Marc-Olivier Frappier is a prominent chef in Montreal, Canada, known for his work at Vin Mon Lapin and Rôtisserie La Lune. He is recognized for his contributions to the Canadian culinary scene, with Vin Mon Lapin...
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Last updated: 7/1/2026, 2:56:32 PM
Key Information
Vin Mon Lapin is a top-flight wine bar located in Montréal's Little Italy, known for its intimate and buzzy atmosphere. It offers creative and thoughtful cuisine that highlights local ingredients, paired with an exceptional selection of natural wines. The restaurant is celebrated for its attentive service and a dining experience that is both refined and unpretentious.
Customer Perception
Customers consistently praise Vin Mon Lapin for its exceptional food, creative dishes, and the thoughtful use of local ingredients. The service is frequently described as attentive, warm, knowledgeable, and perfectly synchronized, contributing to a memorable dining experience. The wine selection, particularly natural wines, receives high acclaim. While the atmosphere is buzzy and intimate, some minor service kinks like pacing or staff visibility have been noted. Reservations are highly sought after, reflecting its popularity and reputation as one of Canada's premier dining destinations.
Additional Details
Vin Mon Lapin is recognized by the MICHELIN Guide and featured on 50 Best Discovery, often appearing on lists of Canada's best restaurants. It is particularly noted for its extensive and well-curated natural wine list.
The restaurant is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Given its popularity and the difficulty in securing reservations, it is advisable to book well in advance for any day.
We went in with high expectations, especially after an amazing meal at Manu Cornuto the night before, but left disappointed. Service was genuinely great, warm, attentive, and welcoming the whole night. The food, though, just didn’t work for us. We chose the tasting menu. The scallop cake was a real standout and the buckwheat cake was okay, but most of the other plates felt like the kitchen was chasing novelty over flavor?? pairings that seemed clever on paper but didn’t actually come together on the plate. A few dishes were just too salty, others combined ingredients that felt more experimental than delicious. We also got seated really close to other tables, which made the room feel so cramped .. Given its No. 2 ranking on Canada’s 100 Best list, we expected the food to feel more thoughtfully composed, not just inventive for the sake of it. Great hospitality, but the cooking itself didn’t land for us.
Mon Lapin was the highlight of our trip! Fiona gave us the best service we’ve ever experienced. She was so warm, kind, and welcoming to our child, which made us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived.
Her wine pairings were absolutely outstanding and perfectly complemented every dish. The food was exceptional, the atmosphere was beautiful, and every detail made for such a memorable evening.
This was easily one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had, and it truly made our trip. We can’t wait to come back!
5
I just finished the most wonderful dinner at Mon Lapin. I was lucky enough to snag a seat at the bar as a walk in, really happy they were able to accommodate me without a reservation. The bartender, Rose, walked me through the menu and various options they had, I ended up going with their tasting menu. Rose also made great cocktails, had phenomenal wine recommendations, and was so much fun to talk to. She was a big part of why this dinner was so enjoyable.
Each course was brought out and explained by staff and the pacing between courses was just right. My meal included:
- Confit leeks with potato chips and smoked mussel mayo
- Razor clam with spicy breadcrumbs and littleneck clam with green onions, horseradish, and parm
- The iconic crispy scallop sandwich with ramp mayo
- Sea bass crudo with capers, radish, shallot, microgreens, and brown butter
- Ricotta dumplings/ravioli with motels and radish greens in a creamy butter sauce
- Halibut in nettle cream sauce with nettle chips
- Duck two ways with white and green asparagus, strawberry sauce, an herby asparagus sauce, and jus
- An ice cream sandwich with almond and sesame cookies, olive oil ice cream, and fennel pollen
- A fudgey chocolate cake with amaro and coffee sauce
The tasting menu ended up being 9 courses for $110 CAD, a very good price in my opinion, especially considering the quality, time, and care put into each dish. There was not a single dish I disliked or thought was just okay, each one was unique and so good. Service was excellent and the cocktails and wine were delicious. I have nothing but good things to say, I've never been more pleased with a place that I went to on a whim.
This was the highlight of my trip hands down. If I ever make it back to Montreal, this will be my first stop.
4
Service is what would make me return. Quite an experience! Excellent explanations and guidance from all servers regarding food and drinks. We enjoyed our meal, however some dishes seemed a bit too salty for our palate. Other than that, I would visit again on future trips to Montreal. We had 5 dishes plus a dessert. This is a good number of dishes for 2 guests dining.
5
Vin Mon Lapin completely exceeded every expectation. We (3 people) went on April 15 at 8:15 for my birthday, and from start to finish, everything was outstanding.
The service was exceptional, and Nino made the whole experience even more memorable. He was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable, and had such a strong understanding of both the menu and the wine list. What impressed me most was how well he read the table and understood exactly what we needed. He gave thoughtful recommendations, accommodated my shellfish restriction perfectly, and still made sure the other two guests in my party had plenty of amazing options.
The food was honestly incredible. Every dish we ordered was delicious, but our favorites were the scallop toast, the gnudi, and the lamb tartare paired with the strudel. Really, everything we had was amazing.
The ambiance, the service, and the food were all just perfect. It is rare to leave a restaurant genuinely speechless, but that was exactly how I felt. Vin Mon Lapin is hands down one of the best restaurants in Montreal, and I highly recommend it. A must-try.