced white wine which we adored. The service was excellent with staff replenishing wine, water and explaining every dish as it's presented. This was the second day the restaurant was open and everything was spot on; it will certainly not be my last time here and I look forward to the changing seasonal menu created by Jason Morris.

Really not the best value in town. I previously gave this 4 stars but I went back for take out dinner and it was a little disappointing. That being said the tartares were excellent, the arancinis were a let down (you gotta dress 'em up a little bit!) and it felt like the two plates were just a big noodle toss but still good. Overall it lacked a little finesse. The desserts were a complete miss: tarte frangipane had no real taste; the financier was undersized and a bit of a joke.

Our hotel was able to get us a reservation for 1 day our, so a friend and I did the tasting menu at Pastel one of our nights visiting Montreal. The space is what you would probably think, a pretty pastel colored dining room with baby pink table cloths and line art drawings filling the exposed brick walls. There is a chefs counter in the front of the restaurant with about 12 pastel colored stools if your so lucky to be seated there. The entryway was chalkboard walls for people to leave messages which was also a cute touch. Pastel offers a 7 course tasting menu at $110 and a $75 wine pairing opt which we did not end up doing. They do not give you a menu but rather ask if there is any food you really dislike and they'll make swaps from there. They were able to accommodate my nut allergy with no problem (they swapped the dessert option but rest of menu was not affected). Through a 3 hour dinner we tried 7 dishes covering vegetables,fish, pasta, meat. The two-bite Tuna sashimi, duck, and steak/mini potatoes were all delicious and kept us craving the next dish but the real stand out was the homage gnocchi pasta dished out table side by the most enthusiastic staff I have encountered in quite a while! If you are in Montreal and are looking for a fine dining experience filled with a dreamy decor and bites to match this can be bumped to the top of your list!

This restaurant has been on my husband's list for awhile now and my birthday was the best excuse to make reservations. We were excited but the end result fell short off what we were expecting for one of Canada's best restaurant. One of my pet peeve is to be served food on chipped plates and my husband got three of them in a row. He asked me to please not make it a thing but I had to let our waiter know. When a restaurant gives you two choices of menu that are 79$ for 6 services and 140$ for 10 services, a certain level of standard should be held. So... after letting our waiter know about this issue, the owner came right to our table to explain the reason why. Since his mother does all the plates at a limited number during the year, they can only throw away so much and when it's chipped, they use this (apparently) japanese method of covering it up with gold. Ummm, we did not see gold on our plates. We thought the reason was a load of bull... BUT... Service was amazing!!! Some of the food was delicious like the black cod dish and some was not up to par like the lasagna with tuna (tasted like the tuna casserole you would make when you had nothing in the pantry after a hard day in high school). Was it worth 360$ (1 beer, 1 cocktail and a bottle of wine included). Not for us. Will we be coming back? Nah... But on a better note, this place IS better then Fantôme (their first project together).

We had a really fantastic experience at Pastel! We were a group of 12 (called in to reserve in order to get a table that big) and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Each course we had was equally delightful as it was creative with each new dish better than the last. The staff explained the dish simply and answered any questions we had, while being very careful to accommodate to our dietary preferences. I especially liked their quail and sea bream dishes, along with both the cardamon pre-dessert and sun choke dessert. My friends also really liked the pasta dish as well. They were skeptical about fine dining at first but all loved the experience at the end of the meal! I would recommend Pastel to everyone and would definitely go back!

Expensive but definitely worth it. Dining alone with their découverte menu, at first I was worried about 12 courses will be too much for myself but the waiter told me they are in small portions so I chose it. The decoration is really romantic and classic, you can explore their kitchen if you sit at the bar - very clean and professional. All of theIr staffs are helpful and patient, explaining their menu and dishes well. As for the foods, I want to say that everything is delicious, including their cocktail and sparkling water. The scallop and fish are creamy and fresh, the beef and duck are exactly at the best cooking level. The desserts also surprised me, the first one is ice cream, which is made of a kind of fruit that I've never seen! And the second is made up with coconut ice cream and chocolate, the combination of the two stuffs is amazing!! They have three kinds of bread you can choose from and all of them are good. After dining their waiter asked me which one is my favorite and I feel it hard to say since everything is the best for me. Including tax and tips this meal cost me over $200, but no doubt this restaurant worths it. I will go again and recommend it to my friends for sure :)

