Liam TrudeauThe juiciest kebabs are hiding in these 10 best Persian restaurants in Montreal
If there’s one thing you need to start taking seriously now, it’s food, especially when it comes to cultural cuisine like Persian food. Don’t ever let yourself get used to mediocre meals – we have to build our palates for authentic flavours that are as close as you can get in Iran!
To help us get started, I’ve already compiled a list of some of the best Persian restaurants in the city. And yes, while you can find the juiciest kebabs here, you can also find other dishes that are true to the culture, perfect for families, friends, or solo diners.
Ready to dive in? Let’s start!
1. Behesht Restaurant
Media credit beheshtmtl
Website: https://beheshtmtl.com/
Address: 6528 Rue Saint-Jacques
Contact Details: +1 514-489-8484
Operating Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:30 PM (Except Tuesday)
Price: $$
Behesht is the ideal spot for me whenever I want good Persian food without breaking the bank. Portions are always plentiful, and the range of dishes is definitely one of the best in the city.
All their main dishes come with either salad or soup as complementary starters (personally, the salad is the winner for me). The chicken kebab, which is my usual, is tender and deeply cooked. I totally loved that it didn’t feel greasy to eat with the fluffy basmati rice.
Their must moosir (yogurt with Persian shallot dip) is another great option, but for something lighter. The yoghurt was just how I like it – thick, creamy, and can be easily paired with the proteins (try it with pita – you won’t regret it!).
A few of the meals here can be shared by at least 4 people. So when you’re dining in, make sure to have nice company with you.
2. Maman Sady Restaurant
Website: https://mamansady.com/
Address: 1800 Av de l’Église
Contact Details: +1 514-765-0000
Operating Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Friday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Price: $$
You can’t come to Maman Sady and leave without a full stomach! Like any average Persian food lover, I love their gheimeh nesar with its fragrant saffron and turmeric.
And, of course, I can’t forget their kabab koobideh, which is always juicy and moist. It has nice hints of onions and spices too, with a slightly buttery exterior.
Every dish comes with mushroom milk soup, pairing nicely with pretty much every main dish (it’s a nice palate cleanser too if you’re ordering more than 2 dishes!).
Regulars often say their desserts are also fantastic. And while their baklava cheesecake isn’t something I would line up for, I do love their shole zard. This is a Persian saffron rice pudding with a smooth, creamy texture that just melts in your mouth.
3. Restaurant Orchidée
Media credit restaurant.orchidee.ndg
Address: 5853 Sherbrooke St W
Contact Details: +1 514-703-9405
Operating Hours: Tuesday: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Wednesday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Friday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Price: $$
Orchidée is another go-to restaurant for my family and me. We totally love their main dishes – chicken, beef, or lamb – that’s always paired with the most perfectly cooked rice (well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s really good!).
The mushroom soup is provided as a complimentary dish before the main dishes. Though not the best in my book, it’s still good, with a thick texture that I like.
As for the main kebabs, the chicken definitely wins in terms of flavour – it’s succulent inside, and the smokiness of the paprika and cumin really stands out.
For something much healthier, the lamb shank should be on your list. It’s so tender that it pretty much falls off the bone after serving. It’s fragrant, flavourful, and extremely juicy!
4. Mazzeh
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Website: https://mazzeh.ca/
Address: 6820 Côte Saint Luc Rd
Contact Details: +1 514-369-3888
Operating Hours: Monday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Friday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Sunday: 11:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Price: $$
Mazzeh should be your go-to place if you love big meals and delicious food. Their biryani is my favourite here as it’s packed with flavourful meat and some of the most aromatic spices. This one comes with warm bread, which balances it out beautifully.
The atlas platter, ideal for small groups, goes well with the fasenjoon chicken. It has the earthy taste of walnuts as well as a nice hint of tartness to bring the spices all together. The rice is soft enough to absorb the delicious sauces.
By the way, Mazzeh is also a great spot for deliveries and catering services (they’re more popular for the latter, actually). The food always comes warm since it’s well-packaged, so you and your guests are sure to enjoy each dish.
5. Ispahan
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Website: https://www.ispahan.ca/
Address: 1777 Centre St
Contact Details: +1 514-805-5002
Operating Hours: Thursday – Friday: 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Saturday: 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Price: $$
Ispahan is a fantastic spot to enjoy Persian food as well as occasional entertainment. If you dine here on a Saturday night, you get to enjoy dance performances or trendy tunes spun by a DJ for the evening.
