This is what every restaurant should strive to be.
My husband and I had the most memorable dinner at Cabaret l’Enfer. I had requested a vegan tasting menu when I made the reservation, and not only did they call the day of to confirm our time, they also thoughtfully confirmed they’d be preparing a vegan menu just for me. That level of care before we even arrived already stood out, and the actual experience completely blew me away.
From the moment we walked in, we felt genuinely welcomed. The vegan tasting menu wasn’t a lazy version of the regular one with the meat removed. Every dish I received was intentional, creative, and clearly crafted with just as much love and imagination as my husband’s. They even asked me how I feel about honey before including it in a dish, which honestly says everything about their desire to connect, not just serve.
When they presented the menu, we let them know my husband doesn’t like tiramisu and was feeling too full for a rich dessert. Without hesitation, they swapped it for a lighter fruit-based option for both of us. It was a small gesture, but it showed how tuned in they were to making sure we had a great experience. They didn’t just feed us, they took the time to connect with us as people.
As a vegan living in Pittsburgh, I’ve never received this kind of welcome, understanding, or curiosity at a restaurant. Being treated this way felt emotional, honestly. It’s rare. And it speaks volumes about who they are.
Cabaret l’Enfer isn’t a vegan restaurant, and that’s what makes this all the more powerful. They lead with empathy, creativity, and heart. I’ll be cheering them on forever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ion Acrylics
Creative and delicious. Better than the tasting I had at the Four Seasons. Started with a generous charcuterie, fresh made burrata, house made butter and sourdough which was all impressive. Pasta course and fish course were beautifully plated and creative, enjoyable but not knock your socks off. But the beef course was superb and the desserts were a delight. Will definitely go again and might even try their vegetarian or vegan offerings as I was almost envious of my counter mates who had opted for this. (I think you may need to request ahead of time for veg)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Brandon Beigay
The food was incredible, the service is exceptional, and the old school 80s / punk rock vibe was right down my alley.
Chef Massimo and his entire crew made me feel welcomed, especially being my first time in Canada.
I would definitely come back whenever I come back to Montreal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sabrina Zucaro
By far one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in my life. Chef Massimo truly out does himself, and the food is incredible. Each dish was curated to perfection, balanced and full of flavor. The full tasting menu is a must if you are planning to visit. The atmosphere is a laid back fine dining vibe, and truly unique. The kitchen is open concept, so you can see the chefs in action which give it that extra touch. It’s truly something special to see them all cooking together as one. The Otoro and the Morue were the stand out dishes of the night, but everything we had was great. Will be visiting regularly when I come back to the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andy Morris
Lovely tasting menu. Play on fermented and pickled components is an interesting twist that some may not like. Starter of the chefs play on charcuterie is a real treat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Billy Richard
We booked this restaurant but after reading all the terrible and rather disappointing reviews we had to cancelled.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Liz Gilmore
On the expensive side, but the food was fantastic. If you need an entire experience, come here. Plus, Chef Massimo and his team are lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mitchell Desmond
Amazing food and service. Massimo is one of the best chefs and nicest people in the world
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Athie Livas
A really special experience. Thank you to the Chefs and wonderful staff. Massimo is a Canadian treasure, and the few negative reviewers here are insane. If you have the chance, dine here. The chef's counter is especially fun to watch the action.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wilfred Valenta
Overall I was extremely disappointed in the experience and food. They are trying to be something they are not - haut cuisine without quality or service. They use kitchen tweezers to make a meal that has little to no balance or flavour, and i can assure you by the end you will remain hungry as the portions are smaller than an amuse bouche. The wines by the glass were nothing special and too warm or too cold. We were only asked if we wanted another glass or if the food was to our liking by the time we reached dessert. The service was so slow we wanted to leave before - we should have done so because the tiramisu was so bad we essentially returned it. Im disappointed and just feel like this was theft and a waste of time for what should have been a great evening. I remain hungry, unsatisfied and annoyed.
