Restaurant in Montreal, Canada
Plateau's best-value ambitious kitchen. Book it.
Le Violon holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and a Google rating of 4.6 from 301 reviews, making it one of Montreal's most credible $$$ openings in recent years. Co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren run a seasonal, produce-led menu in a well-designed Plateau Mont-Royal room. Book 2-3 weeks out; the soft-serve sundae is non-negotiable.
If you came once when Le Violon opened in summer 2024 and left impressed, come back. The kitchen has had time to settle, the seasonal menu has turned over, and the restaurant is now operating with the confidence of somewhere that knows exactly what it is: a Michelin Plate-recognised room in the Plateau Mont-Royal where precise, market-driven cooking is delivered without the formality or price ceiling of Montreal's top-tier tasting-menu circuit. At $$$, it sits in a tier where value expectations are high and the kitchen meets them.
Le Violon earns its Michelin Plate (2025) through cooking that is technically careful without being showy. Co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren, alongside chef de cuisine Sara Raspa, run a menu built around close relationships with local producers, farmsteads, and coastal fisheries. The result is a kitchen that changes with the seasons in a way that actually registers on the plate rather than just on the menu copy.
Right now, as colder months take hold, the menu moves toward heartier territory: mussels served with Irish stout bread baked daily in-house, Presbytère cheddar custard, and charcoal-grilled Ferme d'Orée lamb chops marinated in anchoïade, served with La Valletta chickpeas and tomato broth. These are dishes that carry the weight of winter without losing the kitchen's characteristic restraint. In warmer months, the same relationships with producers yield different results: bluefin tuna from the Gaspé paired with heirloom tomatoes, gnocchi tossed in pesto from Parcelles' farm greens. The pantry changes; the precision doesn't.
The menu's range reflects Smiles' dual Italian and Egyptian heritage, which means beef tartare prepared kibbeh nayeh-style sits alongside gnocchi in cavolo nero sauce, monkfish fish and chips, and gochujang-glazed sweetbreads. This is not a restaurant with an identity crisis; it is one that draws on a genuinely broad culinary reference set and edits it with a clear hand. Wine director Esme Millar's list is built around smaller producers, balancing natural and classic selections with the same ethos the kitchen applies to sourcing. Cocktails are reimagined classics.
Do not skip the soft-serve sundae at the end. It is, by multiple accounts, the dish people mention first when recounting the meal.
Le Violon occupies the former site of Maison Publique on Rue Marquette, which places it deep in the residential part of the Plateau rather than on its busier commercial stretches. This is not incidental: the location filters the room toward people who came specifically, not passersby. The interior is the work of designer Zébulon Perron and co-owner Dan Climan, whose painting of a Dalmatian anchors the dining room and became one of the more talked-about design details in Montreal's restaurant scene on opening. The space reads as sleek and considered without tipping into sterile. It is a room built for conversation at a volume that permits it, which is not something every $$$ restaurant in this city can claim.
The combination of design quality and culinary seriousness helped Le Violon attract attention quickly: former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau brought Katy Perry here within months of opening, and the restaurant was drawing national coverage before the end of its first year. That kind of visibility would sink some kitchens. Here, the food held up to the scrutiny, which is why a Michelin Plate followed.
Le Violon is the right call for food enthusiasts who want genuine cooking ambition at a price point that doesn't require a special-occasion rationale. It also works well for first dates, client dinners, and celebratory meals where the room needs to do some of the work without the stuffiness of a four-hour tasting menu. If you are exploring Montreal's broader dining scene, pair this with a visit to Mastard or Annette bar à vin for a sense of where the Plateau sits in relation to the rest of the city. For a longer view of Quebec's seasonal produce-driven cooking, Tanière³ in Quebec City and Narval in Rimouski are worth the travel.
If you are benchmarking Le Violon against comparable ambition in other Canadian cities, Alo in Toronto and Kissa Tanto in Vancouver operate in adjacent territory, and globally, rooms like Frantzén in Stockholm or Maison Lameloise in Chagny show where produce-led modern cuisine can go at the highest tier. Le Violon is not at that level yet, but it is operating with the same set of values at a fraction of the price and without a six-month wait.
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Address: 4720 Rue Marquette, Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal. Price: $$$. Awards: Michelin Plate (2025). Google rating: 4.6 from 301 reviews. Reservations: Book 2-3 weeks in advance; booking difficulty is moderate, though weekend tables fill faster. Dress: Smart casual is the read of the room; the design is polished enough that showing up underdressed will feel conspicuous. Groups: Works for pairs and small groups; the intimate room suits focused meals over large party bookings. Neighbourhood: Residential Plateau Mont-Royal — not a walk-in neighbourhood; come with a plan.
Two to three weeks is the practical minimum for a weekend table. Weeknight availability opens up more readily, but Le Violon has been operating at high demand since its summer 2024 opening and the Michelin Plate recognition in 2025 has not eased that. If you have a specific date in mind, book it the moment you know. Walk-ins are unlikely to work on Friday or Saturday evenings.
Yes, at $$$, Le Violon delivers Michelin-recognised cooking without the $$$$ price tag of Jérôme Ferrer - Europea or a tasting-menu format that locks you in for the evening. The sourcing is serious, the kitchen is technically capable, and the room is well-designed. For the tier, the value is strong. If your benchmark is casual bistro pricing, it will feel expensive; if your benchmark is what comparable ambition costs elsewhere in the city, it does not.
Mastard is the closest peer at the same $$$ price point — also modern cuisine with strong local sourcing, worth considering if Le Violon is fully booked. For a step down in price and formality, Annette bar à vin and Cadet cover the wine-bar-with-serious-food territory well. If you want to spend more and go further, Jérôme Ferrer - Europea is the prestige option. Sabayon is another room in the same neighbourhood worth tracking. See the full Montreal restaurants guide for a broader view.
