Montreal Is Getting A New Lebanese-Syrian Restaurant & We’re Dreaming About The Baklawa Pancakes

Montreal is welcoming a brand new Middle Eastern restaurant to its repertoire of must-try eateries. Hayat, which translates to "life" in Arabic will officially be opening its doors this month with a menu promising to transport your taste buds to the coasts of Lebanon and the mountains of Syria.

Located on rue de la Commune Ouest in Montreal's Old Port, Hayat serves up all your favourite Lebanese dishes, mezze-style, which is truly the best way to enjoy the flavours of the Mediterranean. The restaurant seats a total of 60 inside and another 150 on its outdoor terrasse overlooking Vieux-Montreal.

Chef Joseph Awad standing inside Montreal's new Lebanese restaurant Hayat. Courtesy of Hayat Montreal

The menu was spearheaded by Chef Joseph Awad, a name you might recognize if you're a fan of Damas and SHAY, two of Montreal's most popular Lebanese-Syrian restaurants. "The menu is shaped by mezze-style sharing dishes, evoking the conviviality and warmth of meals with friends and family. Each dish is a work of art, where traditional flavours blend boldly with modern ingredients, creating a harmony of tastes that surprise and delight the taste buds," said Chef Joseph Awad.

So, what can you expect at Hayat? For starters, guests can enjoy a number of traditional dips including hummus, muhammara, baba ghanouj, beet moutabal and labneh, to name a few — all of which are served with bread. Is there really any other way to dip than with bread fresh out of the oven?

Hayat also serves up several classic dishes with a few delightful twists including the zaatar focaccia, fattoush salad, Bulgarian feta and tomato salad and the Hayat fries, made up of sumac and Aleppo pepper, as well as the Jerusalem artichokes, which are prepared with a cilantro sauce and garlic yogurt.

The exterior of Montreal's new Lebanese restaurant Hayat. Courtesy of Hayat Montreal

The menu also includes must-try items including the fried cheese, beef sambousek, and fried kibbeh all the way to the Hayat Tart, made up of a mix of roasted vegetables, black olives, onion, celery, and olive oil all covered with a crispy puff pastry.

If you've still got room for more, Hayat offers meat and seafood dishes too including shish taouk, kafta kebab and a number of creative takes on traditional plates such as the lamb shawarma taco made up of braised lamb, corn tortilla, tarator sauce, onions, pomegranate seeds and house salsa, as well as the arak and dill shrimp, prepared with jumbo shrimp, arak tomato sauce and dill.

Now, while the menu certainly emphasizes the flavours of the Middle East, there's one dish that we're already dreaming about: the baklawa pancakes. Made up of buttermilk pancakes, whipped ricotta, baklawa crumble, pistachio and maple syrup, the baklawa pancakes are the perfect choice for a sweet and decadent end to your meal (or go simply to order the pancakes and pancakes only). Not to mention this drool-worthy dish can't be found just anywhere in Montreal.

The interior of Montreal's new Lebaese restaurant Hayat.Courtesy of Hayat Montreal

As for the decor, patrons can experience the essence of Lebanon thanks to the warm and earthy tones, shapes and textures used throughout.

Designed by Ivy Studiooo, the overall decor and ambiance reflect the elegance and simplicity of the dishes served at Hayat, creating an inviting environment where age-old traditions are blended with modern Middle Eastern culinary twists.