Daou

Restaurant Daou has really good homemade and authentic Lebanese food. It never disappoints. Best to go with a few people to have a good variety of dishes to share.

Very tasty food:) Best ending:) — Finish up with a wonderful Turkish coffee!

Been coming here since I was a kid with my family…. Almost 40 years later - I am Proud to say it’s become my 8 year old daughter’s favorite restaurant too!!! The tradition lives on! My favorite restaurant for the food but also for all the memories I have made here over the years….. All the classics, fresh and delicious every time.

This restaurant has the best lebanese food in Montreal! I highly recommend the chicken, beef and shrimp plates. The fries are awesome. The meat and spinach pies are delicious as well. Really friendly staff and nice atmosphere. 10/10 highly recommend!

Friendly staff in their own way, so so food a bit expensive!

Awesome good! Ambiance was a little awkward given we were alone in the restaurant. In full transparency, it was also a blizzard out there :)

Been going for years... food is great, but now time they renew the place a bit

Not the Daou we used to know, when the original owner and staff were in charge. Prices are ridiculously high for the amount of food on your plate and the quality. Everything has declined including the way food is prepared, it tastes bland, lack of spices. Meat is not always cooked well or how we asked for it. Lots of fat strands on the meat, for the price we pay we expect higher quality than this. The food is overrated and the service is arrogant at best. In my opinion people who do not know the true taste and quality of Lebanese cuisine, will probably enjoy eating there - their quality standard is low - but those who have eaten good Lebanese food before, you will notice the change. Also terrible location for restaurant in the middle of the hood, area has lot of gangs and in my opinion very unsafe, so be careful.

Daou cooks up home style lebanese food. It's authentic and consistently great. The restaurant itself is very simple. The one located on Marcel-Laurin can seat about 80 people, they even do events. The owners are usually there overseeing everything. The only negative aspect about DAou is that their service isn't very attentive. Its always been like that, it's not bad, just not attentive. Go for the food, not the service! Plates are family style and meant to share. To start, we always order the fattouche, tabbouleh, muhammara, hummus, kibbe naye, fried cheese sticks and vegetarian and meat vine leaves. Every dish is always delicious. For the mains, my family loves the chicken, filet mignon and kofta (lamb). My personal favourite is their kofta, their seasoning is excellent and its always cooked perfectly. We also tried their shrimps for the first time and they were also delicious. I'm not a huge fan of lebanese desserts but their pistachio ice cream is fantastic. Their ice cream is made by a local lebanase pastry shop Azrak and its a great way to end your meal!

It was our first time going to this restaurant because we wanted some change from our usual go-to. Upon looking at the website, the restaurant called itself "high end Lebanese" food, so we were excited to try it out. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice and spaced out, and the staff were very polite. When we saw the menu, we were slightly disappointed because the price of each item was incredibly high for the price of 1 meal. Because of that, we got 3 dishes for a party of 4: shrimp, chicken and filet mignon. But price isn't everything and if the flavour were perfectly spot on, then it would have been fine. However, the flavours were not spot on. Apart from the filet mignon, the shrimp and salmon were dry and slightly over cooked. The filet mignon were cooked well, but not as flavourful as I would have expected - especially for Lebanese cuisine, who are known for bold flavours. All in all, would not go back to this place.

The first sit down meal of our quests was not a dissapointment. Perfectly grilled and seasoned meat, crunchy yet moist falafels and ingredients that compliment each other well made this outing and overall great experience.

+1 star for the delicious French fries and +1 star for the kind service, and that's about it. I come from a place where Lebanese food is commonplace​; in comparison, this place is below average. Definitely do not get the lamb chops; the meat was soooo tough and perhaps old. Get anything else. As for appetizers, the walnut based dip and the hummus tahini were decent, but don't get the baba ganouj as it was bland and didn't taste fresh. It's too bad, I really wanted to like this place.

Just around the corner and worth every step! The fattoush was excellent! We had a pepper-walnut spread, Spinach Pie was delicious, too! We liked it so much, we went back for carry out a couple of nights later! They have just installed a brand new outdoor seating area sure to be a hit! Check it out! Did I mention the Pistachio ice cream? Yum!

