Was there on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Honestly surprised that there are not more reviews on here as it was about as a perfect meal/night as I've had at a restaurant. Went there with my brother and sat at the bar. Bartender/server whose name escapes me (Eric? Tall dude with curly hair and a stache) poured excellent cocktails, was extremely knowledgeable about the wine and food and kept our glasses full. We ordered the seafood tower, the Crab toast, and the octopus. They were all obscenely good. Good bottle of wine and too much amaro at the end. Got to meet Chuck Hughes. He was super nice and fun to chat with. The rest of the staff, although not directly "responsible" for us, were taking care of business. Helping each other, making others aware of what is needed at other tables, and all trying their very best to make everyone's night as wonderful as possible. Everyone we came across seemed happy to be there. Ownership should be proud. Thanks for the awesome night. We will be back! read more

My husband and I visited Garde Manger with my sister and brother-in-law on January 1st for my husband's birthday. We were greeted at the door and our coats were taken and hung up. We were shown to our table, which was near the entrance in the perfect spot. I loved how they have a curtain at the entrance, so that although it felt like -20 with the windchill, we didn't notice once when people entered or exited. Our waitress introduced herself right away and took our cocktail orders. When she delivered our drinks, she explained how the chef's tasting menu worked and left us for a few minutes to decide which option we would like. We chose 'tier 3' which included a pasta course and extra caviar. Everything we had was amazing, from the seafood tower, to the beef carpaccio, to the hanger steak. It was so much food, we thought we would all burst by the end. The waitress was outstanding and was completely engaged with us throughout the evening. She added so much to our experience. We opted for the wine pairings and she gave us 3 wines as well as an amaro at the end. All in all, it was a meal to remember with a price tag of just under $2,000. Well worth it. We highly recommend this for a special occasion dinner. read more

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Garde Manger provided another stellar dinner in Montreal, in another casual environment that lets you relax as the chef dazzles you with creative and flavor-packed dishes that refuse to retreat from post-dinner conversation. The staff was kind and attentive, and the chef/owner spent a good deal of time chatting with us at the end of our meal, filling us in on the history of the place and his journey from cooking for someone else to helming one of the best restaurants in the city. Cocktails were expertly crafted, and an appetizer course of many kinds of shellfish was so good we forgot to take photos before we devoured it all. Main courses were equally well-crafted and had such good flavor they stopped our conversation for a good few minutes while we just enjoyed. A Japanese A5 Wagyu, sliced and served with a butter and herbs, was nothing short of spectacular, while duck breast featured the unctuous contrast of crispy skin and citrus gastrique; a perfect halibut could have battled the crispy-skin salmon, but I think the fight woukd have ended in a tie. Everything was just as you'd want it, while the lively crowd and gregarious staff elevated the experience from fine dining to more of a midweek party. Be sure to visit, maybe more than once... read more

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This is an easy restaurant to miss given its nondescript exterior but you are doing yourself a disservice if you pass it by. Inside you will find a warm, cozy interior with tables and both a front and back bar for seating. I sat at the back bar which gave me a view of the staff putting together the wonderful seafood platters. Service here is friendly from the host through all the staff. Everyone is welcoming and attentive. Felix helped me the most during my visit but Nicholas checked in as well. Everyone who brought me a dish explained it. As a solo diner experiencing this restaurant for the first time, I enjoyed periods of interesting conversation while being allowed time to savor my food and enjoy the book I was reading. While I love trying new restaurants. I am admittedly reserved in trying new seafood. Here though, I knew I would be cheating myself if I did that, so I opted for the Chef menu. My only regret is not being able to finish everything that I was served (I got full fast). I started with a house cocktail, the Purple Smash. First up was the seafood platter which they did modify for me, providing just one raw oyster and a couple of extra shrimp along with snow crab, mussels, house smoked salmon and smoked sturgeon. I tend to think of myself as not a salmon fan, yet the favorite off the platter was the smoked salmon followed closely by the smoked sturgeon. Next was a series of tastings from the appetizer menu: the beef croquette with its wonderful smoky flavor and mixture of textures, the tuna with light, crunchy tuna chips to go with the cool minced tuna, and the Arctic char in it's lightly sweet blood orange sauce. If my meal had ended there I would have been beyond satisfied, but I still had a bit to go. My main entrée was the seared salmon served along with the carrots side dish. Again, the textures and flavors worked amazingly well together: the crunchy salmon skin, the moist salmon flesh swiped through the caviar beurre blanc sauce was the perfect bite. The warm potato salad refreshed my palate for another bite. The carrots as well were roasted, but firm and delicious with hints of savory and sweet. And there was one last thing included with my menu tasting, a coffee cake and ice cream dessert. As Felix said, it's nearly a perfect dessert with the warm and cold, crunchy and moist in every bite. While I did my best to create appetizing photographs they do not do Garde Manger justice. This is definitely a place you should come to for extraordinary evening. read more