I was a little apprehensive about eating at Pastel as I heard it was pricey and was not sure what to expect as the menu changes often. However, from the moment I entered the restaurant I was very pleasantly surprised. Beautiful decor, friendly introduction and a clean interior put me at ease. I have to say the completely open kitchen right in the middle of the restaurant filled with focused chefs showed great confidence as there was nothing that they could hide. I ordered the 9 course full taster menu and was very impressed. The chefs use fresh local ingredients and turn foods I never thought I would enjoy into unbelievable tastes I have never experienced before. Our server was very personable and down to earth. She definitely added to the experience with her witty comments and accommodations on a few requests. I can't wait to go back!

The only thing I don't like about this restaurant is that it's in Montreal. (WHY!? *sobs loudly*). This prevents me eating there more often to savour the next stunning delicious dish on their menu. Favourite moments of our visit: Jay, our server: friendly, knowledgeable, patient and passionate about food. Our experience was definitely amplified by his explanation of the dishes/beverage pairings and his palpable delight in all things food and drink. Jay - you are awesome. Food (of course). We had the seven course meal. Afterwards, my partner asked me to choose a favourite dish and ... I couldn't. They were all so well crafted, well thought out, complex and delicious. Seriously delectable. NON-alcoholic beverage pairings. What the hell, Pastel? What a gift to people who don't drink alcohol but want to experience the same sense of taste bud adventure as we booze guzzlers. My partner was blown away by the thoughtfulness that went into the pairings and I was left wondering why more restaurants don't do this. Afterthoughts: bathrooms so clean and beautifully laid out (individual towels for your hands; what?); service quick and detail-oriented; atmosphere: calm and lovely. Next time I'm in Montreal, this is where I'll be eating.

Am absolutely great experience!!! All services were delicious. Our only minute criticism is that it often lacked color... but highly compensated by the taste.

I am a foodie and I love good food. I can call myself a tough critic when it comes to restaurants. This was by far one of the finest restaurants I have been to. I travelled from Orange County to Québec and I can say that this was the highlight of my trip!!! The most amazing food I ever had. I will come back to Québec just to go to this restaurant!!!$

We had a wonderful dinner for two here. We tried the tasting menu without a wine pairing - each plate tasted great - even if we were to try to find fault we couldn't. There was a nice mix of styles and varying influences in the food, with excellent presentation. The service was just right - always available but not intrusive. Nice decor - not overpowering, with high ceilings typical of the area. Definitely a place that I would recommend for an excellent meal.

This was on my list to try, so after a failed attempt at reserving Jellyfish Crudo&Charbon, this was it. I used to come here when it was Java U, now the space is so different, so opened up and spacious with lots of light. The first thing that we noticed was the exceptional service from our waitress Fanny (im not sure if that's how we write her name) She was all smiles, funny & suggested great wine pairing for our tasting menu. The food was incredible. I didn't actually expect anything coming here but i would go back in a second. The menu changes very often depending on the ingredients available but here's an idea: -Jerusalem artichoke with yuzu -foie gras with veggies (for glutenfree version) and rolled up for regular version -tuna tartar, belly & side parts -duck with wild mushrooms & black truffle sauce -12-hour stewed kale and chickpeas for GF & snail butter pasta for regular -steamed halibut -melt-in-mouth deer -pre-dessert dessert of coffee ice cream & house-dried cherries with olive oil -GF chocolate cake with so much textures coming from the ice cream & chocolates & garnish -Smore with an "explosive" centre of crunchy graham and caramely sauce -almond flour financier -and right before we were out the door, surprise delicious & beautiful chocolates Yes, didnI mention that I would go back in a second?

