Candide in Montreal

A Charming Spot with Potential! This quaint restaurant, tucked behind an old church (now a community center), offers a unique dining experience with a focus on quality ingredients, thoughtful cuisine, excellent service, and a warm, inviting atmosphere. I reserved a bar seat for one, but the staff kindly offered me an available table instead. However, I opted to stay at the bar, enjoying the view of the kitchen. The bar seating includes under-table hooks for bags, a thoughtful touch. The seasonal menu is priced at $85CAD, includes two starters, one main, and one dessert. Add-ons oysters (+4$) and wine pairing (+56$ for four half glasses) are also available. The starters featured a good portion and impressive variety of fresh greens, including Brussels sprouts, shallots, radicchio, and spinach. The quality and freshness of the ingredients were evident and much appreciated. For the main, I had the Guinea Hen with Raspberry sauce. The dish was beautifully executed, the meat was tender and juicy, the skin perfectly crispy, and the flavors were well-balanced. The red wine pairing complemented the raspberry sauce nicely, enhancing the dishs complexity. Unfortunately, the starters were overly salty. When I informed my server, they adjusted the seasoning for my main course, which turned out perfectly. Despite the kitchen tasting each dish before serving, the saltiness accumulates as customers finish their plates, making it difficult to enjoy consecutive dishes. I could hardly enjoy my second starter after finishing the first. Dessert was an interesting combination of cheese and sweet potato, but the unexpected spiciness of the sweet potato was surprising. While I can tolerate spice, the level is certain too intense for many others. The menu or server should have mentioned this detail beforehand. Service was attentive after the initial delay, water wasn t served, and no one approached me for the first ten minutes. Additionally, the restroom door was left open for some time, which detracted slightly from the otherwise cozy ambiance. The location may be tricky to find, its directly behind the church facade. Overall, while there were minor missteps, the quality ingredients, innovative dishes, and accommodating service made for a pleasant evening. I look forward to returning to explore a different seasonal menu.

Perfect

Love this place. Very vegetable focused seasonal tasting course in a warm and intimate environment. Service staff were attentive, friendly, and professional. Food was delicious with highlights being the Brussels sprouts (so good!) and the poire desert. Excited to go back for another seasonal menu!

Very disappointed with the experience after seeing the reviews! We went on a Monday evening and the sommelier service was really not pleasant or helpful. We took the tasting menus and exchanged our dishes, and only enjoyed the oysters as a starter. The kitchen service was correct and the interior is warm. We will not repeat the experience.

Short menu but so excellent Incredible service

Amazing service and the food is quite delicious. It can be slightly over-seasoned for some people but their bread is quite delicious which offset it for me.

Food was marvelous, a beautiful culinary adventure Service was perfect, super courteous and a guide through the menu We had a magnificent evening

A very nice discovery! At the Candide restaurant, vegetables are truly in the spotlight, with fresh, organic and local products that enhance each plate. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the service was impeccable. The meat and fish were cooked perfectly, tender and tasty. A quality culinary experience that I highly recommend to all fans of healthy, well-executed cuisine. Well done to the whole team!

Wow! We had such a wonderful dining experience at Candide. The food was amazing, the service was superb, and the atmosphere was just so cool. One of the servers even shared a list the staff have compiled for visitors - recommendations of restaurants, bars, bakeries, etc. We loved Candide and cant wait for the day that we can go back.

Just enjoyed a most lovely dinner with my wife and our adult kiddo, who afterward shared that it was their favorite meal ever. Each course was so delicious, too hard to say a favorite. Our sommelier shared great stories of the wines- all exceptional and well paired. Wow, thank you!

My favourite restaurant in the world. I have been here a number of times and each time has been perfect. The food is fresh and the vegetables are exquisite.

The food was excellent as was the service. The menu was creative and the wine pairing was spot on. Highly recommend!

This little gem, hidden away at the back of a church, was the best dining experience I ve ever had. Impeccable warm service and the most inventive dishes.

Basically, the word Candide means ingenuity, it could stop there. The decor is extraordinary, the tables are made from benches from the chapel just behind which is deconsecrated. But, the culinary experience is even more sublime. It starts with a sommelier who is passionate about each of her services. Then comes the waiters who are extremely attentive to the needs of their customers, all the waiters sweep the room and discreetly remove our plates and dishes when we have finished without ever feeling any pressure from them. The dishes are a crescendo of flavors. The mixture is magnificent. Food pairing is a must. The only downside is the mouthful of honey at the end that I dont understand yet. It makes us forget these harmonious dishes and, lets face it, the alveoli get stuck between our teeth and after such a classy dinner, we have to spit them out in our napkin, which is not very chic. If you have an outing to do, dont hesitate and go to this Candidement restaurant.

Amazing food & wine pairings. Dietary restrictions: Easily accommodated gluten & dairy food allergies. Food : 5/5 |

What a great discovery this restaurant is! All dishes were delicious. We will return and highly recommend it!

Food and service were really outstanding. Creative quisine based on local produce. Vegetarian options: Menue offers creative vegetarian choices in our case were also very interesting for the meat freaks. Wheelchair accessibility: Restaurant is accessible and staff is ready to help in a non-pretentous way wherever needed (e.g. lift onto the terrace, holding doors, etc.). Restroom is big enough for a manual weelchair but w/o handlebars.

