Nil Bleu (Le) Restaurant

A unique and memorable experience. The quality of the food and the atmosphere are very high. Two main negatives: the portions are very small given the high price, especially the appetizers. We ordered two pieces of samosa for $10, and a petty amount of Bouticha (similar to humus) for $10. They should either increase the portions or reduce the price. The other main negative was the wait time between ordering and receiving our meal. Their mocktails are amazing, and the way they serve the food is exceptional. Overall it is a very unique experience, but a bit of a rip-off.

An incredible experience at Nil Bleu Ethiopian Restaurant! It’s been years since I’ve had Ethiopian food this good outside of home and Nil Bleu truly exceeded every expectation. The presentation was elegant, the flavors were absolutely authentic and delicious, and the ambiance was warm, beautiful, and spotless. Every detail, from the service to the aroma of the dishes, made the experience unforgettable. I left with a happy heart and a full stomach. I can’t wait to go back and thank you Nil Bleu

My wife and I were staying at the hotel and we’re lucky enough to eat dinner here one night; amazing! We have had Ethiopian food before, and this was by far the best experience. The food, the service, the drinks and the atmosphere were all fantastic and I highly recommend it to others. If you have never had Ethiopian food before, then you owe it to yourself to check this place out, you will not be disappointed!

highly recommend the sharing plate which had loads to choose from. Every dish was flavourful and complementary. Do not skip out on the veggie plates because they are just as delicious as the meat ones. The main dishes were flawless. You could skip on the appetizers and cocktails. The decor and ambiance were lovely and service was good.

Amazing experience overall! Great authentic food, attentive service/ friendly staff and very nice decor. Perfect music volume. Reasonable prices! Good wine selection with many private imports! Every dish was made with love and you can taste depth in each bite! I will definately be going back and recommending to friends and family!

What a wonderful experience for us... so interesting to eat such exotic foods and spices. We sampled many dishes and everyone was pleased. The service was also top notch.

We were visiting Montreal from Texas and ate at this restaurant on our last night in town. The food was fabulous. We had only eaten Ethiopian food once before and weren’t sure we were fans. We are now! We had the meat and vegetable tasting menu and liked everything. The spices and the freshness were very appetizing. It was a large amount of food and we couldn’t finish it all as much as we wanted to. The people that worked there were very friendly and accommodating. If we lived in town this would be one of our go to establishments. Highly recommend it.

Unbeatable experience for Ethiopian food. The atmosphere of the place and the presentation of flavours are all perfect. Personally I think the tasting menu is the way to go, you get to experience a little bit of everything. We had it for 3 people and it was delicious. The cocktails were nice too. I had one drink + the tasting menu, and paid $66 after tip. The price point is higher than other spots, but it really is a beautiful space, well made good and excellent service. Worth going!

Amazing overall Nice decor, tasty food, Great service I always go and love it I order the veggie dinner and coco pineapple drink

After my first time eating here I can now update my review and include take out services. Had a friend visiting from out of town who loves this place and we decided to grab some food but we were also not feeling our best and wanted to have a meal at home so luckily for us they do take out! We had to call in because the online option wasn't working but none the less we were able to order our food pick it up and bring it back home. The drive from st denis to Laval is pretty long but the food held up and was just what we were craving. So weather you're eating out and taking it home you'll have a great meal from this spot

I'm disappointed that I didn't love this restaurant, but it just didn't meet my expectations. To start, in this area of Montreal, many restaurants are "Apportez Votre Vin", which provides a fantastic opportunity for guests to save money. Nil Bleu does not offer this feature. The decor is dark and eclectic, but definitely plays up on stereotypical African decor - Maasai hunters on the art, Zebra-patterned upholstery, carved wooden giraffes. Seems a little outdated in 2023. Our service was perfunctory and actually, a long wait for our appetizers. Our waiter was most animated when seeing our 18% tip and wishing us a bon soir. My companion and I ordered the tasting menu with meat. We quickly filled up on the Injera and needed to have most of our main course packaged up for home. Flavors were just okay - nothing remarkable. A dessert of chocolate cake seemed pre-packaged and made off-site. Similar quality as if purchasing from a bakery in a grocery. Again, nothing remarkable. I really wish I had gone to Le Virunga instead. I was on the fence, but thought the novelty of eating with our hands would be unique. And it was, certainly. But the flavors, service, and decor just did not wow us. Seems marketed for tourists and visitors, as much better options abound in a culinary city such as here.