Our cousin was coming to town and was in the mood for Lebanesefoods and no one was in the mood to cook a time consuming meal. My family is half Leb and have been coming to Daou's for a long time now. If you want authentic, fresh food in a relaxed "home away from home" setting, you will love Daou's. We had reservations at 7pm on a Friday night, this place is popular with groups and loud families so it may not be the best choice if you are in the mood for a romantic tête à tête:) It was busy when we arrived, several very large groups but the noise level was in check and it was a jovial type of atmosphere. As always, we were greeted with a friendly smile and warm hello and brought to our table. We generally eat the same things and share it "family style" and ordered fatouj, baba ganouj, kibbeh, grilled shrimp, grilled marinated chicken, the filet mignon and Lebanese rice. The baba is smoky and delicious, their fatouj fresh and crisp. The shrimp are buttery, garlicky perfection and although I'm not always a fan of chicken, their chicken pieces are pounded thin, and the marination is beyond delicious. I've eaten it cold the next day and it is even better! The beef is always melt in your mouth tender, perfectly cooked and beautifully marinated as well. They also offer catering which we recently used for my mom's birthday party, truly beautifully presented food and just as amazing as it is at the restaurant. We had our usuals along with a rice, carmalized onions and grilled fish dish which became a new favorite! We also had an artfully prepared fruit platter with beautifully carved fruit which was all in season, sweet and refreshing. If you love Lebanese food Daou's offers an unparalleled experience your taste buds won't soon forget!

This is a great place for large groups for good and honest Lebanese food. Makes for a great Sunday afternoon lunch, Monday-Wednesday dinner. Good, classic and a must visit at least once.

A dear friend of mine lost his mother many years ago, when he was quite young. To help his family cope with such a staggering loss, he promised to help more around the house, and even to help cook -- except that he didn't know how. So, the first night he had to make dinner, he called up his favorite restaurant and asked for a recipe. To this day, everyone who's been to Daou says his hummus tastes just like the hummus they make here. That incredible story says several things about this gem of a restaurant. They are run by a compassionate, generous family. Their food is the best in the area (and in Arab-heavy Montreal, that's really saying something!) And dining there is an experience you will remember for a long time. We came here with said friend, who still counts it as his favorite and took us on a tour of their menu. Since we were there during Lent, we only ate their vegetarian dishes, but I can honestly say I hardly missed the meat and dairy options; everything was absolutely delicious. Their baba ganouj was my favorite (we have a photo of another friend literally licking the plate it came on!) but we also enjoyed their hummus, sauteed chicory, fattoush, tabouli, spinach pie, falafel and even the French fries with tahini sauce. The only dish I didn't care for was the stewed beans -- the flavor just wasn't my favorite, though they were cooked well. Of course everything came with piles and piles of pita and little dishes of pickled turnips and bitter green olives. Oh, it was such a fantastic meal! I hope to return someday: not just to Montreal, but to Daou. I don't think I can give five stars without trying their kibbeh, labneh and knafe -- three of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes. I have a feeling they will step up to the challenge!

My family is Iraqi and the food is just like cooking at home. It is so good and great for large groups! The meat and chicken are always fresh.

This is the class of the field in Montreal when it comes to Lebanese Style Middle Eastern food. Last week I was there with 3 other diners for a celebratory dinner. Please make sure you bring your appetites, as portions are generous. Knowing about the size of the portions, we began with an appetizer of pepper and cheese did with deliciously fresh pitas. The following main course were ordered: Grilled quails with french fries These were delicious, moist and very tasty Fillet migon brochettes Nicely charbroiled, moist and tasty. Grilled chicken breasts Very well spiced, juicy and delicious Kebbah Nayeh This is the lebanese version of Steak Tartar, which is served with raw onions, mint and olive oil. It was perfect All these were accompanied by rice and french fries which are outstanding. For dessert I ordered a mehallabiyeh which is served with a cruet of rose water syrup, and other diners ordered turkish coffee. Its head and shoulders above the average lebanese fare, and is well worth a visit. While you are there, if you want to be transported to the 60's drive behind the restaurant and marvel at the Motel Pierre situated around a court yard.....so tacky...they don't make motels like that anymore.