Very noisy Decent food, nothing more Good effort to use Quebec products Value for money which seems rather unfavorable in my eyes But an interesting place otherwise

A perfect score on every visit! We have been going there for over 3 years now and it is undoubtedly a safe bet. The service is always courteous, the menu always surprising and the food always incredibly well presented and prepared. This restaurant is a gem!

Went for a celebratory dinner and sat at the chef s counter. We couldn t be more satisfied with the food, service and atmosphere. A wonderful secret place

Excellent all across. Funky wine pairings. The dessert option lacked some imagination.

There is probably nothing I got for my meal that I would have ordered on my own al a carte but I knew it was a fixed menu and knew ahead what I was getting , didn t understand but knew. For example yogurt peas and crab served hot are something you wouldn t think goes together, but yes it does. Fresh ingredients is an understatement (actually watched the staff go to the side of the building to cut herbs growing there.) Probably not worth talking about individual menu items because they change every month but it was a great experience and all excellent food.

Intimate restaurant with an innovative menu featuring local products and wines.

Revised for 2024: We ate outside. Staff is as friendly and knowledgeable as in 2019. Local ingredients and dishes as yummy. We ate outside and it was perfect. Still a great evening and well worth the time and expense. In the best of all possible worlds, you get to eat here. I can remember the flavor and texture of each course: a perfect scallop, in cream, with pepper and flowers. Brussels sprouts with apples and mint. Hen of the woods with roasted turnips and radishes. Sea bass with a tomato and edamame sauce. (My companion had a pheasant.) Lemongrass ice cream over crunchy wheat and a not-so-sweet maple cake and a pear compote. And the wine pairing was fabulous. The atmosphere was wonderful, the staff was charming. Just go.

Incredible food!! We sat at the bar, the staff was so friendly and it was fun watching them operate. The service was amazing and every course was absolutely on point. Best cocktail I had in Montreal, this was in the top 3 restaurants we ate at during our trip.

We chose this place for the terrace. Unfortunately they decided not to open it due to a very low risk of rain. However, all the terraces in the neighborhood were open. the interior is dark and noisy and it was very difficult to hear the waiters explanations. Furthermore, despite an addition of over $1000 for a group of 7, they added over $30 for sparkling water (homemade), which is very disappointing.

Good value for money. An excellent experience, not pretentious at all, relaxed, with a wood and brick decor. The unique 4-course formula changes every month and offers original dishes full of tastes adapted to the season. You eat better there than at Toqué, especially since the ingredients are mostly local. The mocktails also change and are excellent, as is the extensive wine list. Everything in this restaurant exudes the joy of living. The service is incredible, fast and extremely attentive. Alternatives to EACH dish will be offered in case of allergies or intolerance. The meal ends with a little surprise, in our case a honey tasting, a nice touch which adds to the excellent service of this restaurant.

Good food & nice service. Very cute and cozy atmosphere. The perfect balance in between chic and cozy. Loved the decor and vibe. Not a fan of Canadian wines, so would have loved a bit more European/French options, but we did end up finding something to our liking. Bread was amazing. Food was very good but not exceptional. We will come back.

5/5. You guys are amazing.

Amazing local food, excellent service, good wine selection. One of my favorite place in Montreal

Food was great, but selection were limited. It was set menu for us, party of eight. One of us was a vegetarian. Her selection wasn t great. Her main course was one of our appetizer with the same amount. we have been this place four times already this time the food choice were disappointed. It was good food.

An excellent restaurant that combines rock art and gastronomy, hidden behind a church, the location is perfect. The decoration is very tasteful and the service very pleasant. Special mention for the choice of wines where we were very well advised with each time the possibility of tasting two wines to better choose. The dishes were all very good, the dessert was exceptional. For the price, I still note that certain dishes, although very good, still lacked explosiveness. Still, I highly recommend, Candide is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants I have been to in Montreal.

Excellent restaurant, my new favorite place in Montreal. Everything was delicious, well presented, and well though out.

Unparalleled experience. We went there 3 weeks ago and loved everything about the main meal, the service and the venue. We appreciate the use of fresh and local products. The staff is friendly and takes care to present the dishes to us. We were lucky enough to have the snow crab as a starter, succulent. The mushroom starter was also exquisite. The cod and lamb as main course satisfied us. Only small disappointment with the dessert which stood out less and one of us had a scoop of ice cream as hard as cement. Oh yes, their bread is really excellent and offered unlimitedly!!

More concept than good food. Nice interior, competence service. Wine list is a bit obnoxious, dining companion and I both have a good knowledge of wine, including Quebec wines, and we didnt recognize anything. A few or even a lot of odd wines on a list are fine, but resto needs at least a couple well known vineyards. Menu looked good, cooking didnt match. Had rabbit, it was tough. Crab appy was good. Look, this is not a bad resto, but at this price point I expect much better.

Absolutely amazing and creative dishes, with well curated wine pairings. The food felt flawless and well thought out, very knowledgeable and warm staff

Food is great. Honey at the end was such a special touch. The service is amazing: friendly, kind, fast between courses, but you dont feel rushed at all. Would definitely recommend Candide for a great night out with really delicious food. Vegetarian options: They were super understanding and accommodating to provide a vegetarian menu, especially with my added inconvenience that I cant eat mushrooms. Dietary restrictions: Very understanding and kind.

