Helena

Super resto portugais! Je suis allée à ce resto dans le cadre d’un diner d’affaires alors je n’ai pas pris le temps de prendre des photos ou de noter le nom des vins, mais c’était excellent! En entrée, j’ai dégusté la soupe caldo verde, une soupe traditionnelle portugaise. Très bonne et goûteuse! Vraiment parfaite. Ensuite, j’ai goûté à la lotte avec la polenta croustillante, espuma de maïs et légumes verts. Les saveurs étaient riches et raffinées à la fois. Rien à redire! En dessert, un gâteau à la vanille et cacao avec un coulis au citron. Le coulis au citron n’avait pas été annoncé alors la saveur m’a surprise, mais le mix des saveurs était très intéressant! Le tout était accompagné d’un excellent vin blanc (suggéré par le serveur). Il y avait aussi de très bons petits pains à tremper dans une huile d’olive qui donnait envie d’en boire! Nous avions la formule en table d’hôte et il en coûtait seulement 24 $ pour les 3 services. Le décor est très intéressant: c’est très bien décoré et raffiné, sans être clinquant ou intimidant. Je n’ai absolument rien à redire sur ce resto! J’ai adoré!!

Went on a Wednesday evening and everything was fantastic. From the moment we walked, we were taken care of. Our waiter, Steve, was very prompt, efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly without being overbearing — some of the best service I’ve had in a while. We shared the asparagus salad and the parrilhada (seafood in a buttery piri-​piri broth served with seasonal vegetables) and everything was exquisite. It’s not the kind of place I can afford to go to often, but it’s definitely worth it for a special night out!

Helena Loureiro’s high end sister restaurant to Portus Calle. The food is five star and the service impeccable. It’s setting in the old part of Montréal provides a context evocative of Lisbon. The seafood is magnificent. The octopus warrants special mention. I only give it four stars because of its high noise level. It detracts from the dining experience.

Great fresh seafood and very friendly service! We had the tapas to share and really enjoyed our meal!

I’ll give this place 4 stars after some thought.
The décor and vibe are nice, even romantic.
We were 7 people and maybe because of that the service was terrible. We had to constantly ask for water, wait for an hour for our main course, etc. So don’t go there for the service.
This could go into service or food category but here it is: those cod croquetas that our server recommended, well, they are terrible. If we had no tastebuds, maybe we could have liked them. Please get rid of those or upgrade them to be creamy and delicious. Right now those are dry, leathery and stringy.
The grillade for 2 is amazing though! It’s smoky from the grill, the seafood is cooked just right and the sauce it comes in is delicious. We wanted to drink it! If you go to Helena, you have to go there for the grillade.

Amazing amazing place. Food, service, atmosphere, everything. We were going for a bunch of tapas, and friendly and knowledgeable staff suggested to do a la carte for $ 55pp which got us 6 tapas and desert. She helped us picking out the perfect menu and wines to go with it. It was perfect. Asparagus salad and rabbit stuffed with fig were my favorite. I went to get breakfast at Cantinho de Lisboa that morning by accident without knowing it was Helena’s as well. I’m her big fan now, too bad I didn’t get her book.

My super corporate but super fun friend took me here for lunch last week and holy mole was it scrumptious!
I had heard good things about this restaurant, but when I walked in, I kind of subconsciously lowered my expectations because the place just looked really squeaky clean and lawyerly inside. But man oh man was the food gooooooooood.
We had the tomato and goat cheese appetizer salad (perfectly ripe tomatoes, super soft cheese, and general deliciousness), the amazingly yummy asparagus, cheese, nut and prosciutto salad (or parma not sure ’cause I don’t eat meat) appetizer, and a seafood dish for two that was smothered in buttery goodness and that made my knees buckle.
We asked for a white wine suggestion (because I generally dislike sweet wine and go to great lengths to avoid it), and the waiter brought us something that was minerally and fresh just like I like it.
The place is nice inside, but it has a bit of a fancy corporate vibe going on (think people in suits and older couples). But if you decide that you don’t give a damn about picking up a bearded guy who looks like a Pinterest model and just want to make mouth love to some sweet seafood, then you have to try this place.
Yaow!

Perfect. Perfect service.
Fresh vegetables. Amazing fish. Wonderful wine selection. Anything else ?
Yes, Portuguese food needs to be discovered. Here is the best place to do so!

I’ve been there for lunch a couple of times and have never been disappointed. The food is delicious, the ambiance classy and joyful, and the staff is friendly. On my last visit, I had the lunch menu Table d’hôte, which consisted of a tasty Caldo Verde soup, my choice of halibut, and a dessert. Very satisfying on all fronts.

My experience in this Portuguese restaurant was very good, I went for lunch and had the Table d’hôte special which came with an entrée, main dish and a dessert. All three courses were good!. Service was courteous and quick. Price for the lunch table d’hôte meal: 22 $.

