Lavanderia

With all the hype of Chef Antonio Park and the impressive success of Park, we had our eyes set on Lavandria for an amazing experience. Walking into the restaurant, I was really impressed by the warm and inviting décor. Lavanderia seems to present more of a casual dining experience, compared to Park. We were immediately greeted, which set the tone for the night. The staff were very knowledgeable and attentive throughout the meal.
We ordered both ceviches (shrimp and the fish of the day), the soup of the day (lobster, mussels, and shrimp), and the cornish hen. Without a doubt, the hen was the best. It was moist, flavorful, and perfectly charred. Although all the seafood was cooked perfectly, the shrimp ceviche was quite bland and the fish of the day ceviche was far beyond the point of proper acidity. The soup of the day was tasty but it came out lukewarm at best.
Overall, given the reputation of the restaurant, our experience at Lavanderia was underwhelming. The meat was clearly the highlight, so we’ll have to come back again and have a «meat-​lovers» meal. Stay tuned for an update.

It’s a very different restaurant in terms of feel and décor. The food was excellent and the service was fine. I found the prices very high (and normally I don’t mind paying for expensive meals — see my other reviews). What irked me was being charged $ 8 for a Shirley temple for my daughter, and then being charged the same for a refill (that experience taught me a lesson…) We enjoyed our meal, just not sure they should be nickelling and diming for a soft drink.

While the ambiance is charming, the food here misfires on so many levels. The menu is not cohesive, and very few dishes actually compliment one another. Mains are much too heavy for lunch, and everything was salty. I felt like I was eating from a menu that was put together randomly with little thought to seasonality or balance within individual plates.

The food was good, I definitely recommend the restaurant. We went for a charity dinner and really had a great time.

Brought some friends before xmas looking for something different. Food was amazing, drinks were crafted with a nice mixology twist, service was great

I’ve had dinner at Lavanderia twice, both times with some friends so we have covered most of the menu and had a chance to try a number of things on both visits. Our first experience was very positive, we had a great time, had very good service and enjoyed the food. So much so we made a point to go back again soon. Our second experience was a real let down and did not live up to our expectations. Now, our expectations where pretty high as 1– we had been there before and enjoyed ourselves and 2– this place is pretty expensive. Most of the dishes are on the small side so it is best to eat tapas style ordering a selection of items for the table to share. Our favorites would include the Squid, arroz negro and the Octopus.
As I said above we really enjoyed the food on our first visit, however the second time we ate there we found that the food was not nearly as tasty, even though we ordered some of the same dishes. I’m not sure what was happening but things were just off. What was even more off was the service on our second visit. For example getting some bread to our table required multiple requests and the manner in which our order arrived at the table was terrible. We were a group of 5 and were sharing a variety of dishes. The first two items to arrive at our table were the yuca chips and the potatoes, both starchy side dishes. I assumed that the rest of our order was following right behind. After five minutes passed and none of the other items that we ordered were in sight I asked our waitress what was happening and why only our side dishes had arrived. She told me that dishes come out of the kitchen whenever they may be ready and the rest of our meal should be along shortly. When I pointed out that I found it unusual that we would receive only our side dishes without any of the main courses and the the potatoes would be cold (they were in fact already cold at this point) by the time the rest of our meal would arrive she just repeated that things come just come to the table based on when they are produced by the kitchen. Sort of a luck of the draw sort of thing.
Well, this is one of the most absurd things that I have ever heard in a restaurant. A high end place like this should be able to time things a bit better. And if they make a mistake, as they clearly did in our case, I would expect them to recognize this and apologize. No such luck at Lavanderia.

Small Argentinian restaurant on Victoria, right next to Celeb chef Antonio Park’s other restaurant, Park.
I simply loved the food and flavours. Went for lunch and had their set menu of the day. The salad was kale, queso fresco, cashews, and pickled onions. The main was a duck Pupusa with salsa verde. Honestly one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. The crispiness of the Pupusa and the soft tender duck inside, covered with the salsa verde, topped with guacamole was on point. To finish, had a taste of the lemon cheesecake and I think it tops my own cheesecake…
Go enjoy. My next stop: Park.