For the past 20 years, this is my #1 place where I take friends and family because I know I can trust the quality to be consistently impeccable in every way. The decor is both exotic and tasteful, the service is attentive, warm and caring and the food is quite simply sublime. If anything, the food and service are even better after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and I am in total awe as to how they pulled that off. The spices become more perfectly balanced each time and the portions were so generous on our last visit that we literally couldn't finish. Also, this is the best injera I've ever eaten and I've eaten injera at many a restaurant and also make it at home. We are beyond blessed to have this gem of a restaurant in Montreal.

Great Ethiopian food. Love that they offer a wet washcloth to wash your hands before you use them to eat your meal!

We ordered the tasting menu for two people and it was a lot of food! We couldn't finish them. The crepes were so delicious even though it was my first time trying it. The beef, eggplants and lamb were a little bit spicy. It was great for me but just a reminder for some people who are not used to spices.

We will certainly be back to Nil Bleu. Our server was helpful, especially with my gluten-free questions. The ambiance was relaxing & slightly upscale - great for a date night. The food: can't compare to other Ethiopian restaurants in town, but we loved everything. We ordered a tasting platter for 2 & especially loved the whipped chick peas and the caramelized vegetable salad. Everything was flavorful & beautifully presented. A huge bonus was the wide variety of gf options. The injera is naturally made without gluten (teff flour), but they can't guarantee no cross-contamination of the teff. It's not on the menu, but they'll also make rice or quinoa instead of injera. (For the record - I had the injera w/no issues )

If you're looking for true authentic Ethiopian food, this is not the place for you. The food is highly modified and does not look like Ethiopian food. We ordered Kitfo and it came looking like a tartare meat, not the kind of Kitfo I grew up with. However, for if you're open for adventure defiantly try it, the test was excellent. We also had the Sambus for appetizer and not an authentic Ethiopian Sambusa. It's mor like a Jamaican patty. The place and service was excellent!!

We were absolutely blown away by the quality and taste of this beautifully decorated, Ethiopian restaurant. Each part of tasting menu was better than the next and more and more filling as we ate on. There are not many Ethiopian restaurants in Montréal and this is a definte must try.

Really tasty vegan combo, chill vibe, attentive service. I went with a beer but the cocktails looked good too

This is by far the best Ethiopian food that I've tasted outside of Ethiopia! The food tastes like it was made with love! The seasoning - everything was top notch. I cleaned my plate twice!! I wish I could transport this food to Brooklyn!

On our first night in Montreal, we decided to get Ethiopian food for dinner on a suggestion of a friend. The Blue Nile Restaurant offers vegan/vegetarian options as well as beef, lamb and chicken dishes, so there is something for everyone! The drinks looked delicious and fruity and were pretty inexpensive at $8 Canadian. I had the safari, and it was fruity, as was expected. My friend and I shared the eggplant appetizer, which was delicious and then a chicken and a beef dish. The chicken and beef were served on a large platter with the Ethiopian spongey crepes and a little fresh salad in the middle. I liked the chicken a lot more than the beef, it fell off the bone and the sauce was excellent. All the dishes come with the crepes, and maybe they don't eat rice in Ethiopia, but I wish there was a different kind of starch... The service was excellent except for the little mishap when the waiter accidentally spilled water on me. Also, the tables are really close together, so I had to stand up and get out of my chair a few times to let the customers at the adjacent table get in and out.... It got very crowded, so try to make a reservation if you can!

