Stash Café — Restaurant in Montreal

I had a great time at Stash Café on Saturday, April 5th, celebrating a friend’s birthday with a group of nine. The decor felt straight out of a Wes Anderson movie or an old-school train cabin—super charming and nostalgic. The food was decent, but what really stood out for me were the drinks—especially the pickle martini, which was a hit. They even made us a plate of pickles upon request, even though it wasn’t on the menu, which was a really nice touch.

Overall, the vibe was lovely and we were having a great time—until our interaction with our server, which unfortunately didn’t match the rest of the experience. She approached our table without a greeting and bluntly asked, “What do you want to drink?” It felt a bit off-putting right from the start. Then, before even offering dessert, she told us she needed to make sure we were leaving soon. This caught us off guard, as we were still ordering drinks and planning to enjoy coffee and dessert.

It felt like we were being rushed out, though the restaurant didn’t appear to be full—there was no one waiting at the door when we checked. She also entered the wrong payment amount for one of our friends, and when he pointed it out, she implied that he hadn’t paid her in full, which wasn’t the case. It turned into an awkward exchange. After we left, we all realized she had been cold or distant with everyone at the table—not just a one-off moment.

On the bright side, the bartender who brought us our drinks was incredibly kind and all smiles—he really added warmth to our night.

Just a heads-up: the bathroom is located upstairs, so it might be a bit tricky if you have mobility issues. I was in a boot and using a cane at the time, and navigating the stairs wasn’t the easiest. Getting around the table was also a bit of a challenge.

All in all, it was a fun night with great company and unique drinks, but the service unfortunately took away from what could have been an...

I would give a 4.5 star for this place. We tried to get in on the previous day without reservation but the wait was close to an hour, so we made a reservation for the next day for dinner at 7.30. We got seated immediately. You will notice a pianist playing near the entrance, which set a lovely atmosphere to the dinner, and the decor with some old paintings is cozy and nostalgic. They still had Plexiglass between tables for covid protocols. They have a more extensive menu in house compared to the one on their website. We finally decided to get Kielbasa as an appetizer, Zurek soup and the Table D’hote with the debutant. The debutant comes with an assortment of pierogies, placki, bigos, krokiety, and the table d’hote is a 4 course meal worth soup, entree, coffee/tea and dessert so it is great for someone who wants to explore Polish cuisine. We also got a side of sauerkraut (did not like it as much the rest of the food). I loved the Zurek soup, lovely flavors. Everything on the debutant was delicious, and so was the kielbasa. There pierogies are not skimpy on the filling, the bigos was very flavorful, the placki was crispy, and the krockiety was light on the bread and again generous with the meat filling. The kielbasa was sautéed with onions and served with a potent mustard, we definitely liked it, but we were expecting the full sausage instead of it being cut up. If you want the full sausage then you should get the entree instead of appetizer. We got the nalishnik as our dessert, it was a light crepe filled with sweet cheese and raspberry coulis, it was delectable and I wanted more. The service was pleasant, and the waiter was helpful with recommendations and questions, and you don’t feel rushed as your 4 course meal is paced well.

It is a tad bit pricey, but the entree portion size is generous. I would definitely recommend the place, it is unique in old Montreal. For a first timer, go with...

The comfort of Polish cuisine makes diners feel warm. Polish cuisine has the salty taste of pickles, the sour taste of fresh apples, the bitter taste of black tea & herbs, and the spicy duck of horseradish mustard.

My sister and I chose the following dishes:

– Beef Strogonow (main course) ~ $27 – Golabki (main course) ~ $22 – Peach Crumble Cobbler (dessert) ~ $6 – Apple Crumble Cobbler (dessert) ~ $6 – Birra Fanelli Beer ~ $11

Meat has always had a special place on the Polish table for generations. A unique dish is Golabki, stewed cabbage stuffed with pork and rice, served with tomato sauce, potatoes and salad. This dish is a combination of sour, sweet, salty and umami flavors. A simple yet delicious dish.

Strogonow is strips of beef fillet in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, served with two potato pancakes and a beetroot salad. This is a dish that everyone should definitely try. The beef is marinated in wine, making it surprisingly tender and delicious.

Croustade is a dessert with a choice of apple or peach, covered with the restaurant’s homemade sweet cream. It’s no surprise that apple pie is one of the most beloved pastries in Poland, with its delicious apple flavor.

Since I don’t drink beer and I’m not feeling very well, my sister was the only one drinking tonight. Luckily, she got to try their 50th anniversary Birra Fanelli, a light wheat beer with a lemon flavor. My sister described it as having a pleasant golden color, a very aromatic and slightly sour drink, and a very good digestive.

Price does not include 15% VAT and 25% tip. Total bill was over $100 for 2 people, a great price if not a steal and I cannot recommend this...