Love this place! My best choice so far is sharing different tapas with the group. We had absolutely amazing dishes and got to try 5 different tapas plus the dessert tray ! The food is magnificent, delicious and just perfectly spiced. Choice of wine and beer is great ! knowledgeable waiters and staff. Recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Delicious meal filled with seafood. The seafood parrilhada platter for two is worth the $ 61, and was filled with shrimp, octopus and calamari. Service was impeccable. I highly recommend visiting Helena for Portuguese food.

Excellent Portuguese cuisine. Great seafood selection & meat. Very nice ambiance. Great for dinner with friends or business.

Un des meilleurs restos du Vieux Montréal, je crois qu’il mérite ses 5 étoiles. Toutes mes expériences ont été sans défaut, à la fois au niveau de la qualité des plats servis que du service et des conseils qui m’ont été offerts. Si vous êtes plutôt sur un budget, essayez d’y aller le midi l’expérience est très comparable à des prix vraiment exceptionnels. C’est mon option business lunch favorite du centre-​ville/​vieux Montréal. Et tous ceux à qui je l’ai conseillé ont aussi beaucoup aimé. Valeur sûre!

I went here last night and di the tasting menu for $ 65. The dinner and wine where awesome and the service fantastic. My only concern is that when I asked about wine pairing in french, I was told that the waitress could include some wine in my $ 65 dollars. She began to give us a class at every course and this more then doubled our bill. I was served wines that were $ 18 for half a glass. I am not sure how that conversation happened, as I was pretty sure that is not the conversation we had. I ended up paying over $ 300 for two people for dinner. I was kind of shocked by the bill but it was for a birthday we were celebrating.
Just make sure that you are clear on the bill before agreeing to anything. Otherwise the food, wine and service are great.

1963 Port, need I say more… Never tried a port so smooth but then again where can you find this experience… Helena
I was originally apprehensive about the suggestion, yet any concerns evaporated quickly as we tasted the menu.
Food is above par and the drink selection is impressive.

J’ai été initiée à ce resto dans le cadre de Mtl à table 2014.
Malheureusement, je pense donner un ³⁄₅ par obligation et respect pour le nom.
Entrée: salade d’asperges…du déjà vu… rien d’un grand restaurant
Plat principal: riz aux fruits de mer (sorte de risotto tomaté)…belle présentation. fruits de mer frais et bien cuits… par contre, sans saveur ou particularité propre qui me fera revenir.
Plat que je serais capable de reproduire aisément à la maison.
Dessert: natas. bien réussi sans plus. Loin de battre la petite pâtisserie sur la «main» entre deux buildings

J’ai découvert ce restaurant grâce à sa participation à l’événement «MTL à Table 2014». Je dois dire que nous né sommes pas particulièrement enthousiastes à l’idée d’essayer un resto dans le cadre de promotion de ce genre… nous avons été échaudées quelque peu par notre essai de «Toqué!» il y a deux ans ou le personnel regardait les convives venus pour «MTL à table» comme la «pleb» trop «cheap» pour payer le plein prix. Cette année d’ailleurs «Toqué!» y participe, mais à un niveau de prix beaucoup plus élevé.
Pour en revenir à «Helena» donc, ils participaient au niveau de prix le plus haut parmi les restos réguliers, soit le $ 39. Ici, pas du tout d’attitude négative! Une réception et un service très professionnel. Une ambiance chaleureuse avec des éléments qui rappelle la péninsule ibérique, mais de façon contemporaine et dynamique.
Ce resto propose une cuisine d’inspiration portugaise, mais interprétée par son excellente chef/​propriétaire qui menait sa cuisine ouverte de main de maître. Les plats nous été servis promptement, mais sans l’ombré de pression, nous donnant tout notre temps pour apprécier la cuisine, l’ambiance et la compagnie de mon grand amour qui profitait de la soirée avec moi.
Les prix pour le menu régulier sont également accessible et je dirais que c’est même un excellent «deal» pour la haute qualité de l’expérience. Nous serons sans doute de retour!

