Cantine Emilia (Le Central) in Montreal

30 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0C8, Canada

★★★★☆
(80 reviews)
Categories: Portuguese restaurant
Website
cantineemilia.com
Address
30 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0C8, Canada
Plus Code
GC5P+RC Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Time Zone
America/Toronto

Business Hours

Sunday
12–8 PM
Monday
11 AM–10 PM
Tuesday
11 AM–10 PM
Wednesday
11 AM–10 PM
Thursday
11 AM–10 PM
Friday
11 AM–11 PM
Saturday
11 AM–11 PM

Services

Service options
Delivery Takeaway Dine-in
Offerings
Alcohol Beer
Dining options
Lunch Dinner Dessert
Amenities
Toilets
Atmosphere
Casual
Crowd
Groups
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards

Photos

Reviews

3.7
★★★★☆
80 reviews

Most Mentioned

poutine (9) hot sauce (7) vegan (6) chicken burger (5) spicy (5) portuguese chicken (3) succulent (3) order (2) bowl (2) appetite (2)
5 stars
44
4 stars
9
3 stars
5
2 stars
5
1 stars
17
★★★★
November 15, 2024

I enjoy going to Le Central as I find that there is something for everyone, thus it is easy to please a big group and the place is always very lively. It is a bit pricey though and Cantine Emilia is similar, you can get cheaper Portuguese food, but the quality is good. I got the leg meal and it was good, a lot of rice but a pretty standard portion of chicken and the price was reasonable. The spicy sauce was great but it is not that spicy even if they say it is, so if you can handle some spiciness, go for it.

September 28, 2024

At Le Centrale..we had the shrimp and chicken combo with rice and salad..I can honestly say this is the worst food I think I've ever eaten in Montreal! Considering my bill with food, one beer and tax was about $38..I'll never eat there again...really disappointed...usually Portuguese chicken is good..the shrimp was under-cooked and the chicken was all dark meat and fatty YUCKK!!

★★★★
September 14, 2024

Tried their chicken dish for lunch. It’s in Le Central food court and could be crowded. Food was tasty and good volume. More on pricy side for fast food though.

★★★★
September 14, 2024

We liked the setting and how many options were inside- very relaxed and everyone could get something they liked. We ordered the spicy chicken and shrimp with rice and salad. The food was great, with a good amount of spice. The girl working the counter was not the friendliest though and was off putting.

★★★★★
July 6, 2024

Like the whole cantine atmosphere. The food is good and filling

★★
May 4, 2024

We paid more to take out the chicken & shrimp rice bowl, only to find out upon reaching home that we were given the cheaper chorizo instead of shrimp. We were cheated. Chicken was nice.

★★★
July 4, 2022

Huge portions. Not a lot of meat but the Maria Emilia (spicy) tasted amazing. The French Fries are too salty.

★★★★
November 6, 2019

Great piri-piri seasoning and the fries are really good. They have three different brands of Portuguese beer and wines and you can have fruit juices from Portugal. Natas are the dessert option. Smiley service. A great option in this new trendy food corner concept that is Le Central in the Place des Festival area.

Local Guide
December 21, 2024

Sauce so salty, the poutine is almost inedible. There must have been at most 8 mini pieces of cheese in it. Tsé, when you can count the number of droppings in your poutine, its not poutine. It cost me $27 with the guilt tip. I didnt have anything to drink, just the chicken poutine.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 23, 2024

Fast counter, they also serve bottled and canned beer.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Always so delicious and quick!

★★★★
September 23, 2024

The food was tasty and nice, yet I wished they had an English menu as well.

★★★★★
July 23, 2024

Ive eaten there a few times already and ordered on Uber Eats; Each time, I was extremely satisfied with the portions, the presentation of the dishes and the incredible flavors of their menu: chicken, rice, salad, delicious sauces.

★★★★★
July 23, 2024

Dish for 2 with an average appetite! Delicious

★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

The food was pretty good they do have good chicken as youd expect. What I did also expect was for the kitchen staff to respect minimum hygiene. Staff answers his phone with his bare hands then proceeds to prepare food with the same unwashed hand..

May 23, 2024

Tiny chicken breast with bones, not notified when order is ready

★★★★★
April 23, 2024

The foods are amazing and the service is very good also . Highly recommend for everyone.