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Seated at the bar, we went for the premier chef's tasting menu for $295 CAD. Our bartender/waiter was awesome and really enhanced the experience. This place is a special treat, from the seafood platter to desserts everything was creative as it was delicious. These were the best fries I've ever had in my life--couldn't stop eating them. read more

Dont' go there if only you want to pay high price for miniscure bad food and put up with the restaurant's snoody attitude. We paied $540 for a set menu. They didn't have any cracker or bread to go with the appetizer seadfood dip. The exuse was it was a F-1 race weekend, they didn't have bread or crackers. Every so-called course was a lump of goo about one inch in diamiter, very salty, you wouldn't know what you were eating. No silverware was really required to eat the food, use two fingers to pick up each "course" up and pop it into your mouth was the best way. The wine pour was more fit for a small shot glass. Afterthree courses of you-literarilly- need-a-magnifying-glass-to-find it food, we couldn't endure the ordeal anymore, we walked out but still paid the full price. The restaurant was situated in what looked like a dirty, dilapitated building. There was no sign to indicate we had arrived at the restuarant. For about five minutes, neither us nor the Uber driver were sure we'd arrived at the right address. Inside, it was dark, loud music playing, with servers constantly hovering over you to explain what was in those mystery lumps they called food, or see if you finished so they could clear the hardly used silverware and wiping the table for crumbs that's not really there. It was not a dining experience, not a bad dining experience, it was the most horrifying dining nightmare. read more

Great experience! Artfully prepared food, a cozy atmosphere and attentive and attention-to-detail service. (Be careful. The restaurant has a nondescript location so look for the street number in front.) I began my meal with some delicately-prepared fresh snow crab. The crab dish was merger of a light, blended seasoning with dill on top, sitting on thin, toasted bread. The crab was a flavor treat of delicate seafood. My main dish was the truffle Gnocchi. The black truffle in the dish was earthy and divine. Gnocchi are a comfort food but here it is elevated to high gourmet. In addition, our server recommended a wine that really complemented our foods and was a joy to sip on alone. It was a Fouassier Romains Sancerre. This acidic wine was lively and crisp with some minerality. Also, the service was so attentive. Dining room assistants frequently filled my glass and always brought clean utensils between courses. For dessert, I had the gateau chocolat. The vanilla mousse/cream swirled topping had a light feel and was perfectly sweet above the cake. What a great meal! Yay! read more

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This is an unassuming almost hard to find spot from the outside. Inside it is a cozy, dark (I'm a warm and charming way) hip vibe. With 80s pop playing and an open kitchen. The staff were helpful and cool. Service was top notch. We had a shrimp salad with dill, crab on a butter toast point - tasted like a lobster roll - amazing and a pasta stuffed with lobster with a buttery mushroom and onion sauce. Delish. I highly recommend this restaurant if you love seafood and a hip, cool, cozy vibe. read more

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Enjoyed the Chef's choice dinner with my team and it was over the top outstanding. So many different flavors and amazing food. Well done. We will be back! read more

This is a small, unmarked candle lit restaurant in old Montreal full of charm with hints of romance as well. We were lucky enough to snag an intimate booth in the front dining room which was a true delight and added to our wonderful evening. Our server was very friendly and accommodating to our wishes & offered great suggestion for menu options. The restaurant offers both à la cart dining or a tasting menu consisting of four price/course level options as well as offers raw bar selections if that were to also interest you. Between the romantic ambience of the restaurant, wonderful service & flavorful dishes this evening, made for one of the most enjoyable of our trip to Montreal. read more