Their two people degustation is definitely something to you should try and come hungry. It's so much food and their spices are incredible. Definitely overpriced for Ethiopian food and we got the vegetarian plate.

Made a reservation for lunch today, and received a confirmation. Came from across the island to a locked door and voice mail when I tried to call. Left a message and half an hour later, waiting in the cold, nothing!! Very disappointed after coming all this way to celebrate my spouse's birthday.

This place used to be excellent. Now the portions are small, the service is extremely slow and the quality of food is really not at par with what it used to be. Sad.

I love Ethiopian food and luckily found this place. Loved the ambiance. Good outdoor and indoor seating. Ordered Vegetarian combo platter that came with 4 items and salad - 2 types of lentils, potato, spinach and injera. Ordered another entree that was made from chickpea. Everything was delicious specially the chickpea based vegetable it was sooo good. Tried the Hibiscus flavored beer which was good. Overall good food and good service. One entree per person is mandatory.

Best Ethiopian restaurant in Montreal. Great decor with a hint of Ethiopian culture and very clean place, you need reservations for busy days so just reserve online just Incase. The main restaurant floor is very cozy and romantic with seemed lights, great for a date night. Food is great, portions can be less somedays but delicious. Great place and food for vegetarians and vegans. You eat by hand as it is the Ethiopian culture but you can use forks as well but not comfortable to eat. Place can get very busy but service is always good. You should try their vegetarian combo and kitfo (beef tartare with cheese and chopped kale) Very hearty food. Never tried their desserts!!

My husband and I were visiting from Vermont, looking for a good vegan option and stumbled upon this place as we walked the city on a warm evening. We are familiar with Ethiopian dining and love the flavors and teff, spongy, textured "bread". They offered a couple of pre fixe menus and we quickly chose the vegan option for two. This included an appetizer selection of hummus, tomatoes & cucumbers and eggplant mixture. The main course was enough to feed 3 or 4 so we happily took home leftovers. The waitstaff was attentive and very friendly even to us non-French speaking Americans! The food was delicious and we never felt rushed. We even found room for one of their tiny cakes. I had the dark chocolate raspberry mousse. Yes, it was as fabulous as it sounds.

Amazing! Better than expected...we had the meat and veggies taster menu for 2. So much flavour! Delicious and we left completely satisfied...drinks are great too! Will be back!

It was my first time eating Ethiopian food at Montreal and the restaurant was amazing. We had a tasting menu for two with a mix of vegan and meats. Everything was pretty good.

Nil Bleu has been on the rise for years and I finally had a chance to try it out. On a Saturday evening, it can get very busy, so if possible, call ahead and reserve to make sure you have a seat. Nil Bleu is a restaurant that can cater to vegan/vegetarians and omnivores (like me). With tons of choices to choose from, such as a chicken, beef, lamb, veggies, lentils, etc, you're bound to find something you will love. We had the tasting menu for 2 with a mix of vegan and meat options so we could have best of both worlds. I kid you not, we were blown away with the portion and with the taste. The most fun part of our meal was to eat with our hands! Please come here, you won't regret it!

Best food I've ever had in my life. The music is amazing and the drinks are great. Can't recommend more

Always good eats at the Nil Bleu! They seem to have gentrified the menu and decreased portion sizes somewhat - but that shouldn't stop you from having a great meal. My only sticking point is the awful feel of the synthetic washcloths that they offer at the beginning of the service. I would love to see cotton being used rather than icky icky polyester.

