Restaurant Candide

I always love trying set meals and seeing what surprises a restaurant has in store, and seeing that this restaurant has monthly menu changes was exciting to me. The asparagus was fresh and tasty, with a great crunch with each bite. The snow crab appetizer was delicious, and the salad appetizer was more of a small bite than a full salad, but still good. I had the rabbit and was quite pleased with the dish, and my friends had the lobster which was delicious too. The meal ended with either a cherry/beeswax cake or a savoury cheese with corn cracker and apple sunflower seed salad, and I preferred the savoury cheese out of the two. Overall, a lovely experience, and I would be excited to try another new menu should I ever come back to Montreal in the future!

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. There was a mix up with my dietary restriction which they happily remedied quickly. The goat cheese dessert was actually the better of the two options which took my by surprise in a good way. Thank you so much to everyone at Restaurant Candide, you made our 4 year anniversary celebration memorable and we will certainly be back the next time we visit Montreal!

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, we'd try to come every month to try every menu.

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!

Candide serves contemporary Québécois cuisine with local ingredients and creative flavor synergies. For example, they used acidity from local fruits, like crab apple sauce and berries, to cut through the rich and juicy duck, topped with fennel flowers, creating a wonderful contrastive balance. The oyster, mussel, and vegetable dishes were also something different from what you’d expect from most other restaurants, in a good way. Overall a lovely restaurant, with friendly service, quaintly cool decor, and a young, talented team of amazing chef.

What an exceptional meal! The food was well thought out and the flavors incredibly robust. The tasting menu style will have you enthralled with each course that is brought out. The staff was extremely accommodating and and really helped to shape the experience. They made us feel like we were regulars even though it was our first time. My partner and I were beyond impressed by every aspect. It is hard to “recommend” what dish to get because the menu changes based on seasonality, but we really enjoyed the stripped sea bass, which was paired with fennel and maitake mushrooms. The smoked oysters with creme fraiche were next level; we ordered four and the promptly ordered four more. I have nothing but good things to say about this restaurant. Highly recommended!