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The move here is to go for one of the tasting menus - they don't skimp on food! The star was the seafood tower, so much good stuff especially the oysters. We got the smallest one, only the 4 course and we still left stuffed. Bonus points for a great playlist! I will say as a New Yorker we felt the service was particularly slow but maybe they just want you to really enjoy the meal! read more

had a group dinner here. It was overall good. Solid 4/5, overall. Service was good. The venue was a bit cramped though, and not that comfortable. The place was somewhat hard to find. no clear signage other than the street number on the building. Food - we had so many different items I dont even remember them all. Seafood tower, venison appetizer, tuna tartare, salmon, a bunch of sides, some kind of tart dessert, and several more things. Food was solid for the most part. very solid 4/5 food. Nothing stood out as amazing though so it does not earn my 5th star - that is reserved for the truly exceptional in some way. I would recommend this place. read more

This, IMO, is a MUST in when in Montreal. The ambiance, the service, food and drinks are all FANTASTIC! To start, the location has a speakeasy vibe. Not obviously marked we almost passed it would it not be that we were looking at the numbers and one of their staff immediately opened the door for us and welcomed us. From there on we were all in love with this place. Dim lights, very attentive service, interesting and delicious menu. And you can tell it's a local favorite too, as there was not a moment they were not busy or people walking in for tables. We started with some specialty cocktails, then wine, and ended with an espresso martini. All excellent. Deciding on food took a bit more since all sounded amazing but I finally decided on the steak special. Loved the mushrooms in it, the steak was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was so flavorful. The string cut fries with the sauce were another experience on their own. The Octopus appetizer is another thing I would recommend. Fresh, delicious and great for sharing. As mentioned, service was part of the mix to make our visit here so memorable. They take the time to have conversations with you, recommend dishes and drinks/ wines, laugh and joke with you and all in a very professional manner. Honestly one of the best dining experiences I've had! read more

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Five stars across the board. Party of four for NYE. Tasting menu. Great and innovative food. Wonderfully attentive service. A memorable evening. read more

Real wanted this to be a 5 star review but it missed the target a bit. Service was friendly. Food had potential but was served a bit cool. Really loved the Octopus. Angoletti were a bit firm not sure if dried out prior to cooking or. Not Cooked enough (I do love Al dente) the braised beef cheeks were great. Oysters are amazing. Wine list was nice. Atmosphere was cool. Just didn't get a warm vibe !! read more

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Garde Manger has its own lane as a restaurant. The seafood options are exquisite. We tried the razor clams, regular clams, smoked char, cucumber appetizer as our starters. Everything was phenomenal and what stood out the mood was the halibut. It's the best I've ever had...excellent crust on the outside and perfectly cooked in the middle. My colleague also enjoyed his meal, which I believe were the scallops. Wine list was extensive. Service was excellent!!! The ambiance is definitely speak easy vibes...you have to know where you are going to find the entrance. Definitely check it out! read more

Lovely waiter and bartender Accommodated us with no reservation 5:00. Food was excellent. Got the lamb- ahhhh yum. Hubster got the chicken(rare order for him) it also was yum yum! Cool vibe going on. Dude at the door was super inviting and welcoming read more

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The best culinary experience I've ever had and never had better anywhere else. We didn't have a reservation and sat at the bar like a rookie but it was perfect. I cannot stop talking about this place and I certainly cannot say enough good things. From the atmosphere to friendly staff, we were impressed. I will go back to Montreal just for this restaurant read more

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The Scarlet Vetter says.....this is quite simply the best seafood I have had! The service was amazing as well. I was dining alone in Montreal and emailed to find out if there was a bar I could sit at and eat, and I received a prompt reply indicating there was. I went and was seated in the back bar, which was the seafood bar. I loved the room, both the atmosphere and the lighting. I decided to select an excellent bottle of red wine and the chef's tasting menu. I listed my "no can dos" of brains, headcheese, insects and pets (horses particularly) and off we went. The food was just delicious. There were so many dishes I can not even write about them all. Julian at the back bar made a fabulous seafood plate with oysters, shrimp, crab, razor clams, mussels and sea snail with an accompaniment of sauces. Yum yum. Gian was one of my servers, as was Elyssa, and they presented the dishes with great explanations regarding ingredients and preparation. The amuse bousche lobster morsel with caviar was delicious. The foie gras with apple slivers on homemade sourdough was also a standout. The following dishes were also simply scrumptious: salted cod croquet with chipotle mayo and dill sprig, albacore tuna with fried pork skins and a hot sauce, Homemade pasta special butter and shaved truffle were also simply scrumptious. I just can't say enough good things about this establishment and the food. read more