Suis venue ici un samedi soir pendant l’événement MTL à table.
Le restaurant est cozy, une table à deux était réservée pour moi et ma douce moitié. La décoration est sublime, simple et chic à la fois et qui rappelle que l’établissement est un resto portugais de haute gamme: mur jaune ocre, photos de bateaux de pêche encadrés, énormes assiettes décoratives au mur, un filet tressé avec des coquillages, lumière tamisée et bruit de fond raisonnable. Très harmonieux!
En entrée, j’ai choisi la pieuvre grillée, concassé de tomate et de pois chiches, sauce à l’encre de seiche – pois chiche. Cétait la première fois que je goûtais à de la pieuvre, mais ce né sera pas la dernière! La pieuvre était légèrement caoutchouteuse mais tendre à la fois, l’accompagnement était excellent; le moelleux de la tomate mélangé au petit côté croquant des pois chiche, miam! Sans oublier la subtile sauce de seiche. Un savant mélange de textures, de couleurs et de goûts! La présentation était parfaite! Bravo! Je recommande chaudement cette entrée!
En plat principal, j’ai opté pour la morue charbonnière. Elle fondait en bouche tellement elle était tendre. Le petit croquant des légumes d’accompagnement formait un bel équilibre et la purée de pois chiche était goûteuse et c’est une belle alternative à la purée de pommes de terre! Encore là, une réussite!
Le vin était un vin rouge portugais d’importation privée, un assemblage d’un cépage du pays et de syrah, assez satisfaisant. Rond en bouche et un peu boisé, sans exagération.
Le dessert était une tarte à l’érable. Croustillante pâte sablée, garniture à l’érable, mais c’est la sauce au sucre à la crème à l’érable que j’ai le plus aimé! Belle décoration de graines de pommes grenade et noix caramélisées.
Ai terminé par un vin dessert type muscadet, à l’arôme qui rappelait celui de la pêche et de l’abricot. Belle robe dorée. Servi bien frais et sucré en bouche. Rafraîchissant et une belle finale à ce repas mémorable. Par contre, je vous recommande le Messiah 1980, un excellent porto! Belle robe pâle, arôme de caramel et de fleurs, très subtil en bouche, sans arrière – goût! Un coup de coeur pour ma part.
Le service était excellent et rapide, malgré l’achalandage. Les serveurs et serveuses sont jeunes, beaux et talentueux! Bravo! Helena était présente, elle travaille très fort avec son équipe et contrôle la qualité de chaque assiette qui sort des cuisines! Impressionnant! Longue vie à ce resto et mes félicitations au chef et à toute l’équipe. J’ai passé une excellente soirée et j’y retournerai sûrement!

I was in Montréal for work about a month ago and my Canadian colleagues took me to Restaurant Helena. Having traveled quite a bit I am always up for different cuisines. The restaurant itself is quaintly located in Old Montréal and the atmosphere is great, with beautifully set tables, very attentive staff and an overall welcoming vibe.
As for the food: we ordered the tapas menu which then came with a main entrée of red snapper. All of the tapas were amazing, I especially liked the large scallop with the foie gras on top as well as the octopus. The wine kept coming and the service was terrific. It is relatively pricey for my standards but well worth it. I think it came out to about $ 50 – 75 per person without drinks.
Overall, a wonderful experience, likely the highlight of my trip to Montréal. Looking forward to returning at some point.

Just wow, food was amazing, absolutely challenged my taste pallets. Great scallops with foie gras, and the grilled morue melt in you mouth. Service is great and very professional definitely recommend it.

I got the most sever food poisoning at this place, We contacted the restaurant in person and by email, they never got back to us!
This place is supposed to be well known for their sea food and we all know food poisoning from sea food is very dangerous!

Restaurant Helena is incredible. It’s one of the finest restaurants I’ve been to in years. The ambiance and elegance are difficult to match. My wife and I did cartwheels and splits over the place. The next time I’m in Montréal this restaurant will be the first place I stop.
I have a marinade recipe for grilled halibut that’s wonderful. Whenever I go to a restaurant and they have halibut I get it automatically. This evening this glorious restaurant had halibut as the fish of the day. The way they grilled it was out of this world. The dish was complemented with an assortment of vegetables and potatoes. It was perfection. My wife loved her seafood stew too. I need to return for shrimps and scallops. The menu is vast.
A wonderful man named Mario seems to run things a bit. He gave us glasses of port on the house when we first sat down. When our dinner was slightly delayed he gave us more appetizers. He basically treated us like royalty. I’m not sure why. Maybe he thought I wrote reviews for the New York Times. A simply wonderful staff at this beautiful restaurant.

Before I start raving about how good was the restaurant let me mention that I only made the reservation at Helena because I couldn’t get a reservation at any all highly rated place in Montréal. Note to self: «make plans in advance».
How come this place only has like a dozen reviews? The ambiance is so elegant and energetic. Pictures don’t do justice. Food was impeccable. For appetizers we had grilled chouriço, pork cheeks with chestnuts and grilled squid (this one was just ok). For entrée we got layered duck confit. I usually have mixed feelings about duck dishes but oh that duck confit was so tender and juicy.

Our dining experience was not good at all at this place. Five of us went there and none of us was satisfied with the our experience. The waiter was rude, not a single smile.
The lunch menu looked good but the waiter just kept recommending the more expensive $ 45 pre fixed menu.
Four of us got the lunch menu. The soup was ok, but the main dish was horrible. The seafood was not fresh, the rice was really hard. None of us could finish it.
The other guy got the steak, not good either.
Anyways, wont ever go back again and will not recommend to any friend.

Excellent lunch. Formule à 22 $ pour 3 plats. Très fin, bien exécuté, frais. L’aile de raie était parfaite, les accompagnements goûteux, le dessert excellent. Service impeccable. Vraiment super RQP.