I had quite a few experiences with fine dining before and I had high expectations for Pastel. To be honest, I don't think the food and environment match with the price. And it is my first time giving a fine dining restaurant 3 stars review. I was happy with the main courses and desserts were fine. However, the appetizers were disasters. There were 3 appetizers in total. Beets, steamed egg and celery root. The beets and celery root had strange flavors and the steamed egg was just too oily. And sadly they only offer fixed courses so I can't even choose what I want for appetizers. Well if you love beets and celery root, then go for it. Otherwise I really don't recommend it.

The food, the ambience and particularly the service is spot on. I tried their tasting menu with wine pairing and I know I will be going back again. The meal is very well paced and the restaurant personal will make you feel like you are a guest at their own homes. They will go well in detail about the dishes and seem knowledgeable. The open kitchen concept is pretty cool too - it kept me excited about the next dish and moderately busy as well. The kitchen did seem a bit stressed but maybe that adds to the thrill of the entire experience. (Personally I would have preferred a more relaxed kitchen).

Great tasting menu. Each dish is uniquely crafted. Our favorite was the spinach gnocchi with parsley sabayon. The hubby did the wine pairing too. I felt that dessert was the main weak point. The rest of the menu was innovative and delicious. There were minor things I felt like they could fix but overall it was a great dining experience.

Great service with a laid back ambiance. Food is good, price not worth the portions. Not a fan of the concept. My portion of cheese was larger then my main course. That said, staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Great surprise at the end of the meal ;)

Overall Pastel was a great experience. Service was friendly and attentive from start to end. The food presentation was creative and artistic and the ambience was the perfect balance of casual and fancy. The only thing keeping me rating a 5 star is taste in food, I would say flavour pairing for some dishes were bland, in particular the quail and ham dish I tasted a lot of the meat flavor and the sauces didn't enhance the dish enough and was almost "just there". Other dishes were delicious, in particular the foie gras plate which was just a playground of flavors in my mouth! I would still recommend those who haven't tried to give Pastel a go as it is a good experience and my russian judge review does not speak for all. I'm just a little more harsh on higher end restaurants.

over-priced to what had in the discovery menu! our menu was changed just two weeks ago which i think comparing to those few months ago, what i had was not impressive! not worth $140 at all

Great place and they really make sure their staff is taken care of by removing clientele that sexually harasses them.

Wonderfully designed and decorated restaurant. It features an open kitchen concept, which was a lot of fun. The food was exemplary from start to finish -- well choreographed, prepared, and presented. And so delicious! The staff was a delight to interact with -- knowledgeable, observant, and accommodating in the best possible ways. Every course was a treat, and I'm uploading photos of some (not all) of them. We were a party of two enjoying the menu découverte experience on a Saturday evening. I highly recommend this restaurant, and I look forward to returning myself.

I just enjoyed a delicious 6 course tasting menu for a very reasonable price at this beautiful restaurant in downtown Montréal. Our server Jonathan was terrific - extremely attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu which had just changed. I enjoyed the wine pairing and was pleasantly surprised to see that they served wine from one of my favorite California wineries Presqu'ile located near Santa Maria (not Santa Barbara). Ambiance was delightful. I strongly recommend this restaurant.

We went to this restaurant 2 weeks ago for a birthday celebration. Really a superb meal. I realised the next day that there was a slight error in my bill that I had missed the night before. I contacted the owner and within a hour the amount was refunded. Really first class food and service, well worth a visit and 5 stars.

I have been to many many restaurants in Montreal and Pastel had the best service by far. There are three things I like to assess in a restaurant, the food, the service and the ambiance. This place has 5 starts in all of them.

Was there the first weekend they were open, so you never know if they are working out the kinks or not that early. They weren't. Every dish on the tasting menu was spot on. The wait staff was attentive and friendly but not overbearing and they knew all the details about the menu. At $110 per person for the tasting menu without alcohol, it gets pricey by the end with drinks, tax and tip, so it's probably not an everyday place. But nevertheless, I still felt like it was worth the money and Pastel is definitely a place to return to.