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A huge disappointment with our selection of The Tasting menu option we ordered ours @gardemangermtl and the 4 lonely shrimp were dry and small I've had better from the freezer from the local supermarket, overpriced overhyped big letdown with a hefty bill, the mussels were absolutely meh, 1 dozen oysters for 4 in the pricy Tasting menu tray and they were tiny....not going back for sure, staff kind and polite but they are overly present wiping cleaning pouring every 5 seconds they are sweet but it really is too much constant pampering and unnecessary, it impeded us to experience the meal having the team members alway around. read more

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Excellent food and service with a great ambiance to boot!! Awesome wine and cocktail list too. My favorite was the sea bass special, but the octopus app and duck breast close behind. If you have room, the chocolate cake with sour cream icing is divine! Highly recommend. read more

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For summer of 2021, Garde Manger offered lobster pogo sticks. Which sounds novel and super yummy! Don't get me wrong, it was yummy. There was chives and a lovely mayo sauce with grated lemon zest on the pogo itself and it was a nice mix of flavours. However, the price was super steep--especially for something that can be perceived as street food (it's also during Covid so there was no way one can sit in). One pogo was $27. In comparison, the day before I had this, I had 2 lobsters for $40 at Keung Kee (different class, different location, I get it. Just leaving this here given it was definitely lobster season and other places reflected the market price more fairly). read more

Garde Manger - Seafood Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Made reservations for this place (Saturday night), which was definitely a good idea because it looked like a full house. The bartender was super friendly and offered great drink recommendations based off the food we ordered. Overall great atmosphere and delicious food! read more

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Definitely one of the best meals I have ever had. I ordered the chef's selection so I got to try a lot of dishes I wouldn't normally order and it was all excellent. The service was stellar. As soon as I was finished with one course, my silverware and plate was immediately replaced. And dessert was perfect. Love this place, happy I went, happy to recommend to anyone who likes to dine. read more

Garde Manger - assortment of cold seafood items - Seafood Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

After the lockdown, I FINALLY got to try out Garde Manger! It's run by a very popular TV Canadian tv chef named Chuck Hughes - I used to watch him on Food Network. Apparently you can often see him in the kitchen cooking (unfortunately not this evening though - hopefully next time!) They're well known for their seafood dishes. We ordered the Chefs Menu and everything was delightful. It's really hard to pick a favourite dish but everything (and I mean everything) was perfect. The Chefs menu is a lot pricier but you get to try out everything - they make the choice for you and you just sit there and enjoy. They let you know about what you're eating of course and explain everything to you. It's a great way to try everything out and see what they're most known for. If you have a night to celebrate, this is definitely the place and the menu to do so! Service was impeccable. The servers were super friendly without being suffocating, and they made sure to ask about allergies beforehand to ensure you have the best experience possible. We were checked in for our vaccination passport and they had a nice hand sanitizer at the front. Please do make a reservation though! It's a busy place. read more

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Garde Manger sits behind an unmarked doorway off a side street by the Montreal waterfront. It holds what I can only describe as quite possibly the best tasting food we experienced during our time in Montreal. Upon walking into the restaurant you are greeted with a small but packed dining area that abuts a bustling open kitchen - a feature I always enjoy. Waitstaff and cooks are a blur of activity always moving, but making it look effortless. further back in the restaurant just past the kitchen you'll find the bar area. A quieter and more intimate section where you can enjoy the cocktails and the amazingly crafted tastes of the meal to come. We ordered the black cod and the arctic char and both were splendid. Perfectly cooked, exceptionally flanked by the flavor profiles of their sides. My only knock on the experience was that our food arrived cool, but our experience was still stellar. read more