I've lived and worked in this neighbourhood for years now, and I remember how excited I was to try it. While the food was fantastic, I cannot understate how overwrought this meal was. From the beginning, service was slow but I could forgive it, at least early on. Once we'd been there for literally three hours, waiting for seven dishes, it was unforgiveable. The biggest criticism I had was the over thirty minute wait between different dessert courses. If you're going to break them up, maybe don't take the better part of an hour to deliver the second half. But hey, what do I know, I wasn't on TV. My entire dining party went up the block after dinner to the Korean grocer and got riceballs, which were the first filling thing we had that evening.
Shame cause the food itself was fantastic.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Mel Hopper
Exceptional food, service, and atmosphere. One of the best meals I’ve had this year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Benjamin N-A
Amazing experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Moser
Disappointing experience. This place is uber pretentious and sort of designed for people who want the macho all-male chef experience. The food was fine, but there are many, many better dining experiences in Montreal that are not as pretentious, where the servers are warmer and more genuine, and where there is more of a soul. This place is trying way too hard to be 'edgy', from the sort of 1999-era decor to the 'skaterboy' music and attitude of the staff, it's all a bit tiring and not worth it for me. I also got the sense that they really care about the opinions of male guests and not female guests, which my three friends all noticed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Lynn Ghanem
It took 3 hours to finish a 7 course meal because of how slow the service was. There were 35 minutes between the first and second desserts. I am not new to “concept” restaurants that have small portions, but the last time I had portions this ridiculous, it was a 14 course menu. The food was good but for 150$+ a head, you’ll wonder where the rest of it is. The duck dish was literally two slices of duck and a sliver of asparagus. Is the asparagus really so pricey that they have to ration it? The charcuterie board was the same for every table. There were three of us and we got one (1) slice of bread and one tiny ball of burrata. The table next to us was a couple and they got the exact same amount. Is that not a little silly? We had to beg for more bread because again, it is served one slice at a time. It’s also incredible that, despite all of this, they feel confident enough to start the tip options at 18%. Good for them, I guess!
This is what every restaurant should strive to be.
My husband and I had the most memorable dinner at Cabaret l’Enfer. I had requested a vegan tasting menu when I made the reservation, and not only did they call the day of to confirm our time, they also thoughtfully confirmed they’d be preparing a vegan menu just for me. That level of care before we even arrived already stood out, and the actual experience completely blew me away.
From the moment we walked in, we felt genuinely welcomed. The vegan tasting menu wasn’t a lazy version of the regular one with the meat removed. Every dish I received was intentional, creative, and clearly crafted with just as much love and imagination as my husband’s. They even asked me how I feel about honey before including it in a dish, which honestly says everything about their desire to connect, not just serve.
When they presented the menu, we let them know my husband doesn’t like tiramisu and was feeling too full for a rich dessert. Without hesitation, they swapped it for a lighter fruit-based option for both of us. It was a small gesture, but it showed how tuned in they were to making sure we had a great experience. They didn’t just feed us, they took the time to connect with us as people.
As a vegan living in Pittsburgh, I’ve never received this kind of welcome, understanding, or curiosity at a restaurant. Being treated this way felt emotional, honestly. It’s rare. And it speaks volumes about who they are.
Cabaret l’Enfer isn’t a vegan restaurant, and that’s what makes this all the more powerful. They lead with empathy, creativity, and heart. I’ll be cheering them on forever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Creative and delicious. Better than the tasting I had at the Four Seasons. Started with a generous charcuterie, fresh made burrata, house made butter and sourdough which was all impressive. Pasta course and fish course were beautifully plated and creative, enjoyable but not knock your socks off. But the beef course was superb and the desserts were a delight. Will definitely go again and might even try their vegetarian or vegan offerings as I was almost envious of my counter mates who had opted for this. (I think you may need to request ahead of time for veg)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was incredible, the service is exceptional, and the old school 80s / punk rock vibe was right down my alley.
