best calamari in town

Hello,

I've been to a lot of Greek places in MTL and they just don't always cook it right.

I'm looking for the best calamari in town, whether it's in a hole in the wall type of place or some 5 star restaurant.

Thanks

[mtlfoodguy]

orexi on bernard street has pretty amazing calamari, and so is the octopus, if you ever happen to stop by.

[kpaxonite]

best octopus Ive ever had was at dna and it was grilled...hasnt been on the menu in months though....next time I go Ill ask if it will make a return anytime soon

[wilmagrace]

one of the worse food reviews was on orexi about a week ago, he panned about everything but it is only in french-it seems you have to put up a good fight with the waiter to get
the calmars as they insist you order the more expensive octopus! In fact from the critics impression you had to fight for anything you chose on the menu.....he comments in title:
Je viens de vivre l’une des plus improbables expériences dans un restaurant de ma vie! C’était tellement gros que j’ai cru être victime d’une émission humoristique avec caméra cachée!!!

there is something about attitude in staff that can totally wreck an evening out in montreal --sometimes you wonder if they really want our business, would it hurt to smile, welcome you, facilitate your choices!
http://www.canoe.com/artdevivre/cuisi...

[mtlfoodguy]

i went in july...i enjoyed the food, and the staff was very nice. gave us desert on the house as well as drinks. and the food was of the best quality and perfectly cooked...maybe they had an off day...

[Shattered]

That Canoe review - my jaw is on the floor.

[hungryann]

Sounds like he fell upon the same douchebag waiter we had over a year ago.

[Mr F]

I haven't had either of these in a while, sadly, so take with a grain of salt: Philinos and Club Espagnol used to and hopefully still do serve excellent fried calamari.

[moh]

Philinos still has excellent calamari. Sorry you haven't had a chance to go recently...

[BernalKC]

Argh. I picked badly. My calamari search came up with Marven's, Philinos, or Holder. Holder was nixed for worries about price and noise level. Philonos calamari sounded like it might be too fancy, more than simple fried calamari. So we picked Marven's. Oops. Wrong choice. On multiple levels...

[rakeypakey]

My Greek husband swears by Marvins... I think it's a sentimental reason - cause I definitely don't love it. We do order it well done always, which I guess makes the batter a little crispier and maybe not so falling apart. A surprising rec would be Wienstein and Gavinos.. now I haven't had it in over a year but we were both surprisingly pleased with it. Very crispy, HUGE plate - we got it as an app to share and didn't finish our mains. I am not a huge tentacle fan though - so it prob didn't have too many tentacles!!!

[kpzoo]

Just to help with searches - do you mean Marven's on Ball Ave. in Park Ex?

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=...

[BernalKC]

Yup, that's the one.

[lagatta]

More tentacles for me!

[Zoeg]

I really wish we knew what Carswell thinks about Calamari in Montreal.

[carswell]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Zoeg, but I'm not a calamari expert, nor do I play one on TV. You're better off listening to hungryann, cocoabean et al.

Nearly all the fried squid I've had recently has been at dim sum. The most refined version was probably at the late Le Président. Zao's version was greasier than I like but the batter was more savoury than most and, while chewy, the cephalopod actually tasted like it came from the sea.

Other places where I've had enjoyable fried squid (though not recently) include Tapeo, Lucca, Philinos and, probably best of all, Milos. The fried squid at Parthenon was too heavily battered and oily (something I'd also say about Terrasse Lafayette and Su), but their grilled stuffed squid was enjoyable. Yuukai, the BYO sushi bar on Parc, also grills squid (and pairs it nicely with a wasabi sauce), which goes to show that the Portuguese don't have a monopoly on the practice.

[geminigirl]

Here what was recomended to me:
1. Stop at Aqua-Mare, the fish store with a fryer stall. Get a half calamari/half smelt (eperlans) to share. I like the spicy mayo better than the tartare. Eat them on the stands or small tables next to the store.

from this thread
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/528662

and after my visit
Jean Talon: Wow, I love markets and I am so glad you all sent me there! Got off the metro and started with Calamari with spicy mayo – I think it was the recommended Aqua-Mare, the fish store with a fryer stall. Probably the best calamari we’ve all had!!.

[Dusty08]

I LOVE the Calamari at Steak & Frites on St.-Paul in old Montreal. Not the place you would expect to have such good calamari, but it definitely is my favorite. Has anyone else eaten the calamari there?