I was first introduced to Ethiopian food by my sister. Together we have sampled some incredible dishes from LA, DC, Pittsburgh, Boston, and now, Montreal. Le Nil Bleu had the best vegetarian platter I've ever tasted. There wasn't a whole lot of variety, but the dishes they included were thoughtfully curated to fit my taste: stewed collard greens, yellow split peas, lentils, and sweet cabbage and potato. Everything was seasoned to perfection and the house made injera further emphasized the scratch made quality of the dishes. If you are concerned about sharing food while eating with your hands, there is no double dipping here because everything is pre portioned out for two. They did offer to bring us more injera, but we refused it. My favorite part is peeling the bottom layer that the food sits upon. The spongy, porous flat bread soaks up all that yummy spicy goodness. It's a huge bonus.

I am in love with the Ethiopian food the spicy taste is out of this world besides they have plenty of very tasty vegetarian dishes, very cosy and excellent for everyone , each time is a good experience and the service is great ! But the dishes got very small and u should order a big variety of everything to feel you have eaten a true dish !

You need to go there everything is good . Le décor l'ambiance la serveuse tout guys you need to go there

First time eating Ethiopian food, and everything about this restaurant was amazzzinnngggg! It was my favorite place I ate in Montreal, and my only regret about being in Montreal, was not eating here for a 2nd time! I'm scared to try Ethiopian food elsewhere, with fear it won't be as good.

This was my first time trying out Ethiopian food. I really enjoyed the dining experience. We were 4 people and we ordered the tasting menu for about 30$ per person. It came with an appetizer and then the main course. The main course was delicious with interesting flavours. The dishes require one to eat with their hands. There were 4 different assortments served with crepe-like tortillas. I really liked the fish. We also asked for desert, but i did not enjoy that very much.

So yummy! We got the table d'hote which gave us a good portion of several dishes. Everything in it was great and we had a variety of meat and vegetarian options. The atmosphere was nice too. Nice place to go on a date

Love Ethiopian food, this restaurant is already good enough for me. Have been here several times. but an Ethiopian friend told me that it was not very authentic. Toronto's Ethiopian restaurants, according to him, are better. Guess I have to wait and find out

The restaurant has ambiance, great service & delicious food. I would definitely recommend. I had the vegan platter and throughly enjoyed. Highly recommend.

My friend and I were originally planning on another restaurant but they closed at 9 so we had to find a backup pronto. Le Nil Bleu was just two blocks away from Sherbrooke Station, and we wanted to branch out to try different foods (we always go for Asian food as a go to lol ((we were almost persuaded by a Thai place))) this place persuaded us because it was so close and it was so cold. So glad we decided to go here, the food was delicious we got the table d'hôte with the hummus appetizer platter and I got the lamb my friend got scallops. All very delicious!!! We could not shut up about how good it was afterwards and how glad we were we branched out from our usual. Our waitress was friendly and left us alone to eat which was nice. We were seated immediately. The drinks looked good too. I will return. What a gem!

Love this restaurant. The food is great but each time I go there, there is this mean waitress that makes me want to hurry up and leave. I remember I brought my grandmother to eat with me once. My grandma is one old Latina lady. She isn't used to eating with her hands so she just ordered for a knife. The waitress refused and treated us as if we were inferior than her. Last time I went there, I brought my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary and again, the same waitress was so rude! Made us spend a sad anniversary. We couldn't wait to finish eating to get out. I love this place but honestly, won't be coming back because they need new workers.

The restaurant is beautiful, the ambiance is really nice for dinner, and the staff is friendly. Im not an expert on East African cuisine, but I went once with a friend who's lived in a few places in Africa and she wasn't super impressed with the Ethiopian dishes particularly. She liked their 'other African dishes'. I like that they offer variety. I dont think being in Montreal it will ever be the real deal, especially when servicing Western palates. Restaurants have to adapt to become profitable (dumbing down the flavors and such), but I still really enjoyed the dishes. I never left unsatisfied (except for my wallet). It's a bit pricey...

Good restaurant and a nice sized sampler platter. Not too authentic, but you are in Montreal so no complaints! Cozy atmosphere and good service, prices are reasonable for what you get.