Chef Massimo and his entire crew made me feel welcomed, especially being my first time in Canada.
I would definitely come back whenever I come back to Montreal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
By far one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in my life. Chef Massimo truly out does himself, and the food is incredible. Each dish was curated to perfection, balanced and full of flavor. The full tasting menu is a must if you are planning to visit. The atmosphere is a laid back fine dining vibe, and truly unique. The kitchen is open concept, so you can see the chefs in action which give it that extra touch. It’s truly something special to see them all cooking together as one. The Otoro and the Morue were the stand out dishes of the night, but everything we had was great. Will be visiting regularly when I come back to the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely tasting menu. Play on fermented and pickled components is an interesting twist that some may not like. Starter of the chefs play on charcuterie is a real treat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We booked this restaurant but after reading all the terrible and rather disappointing reviews we had to cancelled.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
On the expensive side, but the food was fantastic. If you need an entire experience, come here. Plus, Chef Massimo and his team are lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and service. Massimo is one of the best chefs and nicest people in the world
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A really special experience. Thank you to the Chefs and wonderful staff. Massimo is a Canadian treasure, and the few negative reviewers here are insane. If you have the chance, dine here. The chef's counter is especially fun to watch the action.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall I was extremely disappointed in the experience and food. They are trying to be something they are not - haut cuisine without quality or service. They use kitchen tweezers to make a meal that has little to no balance or flavour, and i can assure you by the end you will remain hungry as the portions are smaller than an amuse bouche. The wines by the glass were nothing special and too warm or too cold. We were only asked if we wanted another glass or if the food was to our liking by the time we reached dessert. The service was so slow we wanted to leave before - we should have done so because the tiramisu was so bad we essentially returned it. Im disappointed and just feel like this was theft and a waste of time for what should have been a great evening. I remain hungry, unsatisfied and annoyed.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
I've lived and worked in this neighbourhood for years now, and I remember how excited I was to try it. While the food was fantastic, I cannot understate how overwrought this meal was. From the beginning, service was slow but I could forgive it, at least early on. Once we'd been there for literally three hours, waiting for seven dishes, it was unforgiveable. The biggest criticism I had was the over thirty minute wait between different dessert courses. If you're going to break them up, maybe don't take the better part of an hour to deliver the second half. But hey, what do I know, I wasn't on TV. My entire dining party went up the block after dinner to the Korean grocer and got riceballs, which were the first filling thing we had that evening.
Shame cause the food itself was fantastic.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Exceptional food, service, and atmosphere. One of the best meals I’ve had this year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Disappointing experience. This place is uber pretentious and sort of designed for people who want the macho all-male chef experience. The food was fine, but there are many, many better dining experiences in Montreal that are not as pretentious, where the servers are warmer and more genuine, and where there is more of a soul. This place is trying way too hard to be 'edgy', from the sort of 1999-era decor to the 'skaterboy' music and attitude of the staff, it's all a bit tiring and not worth it for me. I also got the sense that they really care about the opinions of male guests and not female guests, which my three friends all noticed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
It took 3 hours to finish a 7 course meal because of how slow the service was. There were 35 minutes between the first and second desserts. I am not new to “concept” restaurants that have small portions, but the last time I had portions this ridiculous, it was a 14 course menu. The food was good but for 150$+ a head, you’ll wonder where the rest of it is. The duck dish was literally two slices of duck and a sliver of asparagus. Is the asparagus really so pricey that they have to ration it? The charcuterie board was the same for every table. There were three of us and we got one (1) slice of bread and one tiny ball of burrata. The table next to us was a couple and they got the exact same amount. Is that not a little silly? We had to beg for more bread because again, it is served one slice at a time. It’s also incredible that, despite all of this, they feel confident enough to start the tip options at 18%. Good for them, I guess!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
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