I have been waiting for the right moment to try this place, family occasion or birthday, but it never came. So I decided to try it solo. This place is always empty whenever I pass by, there used to be a lot of people from the Middle East in this area, but it looks like most have moved on. So the businesses suffer a bit. It doesn't help that Amir's and Basha's have "Mcdonalized" this cuisine, so people are wary of paying more. As I looked at the menu, most items are just too expensive. I know this is not Amir, but what I had cost $25. everything else was just about 30-40% higher than elsewhere like Petit Alep or Kaza Maza It was a plate with a Kefta Kebab, Chicken cutlet (Taouk) and Filet Mignon brochette. With a little bit of rice and nothing else but a couple of onions. The taste was ok, but the meats lacked flavor and the filet mignon was chewy and mushy. A grilled tomato would have helped somewhat as well as wrapping the meats with pita bread, where the juices would drip. No soup or salad, with a glass of wine, that's close to $40 dollars with tip. The menu is so large, I doubt it can all be fresh, they don't have a table d'hote menu or a lunch special, This would offer more to the customer and emphasizes something that might be freshly made. The service was a bit distant, the waiter seemed stunned when I asked for sumac. And as I was leaving, I noticed an elderly woman, either working or related to the owners, sitting with her hands on her face, almost crying. I would go back with a larger group to try a bigger variety of items, I want to encourage places like these. When you compare it to Petit Alep, which is packed, I get the feeling they could really improve by doing some tweaking.

My favorite Lebanese restaurant of all-time. The food there is AUTHENTIC. It's just like my grandmother's cooking. The ideal way to order at Daou is to order small dishes and share. Service is amazing. A real gem. Prepare to unbutton the top button of your pants when you leave.

Food is top notch. All the meat items appear to be well cooked, if perhaps a tad over-cooked. But I was looking for a sampler platter for Vegetarian food. It came with so much food, I was trying to serve everyone else, who also had too much food. The hummus and falafel were certainly sit-down restaurant worthy. The odd thing about this place and many middle eastern places in the middle East is the obsession with French Fries. All the chicken dishes come with traditional white rice and a serving of french fries. Where did this trend develop? Service was decent, but because the restaurant was full and a group of teenagers walked in shortly after we ordered, we were not extremely well-attended to. The other reviews about this not being unique food, are all true. I like the basics, but I have had better at a couple other places around the world.

Completely delicious. Hommos, vine leaves, falafel--I give them all top marks. Decor is a little dated, but that's part of its charm.

Once you eat at Daou it's hard to find Lebanese food anywhere else that compares to it! Their cooks are the best - great service!

Solid, if uninspired Lebanese food. They serve all of the basics, but seem to be riding on their reputation. Nothing is bad, but it is not great. The service is not that friendly and interior is pretty tacky (chrome plated stacking chairs).

Very good libanese restaurant. You can't go there and not take their humus, babaganoush, fatouch and their shish taouk combined with the filet mignon is just exquisite.

Girlfriend's family took me to dinner here while I was visiting. I was impressed with the food and the fresh ingredients. Great hummus and fattoush salad. Wish I had a place like this back where I'm from.

I was really please with the service, the atmosphere and of course the food. However for very little more money, I have had better.

The best lebanese food in the city ! I have been going here for years and it is always fresh and tastes just as good as the last time.

Phenomenal and fresh tasting food! Great customer service. The food had a rich authentic taste. Enjoyed every morsel:) Don't let the outside look of the place dissuade you, once you are inside and eat your first bite, you will be happy from that moment onwards:)

Standard, good Middle-Eastern food. My date described the server as being "le serveur qui nous a bien fait rire". I really felt for the guy because I understood that he wasn't clueless out of any bad emotion.

I tried this restaurant based on the reviews that I read about the restaurant but when I tried it .. It wasn't good at all and it's expensive for what they are serving find another lebanese restaurant if you want to try Lebanese food.

We arrived without making reservation to an empty restaurant that got filled really quickly on a Saturday evening. Lot's of families. We wanted a window table but the owner couldn't give it to us cause they were all for four or more and she was anxious knowing he many made reservations for that eve. The service is hot and miss. We had one pretty apathetic waiter at the beginning and a lovely pleasant one when we ordered the dessert. The restaurant is not well maintained - with lol of a cheap wedding hall and washroom who've seen better days. The food: great fresh fatoush salad, fantastic hummus with pine nuts (snobar), kibbeh was just ok (though fried to order). The desert was amazing - big portion of Atayef - sweet soft sweetened cheese wrapped with thin crape flavoured with pistachio and rose water. That's alone was worth the visit. My partner who is not versed with middle eastern food loved the hummus and the Atayef. We will come back.