Restaurant Beba — Restaurant in Montreal

I was treated poorly by the hostess (glasses; dark brown hair) at Beba. I called Beba to tell them I was running late as they ask you to do on Resy and I was told about an hour before leaving for the restaurant that I no longer had my reservation.

I had made my reservation a month ago.. I do not appreciate being told the Day Of that my reservation has been cancelled. I had a friend from Winnipeg visiting so this was a major disappointment.

In comparison the reservation I made at Mon Lapin also a month ago on Resy there were no issues. I was not called/ emailed and asked to confirm in advance. When I got to Mon Lapin I got a table inside as I had expected. I didn't have the Rules changed on me.

Beba called and emailed the day of with no prior notice or indication of policy. I do not have a smartphone so I did not get any of these messages.

I was then offered over the phone as consolation seats at the bar with stools (with no backs). I am a senior so this is not ideal but I took it grudgingly.

Before I left I checked my email and saw that "after" my phone call with the hostess I got an email that my reservation was cancelled. This was disconcerting but I went anyways since I just spoke to the hostess.

When I got to Beba the hostess was not welcoming and certainly she gave me no apologies. In fact this hostess looked over at me several times during the evening with indifference or as if she was looking at a wall. When I saw there were tables available inside and out she said they were taken. So I guess I can be bumped but others can't.

I didn't enjoy sitting at the bar. The other servers spent their time behind the bar talking amongst themselves while one of them (hopefully the Sommelier) constantly drank wine. It was annoying to watch. Only the bartender Evan made an effort to engage.

As for the food the empanada was good and sweetbread also. I found the salad to be overly acidic which is not pleasant.

The sweetbread dish had a fair bit of sauce and this same hostess to add insult to injury offered me bread after I completed the whole dish. Too little too late...

It was so noisy in this tiny restaurant that I didn't have the strength or energy to shout out my complaints although I am pretty sure if I tried with this hostess it would have fallen on deaf ears.

When we were leaving my friend went to the washroom i sat outside at an empty table to wait (yes there were still empty tables) and various waitresses came out and stared at me. I had just been in this tiny restaurant for a couple of hours and paid my bill but I still got looks then they brought out the hostess to have a look at me too! That was unbelievable.

Bumping customers on the day of their reservation is not a good way to run a business. By doing this it feels like you are showing preference for certain customers over others. This is not fair and also insulting.

Beba owners should take some lessons from Mon Lapin on how to treat customers without prejudice or disdain and certainly with respect. Every single person I encountered at Mon Lapin (and there were about 5) was attentive; courteous; friendly and focused on making us happy from beginning to end. They treated every customer as if they were wanted. Most importantly they didn't unexpectedly and unfairly cancel our reservation.

The hostess in particular being snooty; rude and unfair reflects on the owners; the team as a whole and the reputation of the restaurant itself.

I read a few other reviewers who had a similar experience to mine. So in the era of being "woke" to prejudice whether it be race; age or class I just want to say if you have a feeling you are not being treated well at Beba you are right to feel this way and you...

During the past few years, this Montreal neighbourhood hidden gem has progressively ascended the ‘ Top 100 Best Canadian Restaurant ‘ ranking list. Currently, it occupies the #7 spots, just behind our Ontario-own Pearl Morissette, Alo, Edulis, 20 Victoria street…etc.

By pure luck, dining options for our relatively large party of 6, required special handling by the smallish and cozy restaurant and its compact kitchen. This resulted in our being offered a fixed price, pre-arranged ‘omakase’ menu, consisting of communal size dishes for sharing. This menu will be specially crafted in person by Montreal celebrity chef/owner Ari Schor himself! A nice surprise and welcoming privilege!

Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly and graciously by the wait staff and the two owner brothers, Ari and Pablo. After exchanging hand shakes, hugging and verbal pleasantries, we all settled down, ordered our pre-dinner cocktails and eagerly awaited the arrival of our culinary feast.

