The Room
Damas opened on Avenue Van Horne in 2010 and has spent the past decade and a half running the most ambitious Lebanese kitchen in Canada. The room is small and confident, 65 seats, dressed in soft tile and warm wood, with an open kitchen that runs the charcoal-grilled-meat programme that defines the menu. Fuad Tannous is usually in the kitchen; service is small-team and Levantine-warm.
The Food
The menu runs the Lebanese mezze repertoire at the highest register, hummus with lamb confit, muhammara, tabbouleh, fattouche, kibbeh nayyeh, alongside a charcoal-grilled meat programme (lamb chops, beef shawarma, chicken taouk) that anchors the mains. The family-style mezze at $95 is the order to make on a first visit.
Wine programme is Lebanese-French with serious depth in Bekaa Valley reds and small-producer Loire whites.
Best Occasion Fit
Birthday: Damas handles birthdays with the warmth a Lebanese family-style room should, a long table, mezze for the group, a candle on the dessert.
Team Dinner: Damas for a team dinner is the Montreal alternative to the corporate-French rooms. Family-style is the format, generous is the register.
