Ferreira Café is a high-class Portuguese restaurant located on Peel Street in the heart of downtown Montreal. The ambience and service resonate perfection like never before. There is a small outside terrace and it is made up of two floors. I went to eat there for supper on July 25th, and was incredibly pleased with the ambience, the service, the décor and of course the food and wine.

This was my first time in such a lovely Portuguese restaurant. The décor was very warm and comforting, especially after a long day at work. It is a great restaurant for dates, to bring clients and even family. It has many pillars which I think really reflects the Portuguese culture. When I was sitting down I felt like I was in a nice restaurant in Portugal. It was only after I left the restaurant that I realized I was in Montreal! The décor was an excellent impression for the restaurant. Also, I really liked the fact that it had an open kitchen. It was very nice to see all the action and it gave the restaurant a classy look.

The waiter came to serve us within 5 minutes of sitting down. He asked us if we would like to order any cocktails. We decided we needed a few moments before ordering. After closely looking at the menu, my dinner companion and I decided we would each have the filet of sole. However, both dishes were prepared differently. We ordered a nice white Portuguese wine which was pricy ($47) however it was extremely flavourful. The name of it is Montevalle 2004, Bago de Touriga. An excellent white wine that I would buy at the liquor store.

The food came within a reasonable amount of time and it looked scrumptious. The two plates were very well prepared. I had the skillet fried cod, olive oil and tomato compote topped with a “presunto” crisp. He had the over roasted black cod with porcini powder, mashed potatoes, grilled oyster mushrooms “jus de veau” with port. It was excellent. The mashed potatoes were the best I have ever tasted. It was my first time having cod and I must say that it was one of the best fish oriented meals I have ever had. The way that it was prepared really showed elegance and hard work. The oven-roasted cod was equally delicious. My dinner buddy really enjoyed his meal as well. The wine that the waiter suggested went really well with the 2 meals. It brought out the flavours of the meal and really accentuated the flavour of the fish.

The restaurant was founded by Carlos Ferreira, who had the main goal of bringing Portugal to Montreal through the goodness of service, food and ambience. He has successfully brought a warm atmosphere since 1995 and will continue to do so for years to come. Although the bill came up to $115, it was well worth the price since the night was so enjoyed. I would recommend this to family, friends and colleagues and I have no doubt that I will return there again for another excellent evening.


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