We were presented with the following dishes:

Appetizers: Potato Knish with Imperial Osetra Caviar Montadito of Mackerel with sesame, salted butter and horseradish Involtini of Zucchini and Swiss Chard with yogurt and pine nuts

Mains: Drunken Guinea Fowl and Liver marinated in Sherry Tagliatelle served with Chanterelle, braised Zucchinis and Pamiagiano Reggiano Gloucester Old Spot Pork chop with creamed corn and black truffles Rabbit with Octopus, Chorizo and Potatoes Wild Mushroom Paella

Desserts: Strawberries with Marsala Zabaglioni and Amaretti House made Vanilla Icecream with roasted Pistachios

Our intriguing French and South American Hispanic fusion fare, with a touch of Chinese theme thrown into the mix, was both rustic yet refined. Dishes' progression was a balanced blend of subtle flavour creations intermingled with some concoctions packed with relatively bold and complex taste profiles.

The Shanghainese scallion pancake taste-alike potato Knish topped with salty caviar was a great overture to our meal. The Chinese drunken pigeon clone main - ‘Drunken Guinea Fowl with Sherry’ was IMO a clever,masterful touch! The delicious meat, tender and moist…..the medium rare, velvety smooth and creamy foie, exceptional! I am normally not a fan of rabbit, finding it usually overcooked and dry. Yet, Beba’s rendition was a pleasure to eat. The well seasoned meat was nicely seared, flavourful and juicy. Same applies to the pork, which was also perfectly executed, caramelized crust on the outside and moist juicy meat inside. The pile of shaved Black truffle topping was super-generous and the sweet Chilean creamed corn sauce, delightful!

Overall, it was a satisfying and sumptuous meal with generous portions, encompassing some creative, intriguing and unfamiliar ingredient composition and flavour profile

The only downside to our meal was the rather underwhelming, blend tasting and mushy textured pasta dish plus the loud and ‘funky’ background music, which featured African tribal like songs to crackling Caribbean percussion to mellow Hispanic. What a weird mix?!

An evening of good food, warm attentive service and great company! A near perfect...

I celebrated my birthday in Montreal, and what could have been more memorable than a dinner at Beba—a hidden gem, subtly tucked away in Verdun, away from the buzzing tourist trail. Planning with ChatGPT’s help, I asked for a place adored by locals, with food that stood out. Beba emerged in that shortlist, and I was enchanted from the moment we stepped inside.

Atmosphere & Service

Beba's décor feels intentional without a shred of pretension—warm tones, an intimate 28‑seat room, and an open kitchen that frames the cooking like a private performance. The service was equally considered: heartfelt yet polished, guiding us through the menu with genuine care. We chose dishes we were drawn to while letting the staff curate the rest, and the balance between those two felt seamless.

Highlights from the Menu

Our assortment of plates revealed the elegance of simplicity anchored in complexity:

• Montadito de maquereau, sésame, beurre salé et raifort (sesame montadito with Japanese mackerel, salted butter, and horseradish)—a sublime reinterpretation of fish on toast, with nuanced textures and flavor layers that lingered.

• Involtini de courgettes et bette à carde, yogourt et noix de pin (zucchini and chard involtini with yogurt and pine nuts)—the “thing wrapped in a leaf” manifested as tender pasta-like rolls that spoke of Mediterranean finesse.

• Os à moelle avec pan con tomate et anchois (bone marrow with pan con tomate and anchovy)—incredibly rich, abundant, and gloriously unrestrained—a decadent, fatty indulgence that felt indulgent in the best way.

• Dattes farcies au foie gras, pistaches et huile d’olive (dates stuffed with foie gras, pistachios, and olive oil)—the notes I have simply surrender to calling them the most incredible dates; sweet, savory, and texturally perfect.

By the time our chop d’épaule de porc avec aubergines à la charcutière (pork shoulder chop with eggplants à la charcutière) arrived, we were near full—but such was the generosity of the portions and richness of flavor that we polished every morsel.

With no room left for dessert (though I heard whispers of a silky flan with dulce de leche that teasingly escaped us), we exited contentedly sated.

Despite the outstanding caliber of ingredients, thoughtful technique, and warm ambiance, the bill arrived without any staggering shock—refreshingly reasonable for an experience of such quality. I felt deeply grateful for this birthday meal: every plate, sip, and moment is now etched in my memory.

Beba is that rare type of place: a neighborhood restaurant that feels elevated yet accessible, intimate without being precious. It earned a place in the Michelin Guide’s “Recommended” list for its polished, ingredient‑driven cooking unfolding without pretense.

I will absolutely recommend it whenever I recount our Montreal trip. It has become etched in memory—a quietly perfect birthday dinner, where each bite felt crafted just for the...