Here’s the plan folks: for excellent Venezuelan arepas … go to Arepera du Plateau on rue de Bullion coin Duluth. For excellent El Salvadorian pupusas go to Resto Los Planes on rue Bélanger or for a more fine dining experience hightail it on down to Los Planes Gourmet on Saint-​Denis or La Carreta on Saint-​Zotique. For Mexican tacos go to Tacos Tijuana on Sherb Ouest or Grumman ’78 in Saint-​Henri on Courcelle or Café Frida on Notre-​Dame or Tacos Victor also on Notre-​Dame or Don Taco on Ste-​Catherine Ouest coin Saint-​Marc or Ta Chido on avenue du Parc or El Rey del Taco at Marché Jean-​Talon or La Capital Tacos in Chinatown.
This place doesn’t know what it is supposed to be. It seems to be some sort of Latin American /​pan-​Hispanic fusion. It invokes Salvadoreño, Venezuelan, Peruvian and Mexican dishes and blends them all together in a washing machine. Lavandería is the Spanish word for buanderie en français or laundromat in English. Yes, indeed, the food is … soapy at best. You’ll need to clean your tastebuds but you won’t be able to afford even that cheapo tongue scraper from the 99 cents store. The prices here will clean your wallet out. I can go to any number of cheap yet delicious Latin American restaurants conveniently located throughout the city … get excellent service with excellent value for dollar, feel contented and satiated and pay an eighth of the price. This place is not for you or for me. I have a strange sneaking suspicion that this place is meant for monied Westmount folk who just don’t know better. Culture cannot be purchased; culture is not for sale. Culture is only gained through empirical learning and sheer osmosis.
The moral of the story is: just because a place is priced to be haute cuisine in no way makes it actually haute cuisine. And on the obverse … a place having inexpensive fare does not preclude it from being the best tasting food ever!
All that being said … this place gets two stars instead of one because the papas bravas and the yuca are excellent. The cocktails are okay. I had a pisco sour that was lacking.

Super delicious! We ordered a few salads (kale salad and watermelon salad –both to die for), and the giant steak. This steak was the best steak I’ve had in my entire life. Each bite melted in my mouth. So good…

Being Latin American myself I can tell you with all honesty the food is catered to an upper class bourgeois Westmount Caucasian audience who assume, the more money they charge you, the fancier the food, the smaller the portions, the more rude the management can be.
We started off with a classic Pisco Sour drink that had no flavour of Pisco at all. Pisco is a Peruvian and Chilean drink with a rich perfume, which was completely absent in my glass. It was decent at best, not bad enough to send back, but not good enough to order again.
The 2 ceviches that are listed on the menu are not supposed to be filling enough to be a main course, but the waiter informed me that a third ceviche, unlisted would be enough to fill me up. «It’s a hearty meal» we’re his exact words. That too was disappointing as I could have easily ordered much more food after that. It was also DROWNING in far too much lime juice, and not enough fish /​sea food.
The service was fine, and the deserts delicious, but that’s not why I came for dinner. I came to eat and was still quite hungry by the time we moved on to coffee. I chocked it up to partly my fault for ordering something that was not listed in the main course, and let it go.
On the way home, my brother received a phone call from the staff, that THEY under billed us by $ 50, and we should come back and fix the waiter’s mistake. They admitted the waiter made the mistake, but insisted we return immediately, or the waiter would have it deducted from his pay check. My brother continued the discussion until they decided to hang up the phone on him in mid conversation. At that point, I can honestly tell you, that is one of the worst and tackiest business practices you could ever adopt. Not only would I never go back now, but neither should you.

Started with the scallop ceviche @ $ 16, ended up being 1 scallop sliced razor thin with a few tomatoes, some onions and doused in coconut milk. Had a hard time finding the few pieces of scallops in all the milk. Tried the $ 100 mixed grill for 2. Received 1 burned sausage, half an over cooked steak, a small piece of corniche hen, a small portion of grilled calamari and a few vegetables. After seeing the beautiful spreads on Instagram this was a major disappointment. The one positive was our waitress was excellent and did everything she could to make up for a mediocre meal.

Great décor, awesome menu items and food, very creative. I had to knock off two stars however due to how pricey it is and how hungry it leaves you.

