Nora Gray

This is one of the top restaurants I have ever been to. Atmosphere, food and staff were on point. I would highly recommend it!

Bien que ce restait soit situé dans un genre demi sous sol, on a adoré l’ambiance en arrivant. Ambiance Mad Man, cocktails surprenants. Plats originaux inégaux. Les pop Corn de Ris de veaux à partager à né pas manquer. Bémol: staff un peut trop relax pour le prix de l’addition finale assez salée…

My friend recommended Nora grey and boy did it not disappoint.
Since this was a birthday dinner, we ordered a few things that were all good. The waitress was sweet and so friendly. She brought one wine that we didn’t like as much so she brought another that was delicious and ultimately paired with everything we ate.
We started with the bread and a green salad. As simple as bread and olive oil is, the spicy oil puts it over the top and was so delicious. The green salad was a perfect fresh starter. Nicely dressed, well balanced and just a nice way to start.
We then had the mezzaluna pasta dish. The pasta was really nice with a squash purée but what made it delicious was the Guinea hen. When you mix it all into one bite it was perfect.
The main course was the TBone for 2. The waitress said «it’s a big plate» and looking at the other dishes I wasn’t expecting something huge but she was right, it was massive. It came with delicious fries, carrots and Brussels sprouts. The best part was the steak. She didn’t ask how we wanted it cooked but that speaks to the chef’s ability. The sauce and steak was just delicious. I can’t speak to how much we enjoyed it and since this is almost always on the menu, I strongly suggest it. Oh and it’s also Quebec meat, which as I keep learning is really good beef.
We ended with the chocolate prune cake with earl grey gelato with orange on the top. It was so moist and rich but really tasty. Try having a bite with all components because they play so well together.
We went to the 7pm seating on a Friday, service was fast and everything had the perfect temperature. I recommend this place to whoever is coming to the city and want modern Italian at its finest. It didn’t disappoint.

I’m not entirely sure why this place is categorized as Italian. If you are thinking of eating here do not hesitate. This is the Mecca of progressive cuisine. I ate at the bar and felt like I was sitting in a living room in an ultra cool speakeasy.
Hand crafted cocktails started the evening perfectly. This is a dining experience. Choose wisely. The menu changes with the seasons. I’m not going to go on about what I ate. A Great restaurant is not about the individual dishes. It’s about how it all weaves together like a fine fabric to create an incredible dining experience. Nora Gray is that experience. Don’t hesitate.

Perfect décor and ambiance for a date. The service is impeccable and some of the dishes, such as the buratta, agnolotti and bolognese, were home runs.
Pro tip: This restaurant is located in the neighborhood where everyone parks their cars during Habs games at the Bell Centre. So, if you’re driving there and it’s a game night, plan to spend some extra time searching the area for a parking spot.

I’ve been meaning to try Nora Gray for some time, as the owner/​chef once worked at Joe Beef, which is basically the golden standard of Le Sud Ouest and it was featured on the latter’s episode of Munchie’s Chef’s Night Out.
Being vegan as consistently as possible, it was important to me that they be able to cater to my dietary restrictions, so I called ahead to be sure and received a pleasant response to my query. The vibe of the small, intimate eatery was cozy and quirky in the best of ways. Front of house staff were dressed informally, which spoke to the laid-​back vibe of the place. Service was attentive without being overbearing and our server gladly offered wine pairings to each course.
I had lovely grilled summer vegetables as an antipasto, which they removed the anchovy vinaigrette from at my request. It was topped off with crunchy, breakcrumbs, which were slightly salty for my taste. Opting to skip the primo, I went straight for a secondo of creamy courgette and pine nut risotto (vegan!) topped with rich, buttery wild mushroom. The second offering was delicious, perfectly balanced, and filling. For dessert, the server thoughtfully mentioned that the chocolate mousse with candied oranges and cookie-​like crunchies was a vegan-​friendly option. The taste of the orange was strong, but incredibly earthy and natural, while the texture of the mousse was velvety and decadent. Overall, the quality of the food was impeccable.
My only issue with my experience is that I found it to be somewhat pricey for the portion size, a problem that was consistent through each course. Dine at Nora Gray if you are able to savour and appreciate, as opposed to devour; it is food which tickles the palate and deserves to be treasured.

Buena comida italiana, excelente ambiente.
El cordero es muy bueno, además de una variada carta de vinos italianos.

The food here was really good, five star good. So why the 3 stars? Several things: no separate bills, small portions/​overpriced, and too dark and hot inside.
We came last weekend as a big group of 6 couples to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We started off with a few rounds of drinks, and then shared a whole slew of appetizers, including the crab, asparagus with egg, pork belly and morels, and buratta with spring veggies. Everything was en pointe and bursting with flavour.
For my main course, I really wanted to try the pasta but could not decide between two choices, so I opted for both. I ordered the mezzo/​half-​plate for each of the ricotta tortellini and the crab pappardelle. When the dishes arrived, my tortellini order had FOUR pieces of pasta on it ($ 14). Don’t get me wrong, the dish was creamy and rich, and while the mint complemented the richness perfectly… it was $ 3.50 per tortellino? You’ve got to be kidding me. The pappardelle ($ 17) was equally good, but again, small portion and skimpy on the crab. For pasta, which is not expensive to make, I was expecting a much bigger portion size.
My husband had the pan-​seared halibut. Very buttery in flavour, well-​cooked (perhaps just a tad overdone) and well-​seasoned. It was a small piece of fish that came with several radishes and baby asparagus on the side. It was only filling if you possessed a small appetite and had eaten several appetizers beforehand. So, luckily we were okay.
Imagine our delight when the server arrived with a single big honking bill that said ten beers ($ 100), three halibuts ($ 96), eight cappuccinos ($ 64), etc. it was not clear which couple had ordered what. She politely apologized but refused to break down the bill per couple because «we have a really old machine.» For nearly $ 900, you would think the restaurant would be a little more accommodating.
After our friend spent a good 20 minutes breaking down the bill, we finally figured out that we owed $ 77 (basically $ 100 including tax and tip) for just one beer, one espresso, and our small entrees (i.e. the apps were generously covered by someone else in the party). Several other friends were also a bit miffed at their pricey bills, but by then the room had become so stiflingly hot that everyone paid as quickly as they could so we could get the heck out of there. We were all sweating. The ambience inside was fine, but very dim so you couldn’t read the menu, and of course, no AC.
I would consider coming back *if and when* they fix their cash register and increase their portion sizes. Until then, I will be open to trying many of the other fabulous restos that Montréal has to offer.

Very nice wine by the glass selection as well as original cocktails.
Food was delicious! Love the italian style menu with appeteizer (first) — pasta (second) — main (third). Highlights were the sweetbread and the rabbit tagliatelle. The boar was truly delicious but 43 $ for a piece of about 10−12oz is a bit over priced. As for the ambiance, it was hip but the noise level got pretty loud very fast– so good for small group of friends, not so great for intimate couple (unless you sit at the bar which puts the both of you in closer contact and further from the main noise).

Excellente cuisine mélangeant amertume et douceurs! Ambiance feutrée, soirée intime et chaleureuse. Un classique moderne.