Its difficult to find problems at Candide, the experience is complete, sought-after and of the highest quality, the chefs values are very strong and he offers them to you free of charge. The staff is trained and informed to perfection, the entire service is impeccable. The dishes and wines are mostly local, although imported of impeccable quality and each product is told its story. I am extremely impressed by the various homemade preserves prepared with care and in harmony with the meals. Vegetarian options: Once again the chef is very generous and knows how to make vegetable meals glorious. On the other hand, if the current meal is built around meat and there are no legumes or peas, it will be light in protein. Despite these small drawbacks I will return there for the experience. Dietary restrictions: It is easy to get gluten-free options for meals, however, the starchy foods provided for the meal are bread. So you will eat a delicious, but light meal.

Restaurant Candide offers a welcoming and intimate setting and it is clear that every detail is accounted for (down to luxurious candles burning throughout the restaurant). The staff was friendly and professional, balancing attentiveness while giving us space to enjoy our night seamlessly. The food was refreshing, thoughtful and surprising. I appreciate a slow deliberate meal, never feeling rushed nor forgotten. The smoked oysters were delightful and the sea bass was complimented perfectly with the mushrooms and fennel.

Excellent restaurant!

the best food and the best service!

Amazing tasting menu, good foods, good vibes, all women business!! Love

I dont understand whats the hype about this restaurant, I paid 300$ for my wifes birthday dinner for lettuce and carrots and a subpar beef dish. The service and the staff was amazing. Please if you think you want a nice restaurant that offers fine dining you can find better places for much less. Or any average restaurant will provide the same food for far less

Just wow!

Attentive staff, innovative tasting menu, farm to table creations using local ingredients, incredible flavours. Note - Restaurant is difficult to find.....they did say its at the back of the church. Take the regular roads and dont take the alleyways. Food

Really really good. A little hard to find but very interesting food and so good. The parsnip in tomato sauce appetizer was incredible. So was the arctic char. But the really killer part was the honey as the final, final course. Paired with a honey wine. Worth the price of admission itself. Highly recommended. Would absolutely go back.

Been here a few times over the years and the experience is always impeccable. The food is inventive, fresh, and delicious with a continuously changing menu. The staff are beyond sweet and knowledgeable. Absolutely recommend going whether youre a local or a tourist!

Disappointing...went due to a work event that was organized there. First, I didnt know about this restaurant and probably would never have gone there on my own. The restaurant is an open concept where you can see the action in the cooking area (that I thought smaller than a conventional restaurant kitchen). and uses Quebec sourced produce and ingredients Menu was confusing, and hard to understand waiters had to go to every table to explain it. I went along with some goose dish which I found bland. One of the waitress at our table was acting exasperated and her patience was short (almost yelling at me for not understanding the menu). A coworker and I observed that she was likely embittered, fortunately we had other waiters attending as well. I didnt appreciate the turn around in attitude from another waitress when I asked for salt and pepper, she mumbled something as if to scold me as I was requesting pepper which is not a local Quebec produce...still she got me some salt

Warm atmosphere, impeccable service and exceptional dishes! To discover

Dined here on a Friday night in the heart of winter. The food was good, but the first course (tomatoes, bottarga and parsnips) was a bit off the rails. I appreciate that they were trying something different, but in this case it just did not work. Everything else we ate was delicious though. And while the wine list was good I was hoping to see a bit more seasonally appropriate choices. Nothing was in the mold of a big bold red (some Northern Rhône Syrah would have been perfect). I felt they were just trying a little too hard to focus on the natural wine front. All in all I d go back because overall it was a good experience, but I might wait until summer to try again.

The service was a tad bit on the aggressive side. However the food was even worse. The flavors didnt marry, the size was minuscule. Overall the 300$ + bill left me feeling like I just got robbed.

Its good and original, The service is friendly, I really liked the setting.

Great place, really great! Incredible, the chef Joanne is very talented, really well done! I will definitely go back, thanks to the whole team.

Candide is simply exceptional. The setting is welcoming and warm, and the food is delicious. The dishes are prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients, which is evident in every bite. The service is attentive and professional, adding even more to the dining experience. Overall, I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an excellent meal in a pleasant environment.

Amazing dining experience and impeccable customer services. I strongly recommend the food and wine pairing to have a pure taste pleasure. Thank you to the whole team, we feel that there is a lot of research effort to allow us to have a great experience.

My boyfriend and I went to dinner at Candide for Valentines Day and we had a wonderful evening. The decor is very romantic and warm at the same time. Table service is very well coordinated between sommeliers, chefs and servers; as a customer we feel treated with care. Finally, in terms of food, there is nothing to complain about, everything was delicious and the pairing with the wines is really worth it! Dietary restrictions: Le Candide adapts to your dietary restrictions.

An absolutely wonderful culinary experience. The wine pairing is a must. The service was impeccable and each dish was exceptional. They made a small error in our dessert order and ended up bringing us an additional dessert and the wine pairings to make up for it, at no charge. While it is definitely pricey, I thought it was well worth it, and I would go back when I am able to afford it again. One of the best meals of my life for sure. Thank you to the candide team!

