Monème : A Lovely Gourmet Evening at Hôtel Monville

Slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown Montreal, yet right in the business district and just steps from the Palais des Congrès and nearby office towers, lies the Monème restaurant at Hotel Monville. It’s so discreet you might walk right past it without noticing. That would be a shame, because the food is excellent, the setting relaxed, and the service attentive.

From Tuesday to Saturday in the evenings, Chef Cédric Deslandes prepares dishes that are well worth discovering — very “classic French” in style, yet respectful of local ingredients. He changes his menu twice a year: fall/winter and spring/summer. We’ve enjoyed the work of this Malouin-born chef at several gourmet spots around Montreal — at his former restaurant Les coudes sur la table, at Auberge Saint-Gabriel, Nuances at the Casino de Montréal, and the legendary Lutétia. His current cuisine is precise, generous, full of flavor, and refreshingly unpretentious.

Plates for true food lovers…

On the night of our visit — for the sake of telling you about it — our party chose four delicious dishes. As a shared starter, we had a plate of heirloom tomatoes served in bite-sized pieces with mini croutons, drizzled with balsamic, sprinkled with basil, and topped with a generous, fragrant dollop of buffalo mozzarella mousse.

The roasted Atlantic salmon, served on a bed of black rice risotto, with a sorrel sauce and perfectly cooked green asparagus, was devoured by Naomi, who beamed with joy at the end of her plate.

Then came a beautiful portion of Prince Edward Island Angus flank steak, cooked to perfection, served with a red wine sauce and a very generous helping of house-made fries — Russet potatoes cut into golden sticks, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The same fate awaited the farm-raised guinea fowl supreme, served with a vegetable tian, Gabrielle fingerling potatoes, and a flavorful, rich olive jus.

Three desserts rounded out the table’s festivities: a pavlova, a sticky date pudding, and a molten 70% dark chocolate cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream.

…in a pharaonic-style setting

The décor at Monème is quite unique — a kind of lofty hotel lobby made cozier by white tablecloths, plenty of wood, and a large circular bar with about twenty seats. Guests appeared perfectly at ease and seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly.

Management says the restaurant signage will soon be improved — which is indeed a good idea, as there currently isn’t any. But you can trust everything we’ve said about this hidden gem. Head to Monème and treat yourself.

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Restaurant Monème

Last update: June 13, 2025

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