Damas
Located in the corner of Avenue Van Horne and Avenue Bloomfield sits this authentic Syrian eatery. The beautiful lantern-lit restaurant features charming Middle-Eastern décor and a delectable choice of food. Damas’ distinctive interior, including an open kitchen and dim lighting, contributes to its relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The sophisticated and unusual blend of spices in Damas’ food adds to the unique appeal of the restaurant. It is most famously known for its “Five service tasting menu to share,” which consists of a blend of different meats and spices. Furthermore, Damas’ simple dishes, such as hummus and falafel, ooze with flavour. The restaurant is on the costly side, with prices ranging from $7 to $23 for appetizers, and $26 to $65 for main courses. However, the quality of food and service make it worth every penny. Considered as one of the top Middle-Eastern restaurants in Montreal, Damas knows how to make sure its customers leave with their appetites satisfied.
Thanjai Restaurant
Thanjai Restaurant, located on Avenue Van Horne and Avenue Victoria, is an informal eatery that wins the race when it comes to authentic South Indian food. The rich cuisine and informal atmosphere of the restaurant make it a relaxed and tasty place to eat. Thanjai is most well known for its incredible dosas—crepes made from fermented rice and lentils. It specializes in over 50 different types of dosas, with masala dosa topping the list as the most popular choice. Furthermore, with prices ranging from $11 to $30, Thanjai offers generous portions for a relatively low cost. Thanjai is the spot to fulfill your masala and spice cravings with exceptional quality food.
Khyber Pass
Located on Avenue Duluth East and Rue Berri, Khyber Pass is a well-known Afghan restaurant in Montreal. Its wooden exterior, as well as indoor standing heaters, makes it a unique and cozy place to eat. The restaurant is dimly lit and the decor authentic; there is a map of Afghanistan as well as traditional clothing hung on the brick walls. The food is extremely rich in flavour, and comes with large portion sizes. Khyber Pass is most famous for their mouth-watering and delicious meats, such as its Mourg Kabab and Chopan Kabab. Additionally, the restaurant’s BYO-bottle option is a fun way for customers to save money and enjoy their preferred drinks.
Ceviches
Nestled among the quieter streets of the Plateau Mont-Royal is a quaint little Caribbean and Latin American restaurant called Ceviches. This family-run restaurant hosts a very hospitable ambience—its staff are known to be extremely welcoming and attentive, and the owner of the restaurant, Luis, is always present and conversing with his customers. The restaurant has some of the best ceviche in town, with the option to build it yourself by picking your own choice of seafood and sauces. Additionally, Ceviches has a wide variety of dishes to choose from, fish, chicken or cheese empanadas, to cassava fries and chorizo sandwiches. Their items have large portion servings and are priced from $11 to $30, making it an affordable place to eat with family and friends.
Nil Bleu
Nil Bleu restaurant, on Avenue des Pins East and Saint-Denis, is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant. The restaurant provides a vegetarian-friendly menu, and includes gluten-free options as well. Nil Bleu has a modern décor, full of East African inspired paintings and music. A staple at Nil Bleu is injera—a flatbread made from a grain called teff—which is high in protein, amino acids and fiber, and makes up two thirds of the diet in Ethiopia. The restaurant’s highlight is its tasting menu for two, which provides several delicious appetizers and a variety of delectable main dishes to try, such as appetizers of caramelized vegetables with Ethiopian spices, and main course like Yebeg Key Watt, which is lamb in berbere sauce. Nil Bleu also serves other African dishes apart from Ethiopian, on their table d’hôte menu. This menu serves up dishes such as Senegalese yassa-grilled chicken with lemon, mustard and African herbs sauce, and tilapia with red peppers, ginger and coconut-based sauce, hailing from Ivory Coast. Nil Bleu is the perfect restaurant to go to if you’re in the mood to explore new, unique and diverse cuisine.