The food is fantastic - maximum flavour and a unique way to dine. Highly recommend the tasting menu.

OK to start with, I have been to this place 3-4 times. The first time when I went with my boyfriend, I totally loved it. Romantic, food and service was totally awesome. I guess I should have stopped there. Just because I liked I took my friends 3 times, and the last time when we girls went, I totally regretted it. I will never go there again! The food was good! The service was the worst! The enjiras is supposed to be unlimited, however the lady who served us with very few customers in the restaurant failed to serve us more than once. We are not hungry starving people to eat 20 enjiras. But she didnt even serve a half of it to us. And the tone she replies to a customer is really not nice! AND TOP OF IT, she was FACEBOOKING the whole time! It was not that she was too busy to serve us. I wanted to complain on this, so when I was leaving, I spoke to the person who was in the front, he said the lasy who served us was the manager! I WAS LIKE NO POINT TO EVEN COME HERE AGAIN!

Authentic Ethiopian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. The decor is very charming, with African themed art on display throughout the restaurant. The food was well plated and everything tasted delicious. The sampling dish for two, although a bit pricy, is a good choice as it allows you to try a variety of stews and injera as appetizers and main courses. The service was quite slow and there was only one waitress, but that might have something to do with the fact that we were there late on a Tuesday evening. Overall I enjoyed this restaurant and will definitely be back next time I'm craving Ethiopian food.

I really enjoyed my experience here. It's romantic, has fabulous decor and friendly staff. The atmosphere was good not too loud or chaotic and we didn't feel pressured or rushed(somehow we spent two and a half hours here). My love and I had never tried Ethiopian food and our waiter was very good at explaining everything to us. We decided on the tasting menu. Our food was out within 25 minutes and I honestly expected a longer wait based on the description of the menu items. I was thrilled about the lack of utensils. Every single thing was tasty..everything. I especially enjoyed the lamb, so flavorful. The honey wine at the end was a special treat.

We had the vegan platter for two (the smaller option, not the larger tasting menu) Food was absolutely delicious, and service was excellent. Not a fan of the decor, but didn't matter as the food was worth it.

This is our favourite formal-dining Ethiopian fusion restaurant in Montreal! The food is always excellent here, and the service is great. Portions are smaller than other Ethiopian restaurants, but we never leave feeling hungry. We really enjoy coming here.

My partner and I had an incredible experience here for a late-night dinner. The vegan tasting menu for two is incredible: nothing else ordered, nothing else needed. In addition, there was marvelous service: attentive, but not hovering. We're visiting Montréal for only the two nights, and might go back again for dinner tonight, it was that good.

We came here to celebrate Paul's graduation, and luckily for us, his dad was paying (we could never afford this ourselves). We had all had Ethiopian food before, so we knew what to expect; savoury curries eaten with spongy bread. Paul ordered an "Ethiopian Sunrise" juice, a mix of four exotic nectars, and his dad got a house cocktail. Both were exactly what you'd expect, nothing extraordinary but certainly tasty. At the waiter's suggestion, we ordered the tasting platter for two, but increased for 3 people. We got the vegan appetizers and the vegan main course, but subbed the spinach for the fish dish to appease the meat eaters. The appetizers were quite good. In the middle there was a red cabbage leaf stuffed with a spicy eggplant mash and covered in a soft hummus. On one side was a sweet carrot stir fry, and on the other was a boring tomato salad. We polished this off quickly, and honestly I was already getting pretty full at this point. Our table was cleared, and (sadly) our spoons were taken away, leaving us no option but to use the injera to eat the main course. I like injera, but I didn't want to waste my precious stomach space on sour squishy bread. The main course was unispired. Two of the vegan options were the same, a red lentil stew, which was ok but really boring. Paul said it was his favourite, and still agrees it was boring. There was a split-pea stew as well, and honestly I felt the peas were undercooked, having that woody bean texture. The potato carrot thing was okay, well cooked and flavoured. There was a saucy mixed veg stir fry, which I thought was ok. The fish, according to the boys, tasted like absolutely nothing, and the sauce was bland enough to be overpowered by the injera. In the middle there was a completely out of place vinaigrette salad with lettuce, shredded carrots and cabbage, and pickled beets? It really felt awkward. We managed to eat 80% of the meal before the bread got the better of us. The waiter came around offering dessert, but we just couldn't fit it. The tasting platter comes with a mead, and it was pleasant, much sweeter and "honey-er" tasting than many I've had before. Overall we were disappointed in the restaurant. The price was painfully high for the quantity and quality of the food (they are serving me lentils.... that shit costs 0.02$). Despite what other reviewers are saying, there was 0 spiceyness in any of the dishes we received, with the mild eggplant being the absolute hottest item. We've had Ethiopian before, and this really felt like the watered-down, unflavoured white version. If you're hoping this is a good way to get a taste of authentic Ethiopian food, you would be misled. Also, the decor is hella tacky. (Zebra print chairs and wallpaper, painting of "tribal" women, a staircase waterfall?????)

