SHAY — Restaurant in Montreal

I have been to Shay multiple times before and have always enjoyed their drinks and ambiance. However, this visit was nothing short of a disaster from start to finish. We were a party of four for brunch on March 15, with two of us arriving on time and the other two arriving 10-15 minutes late. Despite this, the moment we sat down, we were aggressively rushed to order—before I had even taken off my jacket. When making our reservation, we were told that seating is based on two-hour time blocks, with ours running from 12 PM to 2 PM. Yet, we were pressured to place our orders immediately. After making us rush our order, we received our food by 12:25-12:30. To make matters worse, the food arrived within 3-4 minutes of ordering. Three out of four dishes were stone-cold, clearly having sat out for hours, and were completely inedible—so much so that, for the first time in my life, I had to send food back. While the kitchen did bring us new hot plates, the food itself remained mediocre at best. The service was just as frustrating. Still before 1 PM, while we were still eating, our waitress interrupted us every few minutes, watching as we took bites, only to ask if we needing anything else or if she could clear plates. This continued every few minutes until we finally gave up and let her take our plates. Then came the final straw—the bill. At 1:30 PM, we were handed the bills and paid by credit card. However, after selecting a preset tip percentage of 18%, I noticed the total charged did not match what it should have been—it was more than expected. When I politely asked for a copy of my approved payment, thinking this might have been a human error, our waitress became visibly nervous, struggled to provide it, and consulted her colleague, who then frantically clicked through their system and whispered among themselves. She eventually handed me a completely incorrect receipt—one for a debit card payment rather than my Visa transaction, and for the wrong amount. When I asked to speak with someone else, I was then handed yet another different bill with a different total. At this point, I requested to speak to the manager, who was entirely dismissive and only cared about the price difference rather than acknowledging the clear issue. I explained that I wasn’t arguing over $5—it was the principle and the fact that the situation seemed intentional. Rather than addressing my concerns, he brushed me off and told the waitress to just hand me $5. I have worked in the restaurant industry for over five years and have dined at countless restaurants across Montreal, and I have never encountered such blatant disregard for customers. From being rushed the second we sat down, to receiving inedible food, to questionable billing practices, this experience was truly...

Would really like to give this place 5 stars but can't go beyond 3 stars for one reason: the food doesn't arrive at the table hot.

I've been here two times now for brunch and both times, the food wasn't hot. It was lukewarm at best. The first time, I shrugged it off because at least it wasn't ice cold. And I held off on the review that time. The second time, a couple of friends wanted to go so I decided I would give Shay another shot - and make sure to ask the service staff to bring the plates hot.

Nope. Didn't happen. The waitress taking my table's order acknowledged my request but forgot/didn't communicate it to the kitchen? Sure, the food comes out wicked fast for brunch but that means plates are prepared beforehand and are probably sitting in the kitchen and sent out only when orders for them are ready.

What does that mean? Aside from food being basically cold, that means (for my experience):

a.) pancakes were dry b.) lamb meat in dishes was cold c.) fried chicken was, ya guessed it, cold d.) cheese was melted but because it's not even warm, didn't have that cheesey enjoyment e.) potato wedges were cold so not enjoyable

Like, I'll give it to Shay that the decor of the place is really nice and the service is attentive (for the most part). And the food presentation is incredible so your IG will be lit. But I'm paying to eat the stuff on my plate.

How can I enjoy my food if it's not arriving at the table hot? I'm not asking for sizzling hot but hot enough to make me think that it was prepared fresh. At the very least, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds before bringing the food to the table?

Been there twice. Won't be thrice....

Even though I wasn’t particularly hungry, every dish completely won me over! It wasn’t just me—my companions, and even the people at the next table, kept exclaiming: “Wow, C’est tellement délicieux! C’est vraiment, vraiment bon!” I glanced over and noticed that their dishes were different from ours. We exchanged smiles, both clearly impressed!

First Dish: Beef Tartare The highlight was how beautifully the flavors came together—the cheese, onion, mint, pomegranate, sweet vinegar, and beef blended so harmoniously! Each element had its distinct taste while perfectly complementing the others. It felt very Arabian and incredibly unique!

Second Dish: Tomahawk Lamb Chops One bite and I was hooked—this is exactly what lamb chops should taste like! So authentically Middle Eastern and absolutely delicious. The smoky charcoal aroma mingled with spices, and the meat was perfectly balanced between lean and fatty. I couldn’t resist picking it up with my hands to savor every bite!

Third Dish: Dessert We ordered a random dessert, and it blew me away! I’m not a fan of desserts, but I didn’t leave a single bite of this one. From the first spoonful, the cream melted in my mouth—cool but not icy, rich but not heavy. Then came an explosion of orange blossom and jasmine fragrances, so aromatic that I felt like I’d been transported to the garden of an Arabian palace. The base was light and crisp, layered with pistachio paste and nuts, delicate and flavorful. It was truly incredible!

Lastly, a big shoutout to our server, Pamela, who was attentive and warm throughout the meal. Her excellent service made our dining experience even...