★★
April 23, 2024

2 small black hairs in my dish today: Chicken Miguel. I was so digusted will never go back. People in the kitchen should ensure to wear hair and beard nets. Food

★★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

The chicken is very dry and even burnt. Not comparable to Romados or Sissy Hen.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Unfortunately, the chicken was dry, the sauce was like tomato paste and the fries were chewy. Usually its still good. I dont think Ill go back there.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Being a burger lover. The crispy chicken burger is amazing and very tasty with fries. Delicious. Thank you. Great place for a hangout. Name: Le Tio Celso FOLLOW FOR MORE

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

The vegan burger Tia Fatima is excellent. I recommend it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Fast delivery and delicious!

December 23, 2023

Food is meh, service is terrible. The portions are small for the price, which is way too expensive.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Amazing Fatima vegan chicken burger!! The flavors are soooo well balanced and the vegan chicken patty is so tasty. Just know that the mayo isnt vegan (we left it out). Will definitely come back soon :)

December 23, 2023

I ordered chicken and the taste was very ordinary. It was cooked chicken but it didnt taste like Portuguese. In fact, it is a restaurant that is far from representing true Portuguese cuisine.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I had the chicken and chorizo bol and it was delicious! Pastel de nata for desert is a must!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

In the business of creating mouthwatering food :)

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

So I just had the worst meal in Montreal. I didn t prepare any food for lunch at work so hoped to take something yummy. I took a salad with grilled chicken in this cantine. Chicken was too dry, there were strange unexpected things inside like a piece of fries and sausage I asked for extra sauce because even from the beginning it looked very dry but it didn t save the situation. Plus: there are a looot of onions so the rest of the day I have to avoid my collègues. I mean I cook every day and know for sure- to spoil a salad this much you have to work hard on it. I can t get it The food should be tasty. Please, please! I know you can do that.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great vegan meal! Tia Fatima! Recommend

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

LOVE their vegan chicken burger and the fries are reallyyyyy good !

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

This is one of the best poutines I ve ever had. Le Central is a really cool environment where you can get lots of different cuisines. Cantine Emilia is fast and delicious.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Excellent salad and original homemade chips

December 23, 2023

Very shocked by my visit on August 16, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. The young Arab employee who was at the cash register disrespected a customer. Saying stupid words is very unprofessional.

December 23, 2023

Dry chicken, soggy fries and hot beer Americanized cuisine.

December 23, 2023

Ordered a chicken burger and found a hair in my burger patty. Nothing really Portuguese about it either. Completely lost my appetite. Won t recommend at all.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Tried vegan sandwich the spicy one ( must try)it was really scrumptious, along with classic poutine, overall food was really good with friendly service

★★★
December 23, 2023

Sandwich just ok, asked for spicy but far from being so. Chorizo popcorn? Pieces of sausage cut into small cubes and fried, that s it disappointing. Amazing fries!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great chicken sandwiches with Piri Piri sauce!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Excellent service! Fries quite good and generous.

★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Our order never rang on the small terminal we were given so we ate cold. Lets say that cold it wasnt great...The fries are so salty that its the equivalent of eating a handful of salt. When its hot maybe its good, well never know. The next day I was sick... One and done.

December 23, 2022

Ridiculous attitude. After I paid, I didn t even want the food anymore.

December 23, 2022

I ordered a chicken breast wedge and on my plate was the equivalent of two chicken wings, for top dollar and when I asked for more chicken for my money they sent me packing!! ! If I could give less than one star I would give -10 stars, if you eat in the central go elsewhere you would get your moneys worth, avoid this Portuguese canteen there, or try the one in the village on St-Catherine ELLE the plates are of the value!!!

Local Guide
December 23, 2022

The chicken was well seasoned, but very dry, the opposite you would expect from a good Portuguese chicken. Fries seemed like they were cooked in old oil and far from the nice golden fries, didn t taste good. The salad was ok. Campo is still the place to go for good and fast Portuguese chicken.

★★
December 23, 2022

Our experience was ordinary. The cashier didnt seem to want to be there. No enthusiasm, no hello or thank you. As for the food, I found it very salty. At least the price was reasonable.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Great hospitality by some wonderful people. Food is amazing. Have to try the natas!

