Manga Bistro — Restaurant in Montreal

Ok first time in Montreal, this was our only themed restaurant.

It was recommended by a few friends who watched anime, and so I didn’t research into it too much and just trusted the process. It was a fun atmosphere to be in- I understand the appeal. If you’re a huge fan of anime it’s quite heartwarming to see and be surrounded by a bunch of anime art (probably stolen thoooo) and fans.

I’ve seen anime collaborations with food places before, but never at such a big scale. They’re ALWAYS cafes, so I commend them for having a line out the door as well as maintaining their business. That’s the thing with themed cafes, they tend to only appeal to a certain audience so they can lose customers/not attract enough very easily.

They decorated the place well, very pretty ceiling. Could they diversify their anime from whatever the top 10 anime on MAL is- yes. For sure, it’S mostly the same 7 anime throughout the whole (surprisingly large area) restaurant.

It’s an all you can eat sushi place, and you order from an ipad. I love this method of ordering it’s more convenient, especially for an AYCE place. So not much interaction with the staff to talk about service, they’re busy bussing and clearing tables.

As they have so many people and have to switch people out quickly, the tables were still dirty. My friend wiped it with a wet tissue and it came out BROWN. Yikes. It also smelled like pee a lil bit…

The food quality was decent. Most AYCE places add extra rice to their sushi’s so you get full quicker. This place didn’t. I recommend just eating sashimi to get your moneys worth tbh. If you’re gonna eat other sushi’s you might as well not go to an AYCE place (ESP if you have a small stomach, don’t fill yourself up easily)

So yes, the quality isn’t very good. You’re getting that in exchange for a successful themed restaurant, so I’m not surprised.

Are you sacrificing price for the sake of the anime theme? Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than other places. Are you sacrificing cleanliness for the anime theme? Yes, absolutely, especially because it’s so popular.

I’d say it’s a go there once for the experience but don’t come back for the quality...

Just like a movie that has no re-watch value, I don't see myself coming here more than once.

(58$ Tax-in for one person during dinner time)

In terms of ambiance/atmosphere, being an anime fan myself it was amazing. From the countless posters on the wall, figurines, pillows, center pieces, hanging art, it was all really cool. Me and the group I was with, were constantly turning heads sparking conversations and debate about the animes that we've seen.

The food was nothing special, it's just sushi. There are a lot of all you can eat sushi places now a days, and if you've tried as many as I have, you can really see who puts effort into the actual food. Not to say the food was bad, but you can absolutely find better sushi if you just walk a few more blocks.

Service was alright, given that we were a really big group it's understandable that some things were limited for us. I had a couple of my friends order certain things that never arrived. It seemed as though we were the last group of the night to be given our bills. We waited for what felt like 25 minutes just to get our bills after we were done eating. We were rushed that the kitchen was closing and once we all finished our orders they swiftly took away the tablets. Some of us didn't even get the ice cream we ordered. Finally, after we all payed and we're waiting outside to decide where to go next, there was a girl who had her hand on the door debating if she had forgotten something inside the restaurant and one of the employees yanked the door from her hand just so he could lock it to prevent anyone else from coming in. I've worked as a waiter for a year, I completely understand the feeling of wanting the night to be over, but I would never do that.

To conclude, I would recommend this place as a one time experience for anyone looking for a really interesting and unique ambiance whilst eating...

I arrived around 5:15 pm on a Monday afternoon. The restaurant wasn’t very busy, just a few tables occupied. I was seated quickly, and the waitress asked if it was my first time there. When I said yes, she explained that orders had to be placed through the machine, that the pictures represented the portion size, and that any items with listed prices came with extra charges. She also mentioned that leaving leftovers would result in a $1 fee.

I placed my first order around 5:24 pm. All my sushi came out right away, but nothing from the kitchen did. After waiting about 30 minutes, I asked a waitress to check with the kitchen. She came back and told me there was a system error and I needed to place the same order again. I agreed, and this time the food came out within minutes but it was cold. I had to send it back and ask for a hot dish. Eventually they brought me the proper order, but then another server came over with the exact same dish again. I told him I hadn’t ordered it and didn’t want it. Clearly, the waitress I had spoken with hadn’t communicated with the rest of the staff about the system issue.

Throughout the whole experience, there was no clear customer service. It was confusing and disorganized, with no one taking full responsibility for the mistakes.

In the end, I finished my meal and asked for the bill. My total came to $49.43 before tip. I paid cash and asked for $15 back in change, but the waitress only gave me $14.

Overall, this place felt like a complete scam and was an utter disappointment, especially for a Monday. To make it worse, there were at least five waiters on the floor, yet the service was still chaotic and...