I have been to this restaurant before. That last time I ordered take out, the experience was smooth, respectful, timely and the food was excellent. This time, when I went back to get the same food - vegetarian combo - the restaurant was let down by an incredibly rude waiter. He could use some serious retraining. At least the lady he called to accept the order knew what she was doing and that saved the overall experience. And the food is still good. But the waiter was - to put it kindly - unacceptable.

My first Ethiopian food ever! I liked the stewed zucchini and tomato, egg plants, stewed chicken, and more. The typical meat plate was full of good amount of stewed food. Eating with fingers was fun too.

Cheers to this ethiopian restaurant! I discovered some new grub here and it was simply delicious and full of flavors. Highlight of this discovery was to eat with your hands. I tried the tasting menu since it was the first time for me to eat ethiopian food. Lots of food. And good. First platter was filled up with vegetarian appetizer such salads, hummus, etc. Main course was mainly different meat such as lamb, chicken, filet mignon and some other salads. Tasting menu include also a glass of hydromel and small desserts. The waiter gave us good and pretty fast service. Sitting on the terrace was a plus.

Restaurant is located conveniently in the heart of downtown Montreal. Public street parking is usually available in front of the hotel and will cost 5cents per minute. Food is great! We tried the Vegan platter and added Doro Wot (Chicken) and Lamb Tibbs to it. Made our own Tasting Menu. (they have a tasting menu option costs $60 but we didn't go for it because it contained meat options that we dont eat). The platter is a sharing type containing a an Injera, all the curries are put on top of the Injera and they give you more Injera as you need. Tasty!

Ended up here for a late lunch. So late that the waitress had gone off. Never mind, the hotel receptionist filled in, with excellent, attentive service. The meal took 30 minutes to arrive, it is not fast food. It tastes like well made, with love, yummy food with rich varied tastes and textures. I had the vegan sampler--so good, spinach, lentils, split peas and a cabbage/potato/carrots mix. Each with a different flavor profile. Husband had chicken with hard boiled egg and a nice salad. Well-seasoned and impossible for him to describe the flavors beyond--never had anything like that before, and excellent.

Sit outside if you can, it adds to the fun experience of eating with your hands! Actually, any good Ethiopian restaurant has you eating with your hands and that is what you should expect. The food was VERY decently priced and very delicious. I highly recommend getting a combo and sharing it with someone. My friend and I did this and added a vegetable dish and we had plenty of food for two big eaters. The end price also didn't break the $40 mark, which, for Montreal seems to be very cheap. It would have been nice to see Ethiopian wines on the menu, but its ok! The service was great, the flavors were there and I would be more than happy to try it out again!

Perfect dish! We ordered the tasting menu which could give you a general tour of Ethiopian food, Vegetarian choices were the best, and dessert were also fancy.