Garde Manger - The entrance to Garde Manger, no really. - Seafood Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Our best meal in Montreal. The service was outstanding, super friendly, attentive and accommodating. We don't eat beef and they did a fully pescaterian tasting meal for us. I wasn't sure which wine I wanted and she gave me several choices. Absolutely lovely! read more

Wow, this place rocks! From the second we walked in we were treated like VIP's despite the fact it was our first visit. We sat at bar seat 29 which was serving double duty as the DJ booth. Classic rock filled the small space with a super cool mix of Hendrix, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, you name it and they were playing it. We started with cocktails on the rocks. Barb had an Orange Crush and I settled in for L'Affaire Jaune. Both were fantastic and set the stage for shared appetizers of mussels and QC snow crab. What a great start, the apps were relatively small but packed with flavour. I loved the touch of smoke flavour on the mussels! Barb opted for another app for her entree, the spaghetti squash Caesar which was reportedly excellent. I had the hanger steak with mushrooms which was served medium rare to borderline rare. Wow!!! Everything on that plate was delicious and I uncharacteristically finished every morsel. Be forewarned the chef is fairly aggressive with the seasoning but wow it was great! The nice part about ordering A la carte was that we had room for dessert, in fact we ordered two. The pastry chef personally delivered the MUST TRY Coffee Cake and the equally delicious Profiteroles. Those desserts were worth saving room for! We had a very memorable experience and can't wait to return! read more

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Really enjoyed our dinner here, food was fresh and cooked perfectly, the sauces were the highlight, enhancing every dish. read more

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I had the best dinner here during my last trip to Montreal. They offer a tasting menu or you can order a la carte, and they do take Amex unlike most other restaurants in Montreal . We had oysters to start, they were all east coast, salty but super fresh and lots of flavor. We then had the tuna carpaccio, which was delicious, and we split the hanger steak. The sauce on the hanger steak was super peppery but I liked it a lot. They had really great glasses of wine, and the meal overall for the amount of food was super reasonable. I will definitely be coming back next time I come! read more

Garde Manger - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Our second time dining while in town for F1, it was even better than our first time. The food, service and vibe was delicious, fun and lively. We went with the tasting menu, top tier which are seafood focus including lobsters sand razor clams, pasta, duck and dessert. Total of ten courses. Our server, Claudio was attentive and friendly. The head host, David was friendly and was apologetic for the late seating due to reservation delays which I am sure it wasn't under his control. Definitely one of our top 3 restaurants in Montreal! read more

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Wow, wow, wow was this place FANTASTIC!!! My husband & I were lucky enough to stumble upon this cute, cozy, charming restaurant. There are no signs, so we just went in and gave it a shot. We just saw a performance at the Centaur Theatre up the street and walked by. I noticed the fireplace through the window and saw it as quite lively for almost 10pm on a cold Wednesday evening. We entered with a friendly greeting by David, who sat us at the end of the bar bc all tables were taken. The restaurant is intimate, warm, & cozy. The lovely bartender, Emma, was amazing! She was professional, personable, and took great care of us, which really added to the dining experience. She walked us through the menu, suggested options, made exceptional drinks, all with a warm & friendly demeanor. Being a seafood specialty restaurant, we ordered all seafood. We ordered 3 starters (tuna, arctic char, & snow crab), and 1 main (swordfish), and focaccia bread. Every bite was exceptional! We were in seafood heaven! I HIGHLY recommend and look forward to our next visit. read more

Food was unreal - no surprise. Service was also amazing. I sat at the bar and ordered a variety of appetizers and dishes from the seafood bar. See you soon, Chuck! read more

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Great food, service and ambience was had here tonight. The octopus, chicken, fish selections, and hanger steak we're all very very delicious, going well with their Pilsner beer... making for a great meal. Our waiter was very informative and knowledgable and had much great things to say about his Chef who prepared the dishes. " Enjoy !" read more

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Such a great experience! Sit at the bar for the BEST interaction with the staff. Such a great time. Food is outstanding and the drinks are awesome. Love love LOVE this place!!!! read more

