Palme

Tried Palme Restaurant for a solo lunch recently—it’s just a five-minute walk from my office, so perfect for a midday break. First thing I appreciated: they offer a lunch menu, but only Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 to 3 PM. A nice little treat if you’re nearby and want something a bit special without overthinking it. I ordered the fried chicken bowl and asked if I could add a half-portion of sweet potato fries. The staff was super accommodating about that. Heads up: portions are generous. I couldn’t finish it all, but trust me, that fried chicken is worth pacing yourself for. Light, crispy outside, juicy inside, with a thin honey sauce that’s subtle—just enough to tie it all together without making the chicken soggy or overly sweet. One of those bites where you pause and think, “Okay, they get it.” They also include their homemade pikliz, which is spicy (the real kind, not the “hint of spice” kind). So if you’re new to Haitian cuisine, be ready for a kick—it’s the good kind of heat, though, fresh and sharp. The only thing I wasn’t entirely sold on was the mesclun salad. A few leaves felt either a bit wilted or too wet, not sure if it was old greens or maybe just a heavy hand with the vinaigrette. All in all, it came to about $30 with tax and tip, which felt fair for the quality and amount of food. Especially nice if you’re looking for something flavorful and filling but not overly heavy for lunch. Would I go back? Absolutely—especially if I’m craving that fried chicken again.

This place is a joke. As someone who works in the food industry I try to jot judge too harshly when I go out, but this was the 1st and last time this place will see myself or any of my family and friends. We came out to celebrate my sister's birthday, called in advance over 1 month ago and 24hrs before to verify that everything was good to go, but it was far from it. Ordered our food at 7pm and at 9:14pm as I still sit in the restaurant and write thisbreview, some people in my party still have not received their food. The cod fish balls are flour balls and the jerk chicken is overly fried fried chicken covered in a jar jer sauce. The turkey wontons could use some turkey too. Wasn't impressed at all. This was an extremely sad night out for a birthday dinner. I guess if you can't cook and have never tasted authentic West Indian food then you will be happy here, otherwise.........Not worth the money

My first experience with Caribbean food. Might be on the more expensive side, but i think it’s similar for many places in the neighbourhood. The portion is big though. You might think the meat is dry, but eaten with the mashed sweet potato, it’s good. The dish is true to the description: it is sweet, so don’t be surprised. The air conditioning is quite strong, so sit closer to the entrance and it’s wonderful.

I've had several yummy meals here and the ambiance and music is always great. This shrimp Mac and cheese blew my mind. I'd seriously order it again and again, the best Mac & Cheese I've ever had. It hits the spot and is like perfectly spiced. The fried chicken was alright for me, well cooked but not everything was spiced or sauced to my preference- especially in contrast to the amazing quality of the mac and cheese (still solid though). Will say that the portion of chicken was nice, and as a leftover I can add more sauce at home. The service is also amazing. And this cocktail, while being out of my comfort zone with a tequila base was a delicious. The server took my explanation of my tastes and made a great recommendation.

Family style, the owners are the best people ive ever met. The food in succulent, the cocktails are fun and delicious! On Thursdays they have DJ Blaster gracing us with old school dance hall, hip hop and R&B. Anytime I go, I leave with a smile!

Yes, you want to eat the beautiful food here. Artfully conceived, lovingly prepared ingredients in all the dishes we had here. Relaxed, attentive service. I loved the “palm tree” localeinspiration behind this concept. A lot of great flavors happening.

This restaurant is one of the best for Caribbean type of food. The flavours, the spiciness, the drinks are so delicious and well balanced. The service is great, the restaurant is cute too (decor wise) and they have a nice terasse in the summer. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves flavours mix with some spiciness

Update 2023: we finally visited the restaurant as a group of 5. The food and the service were ok, however the cocktails were great. The waitress forgot to tell us that iur choices were not available anymore and were replaced but they did a commercial gesture. We'll go back because we liked the place and the choices. One of the best restaurant I've tried here. The food is fresh and tasty. I think I've ordered there at least 3-4 times since the beginning of the pandemic and was never disappointed. The Jerk chicken is delicious and so is the griot. 100% recommended

Revisited Palme recently seeing they had updated the menu. The food was extremely disappointing. The waitress asked if we were okay with spice and both agreed. I have never had such bland Carribean food in my life. The shirimp okra and halibut stew is more a soup. A very bland soup that desperately needed at least some salt. Vegetables and very little of the promised seafood in a flavourless broth with no bite to it. The ceviche was not much better, soupy with very little flavour and no spice. I believe at one point in the past they used to have a fairly extensive rum menu but that seems to have been discontinued. This was the third time I've been to Palme since they've opened and it will most certainly be my last.

Amazing! A fabulous mix of carribbean foods with a touch of class without pretention. The decor is perfect, the music fits the ambiance and the menu makes you want to order it all. The jonjon rice was not favorite dish, and geenrally it is but the exquisity of everything else, catch up for it. To discover!