Candide is exceptional. My partner and I love to travel and try tasting menus w/ wine pairings and in our opinion, Candides may be the very best weve had - we thought it couldnt get any better after our visit last February, but Candide truly outdid themselves last weekend. The staff is friendly, professional, and knowledgeable, and the interior is very warm and beautiful. Highly recommend for a date night. Well be back for a 3rd time!

Beautiful place, excellent service, original and tasty set menu, and nice drinks menu

My favorite restaurant in Montreal. John Winter Russell has created a delicious, original, locally sourced, menu that he reinvents every month!! Incredible bread, perfect wine pairings and a laid back welcoming vibe. Perfect for a night out with friends or celebrating special occasions... Great, friendly service, always with a smile. A very unique and special place....

Warm welcome, excellent place for a 4-course dinner, unique menu of the month, fine cuisine for gourmets, very elaborate dishes, original and unique flavors, textures and tastes. Wine pairing recommended. Personalized and impeccable service, explanation offered, of the wines, origin, grape variety and anecdotes.

Local food Great wine list Suuuuuuuper cute place Youll end up paying 200$ per person but well worth it if you wanna experience what Montréal is all about Service impeccable with many waiters always available The bread is to die for and unlimited

Delightful fixed menu promoting fresh local ingredients. Kind staff & good service. Slightly overpriced and very small glasses of wine. I would recommend to add more than 1 white and 1 red wine per glass options. Location is tricky to find especially when there is a snow storm.

Excellent service, impeccable food and wine pairing.

We were at this restaurant on March 3, 2023 for dinner. The positive point is the service and the wine. Unfortunately these are the only positive points I will give. Generally speaking, all dishes lack originality from starter to dessert. Also, I find that the restaurant is very poorly located (behind the church)... especially if the sidewalks are icy (I almost fell several times). Our bill, over $330 for 2, prompted me to write this review. This is our second visit to this restaurant in 2 years, I think, and we come to the same observation.

Top 5 meals of my life. Food and wine pairing allows you to discover good wines. The service is impeccable, courteous and personalized. Fresh local and sophisticated cuisine

Great sommelier, wonderful warm food on a winter evening.

Excellent service. Tasting menu was competently done, but only dessert really surprised and delighted us. Probably still worth a second visit to try more of their extensive Quebecois wine list.

Excellent service, reasonable price for the quality. The food is very good but our main courses lacked the little kick that would make them exceptional. 4.5/5

Memorable evening at Candide where everything was perfect: the warm welcome, the atmosphere, the attentive and efficient service and above all the original, tasty, light cuisine based on local products. I recommend with pleasure!

Very pretty restaurant, very careful and original dishes. The kitchen accommodates all dietary restrictions. Vegetarian options: Vegan menu on request

Did my bf birthday at this restaurant. They only have 4 service with local ingredients. The food was delicious. The service was top notch. The waitresses and the cook who had served us were very professional and nice. If you would like something new and dont have think about what you would eat. I highly recommend this place for you. They always change there menu in each month with the local products. We did have an amazing night. My bf loved it. The restaurant is very cozy and the manager was very nice.

Update: April 2023 4th visit The food was excellent and significantly better than my last visit here , which I would guess was an off visit? Do get the wine pairing as I feel it really enhances the flavors of the dishes. The service is friendly as usual. I love the vibes of this place. Definitely a tasting menu restaurant to be on your map in Montreal July 2022: After having been 2 times the 3rd time was a bit disappointing, a couple of main courses were a bit unbalanced in terms of salt also one of the dishes honestly tasted like a Caesar salad. The best parts were the asparagus supplement and the dessert/ cheese. I will say that the wine pairings worked very well with the food and helped with the salt issue.

Very good restaurant! Very original menu with local Quebec products and a good choice of wine. The staff was just as friendly and had a great time.

I really loved it! My partner consumed the tasting menu with the wine. I dont like wine, so I had a surprise cocktail for each course. It was really delicious. Dietary restrictions: You just have to say it.

Visited this resto on our trip to Montreal and it was great food, wine paring is totally worth it and the service was lovely. Highly recommended

Fixed menu with option of wine pairings. Food was brilliant with flavours that delighted us from the first bite. Service was excellent - friendly and knowledgeable, with the sommelier service for the wine pairings particularly animated with interesting details. Best new place we ve gone to in years.

Still thinking about those oyster mushrooms (with avena nuda, Louis d Or) and the wonderful absinthe cocktail. The optional oyster with cream and jalapeño was a worthy accompaniment. Everyone was incredibly friendly and informative. Overall a very memorable experience.

The best meal I ve had all year. The service is also impeccable, everyone is so kind, they explain every dish and wine, and are so attentive as servers. I recommend this restaurant to anyone, but especially those who are celebrating a special occasion. I will remember my experience here for years to come.

Amazing meal! Delicious, cute environment, elevated. The wine pairing was spectacular as well! Very reasonable price. Google maps will lead you astray, but it s behind the church so walk through the park to arrive

exquisite dining experience! vibes are right with music, furnishings, bathroom hand soap. service is spectacular - the chef that prepares each dish is the one to run it to your table and describe it. the wine pairing was exciting - cutting edge and interesting selections. l loved it! Dietary restrictions: easily accommodated request for low lactose

One of our favorites in the city. Creative dishes from local ingredients, unpretentious but deliberate and delicious. Natural wines, emphasis again on local, enthusiastic som and thoughtful pairings. Highly recommended.

