Nolan — Restaurant in Montreal

I have never encountered such horrible customer service from a restaurant — specifically its management and ownership — in my life. While this story is long, it has become my only remaining outlet to express the deep frustration I’ve felt over the past month.

A few weeks ago, I had a reservation at Nolan for four adults, one toddler, and one infant. The day of the booking coincided with Montreal’s severe heatwave, during which the toddler began exhibiting symptoms of heatstroke. Understandably, we rushed him to the hospital and forgot to cancel our dinner reso.

Thankfully, he is completely fine. A few days later, I noticed a no-show charge of $150 had been applied. While I accept responsibility for not calling to cancel — and even agree that a no-show fee is warranted — I was stunned to see we had been charged for six adults, despite the fact that two in our party were clearly minors who would not have been ordering. Unfair, but beside the point.

What followed is what truly deserves attention.

I called the restaurant to explain the situation, apologize, and respectfully request an exception given the medical emergency. I assumed that a restaurant in the hospitality industry would, at the very least, hear me out. I was wrong.

It has now been over a month of relentless follow-ups. I have called more than ten times — often every 3 to 4 days — and have spoken with both Tommy (kind, empathetic) and Julien (shockingly rude and dismissive). Both assured me the owner would be in touch. That call has never come.

In addition to phone calls, I have reached out via email, the contact form on the website, and social media — all without a single response from ownership.

If the owner had simply chosen to decline the refund, that would have been their prerogative. But to remain entirely silent while I repeatedly attempt to have a civil conversation is, quite frankly, unacceptable — and deeply unprofessional, especially in an industry that relies on goodwill, service, and reputation.

As a new mother to a 4-month-old, I don’t have the disposable income to absorb a $150 charge like this, nor do I have the time or energy to continue chasing down someone who clearly has no intention of responding. All I can do now is share this story in the hope of sparing others a similar experience.

Montreal is a city full of extraordinary restaurants — ones that actually understand hospitality and the value of treating people with dignity and basic courtesy. Had I simply received the promised return call, we might have returned to Nolan again. Instead, I will never dine there again and will make a point of steering others elsewhere.

Shame on you, Nolan. You had every opportunity to do the right thing — or at the very least, to act like...

While I have heard great things about Nolan, I was very disappointed with my experience.

We ordered Zucchini flowers, mushrooms, pasta dishes and tomatoes.

The zucchini flowers and the mushroom were deep fried, but it was a lot of batter and it was dry/burnt in my opinion (you can see the pictures for reference). I would not recommend either of these dishes.

The tomatoes with the labneh were delicious, and this was probably the highlight of the meal. The pasta dishes were good.

The service is what really frustrated me. It started off great, but our waiter disappeared halfway through our meal. I was interested in trying some wines, but I was only proposed one glass (it was empty as of the second course). Half an hour after our plates were cleared, no one asked if we wanted any dessert. I finally had to call out to a neighbouring waiter to get the bill. Ironically, the tipping options were set to 20% to 25%. It might be in view of the new law that passed, and that would have been ok nowadays if the service was at least passable.

In retrospect, I sound picky, but the food was not great and the lack of attention was frustrating. I think my expectations were fair for the cost of the meal. Perhaps it was an off-night, given the other reviews, but I’m not sure if I’ll be...

Me and four friends came to Nolan a couple of weeks ago to celebrate a birthday dinner. Immediately, we enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant: its en-mode decorations and the lively vibe. But the food, though beautiful, had issues. The tartare was flawless and in fact we ordered two, but that was as good as it got. The bolognese pasta (far too expensive for how basic and uninventive it was) was both undercooked and almost lukewarm by the time it arrived at our table a good 15 minutes after we had finished every other course; the courgette plate upset our stomachs; the razor clam plate “shareable between two” was hardly enough for even one; and the salade blanche was dreadfully lacking in any flavour at all besides an offensive bitterness only vaguely masked by the heap of cheese plopped atop. Worst of all, however, was the service. The waiter was very pushy, rude, and in various moments gave up on any attempt to mask his pretension. Without having even discussed it over dinner, we all left the place and our first thought was to come to a collective agreement that he had ruined the dinner. Ultimately, the otherwise promising atmosphere was the restaurant’s only saving grace and the sole reason I did not give...