[lagatta]

No, I didn't know they had calamari - thought they basically had steak and a scant few alternatives for non-red-meat eaters. Is it only at that branch, or all the chain? (Laurier on Outremont is the closest to me).

[westaust]

One place that have some great fried calamari, although different is The Keg

Lightly fried in tempura batter and then tossed with a spicy glaze, really good

[RhondaB]

I think CH censored me... I posted earlier that after eating an order of greasy lacklustre calamari, my sister & I walked out of Marven's a few weeks ago because a waiter called us f8cking beyotches after we expressed our frustration for waiting 45 minutes for a soulvaki pita platter while watching the table of 8 who arrived 30 minutes after us get their mains. Their calamari has gone downhill, just like the restaurant itself.

[Zoeg]

Wow. With treatment like that I wouldn't go there even if the calamari was the best!

[CocoBean]

I have to say I think the fried calamari at Kaizen is sublime. Not being a fan of hyper expensive sushi joints, I really appreciate their light, non-greasy, crispy calamari.

They also have a delightful grilled calamari in a super flavourful basil sauce.

well worth a try!

[BLM]

For me, I'm also specifically looking for the best grilled calamari in town(can't remember the last time trying grilled calamari). Any suggestions for great ones in Montreal?

[davyboy]

I had great grilled calamari at Adega, a terrific little Portuguese restaurant, on Beaubien near 9th. Avenue in Rosemont.. I haven't been in a while, but I think it's still open. BTW, the chef is wonderful with fish (usually had 2 or 3 choices each time I went), and the grilled chicken and french fries were outstanding.

[BLM]

Thanks for your suggestion.

[afoodyear]

Jano's also does grilled squid - actually, I haven't seen a non-Portuguese grilled squid out there to my recollection. Hmm...

[davyboy]

Just by coincidence, I had dinner tonight at Elounda (Marcel Laurin & Cote Vertu) with my brother & sister-in-law. He loves grilled calamari and ordered it for his main. I tasted them and they were sensational - perfectly grilled, nice and tender. My brother judged them as the best he's ever had. Humongous potion for $20.

[Zoeg]

Not grilled, but Lemeac pan seared or sauteed calamari appetizer is to die for. Awesome. With thinly sliced zucchini...

Totally unpretentious, hot out of the oil at La Sala Rossa on St. Laurent.

[Zoeg]

I love the calmamari at Sala Rossa. Too tentacaly for my 10 year old, but perfect for me.

According to the reviews on Marven's (880, avenue Ball) seems like the Calamari are a big hit. See link. Anyone else tried them here? I am also looking to have some of the best calamari in town!

Link: http://www.restomontreal.ca/restauran...

Ny favorite is Holder's (on McGill in Old Montreal) first course. A heaping plate full of lightly battered deep fried tentacles with a mayonaise-based sauce. If you have not been to Holder's, it's worth the trip,just for the squid!

[afoodyear]

I really like Holder's presentation of the squid, but wasn't overly thrilled with the flavor or texture. Different strokes :)

Funny enough, I had never heard of Marvens! Yeah seems like it's worth a try.

Friends of mine went to Marven's and yes, they agreed it is the best calamari in town.

[BernalKC]

So Friday night my son was in need of fried calamari. Some google searching dug up this recommendation for Marven's, so we gave it a try.

Our serving was just one plate. One roll of the dice. But it was not good. Puddle of grease on the plate. Batter falling off in our hands. Mostly rings and the tentacle pieces were oddly trimmed of any long tentacles. And the flavor was meh. My son was crestfallen. To be fair, we looked at other tables and their calamari did not seem to be swimming in grease like ours were. We may have just had rotten luck.

Next night we ended up at Terrace Lafayette Pizzeria and the calamari was way better. I'm a tourist so I can't comment about 'best in Montreal', but there is no doubt that everything we had there was a lot better - the calamari, the salads, the fish... and a terrace too. The calamari flavor was just right. No excess greasiness. Nice and light and crisp. Highly recommended.

[hungryann]

I think Marven's has lost its touch; when I was there about a month ago, the calamari was very oily, not a puddle like you mention, but nothing resembling its glorious past. It was soft but very one-dimensional in flavour and the batter was indeed limp.

[BLM]

What's dishes were good at Marven's during their heyday?

[hungryann]

Besides the calamari, I used to enjoy the souvlaki pita but I haven't had those in at least 2 years and I remember thinking the last time that there are better options such as Nostos, Marathon and Village Grec. Although I have no personal experience, I think their rib steak with mushroom sauce is also very popular. I saw lots of people ordering that.