But of course, the real start of the show is the meals. I absolutely adore their duck leg as it comes with a hefty serving of saffron rice and is coated with delicious fasenjoon sauce. On the side, you get an extra service of sauce and shirazi salad.
The chenjeh kebaba is fantastic, with the perfect amount of tenderness. The marinade sauce isn’t that prominent, but since it’s packed with grilled tomatoes and cayenne peppers, the taste is an absolute bomb for the senses.
6. Café Restaurant Nab
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Website: https://www.restaurantnab.ca/
Address: 5563 Upper Lachine Rd
Contact Details: +1 514-483-0303
Operating Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM | Friday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM | Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Price: $$
Everything at this restaurant is fantastic – delectable dishes that really transport you back to Iran. What’s even nicer is that you can enjoy your meals here solo, with a partner, or with your entire family.
I always end up ordering the lamb shank here because it’s simply the best. Served on a platter, it comes with a side of salad, soup, and of course, rice. It has warm notes of turmeric, saffron, and dried lime, which you can taste at every bite.
The Persian kebabs they have are also fantastic with saffron rice as they always retain the moisture they have after cooking. And if you’re lucky, you may even score a complimentary carrot cake and tea (I heard they usually give it to big groups!).
7. Chez Nouri
Media credit cheznouri
Address: 10 Pine Ave W
Contact Details: +1 514-823-9441
Operating Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Price: $$
If you’re looking for a Persian restaurant that can cater to you any time of the day, Chez Nouri is perfect. Not to mention the fact that the place is affordable, and with the cozy setting, you’ll feel just right at home.
I have many favourites here, but I do tend to come back to the eggplant lentil wrap. It’s always freshly made, so the taste of the vegetable really comes through. The earthiness from the eggplant is quite subtle, and you’ll love its perfectly cooked firmness.
And you can’t leave Nouri without trying out their beloved desserts. I think you’ll enjoy their cookies that feature multiple flavors in one: chocolate, pistachio, and orange! With some mint tea, I’m sure you can tell yourself that your meal has finally wrapped up.
8. Khorasan Kabab
Media credit khorasan_kabab_montreal
Website: https://khorasankabab.ca/
Address: 5625 Sherbrooke St W
Contact Details: +1 514-488-9191
Operating Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Price: $$
For those who value quick service (like me), Khorasan should be in your contacts right now. Out of the many restaurants I’ve tried, they’re the ones who served food the fastest – and this was considering the fact that I brought many friends with me!
Speaking of groups, you may want to order a special plate instead to save. This one comes with beef and chicken that are as tender and juicy as you can imagine. To complete things, order some Persian-style rice too,
Unfortunately, the kababs felt a little too expensive for me – almost as pricey as the ones I’ve had in New York. Thankfully, unlike New York, parking here was a breeze. So yes, you can definitely drive up here and skip the metro.
9. Quartier-Perse Authentic Persian Cooking
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Website: http://en.quartierperse.com/
Address: Metro Villa Maria, 4241 Bd Décarie
Contact Details: +1 514-488-6367
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Saturday: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Sunday: 12:00 PM 10:00 PM
Price: $$
Quartier-Perse is an old Persian gem in the city, and it’s loved for many reasons. For me, it’s because they have great food, and it really gives off that Sunday family lunch vibe that just makes eating more comfortable.
If you want a heart meal, you can order a kebab platter (you can do chicken, beef, but I usually get their lamb). The meat is great and tender, with the kind of firmness that bursts the flavours of tomato sauce with each bite.
Their mirza ghassemi (that’s eggplant tomato dip for us English speakers) was an absolute bomb as an appetiser. With grilled pita bread, you can really soak up all the flavours – the beautiful garlic and sweet tomato that tie it all up together.
10. Cheminée Perse
Media credit cheminee_perse
Address: 6700 Chem. de la Côte-des-Neiges
Contact Details: +1 514-564-9790
Operating Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 10:30 AM – 6:00 PM | Thursday – Friday: 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM | Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Price: $$
Cheminée Perse won my heart by having some of the best kebabs ever known to man. Order one and you’ll see exactly how it’s perfectly cooked – it’s well charred, juicy but still firm, the meat lean and uniformly brown.
I also liked that they use spices that feel more delicate to most palates. Or it might just be because they’re not seasoning as heavily to bring out the true taste of the meat (either way, the owner won’t tell me – it’s delicious, though!).
It’s not the cheapest I’ve ever been to, but I do feel like I really got my money’s worth. I’d like to go back soon to try other dishes, although (safe to say from the buzz among the regulars), the kebab remains the star of the show.