The charcoal-grilled Ferme d'Orée lamb chops marinated in anchoïade are a house classic and the most repeated recommendation from diners. In winter months, the mussels with Irish stout bread and the Presbytère cheddar custard are seasonally appropriate choices. The beef tartare prepared kibbeh nayeh-style is worth ordering if you want a read on the kitchen's cross-cultural range. End with the soft-serve sundae , it is specifically called out as a do-not-miss by multiple sources, which at a restaurant of this calibre is meaningful.
Yes, with one qualification: it is a better fit for occasions where the food is the centrepiece than for ones requiring extensive ceremony or tableside theatre. The room is polished and the service is attentive, but this is not a maximalist special-occasion restaurant in the way that Jérôme Ferrer - Europea is. For a birthday dinner, anniversary, or a meal marking something significant among people who care about what they eat, Le Violon is an excellent call. For a corporate event requiring a more conventional fine-dining wrapper, look elsewhere.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Violon | Modern Cuisine | Michelin Plate (2025); Sophisticated dining experience from a Canadian celebrity chef The buzz: Midsummer madness struck international airwaves when former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau brought American pop star Katy Perry out on a dinner date. The spot they chose? Le Violon. No surprise, Chef Danny Smiles' restaurant was already attracting a star clientele since opening in June 2024, quickly becoming one of Montreal's most acclaimed restaurants. The combination of refined market cuisine, elegant design and star sightings earned Le Violon national recognition within months of opening. Cool Montreal central: Montreal's Plateau Mont-Royal is a wildly popular restaurant destination, but Le Violon escapes the hordes with its residential location deep in the heart of the neighbourhood. The restaurant has received as much buzz for its super sleek look as its food, thanks to the design of Zébulon Perron and co-owner Dan Climan. Who's in the kitchen: Co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren, along with chef de cuisine Sara Raspa, are the talent here, with Smiles the best known of the bunch. Long a celebrated Montreal chef, Smiles rose to fame as a finalist on Top Chef Canada before acting as chef de cuisine at fellow celebrity chef Chuck Hughes' restaurant, Le Bremner. Then came a stint at The Willow Inn, before last summer's opening of Le Violon, whose name was inspired by Smiles' early violin lessons. Precise cooking, local produce: Drawing on Smiles' Italian and Egyptian heritage, the menu features dishes such as beef tartare prepared kibbeh nayeh-style, monkfish fish and chips, beef cheek bordelaise, gochujang-glazed sweetbreads and gnocchi in cavolo nero sauce.; This intimate and well-considered new restaurant in the Plateau, on the former site of Maison Publique, has been a smash hit from the get-go last summer. A good part of its success is attributable to its design, a winning collaboration from local wunderkind Zébulon Perron and restaurant co-owner Dan Climan, the painter responsible for the striking Dalmatian that anchors the dining room. Then there’s the smart, restrained cooking from co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren and their chef de cuisine, Sara Raspa. The team works closely with local purveyors, farmsteads and coastal fisheries to highlight the integrity of ingredients. In summer months, bluefin tuna from the Gaspé meets heirloom tomatoes in a reimagining of pan con tomate, while gnocchi cavolo nero is tossed in a pesto made from Parcelles’ farm greens. As the weather cools, dishes take on a heartier edge — mussels served with Irish stout bread, baked daily, and Presbytère cheddar custard. Charcoal-grilled Ferme d’Orée lamb chops — a house classic — are marinated in anchoïade and served with La Valletta chickpeas and a delicate tomato broth. Esme Millar’s wine list balances natural and classic selections and is built around smaller producers who share the restaurant’s ethos. Cocktails are reimagined classics. DON’T MISS the soft-serve sundae. Scott Usheroff | Moderate | — |
| Schwartz’s | Delicatessen | Unknown | — | |
| Toqué | French | Unknown | — | |
| L’Express | French Bistro | Unknown | — | |
| Jérôme Ferrer - Europea | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Mastard | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Book at least two to three weeks out. Le Violon has been one of Montreal's most-talked-about openings since June 2024 and the 2025 Michelin Plate recognition has only increased demand. The room is intimate, so last-minute availability is unreliable. If you're planning a weekend visit, secure the reservation before you book travel.
At $$$, Le Violon sits in the right zone for what it delivers: Michelin Plate-recognised cooking from co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren, a wine list built around smaller producers, and a room designed by Zébulon Perron that earns its own attention. For the Plateau, this is serious cooking without the downtown fine-dining premium. If you're comparing on price-to-ambition ratio, it holds up against Toqué at a lower spend.
Toqué is the reference point for ingredient-driven fine dining in Montreal, but it costs more and the format is more formal. L'Express is the right call if you want a reliable, no-fuss bistro rather than ambitious seasonal cooking. Mastard is worth considering for a more casual, meat-focused alternative at a lower price point. Le Violon sits between these: more ambitious than L'Express, more accessible than Toqué.
The charcoal-grilled lamb chops marinated in anchoïade are described as a house classic, and the soft-serve sundae is flagged as a don't-miss by the Michelin editorial team. The beef tartare prepared kibbeh nayeh-style reflects chef Danny Smiles' Egyptian heritage and is a signature worth ordering. The menu shifts seasonally around local purveyors, so ask the server what's currently in from the kitchen's key farmstead and fishery partners.
Yes, with the caveat that it isn't a white-tablecloth production. The room is elegant and considered, the cooking is Michelin-recognised, and the setting on a quiet residential stretch of Rue Marquette makes it feel like a find rather than a scene. For a birthday or anniversary dinner where the food genuinely matters, it works well. If you need private dining or a very large group, confirm availability when booking — the room is intimate.
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