Some of the best food I ve eaten in a long time. Amazing staff and atmosphere, accommodating to dietary requirements and overall amazing value for money! If I lived in Montreal would visit again ASAP! Spectacular! The asparagus was incredible as an addition and the wine paring brilliantly complemented and refreshed with the courses. Couldn t recommend highly enough.

In a unique location with a set menu and wine pairings Delightful experience. Food

Unbelievable- the best meal of my life

I love Candide, I ve been a few times over the years and am consistently impressed by the wonderful food and incredible wine list. On my most recent visit, I just wish service had been the professional and top tier quality that I d come to expect. I just felt kind of, deeply unwanted for my 6:30 reservation on Friday 6/23. Rushed, hastily poured sediment into my glasses, given little time to choose between options Maybe it s because I asked to sit inside rather than outside for my reservation? Or maybe the heat was just getting to everyone! I d love to come back but I just wanna feel cozy and happy and not have every tactic possible used to push sale of more wine. Like, I get it but, chill. I just felt weird and written-off. Honestly, I hope the server was just over it and tired and it s a one-off that won t happen again.

Some of the most delicious food I ve ever tasted. Awesome atmosphere. Fun service staff.

Amazing menu and wine pairing with local ingredients only , Very nice hosts, we even got a tour of the wine cellar without even having to ask because we looked interested.

Great place

What a special place. I was so impressed by the unique flavor pairings, the respect and love for the ingredients, and the thoughtful menu progression. I had the wine pairing and it was perfect the staff knows each wine so well and selects wines that play into different aspects if each dish. Beyond the food, what really makes Candide special are the people running this place. They hosted our party of 12 for a bachelorette party and were so wonderful to work with. We loved our night here and I can t recommend this place enough.

Awesome experience

One of the best restaurants in the city. Passionate staff, thought out menu, and the best wine pairing.

Good food. Organic wine. So you have to be ready to taste different things.

Amazing ! No expectations, never heard of this little haven of peace before but what an experience! First look around the setting right in the middle of a neighborhood we find a small house between bricks and wood which reveals a superb open terrace. The building revisits the church and the country house with elements borrowed from the church such as the marble tables of the altar and wood of the furniture. So in this context we are served by a super warm, dynamic team and with a certain appreciable sense of humor. 4 courses from starter to dessert spaced far enough apart so as not to feel too full. Each dish is presented in full (with vegan options and others) and served in synchronization by each of the hosts. Its atypical. The ambient music is just as good. The products are fresh and each ingredient stands out in the mouth, a treat for the eyes and taste buds. Its expensive but the experience is worth it and Im not used to multi-course restaurants. Great!

Everything was perfect from the food to the impeccable & friendly service. Cant wait to go back! Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp inside front door to restaurant.

This is a fantastic restaurant and the tasting menu is a steal at $78. The only reason Im giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because when I went four years ago the last course was a giant portion of cheese. Were talking like a blocks worth of cheese. This was after a fairly long tasting menu too. Now, I grew up on a dairy farm and I dont believe in letting a cows hard work go to waste (not to mention I wasnt sure on the etiquette around getting a doggie bag of cheese from a fine dining establishment) so I went ahead and ate that whole blocks worth of cheese. I promptly went home a threw up the whole thing into the toilet in multiple cheesy streams. And no, I hadnt been drinking. The idea that any person should be made responsible for eating so much cheese (and its attendant cow-labour) is monstrous. Other than that a terrific experience.

Get night out with friends. If you want an experience of high dinning and food food. Dietary restrictions: The waiter asked if we had any allergies. Before taking our order.

So fun and cool. Excellent meal, cant wait to go back!

Amazing vibe.

We sat at the bar for the august menu amazingly delicious experience! The fresh tomatoes and kohlrabi will haunt my dreams forever. Excellent local wine pairings served by knowledgeable staff, combined with a homey feel, elevate this prix fixe experience to a whole new level. A MUST EAT if you like fine dining.

I enjoyed the restaurant, but not enough to say Ill be back. Very expensive, I left hungry $450 later for two people.

Lively atmosphere with attentive and knowlegeable staff serving gorgeous food. Easily accommodated gluten and dairy free needs.

Sat outside and enjoyed an incredible meal with wine pairing. They really celebrate ingredients and wines from Quebec - love it!

Even without the wine pairing this was easily the best meal these two traveling foodies have had. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Lord willing, we will be back.

I was so impressed by the food, service and decor at Candide. There were 6 of us for dinner and two of us had the vegan menu. It did not disappoint. Normally, vegan food is a second thought and a subpar option relative to the set offering. But this wasnt the case for candide. Every course was just as divine as the meat / dairy options. Thank you for catering for everyone! You rock. Vegetarian options: The vegan food is incredible!!

Tucked away at the back of a church this restaurant is truly a hidden gem. We sat at the chefs table and were able to see all the food being prepared and ask the chefs more details about the food. We had the wine pairing menu which was excellent. Our server was very accommodating as one of the wines was not to our taste and they quickly replaced it with an excellent choice. The flavours in each course were delicious and made want to savour every bite. We will definitely be returning to Restaurant Candide again.