A charming, ancient stone building in Montreal's old town houses famed Canadian tv chef Chuck Hughes' flagship restaurant Garde Manger. We made reservations months in advance and we were not disappointed. The seafood-heavy menu has a wide variety to choose from and I started with the Nordic Shrimp salad which is a serving of small poached shrimp bathed in what looks like a green goddess dressing (but tastes far better) covered in a salad of herbs and lettuces. My main course was a generous portion of Garde Manger's version of sautéed scallops. Delicious. Dessert was a delectable banana-and-chocolate flavored preparation that was so good. The wine list was great. Super service was provided by our waiter Gian. Highly recommended. Best to make reservations in advance. read more

I visited Montréal for the first time and this was by far the best food I had during my stay. The service at Garde Manger was exceptional. The server knew exactly what I should try and he did not fail. It was a great blend of flavors with an ambiance to match. I 100 percent would recommend!! read more

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Came here for a dinner in September 2020 right before the restaurants closed for the second wave. I'm a fan of Chuck Hughes so I was quite thrilled to finally dine at Garde Manger and had a great experience despite the steep bill. We were a group of 3 and took the bigger chef's menu (I believe it was around $130-150 per person) along with a bottle of wine to share. The portions were decently sized and all of the dishes were fresh and flavourful. As expected, many dishes were quite rich so it's not something I could eat every single night but each dish and each bite was a pleasant surprise and overall a great experience. I especially enjoyed the beef tartare, seafood tower (and the razor clams) and the hanger steak with hickory sticks. I would strongly encourage you to take the Chef's menu despite the price being a little bit higher. You end up trying all of the "hit" dishes as well as saving a few bucks at the end. The service was attentive and atmosphere is extremely cozy. Food is on par with Joe Beef & Liverpool House, and I think this place is one of Montréal's staples! We were a group of 3 and split the bill equally. I think my bill was just north of $200 after tip and tax. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Overall: 4.75/5 read more

Garde Manger - Halibut in beurre blanc, hanger steak with hickory sticks - Seafood Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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If your visiting Old Montreal the go to spot for dinner is Garde Manger. A small restaurant in the heart of Old Montreal reservations are a must. We were a big group and sat in the back and did the top tier family style dinner. Every dish of the meal was excellent. It started of with two amuse bouches (lobster tempura with caviar and live scallop), seafood tower, a series of appetizers, a pasta dish, a series of entrees, and two desserts. The highlights of the meal; Live scallop - fresh and deliscious. Seafood tower - regardless if you are a big group or not this needs to be on your table. Every piece of seafood is delicious, fresh, and top grade. It includes - lobster with a brown butter dipping sauce, shrimp cocktail, razor clams (this was included with the top tier menu), two styles of oysters, mussels, cured salmon, and a white fish spread to accompany homemade chips. Fried Sweetbreads Dressed In Buffalo Wing Sauce - this was the favorite dish of the meal. Garde Mangers version of buffalo wings except with sweet breads. It's a great way to try sweet breads if it's your first time. Beef Carpaccio - excellent. Duck - excellent. Scallop With Gnocchi -probably my favorite entree course. Scallop was delicious and the gnocchi was pillow soft decadence. Coffee Style Cake With Coffee Ice Cream - our favorite of the dessert offerings. The service was nothing but outstanding. It never felt stuffy, yet every dish was explained in detail, the staff was attentive and on point. Amazing restaurant. read more

If you've never been to Garde Manger, here are two things to note: 1) reservations are highly recommended as they book up veeeeery quickly, and 2) don't be confused when you walk by and don't see an actual sign that says Garde Manger. Well, you can still be confused, but just know that there won't be an actual sign outside. This place is like a hidden gem in the rough, and yet it's still bopping and so incredibly popular. Service is 10/10, the staff are down to earth and so personable. Genuine individuals, and their bartender and chefs are truly next level when it comes to drink and food preparation. This was my first time here, but friends who have been here before in the past shared how the food has only gotten better with time. My most favourite dishes would have to be the Wild Mushrooms and the off menu roasted vegetables. The pumpkin cheesecake paired with a decaf americano was just perfect. My friend got the coffee cake and said that it was really sweet on its own - if you're getting dessert, highly recommend pairing it with a beverage unless you have a sweet tooth. Can't wait to go back again! read more

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