Gibbys — Restaurant in Montreal

I came yesterday with my partner, it was our anniversary. We were visiting from Toronto and looked for a very nice place to enjoy dinner to celebrate. She heard very nice things about this place which led us to have high expectations…. We were very underwhelmed. I have been working in steakhouses for nearly 8 years and have been in the service industry basically my whole life. To add.. I hate writing bad reviews, as someone who works in the industry I understand that bad days happen.

Now for the awful experience:

Our waiter was not hospitable at all, nor did he seem to know the menu very well. We asked about the rack of lamb and he guessed about how many pieces it was. Furthermore when I asked to order just appetizers for now, I was told I could not and had to order everything at once. We also expressed it was our anniversary and the waiter did not make us feel special at all. His response was “ cute, are you ready to order ?”. Anyways once we ordered everything, it felt very rush he did not try to romanticize the food nor give us a wine pairing. It was very basic service. The table was not de-crumbed between courses, wine was poured in the back and drinks were brought out not on trays but by hand.

Now the food comes out, and the highlight were the oysters. They were fresh and very large. We wished we ordered a dozen instead of half. As for the French onion soup, it was alright, way too much cheese. I got the wedge salad and my partner got the green salad. Both were mediocre. The steak was the VERY underwhelming part. We both got the filet and it was very dry and quite bland.

Steak if my favourite food and every time I order steak regardless of how it is cooked I will finish it. I barely got through half of it and had to stop due to how it tasted.

As we finished our meal there was another waiter that was serving a table next to us who was very hospitable. He would stop by our table on the way to the back and check in on us more than our actual waiter. I don’t recall his name but we had a quick conversation about his home country Kazakhstan. He was phenomenal and I even thanked him on my way out, and wished we had him to serve us instead.

Finally plates are cleared, then I ask about the lemon sherbet that we are supposed to get with our meal and the server says that there was a mishap with the fridge and there is no more sherbet. However, there was no substitution for it nor was it mentioned at the beginning of service so that we were aware. He didn’t even offer us the dessert menu, after that interaction he said “ bills?”. It felt as though he was trying to kick us out.

When he brings the bills he asked about the experience and I told him that it was not good. How the steak was dry and overall underwhelming experience. He just said u should’ve told me in the beginning as he gives the machine to my partner to pay. Not sure how long he has been serving for, but he served the table behind me and they also had a terrible experience. They had to get 50% off their bill.

Anyways, I should’ve spoken to the manager at the end but I did not. We just wanted to get out of there.

I will not be recommending this restaurant nor coming back. We spent about 400$ for 2 people, for very basic steak and bad service ( not talking about the amazing server from Kazakhstan).

You are better off going somewhere cheaper, you will probably get better steak...

06/15/23 Came here on a Thursday night during the GP Weekend and it was quite busy but nevertheless the host walked us upstairs and sat us in their upstairs dining room which I must say the ambiance is perfect. I should also add that they have valet parking which is very convenient for the guest as well as the restaurant so reservations are made on time which is perfect for both parties. We ordered 3 courses as their menu is a la carte. We started with the Grilled Jalapeño Sirloin Sausages, we then moved to the Sautéed Garlic Shrimp. For entrees we had the 22oz Rib Steak and the 15oz Sirloin. We both had the Monte Carlo but had separately chosen the Gibbys salad and the Blue Cheese wedge salad. We then had the crème brûlée for desert.

The service started perfect and ended perfect. We had Janie she was very attentive and respectful and also helped us with the menu. The sirloin sausages were shown on the menu as spicy but I disagree with that but everyone has a different palate for sure. Anyways the sausages were very savory and the mango chutney really compliments it and adds the perfect amount of sweetness and it's really flavorful. The shrimp was also seasoned perfectly and the garlic wasn't overpowering. It truly was incredible way to kick off the night as well as their amazing brioche bread with bacon and pickles that they start you off with.

