Dorsia — Restaurant in Montreal

Disappointing Birthday Experience at Dorsia

I booked Dorsia for my birthday because the interior looked beautiful, and I thought it would be the perfect spot to take photos and create some great memories. As an influencer, capturing content is an important part of what I do, especially on special occasions like this.

To make sure everything went smoothly, I called the restaurant twice before booking to ask about taking photos and specifically requested a table by the wall, thinking it would be a great spot. No one mentioned anything about restrictions on using a camera flash during those calls. However, when we started taking photos during dinner, Laurent (a manager or sommelier, I’m not sure) came over and told us flash photography wasn’t allowed.

I would’ve understood if I hadn’t called in advance, but I explained to him that I’d asked about this beforehand and wasn’t told about any rules. His response? “We’re not obligated to inform guests of this.” Maybe that’s true, but when a guest specifically asks about photos in Advance , isn’t it fair to mention such an important detail? If I had known, I would’ve chosen a different restaurant for my birthday.

To make matters worse, Laurent’s behavior was completely unprofessional. While speaking to us, he put his hand on my friend’s shoulder—why would anyone think it’s okay to TOUCH a guest? We stayed calm and polite throughout the situation, but that kind of behavior was completely inappropriate and made us really uncomfortable.

The service was another disappointment. Our starters and appetizers took an hour and a half to arrive, wine took an hour, and the main course wasn’t served until 10:30 PM—even though we arrived at 7:30 PM. I even asked them to bring the main dishes with the appetizers because of how long we’d been waiting, but they didn’t. On top of that, no one bothered to refill water or wine without being asked.

When I was deciding on wine, I asked to try two options. Instead of helping us choose, Laurent said, “I’m already opening this bottle for you,” leaving us no choice. That felt so dismissive and unprofessional, for sommelier.

Overall, what was supposed to be a fun and special evening turned into a frustrating experience. While the restaurant itself is beautiful, the service and management left a lot to be desired.

Additionally, I was taking photos of the dishes as they arrived to document the experience.This also served as evidence of the delays, as the timeline of when the appetizers and main dishes were served was...

Let’s start with the food: exquisite, a word so frequently misused it often feels hollow. But not here. The amuse-bouche—a delicate arrangement of sea urchin, caviar, and a whisper of Meyer lemon—was so ethereal, it felt like I was eating stardust. The main course? An herb-crusted lamb rack paired with an aged Bordeaux reduction that could have brought Nietzsche himself to tears. It was the kind of meal that makes you ponder the futility of existence, then promptly forget it as you revel in your next perfectly executed bite. The dessert, a deconstructed lavender panna cotta, was so sublime I considered framing the plate rather than letting the busboy take it away.

The ambiance? Immaculate. Warm, muted lighting cast over sleek, minimalistic decor that suggested wealth without screaming it—a detail I respect. The clientele was... acceptable. A mix of high-powered executives and impeccably dressed women sipping martinis with such precision you’d think it was choreographed. The music? A discreet mix of Miles Davis and Vivaldi, a soothing backdrop that never once overpowered the muted hum of power and privilege.

What truly sets Dorsia apart, though, is the service. The waiter, who had a jawline sharp enough to rival mine, attended to my every whim with the sort of reverence I deserve. My water glass never dipped below half-full. My wine pairings were so on point they bordered on clairvoyance. I tipped generously, of course—anything less would be gauche.

Would I recommend Dorsia? Not to Paul Allen. He wouldn’t understand the nuanced brilliance of the chef’s approach, nor would he grasp the importance of a reservation. But to those who can, and do, aspire to...

Dorsia has a beautiful interior and atmosphere something really special for Montreal. I enjoyed the design and overall vibe of the place. Service was friendly and attentive, cocktails were good (a bit strong for my taste, but they adjusted them without any issue, which I appreciated). We tried tasting menu with 8 courses, but the experience was underwhelming. While the meat and fish dishes were delicious, the portions were extremely small, and some courses took 20–30 minutes to arrive, making the whole dinner last around 3 hours. Considering the restaurant was only half full, the slow pacing was disappointing. The first course was 1 small oyster, followed by scallop and tuna, crab salad, foie gras (with not enough crackers, cherry sauce was delicious ), the pasta bottoni wasn’t very tasteful. First of all, I didn’t like the sauce, and the portion was very small. The fish plates were good, and I also liked the filet mignon. Bread was served almost at the end and was just with olive oil for a place of this level, I would have liked something more special and served earlier. Small details like this make a big difference and were missing here. The mignardise was just meringue with cream. It definitely didn’t feel like part of a tasting menu. This definitely needs improvement. The dessert itself I liked — it was very tasty — but when it arrived, the cream was already melting. This isn’t my first visit to Dorsia, but with tasting menu I actually left hungry, which is not something you expect from a high-end degustation menu.

In short: beautiful interior and atmosphere, great service, tasty dishes, but the tasting menu fell short in portion size, timing,...