A great time spent with the family for our sons birthday. I particularly appreciated the little attentions and adjustments that were made regarding my food intolerances. The service was very efficient and friendly: it was very pleasant. Compared to the cuisine, the starter with broccoli and the raspberry dessert were to die for, the other dishes were a little below. But it was nice to eat local, fresh and characteristic products from Quebec.

Amazing experience! The staff are super friendly, the service is flawless and the food is amazing. Highly recommended. Wheelchair accessibility: Accessible by wheelchair.

To call it a meal is an understatement, the meal experience was amazing.Delicious local ingredients paired with organic wines. Staff were knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Highly recommend

I write reviews less than once a year, and only for exceptional experiences. This was one. In terms of price point to food, this is fine dining at an incredible value, ~$CAN 78 at the time of this writing for the tasting menu. The food is impeccable farm to table with great layering of flavors. The service is on point - as an example, they time placing all the plates on the table at the same point for every course. Our waitstaff was bubbly, engaging, and could have sold me on anything. Finally, the atmosphere is wonderful - tucked away, almost hidden, at the back of a church, with wonderful warm lighting, wooden tables without white tablecloths. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Its rare that Im so impressed by a place. Everything was perfect, nothing to complain about. The food was simply delicious. Dishes that can sometimes seem simple, surprise with the depth and richness of their flavors. Also, I have never seen a restaurant adapt dishes so brilliantly based on allergies and dietary restrictions. The food and wine pairings (even for me who is not very organic wine) were to die for. Very attentive and friendly service. All the employees take care of the table. Never need to wait long. Very pleasant and unexpected atmosphere for a church basement. To the whole team, hats off.

I was getting jealous of chef as Ive indulged myself on very wholesome dishes full of fresh ingredients that complemented so well with each other. He could have charged much more for course menu, but I ve realized that it is an anchor institution to the community and the chef doesn t care about money cause he s an OG.

Really top notch food and service, very attentive and friendly. Food was incredible, highly recommended!

MAKE - reservation. The flavors are unique and every dish was divine. The stuff makes you feel good. Food : 5/5 |

The place is great, the food was wonderful, the attention to details was amazing. Definitely a must if you are visiting Montreal as the cuisine represents perfectly the best of the region.

The service is professional, impeccable and friendly. The dishes are always delicious. They agreed to accommodate an allergy without problem. This is my favorite address, for those occasions when I want to treat myself. Dietary restrictions: They accommodated a complicated garlic allergy without a problem.

Go for: a roller-coaster culinary experience with local produce and game meat that you didnt think was possible to have. Avoid if: youre going out for dinner on a budget. Something surprising: sitting at the bar was the right choice, with direct service and descriptions from the chefs and lots of conversation with the rest of the staff. Reservation needed? Yes, highly recommended Overall Experience: 5/5. Each course on the menu was surprisingly delicious, the wine pairings were truly unique and actually made sense when consumed with the food, and the entire staff was engaging, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun. Value for Price: 4 Sanitation: 5 Food Quality: 5 Menu Precision: 5 Service Quality: 5 Timing: 5 Decor: 4 Access: 3 5 among the best 4 strong 3 not too bad 2 mediocre 1 never again

This restaurant is astonishingly good. When I see prix fixe, my expectations immediately go up, and yet, Candide shattered every one of them. Entering the cozy setting, you are greeted and treated warmly and genuinely. The service is attentive and generally outstanding. But even if it wasn t, this would ve been a transcendent experience. I m a touring musician with a love of food, and as such have been lucky enough to eat at some really great places all over the world. But I can say without hesitation that this was one of the best. Each of the dishes, and the wine that paired with them, were flawless. A perfectly considered balance of texture, flavor, richness, sharpness, and portion. Each dish was one of the most delicious versions of that thing I ve ever had. And to cap it all off, the price was reasonable. About $100 US per person for four courses with wine pairings. I would have happily paid a lot more for this meal. If you re still reading, JUST GO!!

If you love good food, execution and the movie The Menu (in the best way) please go to this restaurant. I dont think I could fault a single thing. Service was outstanding. Every course was delicious. And every wine pairing was unique, fitting and delicious. The team is wonderful and you can tell they love what they do. 11\10. Go! Ask questions! Also sit at the bar and thank me later.

Very disappointed - food taste like frozen made hot in microwave. To avoid.

Pro tip: Don t be an idiot like me and try going through the front doors. Candide is situated at the back. Facing the front there s a walkway to the left that will lead you to a porch with an outdoor patio with hanging lights. We really appreciated our experience at Candide. From the locally sourced produce and livestock to the every changing menu you have to appreciate their mission to provide the best available options in a sustainable manner. From beginning to end our four course meal provided hit after hit. There were no bad plates and we made sure to clean our plates as best as possible. We were extremely satisfied after our last bite and would definitely consider going back the next time we visit Montreal.

