Cardinal Tearoom — Restaurant in Montreal

A shocking disappointment especially after an outstanding experience at Papermane!

I came here with high hopes to celebrate my sister’s birthday;she loves tearooms but this was, without question, the worst tearoom experience I’ve ever had!

From the start, things felt off. Our teacups were dirty I had to clean them myself. The lampshade on our table was thick with dust. I wiped that too. The entire space felt neglected and unhygienic.

The food? A complete disaster: Cucumber salad sandwich: Ruined by overwhelming salt. Jalapeño muffin: Tasted like plain dough with a hint of jalapeño scent, no flavor, no balance. "Cajun" sandwich: Nothing Cajun about it. It was just mayo, two slices of tomato, and salt. That’s not a sandwich; it’s an insult.

We took one bite of each items and left at the table.

Even after expressing my concerns at payment, the server said nothing, no gesture of goodwill. Just handed me the terminal to pay $95 for a meal. I wouldn’t serve a guest in my own home.

This would be bad enough on its own, but I recently dined at Papermane— for the exact same price and the difference was night and day. From the warm hospitality, spotless environment, beautifully plated food, and thoughtful service, everything at Papermane was top-tier. You can see my glowing review on Google because when places earn it, I give credit where it’s due.

But this place? It felt like a scam. Dirty, overpriced, flavorless, and completely dismissive of feedback. I left feeling ashamed, unheard, and robbed!

How this establishment has a 4.7-star rating is beyond me. A full refund is more than fair and I hope no one else has to pay to be treated like this.

I wish I had taken pictures of the black and brown dirty napkins after I wiped down the lampshade and teacups.

To the commentor of Cardinal below. I don't know how to respond directly, so i will do it here. I gave 15% tips to the server, though there was nothing special to the service given. So I don't know what you're talking about small tip and what not or you just an android.

The constructive criticism is right there, ensuring to taste your food before serving flavorless and salty food to your client. If you heard the food was not good and it was not eaten due to the fact it was not edible, a reimbursement is appropriate or some kind of gesture.

The server has nothing to do here. Why are you dragging their tip and all here. You are management you should be...

I have wanted to go here for some time. To begin with, the reservation system was awful. After calling, it was determined that they only reserve 15 days in advance, which is extremely short notice and awkward. There os space for notes on allergies but evidently this is pointless as i have a strawberry allergy while my friend has one to artificial colours. The waiters do not get this information. They said the kitchen might and yet after reitering the allergies was still served strawberry jam with high tea for 2. We had reservations for 1 pm on Saturday and literally had the worst table in the house. What is the point when walk-ins had better choices?we were the last table, closest to the bar and the entrance in the middle row not even an edge. After discovering that there was no place to put my friend's coat without dragging on the floor we saw that another better spot opened up. We asked to move and eventually they let us move after "checking the reservations" to a spot on a couch and a chair. The chairs were not comfortable. The atmosphere was definitively a speakeasy with loud music, so conversations were difficult. The food was stale. It was not fresh. The bread on the cucumber sandwich was dry. Seemed like they were not protected from the air. Given that the specialty is a high tea and that crust removed bread is known to dry super fast unless sealed well in cling wrap etc I was disappointed. The Cheddar with squash butter was much simpler and far sweeter than expected. The egg was fien but lacked curry flavour. The olive muffin was better than expeced. It tasted similar to a yorkshire pudding with a crunchy exterior. I do not know if that is intentional or not. The scones were the most disappointing of all. They were incredibly dry and extremely overbaked. I believe it was supposed to be cranberry orange but the fruit bits were burned and tasted bitter In a bad and undecernable way. The chocolate square was similar to a flourless cake and the macaron was also dry in a bad way. The add on of champagne or mimose was a nice addition. The servers were pleasant. Attentive though not overbearing. The place was full. All in all I simply do not understand the hype. Maybe it is the alcohol? For the price point and selection of other amazing high teas in town with much fresher food I...

My friend and I had a great high tea experience. The music suited the atmosphere perfectly and on this gloomy day it was the perfect spot.

The only downfall is that for the price that you’re paying, I expected a little bit more food. They give mini portions for everything. It’s not realistic if you’re offering a high tea for two people. I was also charged for cream when I ordered another scone… I was not told of this when I ordered it. She had simply asked if I wanted the cream. Never mentioning that it would be charged an extra fee and even so, the amount of cream I was given was a tiny little teaspoon. The staff is overall really nice and welcoming, I recommend coming for the atmosphere alone.

Suggestion: I would’ve been completely fine, if the portions had been bigger, you can make the price a little bit more expensive. Two mini scones for two people is simply not enough.Perhaps instead, give two regular size scones at least or at least four mini scones. that portion, and for the price would make way more sense. also, for the sandwiches, two sandwiches for each person making a total of four sandwiches is more recommended...