First, let's talk about the decor. The kitchen layout is very open and allows the customer to view the prep work, while giving the staff the freedom of uncluttered, working space. The interior design of this place combines raw structural, modern, and minimalist elements that work well together. The food is presented as a 9 course tasting menu, each with their own distinct flavours to entice your palate. My date and I enjoyed most of our dishes with a couple of them tasting rather pedestrian. The custom dishware completed the beautiful presentations of each of the courses. The service was overall impressive. Servers were well informed of the origins, history and preparation process of the ingredients being served. Service was accommodating of allergies and dislikes, allowing for customizations of the menu. My only concern about the service was the length of time between courses. Personally, I would have preferred it to be slightly reduced as it took 3hrs to be served all 9 courses. Perhaps 7 courses would have suited us better. Although on the pricey side, I am happy to have experienced what Pastel has to offer.

A very lovely location, decor splendid, service attentive. Staff friendly. Food delicious...but very small portions! Tasting menu delicious...many small plates. Good wine..we had an Aligote white. But expect to pay $ 350 plus tip for 2 for degustation! Bravo Kabir. Thank you for the attentive service and wish you much luck.

This was a great place,the food is outstanding and unusual.The decor is well thought out and adds to the experience.The staff are knowledgeable and helpful with a sense of humour.The service is attentive but does not cross the line to intrusive.I would rate this restaurant as being world class,and it is better than any actual French restaurant with stars!

I've heard a lot of hype around this restaurant so I was excited try it. We were a party of six and we all had the tasting menu. Half of the party had the wine pairing the other half had the non alcoholic drink pairing- this was by far my highlight. The non alcoholic drinks blew my mind which is what changed my review to 4 stars from 3. I highly recommend you try it. The food was good, but not exceptional, except for two dishes; the risotto and the bison. My largest complaint is that the service took 4.5 hours. The restaurant was 1/3 full as it was a Sunday, and even after noting to our server that it was a very long time, they still took their time getting our bills. I don't recommend going unless you are prepared to sit for a very extended length of time.

Obligatory, "I signed up for Yelp just to write this review", blah blah blah. I often find it difficult to unearth that experience, that unforgettable tidbit, that je ne sais quoi if you will, that leaves you thinking about a place days after. In this current landscape of overdressed and oversaturated plates, Pastel is that place. Offering soft and playful pastel coloured decor on warm brick, this gem invites you for an experience from the moment you enter. The staff is what truly breathes life into this already fun and unmistakably memorable place, from the front of the house to 'back' of the house as the kitchen is open and central; you are made to feel like your fine dining experience is the focal point. The phrase fine dining is used freely here as owner and matri d, Kabir, was as charming and hospitable as he was knowledgeable. Pastel offers a 9-course tasting with an additional wine pairing that my significant other did opt in for. Each dish is equally distinct in flavour, presentation and execution. Pastel has this triple threat down to a science. Note how I left out the word menu above, as Pastel does not offer a menu. Instead, they promptly ask if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions. In the case of my significant other, as she is not a fan of mushrooms, they were very accommodating in making the appropriately delicious substitution. Our amuse was a parsnip cracker delicately filled with a velvety mousillen of chicken liver and nori dust. Sublime and innovative. Next up was an endive salad with segments of caracara and blood orange, a quenelle of chestnut chutney dressed in a bright, in both colour and flavour, red and white cranberry vinaigrette. Course three consisted of a melt in your mouth Otoro and Chutoro blue fin tuna tartar in a coconut crema. Following this was a ballotine of quail, served with a sinfully smooth puree pomme de terre all delicately dressed tableside with a demi-glace. Next, an in-house made egg noodle spaghetti fervently tossed in perfect view from our table in a cacio e pepe style sauce with a vibrantly green spinach and parsley pesto drizzled on top. Other noteworthy dishes include a perfectly seared, 18 days aged sirloin stuffed with the rib meat and accompanied by sauteed chanterelles (braised artichoke for my partner) and delicately shaved morsels of Umbria black truffle. As well as, a pillowy soft bass with crisped skin, accompanied with white beans in a light bur blanc sauce. From start to finish this meal was superb, every dish was an episodic experience in the overarching grandeur that is Pastel. Merci Pastel et all.