Spectacular food, outstanding hospitality. Living in Amsterdam, were quite used with great food. Candide was beyond our expectations and definitely one place to remember and return to! Thank you all for your warmth and professionalism. A++

The most wonderful experienceé 11/10

Came here with friends, tried to enjoy it but just had an okay time. This place needs to be booked in advance. However, the menu changes often, so you never know what you are going to get. The menu is just two choices (fish or meat and for dessert either sweet or one-piece of cheese). I was faced with really tough choices as I immediately did not like either choice in our case, Peckerel fish or Guinea fowl. There are NO other options you can order, if not for our friends, I probably would have left before ordering. We had Brussel sprouts as first, and mussels over a bed of yogurt (what a wired combination of ingredients!!) For main course my wife chose Peckerel ( I personally dont like fresh water predator fish) and it was barely eatable with little fish meat and lots of skin fish , I chose guinea fowl (it was stiff like yesterdays reheated chicken). The tasting menu is offered with wine paring ($56) , i asked the waiter what are the wines and she could not recite it from memory, but said that there were 4 glasses of 3 oz each, one of them was a sweet wine and one orange. That sealed a d decion for me not to take parings. We decided to just order wine by glass, although they have quite an extensive wine list. There is only 1 white, 1 red, 1 rose, and 1 bubbly on the list by glass. For dessert, i took cheese (way too salty). I probably should have chosen the sweets. The only dish I really enjoyed was the Brussel sprouts appetizer. On the positive note, all the waiters and chefs were SUPER nice, friendly and accommodating. Not sure i will be back soon. Either I need a more predictable menu choices at the time of booking a few days in advance or more choice besides the tasting menu. Last point ... although set in historical building, the cieling in dining room is low, with full attendance it is hard to hear people even across the table and the noise is amplified by low cieling and close proximity of other diners.

Impeccable food and service! Can feel the passion for food and local ingredients! Thank you for sharing your passion!

We sat at the bar and witnessed all the synchronization of the dishes and the attention to detail of the team. They are extremely attentive to small details and everything appears on the plate. It s a cuisine that is constantly renewing itself and the desire to come back too. The atmosphere is frankly pleasant, unpretentious, something that I particularly appreciate, as is the choice of beers like Auval, which we find very rarely.

Truly excellent dining experience all around - great service, food was remarkable, and the drink/wine pairings were very thoughtful. Would recommend to anyone wanting a unique, delicious dining experience. We sat at the high tops and was fun to see the food prepared and interact with the staff. Bartender Sam was phenomenal!

The service was impeccable and the ingredients very fresh. Negative point: we visited the restaurant during a heatwave and the restaurant did not have air conditioning. Despite the great experience, the heat was not pleasant.

Thoughtful, fresh, and passionate cooking here at Candide. The flavors of the season shine in every dish. Every vegetable unlocks its secret magic. The asparagus with sorrel and lovage butter had a clear smoke tone to the grilled asparagus, and the unctuous butter was cut perfectly by the tangy sour bite of sorrel. The gem lettuce salad featured brown butter croutons that were actually the right size to eat with lettuce. The peas! Sweet and crispy peas swimming in rich lobster sauce, topped with broccoli, again perfectly grilled. Both the pork and halibut dishes were well balanced with sauteed, glazed, and raw elements, and both dessert options featured special and harmonious flavors. If we lived in Montreal, wed try to come every month to try every menu.

Hands down our favourite restaurant in Montreal. Incredible seasonal menu with fun wine pairings. The perfect pick for a special evening!

Loved everything! Creative, fun and very interesting. Must try the whole dining experience with the wine pairings.

Great vegetable forward food; I have been coming here for years. Note: the entrance is not on Rue Richmond, but off a footpath behind the church

Amazing experience! Loved learning about where the food and wine came from and everything was delicious. Dietary restrictions: Very accommodating.

The best

This is now our favourite restaurant in Montreal. The location and decor is lovely yet relaxed. The service is exceptional. The sommelier (Vincent) delightfully paired the most unique wines to our dishes. Finally the food, absolutely amazing and also unique. What a breath of fresh air to have a set menu with local ingredients, some literally on their property. It s a set menu that changes almost monthly based on seasonal ingredients. Candide sets itself apart from nearby Griffintown restaurants by offering unique delightful dishes in a beautiful unpretentious environment.

Outstanding service and a truly entertaining sommelier.

A lovely secluded spot. Wonderful prix fixe menu. Stunning salad, excellent second course (tomatoes, eggplant puree), good halibut. Dessert was tasty but not as exceptional as the first 2 courses. Pleasant service. Note it is behind a large church, not easy to find!

This place was incredible. The service, the people, the food we sat a the bar facing the kitchen and had such a fun time talking to staff and getting recommendations from them. I will recommend this place to all of my friends who visit Montreal!

Amazing culinary experience in a gorgeous setting. The staff went over and beyond to provide an unforgettable experience. Probably one of the best restaurants in Montreal.

