NYKS — Restaurant in Montreal

NYKS is a cool-yet-unassuming bistro/pub that surpasses expectations with it's great food, drinks, and service.

We visited NYKS for lunch on a Thursday afternoon in July. There's a few options in the area of Ste-Catherine and Bleury Streets, but we found one of the best.

Upon arrival around noon, the place was coming alive. The staff were friendly and welcoming. We were quickly seated at a high-top table for two on the sidewalk out front, which was rather nice. NYKS had its streetside garage-style windows rolled up, with nice tables set up at the interior's edge that gave patrons inside a cool summer vibe and made passers-by (like us) want to drop in for a visit.

Our server was excellent. Friendly, charming, efficient, helpful. What more can you ask? It was a hot summer day and he quickly took our drink order and ensured that we had refreshment right away.

Before I discuss the unexpectedly excellent food, I'll mention that our server claimed NYKS had the best pour of Guinness in Montreal. I've been to all the best Irish (and English) pubs in the city, and Guinness is "my" beer, so his words raised an eyebrow. I happily put his claim to the test. The best in the city? Them's fightin' words, on a stage of unstable dynamite. But having recently enjoyed Montreal pub crawl experiences (plural), along with my fair share of pints 'o the black stuff, I'll say this: I split the G and thoroughly enjoyed my glass. Followed by another.

The food was outstanding and of much higher quality than we expected for an afternoon lunch at an unpretentious bistro. For that matter, the food was as good (or better) than that which had been served to us at some of top-rated places we'd recently visited. A pleasant surprise!

For an appetizer, we had a fabulous "warm seasonal mushroom brushetta." For lunch, it was an excellent and surprisingly satisfying Niçoise salad, with a generous portion of pan-seared tuna steak, mixed green salad, green beans, tomatoes, baby potatoes, a soft-boiled egg, kalamata olives, red onions, and fresh herb dressing. Also, a very tasty Ratatouille, with added lamb sausage, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and puff pastry with basil pesto.

All in all, a 5-star lunch.

I've frequently walked past NYKS in the evening and it appeared to be a popular bar for the 5-to-7 and nighttime crowds. Based on other reviews, it seems that's true. But it's also true that NYKS is more than just a bar. It's a great little place for refreshing drinks and an...

Visiting from out of town, I had dinner here this past week on someone’s recommendation. The meal was great, the bistro pub vibe was nice, but the service was seriously lacking. The cocktail (L’amère pompette) was refreshing and not too sweet, and the duck confit salad was delicious and filling - the duck leg was tender with some nice crispy bits, the salad was not overdressed (as is often the case), and the vinaigrette was really well done - the seasonings were very nicely balanced, not too acidic, not too salty. However, I was largely neglected by my server. I was sitting at one of the few tables available outside, and the tables inside were busy, but didn’t seem overly busy. After I got my cocktail, I took my time to enjoy it and the lovely weather, finished it, and then waited, and waited. Finally decided to get the attention of another server to order my meal. When my original server brought out the salad, I asked if I could also have some bread with it - they said no problem, it will just be a few minutes in the oven (and so I was thinking wow, the bread will be nice). The server never came back with the bread, and never came back period. Since the the salad was generous, I decided to not bother asking for bread again, but again, after finishing my meal, I waited. I had to flag my server down so that I could pay the bill. I still gave a decent tip, since I enjoyed the food, but the service was disappointing, especially since it seems that the service is usually good based on the...

!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!

This restaurant is a masterclass in how not to run a business. We waited over 40 minutes for food that never showed up, and when we politely asked our waitress about it, she snapped at us with pure attitude and told us we could “just leave if we wanted.”

When the food finally arrived, my “chicken” burger was so burnt it looked like a lump of charcoal — completely black, dry, and absolutely inedible. I wouldn’t serve this to anyone. It was shocking that something like that could even leave the kitchen.

Between the rude service, inedible food, and complete lack of professionalism, this place is without question the worst restaurant in Montreal. It’s a disgrace to the city’s dining scene.

If you value your time, money, or stomach, avoid this place at all costs. There’s “bad service,” and then there’s this level of disaster.

In case you ever cross her,her name is Amelie and shes proud to be rude :)

!!!! UPDATE 20 MINS AFTER MY REVIEW !!!!

What’s even more concerning is that suspicious 5-star reviews suddenly appeared within minutes of our group posting honest feedback, all mentioning the same waitress by name. It’s hard not to question the integrity of the management when fake-looking reviews pop up so quickly.

Terrible service, awful food, and zero professionalism. Montreal deserves better. Avoid this place at all costs and your...