Disappointing food. Ordered the mixed grill. The food came lukewarm. The grill was warm to the touch but hardly hot and clearly just for show. Chorizo showed the potential for this place. Wine recommendation was good and service was attentive. Service saves this place from a poorer rating, but my experience could hardly be called adequate, particularly considering the price tag. I will not be returning. Expected better from Chef Park.

I am sorry to say that I really don’t understand the good reviews. I did hear good things about the chef before coming to this restaurant. Here is a breakdown of my experience:
Service: excellent and very friendly.
Décor: beautiful.
Presentation of the food: great.
Appetizers: queso was good, homemade bread was great, empanadas were flat and uninspired, kale salad was tasty.
Main dish: the parrilla. That’s where it all went downhill. It was, for lack of a nicer word, terrible. Meat was not properly butchered and very fatty. Chicken was dry and tasteless. The tiny salads and sauces that come with the parrilla are boring and actually, not very appetizing. There were 2 different kinds of sausage in our dish (one green, one white) Both my husband and I weren’t able to eat for how bad they were. I am not exaggerating when I say this dish was almost entirely inedible.
Desert: chocolate and peanut cake was too dense and overly sweet, banana torte was actually just a pie shell with raw sliced banana and dulce de leche… Don’t need to be a chef to figure that one out.
I am so sorry I was this harsh. I try to keep my reviews neutral, but I don’t think that the price here justifies the quality of the food they serve. (80 $/​person, no alcohol)

Chef Park has done it again but this time offering delicious Latin American cuisine. My favourite brunch in Montréal.

Very disappointing experience. We were very excited to try Chef Antoine’s new restaurant but it was a very unpleasant experience. A very very bad service…

Went to celebrate my wife’s promotion.
Service was amazing the staff couldn’t have been any nicer or more attentive!
The specialty Drink to start was good along with a classic Fernet with coke is a classic argentine way to begin a night.
The appetizers wee also definitely good fresh shrimp ceviche and empanadas with some delicious fried yuca (cassava)
When it can to the main course, the parrillada for 2 had the usual main ingredients, steak, Cornish hen, home made chorizo (2 kinds) short rib, sea bream and grilled veggies.
Though all were fresh and flavourful, having had an Argentinian parrillada before in Latin America, it felt a bit underwhelming and played safe in comparison to the magical monstrosity that I came to expect With: grilled sweat breads, kidneys, blood sausage, intestines and all the other cuts of both beef and pork.
It may have been my own fault by not making it clear enough when I said go all out when asked if I had any adversity to anything being included.
(I thought my question as to whether sweet breads would be included might have been enough)
Desert which we shared, the banana tart with dulce de leche ice cream was great though and if it’s on the menu when you go, without a doubt order it!
The ambiance was great though and we will definitely return, I think being with a large group, especially to share a parrillada is the way to go as with argentine tradition of sharing a LOOOONG meal and many many bottles of wine.
All in all it was Very good, just not great or amazing but it definitely has the potential to be.

Lavanderia was opened up by Chef Antonio Park (of its next-​door neighbour Park). The ambiance and décor is every bit as good as its neighbours, but I personally preferred the food and overall experience at Park.
We turned to the waitress for help ordering because the menu is pretty big and overwhelming. Ended up starting with a quinoa and beet salad and a duck appy to start. We ordered the grill assortment for the main – a selection of sausage, lamb, chicken, fish, and pork brought out on a grill. Overall the food was good but it didn’t blow my socks off for the price like Park did.

The food is good but they are trying to save money. So this means only 2 wait staff all night so mediocre service. Waiting 45 minutes for appetizers asked for bread –THEY CHARGE FOR BREAD!!! This is an expensive restaurant by the way where nothing comes with anything — so you order fish — no sides etc. The food is good. But it is overpriced in terms of the value, the service. You get the sense that they want to stay in business at the expense of their clients. You can literally see where they are cutting corners. For a «fancy» restaurant it is not worth the price. 3^rd time I went and will not go back. Brought 5 people with me — all felt food was good (except one guy who had the sweetbreads and felt they were just ok) and all said they would not go back. It is owned by Park. Bottom line — this is a resto that treats its customers ungenerously and charges premiums prices.

Amazing meal, great cocktails. Great deserts! Had the mest grill with some friends, highly recommend!