Experience unique ,

If I could have given it 7 stars out of 5, I would have! Everything was delicious: food, drinks, atmosphere, service! In these difficult times when everyone is looking for workers, that didnt appear at Candide. We clearly experienced the passion of the people of this establishment throughout our evening. After several comments about their excellent bread, a discussion led us to obtain their process and leave with some of their sourdough (Michel Levin.. haha). In what other establishment can we do this? I only have positive things to mention and I cant wait to go back!

friendly and good service

Based upon the great reviews, I came with high expectations to the Labor Day Vegan Brunch. Unfortunately, my expectations were way beyond reality: 1) Ive purchased a pre-paid Baddies Brunch package, which mentioned a Tea Tower, however Ive not offered any. I was offered only coffee as a desert, even though Ive specifically mentioned to the waitress that I would like to have whatever is included in the package. 2) The Ultimate Savory Waffle was way too spicy for me; so spicy that Ive finished the whole bottle of water, but has never been offered a refill (the restaurant was NOT crowded). 3) The Mini Sweet and Savory Fritter Stack did not have any special worthy taste, and there was no maple or other syrup around to make those tasty (I was shocked by the lack of taste, so Ive not even though about asking for such). I just felt that those filled me totally , but was less happy about the quality of those. 4) Other than the above, the service was OK. --- Finding the place was an ordeal, and not only for me. If you need to navigate there, keep in mind that its in the middle of a park, which was challenging for some people. I found myself frustrating, circling the area, asking around, prior to eventually got it. I was happy that Ive allocated some spare time ahead.

Really happy with the evening. What a great dining experience! The charlines were excellent. Very good service. Very attentive! Thanks again!

Our dinner at Candide was one of the best dining experiences Ive had in Montreal. Each dish was delicious, impeccably plated, and generously portioned. We opted for the wine pairings, which was a delightful experience given the sommelier took us on a journey with each course. And the staff were friendly and extremely attentive. Im looking forward to returning to try a different menu!

Superb little restaurant: a fixed menu (~$70), with or without an assortment of wines to accompany each dish (~$50). They tell us the history of the wines, and detail the dishes which, with great finesse, bring together sets of flavors that are sometimes unexpected but always well thought out! The staff are pleasant, the food exceptional: Candide is an experience not to be missed, with a fixed menu each month, prepared using local produce down to the smallest detail (an excellent sourdough bread, of which they kindly offered a few slices for my lunch the next day as I was leaving). It wasnt my first dinner there, it wont be my last!

A beautiful moment A beautiful place with a unique menu changed every month based on seasonal products. The cuisine is refined and delicious. The cooks bring you the dishes themselves and explain them to you. You can have an assortment of wines, and each glass will be best suited to the dish. Each time a poetic sommelier comes to tell you his story. Really very very good

Perfect for a date night. Set menu by month I think? Price is reasonable for the quality of the dishes. Some of the chefs brought our dishes out and you can sense the love they put into it. Every dish was sensational. We loved the broccoli entree - the best broccoli Ive ever had.

Food was good - dessert was mediocre -we did the wine pairing and the pairing was good - but at 52.00 per person and about 2 ounces of wine per course (4 courses) - you are looking at about 32.00 for a normal 5 oz glass of wine. Not sure it was worth 280,per couple (that includes tip)

An incredible restaurant and quality, unpretentious service. The plates follow each other and surpass each other, the servers are all attentive to the smooth running of the evening. The wines proposed for the wine/meal pairing are finely and perfectly adequately chosen. I recommend Le Candide without any hesitation.

I had a great tasting menu experience. The food was interesting, the flavors were well put together and satisfying. Great service and nice atmosphere.

One of the highlights of our entire trip! Fantastic food paired with good wine, services, and vibes. It s a little hard to find - directions took us to the church right on the street, but you want to walk around to the back of it.

Vegetarian options: Disponible.

Sublime Candide. Definitely my favorite restaurant and my best culinary discovery of 2022 in Montreal! The atmosphere is very warm, the service is excellent and the dishes are always stunning!

One of the best restaurants I have been to. Excellent service with amazing food that you can tell has been prepared with great care and consideration. Dietary restrictions: Since I was pregnant the waitress was very knowledgeable about what each dish contained. They also make amazing vigin cocktails.

Wonderful service, amazing food and very cozy! Highly recommend.

Delicious gourmet restaurant. 4-course menu with two choices of main courses and two choices of dessert. Their menu is based on products from Quebec and the Maritimes at all times. The wine list is very good and the advisor is super friendly. Excellent value for money

Great and affordable tasting menu in the heart of Griffintown. Farm to table concept with only quebec products. Loved that we were allowed a half pairing of wine, great sommelier, impeccable service and delicious food. Would definitely recommend this place.

Good service. The menu is good, but very inflexible.

Memorable experience! We discover new flavors there and we take pleasure in listening to the stories of the food and wine pairing. All in a warm atmosphere!

A superb culinary experience where the food and the people are great ! Each wine was presented with a nice story on how it was made and the food was a savoury mix of texture and taste Recommended dishes

The menu was fixed so we couldnt select just a main dish or an appetizer. Although service was excellent, I didnt enjoy a single plate, the desert was especially bad. The spoonful of honey at the end was the bad icing on the cake. Also hard to find as it is at the back of the cathedral/Salon Richmond where the GPS leads. Has the potential to be good as ingredients are fresh and of good quality, too bad they just dont mix well together... Expensive for how bad it was

I had a lovely time at the bar looking in to the kitchen, where staff were above all professional and kind with each other even as service picked up. The oyster and mussel dishes were top notch, as were the interesting wines recommended by staff. Was a little underwhelmed by the mushroom dish.