Wow! just wow! I rarely leave a restaurant truly blown away by the experience. I'm not exaggerating when I say this place truly expanded my palette. The flavours are so delicate and one would not even think to pair certain items. The chef captured perfectly the diversity of the African / Caribbean diaspora. The food makes me so proud. Remarkable. The decor was tasteful and we immediately felt at ease when we walked in. The colour scheme and layout creates a chill vibe and music was perfect . Relaxed yet attentive staff. The portions are so massive that it's one of those rare occasions where I would actually recommend they give less food. It's just too much. Mind you, we were travelling back home the next day so ordered quite a bit. But even one dish each would have been a lot. I don't understand how one could live or be near Montreal and not stop what they are doing and come here for lunch / dinner. This must be a top 100 restaurant in Canada. How could it not be ? From the accra, the fresh watercress salad and slaw to the succulent fried chicken , savoury red snapper. I couldn't get enough of the variety of rices they provided ( Haitian , Jamaican etc). It was just all so mouthwatering. People this place is beyond the real deal. They set a standard of how all restaurants should be in showcasing the absolute best. Palme accomplishes the trifecta of stellar cuisine , service and ambience. Read my review while enjoying your meal here and you'll see it is the gospel! I wish Decades of success to the owners. Well done !

Spicy? Check. Terrasse? Check. Deliciously cooked and prepared Carribean food? Double check. This  lovely little restaurant serving fresh, expertly seasoned Carribean food with a little kick. We love a bit of spice (or a lot of it) and what's better on a beautiful day than eating outside on a terrasse?  Not much. Peak summer vibes.

My go-to spot anytime I am craving a delicious Caribbean meal. My husband and I love their jerk salmon plate and the griot. I have tried their jerk chicken. It was good but way too spicy for me. Cannot recommend this place enough!

I was flabbergasted by the concept and ingredients Palme put together. Green Papaya Salad topped with Tuna Tataki, for example. Who would've thought they'd complement each other very well? Well, this dish can be improved with a squeeze of lime or lemon. It needs to be a little more acidic. Same goes for Grilled Red Snapper. It lacks citrus flavor which would have complemented the fresh fish. On the other hand, Conch Ceviche was spot on! Make sure you have it with fried plantain and a tiny bite of green chili. Grapefruit Cocktail was amazing. It was crafted with a lot of ingredients, and it came out very good! We were in a rush, so we didn't get to try their desserts, but we'll definitely come back again.

Got the Jerk chicken and Griot bowl. Super delicious Caribbean food here.

This place is wonderful! We were staying in the Village and decided to go here for dinner. We had a reservation, but didn't need one because the restaurant was only a quarter of the way full. Lee-Anne was our waitress and she was great. She knew the menu perfectly and was really encouraging with the food and what we selected. Everything was absolutely delicious! We tried the pork and cucumber salad, creole cigars, and octopus. It was all divine.

Winter night and walked into a bright colorful place with interesting photographs, strings of lights and plants with a live dj providing a music backdrop -- immediately transported to a joyful island getaway. The journey continued with a Freeport cocktail. rum and passion fruit juice perfectly balanced, no skimping on the rum. My vegetarian brother loved the sweet and spicy sweet potato soup but found the plantain w choka a little bland. The green papaya and water cress salad was super fresh, a nice balance for the cod beignets and jerk chicken that were delicious - the jerk chicken, the waiter had recommended, especially, layers of flavor. I thought I ordered too much but it was so good I ate almost everything. Would definitely go back (visiting from Vermont) and try other interesting items...or order the same exact thing, it was so delicious. And all the staff was so friendly and helpful. A really nice start to our night and a perfect winter getaway!

The food was very good but they were out of the entree that I wanted and they also were out of the beer that my companion wanted. No non-alcoholic beer options, so this was disappointing as well. The main issue was the slow and inattentive service - our food took forever to come out, and after sitting for a half an hour waiting for our check, I finally had to walk inside to try to pay our tab. Everyone around us seemed to be getting served nicely while we were basically ignored. Shame, because our dinner was tasty. Probably won't return.

Truly can't say how life changing their griot is. While we also had the Calypso Shrimp and the cod fritters, which were excellent, the griot is the stuff of dreams. Even the simple side rice was artfully prepared and presented. Make it a priority if in Montreal to come here!

Great food and ambiance, the shared platers are really worth it but it's not on the menu so ask for it.

Went to palme with 2 friends, we had a reservation. Our waiter was more than nice. They have a wide selection of cocktails, i tried the ti punch WHEWW the alcohol really kicks in this one. The menu was well elaborated and from what our waiter told us its a mix of bahamas & haiti because thats where the owners are from. I had the grilled octopus and i asked to have different sides with what it's usually served with and the waiter delivered. My friends both had the red snapper, i dont personally like fish but it tasted so good. They also had a dj who was spinning hard thumbs up. I will definitely go back and i recommend it to everyone.