The salads are served first before entrees and the Gibbys salad was good. It's more of a house salad and the dressing was quite good but nothing memorable. The blue cheese wedge salad was better I must say but the wedge is a bit too big in my opinion I think it would be easier to eat if cut in half or in thirds. Either way the dressing was good as well as the tomatoes. After the salads Janie served us with a lemon sorbet in order to clean our palettes which was very smart on their part as most restaurants that I've been too do not do this. This helps understand the powerful flavor of the steak without mixing any salad or appetizer. Moving on to the steaks the 22oz Rib steak was cooked perfectly as was the 15oz sirloin. I must say that the steaks weren't seasoned properly and I was pretty disappointed about that. I personally am a meat cook at a restaurant and work with steaks all day and I could easily tell when there wasn't enough seasoning. I'm not one to be an ego or anything about it so I didn't notify the server but I wanted to put it out there as that is my expertise. Moving on past that their chimmichuri sauce is top tier and it compliments the steak very well. The Monte Carlo was incredible and is the best baked potatoe I've ever had. So rich and creamy yet crispy on the inside the potato was cooked perfectly.

For desert we shared the crème brûlée and the portion size is quite big for one person so I would recommend getting this as a shared desert. What is there else to say about this? Crispy and sugary on the outside creamy and fluffy on the inside with the raspberries it's absolutely perfect.

If i were to give this restaurant a review with one word it would be perfect. From the service to the food to the pacing of the courses it was absolutely perfect. I totally recommend coming here it is well worth it!

Grilled Jalapeño Sirloin Sausage: 5/5 Sautéed Garlic Shrimp: 5/5 Gibbys Salad: 4/5 Blue Cheese Wedge Salad: 4/5 22oz Rib Steak: 4/5 15oz Sirloin: 4/5 Crème Brûlée:...

For the second year in a row we took advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend and headed north to Montreal. We arrived Friday evening and had dinner at Gibbys, a steakhouse in Old Montreal that my godfather recommended. Gibbys opened in 1969, an old restaurant in an even older building. The building, a former stable, is more than 200 years old with charming stone walls and exposed wood beams running along the ceiling. The space is huge, with a large main dining room, another in a back room, and two more, one upstairs and one downstairs. Despite the size, it would be hard to describe as anything but cozy. This time of year there are Christmas decorations and roaring fires to add to the delightful atmosphere.

I don’t think anyone leaves Gibbys hungry. To begin, they bring you bread service, a sesame-covered loaf that is served with half a stick of butter, a gravy boat full of bacon bits, and a bucket of pickles. For appetizers, I was tempted by french onion soup, shrimp cocktail, and sausage with jalapeno, but in the end selected the oysters rockefeller. Six extra large oysters came sizzling hot, topped with spinach and a generous amount of cheesy Mornay sauce.

Each entree comes with a choice of Gibbys salad, Andalusian gazpacho, or Blue Cheese Wedge Salad. I did try to get french onion soup for an upcharge, but that isn’t an option. The Gibbys salad was straightforward but good, particularly with the generous addition of anchovies and the aforementioned bacon bits. After that, another complementary dish, this time a lemon sorbet to cleanse your palate.

Steaks are served with asparagus and your choice of side. There is really only one side to get though, the Monte Carlo potato which is a gigantic, loaded twice baked potato, guaranteeing you will not be hungry when you leave. I enjoyed the 12 oz filet cooked rare with steak seasoning on the side. I’m not one to season my steak beyond salt and pepper, but enjoyed a couple dips into the sauce. Even more I enjoyed dipping my steak in the gravy that came with my wife’s beef wellington. In a city famous for poutine, it should not be a surprise that they have excellent gravy, but this was some of the best. It would be worth a trip to Gibbys just for the gravy, and if you don’t have a friend who orders the wellington, get a side of it. The steak was cooked perfectly, and even without sauce it had excellent flavor, but I was getting full at this point and perhaps should have opted for the 8 oz cut.

Desserts are all made in house, which is becoming uncommon these days. It was hard choosing between chocolate mousse, blueberry cheesecake, and key lime pie, but we went with the pie. Like everything else at Gibbys, the pie didn’t want you to leave hungry. With it I had a glass of scotch, but during the meal we enjoyed a light red wine from Quebec. They had a number of Canadian wines on their list, but only one from Quebec, so it felt necessary to try.

There is a reason Gibbys makes so many best of Montreal lists, (including my godfather’s). It’s a wonderful space, particularly during the holidays, with generous portions and great steaks. Gibbys is the definition of old school and there is something particularly comforting in that, so go get some...