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Nora Gray Montreal
#13 in Montréal first-datesolo-dining

Nora Gray

Since 2011, Nora Gray has quietly assembled one of Canada's finest Italian restaurants: charcoal-grilled meats, handmade pasta, and an award-winning wine programme that consistently earns its place on Canada's 100 Best lists.

Photo via Wilmer Chavarria · Google
8.5Food
8.5Ambience
8.0Value

About Nora Gray

Nora Gray opened on Rue Saint-Jacques in Saint-Henri in 2011 with a commitment to traditional Italian preparation using exclusively locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients from Quebec — a combination that proved immediately distinctive and has sustained the restaurant's reputation for over a decade. The pasta is made in-house. The meats are grilled over charcoal. The wine list has won national recognition annually since opening.

The kitchen at Nora Gray operates with a focus on Charcoal-Grilled Meat / House-Made Pasta. The result is a menu that rewards a careful read rather than a quick scan — each dish reflects a specific decision about technique, sourcing, and the particular tradition of contemporary italian cooking that the kitchen takes as its starting point.

Best For: First Date

Nora Gray works for first date because it delivers exactly what the occasion requires: a setting and a meal that feels appropriate to the significance of the dinner without requiring the table to perform its significance for the room. The combination of contemporary italian cooking with Saint-Henri's specific character produces an atmosphere that is simultaneously distinctive and comfortable — the baseline any serious occasion restaurant must achieve.

Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekend evenings.

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Not For

Not for anyone expecting checked-tablecloth red-sauce classics, or a large group with picky eaters: the menu is short, seasonal and confidently southern Italian.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nora Gray

Who is the chef at Nora Gray?

Chef Emma Cardarelli opened Nora Gray in 2011 with partners Ryan Gray and Lisa McConnell, cooking stripped-back southern Italian rather than red-sauce classics.

What should I order at Nora Gray?

Handmade pasta is the heart of the menu, with silky tagliatelle in ragu bianco and fungi cavatelli as signatures, alongside suckling pig and seasonal seafood like Gaspe halibut.

How expensive is Nora Gray?

Plates are mid-priced and built for sharing, with antipasti and pastas in the mid-teens to mid-thirties and larger mains higher. It books up, so reserve early.

Where is Nora Gray in Montreal?

Nora Gray is at 1391 Rue Saint-Jacques in Little Burgundy and Griffintown, on the edge of downtown Montreal.