Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Montreal

we encountered several issues that made for a disappointing experience. Upon arrival, as we were quietly discussing the menu, the owner, Joel Giberovitch, sent a waiter to shush us, which felt rude and unwelcoming. Meanwhile, a large group nearby was laughing loudly without any reprimand, highlighting a clear double standard. Additionally, when we expressed our intention to order only drinks, the owner insisted that we must order food, making us feel pressured. To make matters worse, the food we eventually ordered was overpriced and of poor quality. Overall, the combination of unprofessional behavior and subpar offerings led to a regrettable experience. I would not recommend this establishment.

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Thank you for your response, but I’d like to clarify a few things. If silence during performances and ordering food are strict rules, they should be explained clearly before seating guests. This wasn’t communicated to us, and while you mentioned addressing the large table behind us, they remained loud throughout the performance. If you were truly enforcing the rules, they should have been reminded again, not just us.

Additionally, storming out of the kitchen during the performance and yelling at us to order food was completely unprofessional and unnecessary. Everyone at our table felt very threatened by your behavior, which disrupted not only our experience but also that of others around us. Respecting the musicians should also mean treating all customers with fairness and respect. Forcing orders and speaking rudely to guests is not the...

Excellent staff, great food, and great entertainment.

It was a Wednesday night and we were looking for a Jazz bar. The stars aligned and took us Upstairs.

We arrived just before the band started playing and were kindly informed that there would be a cover charge for the show, added on to our bill. That was fine and we appreciated being informed so we went in.

We didn't have reservations, which help you sit closer to the front, but we could still see the stage. We ordered a couple of drinks, and watched the place quickly fill up.

The staff was rushed for the rest of the night. We wanted to wait a while to eat, which helped us out, and we enjoyed our drinks (the wine and Cafe Avril impressed) and the ambiance.

We saw meals arriving pretty quickly all around. A lot of burgers were ordered - they did look very good, and make people happy, as did the other dishes we saw. We had pasta and salad and finished with some cider, all of which were delicious.

The staff was friendly and attentive, and the show was nice. It was a jazz jam session, and a lot of the musicians connected very well on stage.

If you are looking for a good jazz bar and to see a good show, here is a...

Heard a lot about this place including from Michael League of Snarky Puppy. Arrived to some great music, but really overpriced drinks. What really left a bad taste in our mouths was the embarrassing service. The first waitress who served us before her shift was over was great -- she was learning French and was quite kind and friendly. After the music (and the first waitress' shift) ended, it was like we had turned invisible -- none of the staff would walk by to check up on us. We had to go up to the bar and ask for the bill to someone else, a stumbling waitress, drunk out of her mind during her shift. Even after getting our bill, she completely forgot about us to go back to the bar and talk to some of the regulars -- it seemed like she was too busy flirting with one of them to come and bring us the machine. Finally I went up to her and told her we had to leave, to which she gave us the machine, again stumbling and barely talking straight. My girlfriend even double checked the amount on the machine as we didn't think the waitress would be capable of entering the right amount. Once again, great music but not worth the expensive drinks and...