Archway — Restaurant in Montreal

Edit to respond to owner's response:

-The issue was not the wrong order, it was the terrible service. I spoke to you in person so there is no need for me to send you an email, you know exactly who I am and what happened.

-Saying you changed how you cut the lobster is disingenuous and simply not true. My friend picked through her sandwich looking for any traces and the portion was laughable. Literally 3 small pieces the size of a fingernail. Unless they are cut so small that they have become invisible, you are now charging 21$ for a croissant with some pesto, tofu scramble and a tbsp of vegan lobster. Cringe.

Went for brunch today and my friend and I were pretty disappointed. I wasn't offered sugar or milk for my Americano and had to wait a good 5 minutes for a staff member to come by, then she brought it to me without a spoon. Annoying but not the end of the world.

Then they brought me the wrong order. I clearly ordered the breakfast burrito and she brought me the breakfast sandwich. We even discussed whether or not I wanted bacon as an extra, she said it was included and I reopened the menu and said "oh like I thought, its an extra but I see there is chorizo inside so never mind." Even if she missed the order, the fact that I was mentioning all these extra details should have signaled to her that we were talking about different dishes. Again, annoying but mistakes happen, not the end of the world except that she came back to the table with the plate to insist that I had ordered the sandwich and to argue with me. I definitely stated my order clearly and I was surprised at the way she was speaking to me. I insisted on having ordered the burrito and she just abruptly walked away. After like 8 minutes the owner came to offer me the potatoes so I had something to eat while I waited. Incidentally they are a 4$ extra so I guess the waitress was going to charge me that without even asking.

My friend was disappointed with her food, 21$ for the egg and crab (actually lobster in the menu description) croissant is very expensive, the last time she came the serving was much bigger and there was much more lobster inside.

The waitress did not thank us or say anything when we finished paying, she just put the bills on the table and walked away silently. Terrible attitude and poor service. The owner was nice and I know there is a staff shortage and food prices are through the roof but that waitress is ruining her business, we won't be back because of her. And it's important for the food to be consistent in serving size so that customers are not disappointed.

I wish this restaurant the best and wish that our experience had...

This restaurant has come a long way since it first opened. In September 2022, I came here for supper with a big group of Italians, including our nonna. Everyone, even the meat eaters, enjoyed the food!

I love coming here for brunch, lunch or supper, either to dine in or to go.

The menu has gotten really creative, and the new flavour profiles are packed with umami. You'll always have too much sauce on your plate!

The food's not cheap, but it's worth it.

Original review - March 2021 - 3 stars:

When I find a place that makes great plant-based food and makes me feel welcome, I always go back for more. Archway isn't one of those places.

I came here for the first time on a Sunday, a little before 1:00 p.m. (The restaurant's opening hours are limited, so it was always closed when I tried to stop by in the past.)

The cashier was so busy handling delivery orders that I felt like I was disturbing her when I came up to the counter. She looked too stressed to smile. I felt bad for her.

I ordered the teriyaki konjak noodle bowl. It was pricy ($19 plus tax and tip), but at least it made for two meals.

It tasted okay, but it was 90% noodles. The mushrooms were hella tough, the veggies were scarce, and the sauce was way too watery. I was expecting something more professional. If I had wanted a heap of noodles I'd have cooked them at home for a fraction of the price.

Maybe I just got unlucky, and they were having an exceptionally busy day. Maybe the cook was new. Either way, I'm going to give this place a second shot and try a different menu item on a different day of the week. I'll update my review when I do.

Updated review - 4 stars:

I tried the Cuban burger. It was good! I'm glad I gave this place a second shot.

The Southwest Chili and Thaï Crunch salad bowls are a strange combination of ingredients that don't really go well together. I'm not too sure what to make of the taste.

The Havana Baby bowl was DELICIOUS, and so were the off-menu tofu tacos.

April 2022 update: The menu has changed so much since my last visit! A friend and I split four starters like tapas, and they were DELICIOUS!

July 2022 The watermelon and risoni pok-ai was so unexpectedly refreshing and...

Never going back again and definitely not recommend it to anybody anymore due to the lack of consistency and awful service.

I’ve been there twice. The first time I had the chili crab sandwich, it was delicious and the portion was generous, which for the price it is what I would expect. I was starving, and by the moment I finished my plate I was satisfied.

I was excited to go back and eat the same thing, since it’s not a common vegan dish to find in Montreal.

This time there was literally 1 and half pieces of lobster in the place, a bit of tofu and the croissant. The portion was not even a third of what I had the first time. I regret that I didn’t take a picture for comparison because I did the first time around.

On top of that, I was embarrassed because I brought a non-vegan friend and the service was just awful.

Instead of owning responsability for the mistake the server did by taking the wrong order she insisted that my friend ordered something she didn’t, on top of that the owner came and said that mistakes happen (what about “we’re sorry for the misunderstanding and for the inconvenience, we’re going to make sure we avoid taking the wrong order in the future by confirming with clients the order once it has been taken?”, it’s not that hard to pinpoint the cause of this type of issue and finding a solution). My friend gave a review and mentioned that also the lobster on my plate was nonexistent and she answered that SHE ASSURES there was the same amount of lobster in my plate there usually is.

So, she’s not only not taking responsibility for their mistake while taking the order but also calling me delusional? Try to figure out what happened instead, and do better. Being humble won’t hurt you. The server should confirm orders, and check the plates before serving them to make sure everything looks good.

I’m vegan and I’ve been to all vegan restaurants in Montreal. This is one I’d totally not recommend.

I hope they learn to own their mistakes, do better, treat people nicer and be consistent with the portions and quality...