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

The food is very tasty , the location is nice , and the service is really good. I recommend you try it out!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Amazing poutine!

Local Guide
December 23, 2022

The food is overcooked. Think twice if your going to eat at this place. They served rice partially uncooked and the chicken is often burned. I was eating a Bols Emilia and what a disappointment

★★★
December 23, 2022

Took a long time even though they had no line. Food is good, not great.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Portuguese pork sandwich was wonderful- lovely soft bread, right amount of sauce and lots of flavorful meat. Chicken bowl was also great. Half flavorful rice and half salad in a light dressing, covered in a wonderfully cooked and spiced chicken. Might have to go back to try the poutine

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Super quick service (less than 5 min) and great food. Highly recommand

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Great service!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Nice menu, good taste, and even better service! I asked for a non-spicy plate and I was not expecting what I got (I have a very low tolerance). I realized that it was all about my expectation and not because they made a mistake. My fault. But for my surprise, some minutes later the chef came to my table with a plain, no-sauce plate. Wow! Nice touch. That gesture is worth more than what I paid for my menu.

December 23, 2022

At that price its a ridiculous joke. 25$ for a salad and a drink. The chicken in my salad was either rotten or their recipe is just bad. Very gross.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Delicious, nothing else to say. Merchandise and tastes that brought me back to Portugal.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

ordered on uber eat , very fast delivery and the chicken was still hot , very good tasty Portuguese chicken the best .

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

So delicious loved the vegan chicken le tia Fatima, with hot sauce, yummy the beer is good too great service

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

The chicken is very good. Similar to 3 legged chicken. The fries were okay. The service was very good.

December 23, 2021

Order for delivery, requested without hot sauce...unfortunately the hot sauce was on it anyway, and the chicken did not have the smoky taste characteristic of the bbq cooking of the famous Portuguese chicken...and then the fries...sorry but the worst fries Ive had to taste, tasteless and uninteresting... a big disappointment, I hope for them it was just a bad evening.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Very good poutine with chicken and spicy sauce. Le Central offers interesting table configurations.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Delicious chicken and friendly service! When I mentioned how much I love the Sao Jorge cheese but can t find it in Montreal (any suggestions?) they gave me a little container for free. Also - they have Sumol!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

We were very happy with the meals! One of the best Portuguese chicken in town, savory, soft to the point...the tart is quite good, not too sweet like in other Portuguese restaurants. The poutine and fried chicken balls are very tasty combination, great experience! The portions are hearty!

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Wow, the La Maria Emilia poutine was outstanding!

★★★★★
December 23, 2020

Its been 3 times that I have taken the leg, salad and fried with the sweet Emilia sauce, succulent each time. The chicken is tender and the skin crispy, the salad is superbly good and the fries are simply wonderful. I take my meal to the West Shefford brasserie where I top it off with a good American IPA beer. Wow, that s a great start to an evening.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

Spent 4 nights in Montreal and ate here 2 of those nights because it was so good! Had to google a lot of French words to figure out what to order. I ll save you some time: Demi-poulet! Do it!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

I really like the sauce on the chicken, just way too much fries.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

Succulent! The hot sauce really is, but removing the skin works great!

★★★★★
December 23, 2020

We ordered on two occasions through Uber Eats and it was delicious. The chicken was excellent and the spicy sauce was delicious. The fries are well seasoned, we recommend!

★★★★★
December 23, 2020

The natas are simply delicious. The poutines are generous, seasoned fries, thick sauce, very spicy. Well-roasted chicken and tasty Chorizo. Helpful and friendly staff. Fresh cheese of the day in good quantity.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

La saveur portugaise à découvrir uniquement dans le quartier despectacles Le Central !! / The Portuguese flavor to discover only in Le Central quartier despectacles !! / Das portugiesische Flair nur im Le Central Quartier despectacles zu entdecken !! / El sabor portugues a descubrir solo en Le Central quartier despectacles !!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

I got the Sandwich which was very good with cheese curds. They warned me that it can be spicy so I opted for medium and it s just right. I swapped the fries for a salad which I ve left for later. But they also gave me a tart with my order which I truly appreciate. All in all, a good spot for a quick pick up for delicious food.