Commensal, Montreal

Sometimes it's hard to find a place to go with carnivore family members, as I am vegetarian (of sorts: I do eat fish) and usually reject their ideas of places that serve only steak. I took my brother who eats meat at every meal to the Commensal, and we found a happy compromise with the flavorful vegetarian food there.

You pay by the pound for the hot and cold buffet, and salad bar. Soup, dessert, and beverages are seperate. It is a little expensive- a plate of food could surprise you by being over $15 - so keep in mind that what you are getting is made with fresh ingredients daily and what you're eating is good for you as well.

The decor is nothing special, but it's unobjectionable and you can almost always find a table immediately.

Favorite Dish: The vegetable gratin of the day is always good, and so is the soup. I always have avacado with caper vinegrette too.

The nut and raisin pie is my favorite dessert. The layer of brown sugar custard on the bottom is balanced by the sharper tasting nuts, so the pie is sweet but not cloyingly so.

A nice ambiance in a non-smoking area.
Buffet style.
You pay by the weight of what you choose - so if you don't have a lot of money, take some light sort of salad, not the lasagna!

Favorite Dish: It is all veggie and vegan food! The lasagna and the avocado are my favourites.

This is a buffet style vegetarian restaurant where you pile your plate up and pay for the food by weight. Everything is good. The price is reasonable - you can stuff yourself stupid for about $15, although the beer is extra (and not cheap). Sometimes they have a piano and violin player too.

Favorite Dish: All of it!

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I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t believe that meat is necessary at every meal. Le Commensal was one of my favorite restaurants in Montreal. It’s a vegetarian/vegan buffet that charges you by the weight of the food on your plate. Just pick up a plate as you arrive, select your items, pay and find a seat to enjoy your meal. You should use separate plates for fruit, main course and desert. There is a maximum price, so if you’re good at balancing pyramids, you might get in a couple of extra treats. Speaking of which, the restaurant has a superb desert buffet which completes a meal perfectly or is worth the visit in its own right.

Favorite Dish: The pizzas and the pastas were great and anything on the desert bar with chocolate.

Commensal is a vegetarian restaurant.. but it's not just for Veggie addicts!! It's good when you're looking for a meal that will be both healthy and filling and different.. And because it's a buffet, you can try a bit of everything... I discovered so many new ways to prepare food at Commensal. And the other interesting thing is: It goes by weight, so you only pay for what you got! A lot of friends told me they have big appetite so it wuickly gets expensive for them there.. well now things are getting better because they recently put in place a maxiumum price rule when no matter the weight of you plate, you will never pay more than 12,95$ for your meal at lunch and 15,95$ for supper.. The ambiance has also improved as they have re-worked their interiors in many Commensal restaurant.

Favorite Dish: Hard to tell.. I love the oriental seitan, this is probably my favorite.. but they also do very good salads and I love the pea soup as well as the vegetarian chili... the desserts are.. mmiammm yummy!!!

The commensal is a ''gastronomic'' vegetarain buffet. You pay by the weight so if you've got a hardy appatite stay away. The food is good but stating to get commercial( it's becomming a chaine :( . But if you need quick full,cheap and healthy it's the place to go. A soup for 2.50$ with fresh bread it's a good deal.