Gracia Afrika

Exactly what was needed on a freezing Montréal winter night. If you love stews, then you’ll enjoy this very cozy and warm BYOB. Just a bit on the expensive side, especially for the portions, but where else can you find homemade stews from the Congo in Montréal?

Prices went up. Paid $ 21 for grilled goat. Received a plate with brown rice, small salad, and little portion with grilled goat. I can’t believe I paid so much for a plate that was probably not worth more than $ 10.

On an adventure metro trip with the wee daughter, we happened upon this restaurant. What a great surprise! Fantastic food (we had the chicken & goat platters), nice ambiance and the owner/​chef was super friendly. Absolutely recommend!

I went to this restaurant recently with my girlfriend. The prices, service and (especially) the quality of the food were great! Very homey atmosphere. Great place for dinner with friends or to bring (and impress!) a date.

Home cooking… So. Tasty!

It was my wife b-​day and she wanted to try something different. I found this place on Unilocal and both ratings had 5 Stars.
Since we had a party at the house for 7:30 we needed an early dinner. Bibi was not sure if she would have food ready for so early but she told me she would call me by 5, and she did. She normally does not open so early but she did for us. When we arrived doors were still locked but she let us in the the place was all ours.
I fell in love the minute I walked in. It just had that I am gonna like it feel.
I had the chicken in Peanut Butter sauce, while 2 of my kids had soso Chicken and the other had the fish. My wife had the Goat. Everything was great as I tried a little of everything. fish was great wit a hint of spice. Just enough to notice.
service was just excellent and I promised we’ll be back.

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at Gracia Afrika, which is just down the street from our place. We were greeted by the owner, Bibi Ntumna. I asked what time she closed, since it was 25 minutes until 9:00. She responded, with a big smile, «Whenever you are done.»
We’ve just moved to Montréal and speak almost no French, but Bibi speaks some English. She has a menu written on a chalkboard; always a good sign, since it changes based on availability. I ordered Mwambe, which is chicken simmered in peanut sauce, and my wife got grilled goat.
Bibi has a small kitchen and we could watch her prepare the food. The dishes both came with a big scoop of spiced beans and rice, a side of fried plantains, and a lettuce/​tomato salad. The plates are deceptively large: by the time we finished eating we were both extremely full. My only regret is that we didn’t know to bring a bottle of wine with us, since we popped in on a fortuitous whim.
The food was fantastic, the service was top notch, and the restaurant itself is cozy and lovely. We can’t wait to go back.

I know exactly zilch about African cuisine.
I don’t mean North African, like Moroccan and Tunisian of which we have plenty in Montréal.
I mean equatorial Africa. Cuisines of countries like Congo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal or Ivory Coast. I admit my ignorance completely on the foods of that part of the world.
But now, I don’t have an excuse anymore. Gracia Afrika sits on a stretch of Notre-​Dame street which is rapidly undergoing gentrification. Within walking distance of both Lionel-​Groulx and St. Henri metro stations, it’s a great place to stop off for dinner right after work. With simmered stew and curry-​like dishes, if you like Indian food, it’s not a hard stretch to appreciate Gracia Afrika either.
With dishes like Mwambe, a simmered chicken in peanut sauce dish or dishes like spicy catfish cooked in banana leaves, the food is spicy, but not hot, extremely flavorful and satisfying in a home-​cooked meal kind of way. It’s also BYOB. Ingredients like coconut milk, plantains, rice, beans, goat and lamb all are featured prominently.
We came in last night and were instantly welcomed warmly by owner and cook Bibi Ntumna. Articles which have featured the restaurant are all on display on the wall. Bibi has also cooked for the likes of former Governor General Michaelle Jean, introducing African food to the folks in government.
So if you want to get to know what African food is like, make a stop here. I’ll be going back.