We were on vacation in Montreal and we just chose this place at random. The physical layout is nothing special, but it is pleasent, tidy and very clean. Like spotless. The service was efficient, friendly and informal. They have a full bar and a selection of creative coctails. They have a large selection of rums, but otherwise the liquor shelf is pretty much standard fare. The prices were reasonable. We ended uo spending about $100 for two, including cocktails, tax and tip. The food is what really makes this place stand out. This is the best meal I have had (at any price) in a long time. It was a fusion of various Caribbean styles. The combination of spices and textures was truely artful. I can't do it justice. If you are in Montreal, and you have a slightly adventurous pallet, put this place on your list!

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is simple yet elegant. Super aesthetically pleasing and gives off a classy Caribbean vibe. Love it. FOOD: Amazing. I had the lamb and jerk chicken. The meats were all fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy and packed full of flavor. The spices blended amazingly with their respective sides. The chicken came with fried mac and cheese! And the lamb came with a homemade eggplant mash which was incredible as well. The plates should be shared for maximal taste bud explosion. PRICE: A tad bit on the expensive side but it's not as bad a steakhouse! For the quality that you're getting, the prices are very reasonable. I'd say it ranges from 16-24$. SERVICE: Amazing. The waiter was super attentive, took the time to explain the menu and was super friendly in general. Even the chef took the time out to come see and thank us.

Walking by on Ste Catherine, it was difficult for this restaurant to remain unnoticed. We were hungry and Palme did not disappoint. Its terrace and beautiful interior made us feel comfortable and relax right away. A very positive vibe that was confirmed with lovely staff's greetings. Our group had some restricted diets. They explained all possible options and came up with solutions that suited everybody's tastes. We knew the food was about to be served because we could smell delicious spices coming out of the kitchen. I had the "lamb shank" with spices on top (they can make it non-spicy) served with an eggplant caviar and a Caribbean salad to eat with soft tacos. It was perfectly cooked and harmonized. Very satisfying for a lamb lover... My friends had the "Mac n Cheese" that they found excellent and spicy, and the "risotto croquette with black beans and goat cheese with a market salad and spicy tomato velouté" that they made vegetarian for us (picture). This latter was exceptional, flavours were perfectly combined... an awesome tropical storm wandered into our mouths! I strongly recommend you to try Palme if you feel like discovering new flavours. Enjoy!

Outstanding elevated Caribbean food! My jerk chicken was perfectly spicy and the staff were so friendly and helpful when it started raining. Loved the palm tree wallpaper

Really amazing chicken bowl - it has become a staple in our house! Also lovely crab cakes.

Wow this place is awesome! As soon as you walk in, you can tell how nice the place is going to be. The chefs definitely know what they're doing. We had the fried jerk chicken and the kalalu of lamb. Both were super flavorful and the meat was tender and cooked to perfection. We also had some of the best fried mac and cheese balls ever. Everything was nicely plated and the flavors complimented each other well. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you want to try something new with a date or friend. It's the perfect combo of Caribbean and fancy dining.

wow the food is amazing! the mac and cheese is one of the best i've had! a bit pricy, but worth it for special occasions

Being a huge fan of cajun/creole food I was very excited to try out Palme. The aesthetic of the place is very clean with minimal visual clutter. It was not busy during my visit so the ambience and noise level were very low - being a bit sensitive to ambient noises, this was perfect for me. The hostess and wait staff were amazing and attentive. I started with one of the very pricey cocktails ($12), Nicely presented and tasty, but very expensive for what it was. Still enjoyable. As an appetizer, I chose the homemade jamaican patties ($10)- very delicious with an amazing scotch bonnet(?) hot sauce. Filling of beef and spinach was well seasoned and tasty, the pastry, which the menu said was a puff pastry, was a bit on the thick and seemed more like a regular pie dough than puff, but again, great flavours. My entree of grilled octopus was a $27. Being a huge fan of octopus and having had it at several great restaurants (Damas, KazaMaza) I was extremely disappointed with the portion size. Although flavourful, tender and well seasoned, it was by far the tiniest tentacle I've been served. The bed of rice, peas, watercress, tomatillo and crispy corn (I personally find crispy corn a big gimmicky at restos) was again, very flavourful. One of the best offerings in the Village right now and looking forward to trying their brunch menu (which unfortunately lacks vegetarian options).

Amazing friend chicken!! i was extremely impressed with the quality, value and taste of all the food I ordered. I would highly recommend the seafood mac and cheese, friend chicken, griot salad and the creole rolls. I will definitely be ordering from this Palme again!

Palme promises to deliver a carribean fusion experience, and the ambience certainly does. The food however does not live up to the $20-$27 per main dish it charges. We ordered a variety of dishes to share and not one of them could justify the price tag. Don't get me wrong, the food was perfectly acceptable and for the less budget oriented, worth it. But in all honesty my first time at Palme will likely be my last.