10 Best French Dishes You Should Try at Dorsia
Old Montreal glows differently at night.
The cobblestones hold the warmth of the day, and the air smells faintly of salt and sugar. A mix of the nearby river and the quiet kitchens coming alive for the evening. Inside one of its historic buildings, a few candles flicker beneath soft light. Voices fall to whispers. Glasses touch.
This is Dorsia. Elegant and intimate.
Led by Chef Miles Pundsack-Poe, Dorsia blends the soul of French dining with Italian warmth and Quebec terroir. Every plate is a conversation: generous, precise, and made to be shared.
You can explore the full menu, but if you’re wondering which dishes define the experience, which ones turn dinner into a small act of romance, this guide will take you there.
Below, you’ll find the best French dishes for dinner. Dishes that make Dorsia one of Montreal’s most coveted tables, and a must for anyone exploring the city’s top 10 French foods.
A Night in Montreal, the French Way
Montreal knows how to eat. The city has a long love affair with food, with its mix of Parisian technique and North American appetite. But in the evening, when the light turns amber and the restaurants begin to hum, French cuisine takes center stage.
There’s something about it: the quiet luxury, the slow service, the perfect balance between flavor and feeling. At Dorsia, that balance is everywhere. It’s seen and felt in the textures, in the way the room invites you to stay a little longer than you planned.
You can find some of the best French dishes for dinner across the city, but few experiences match the atmosphere here. Dorsia serves food and stages emotion.
Ten French Dishes That Taste Like an Evening at Dorsia
These dishes are why locals whisper Dorsia’s name when talking about fancy French dishes worth dressing up for.
Each one has a mood. Always something tender, bold, or quietly indulgent.
Carpaccio de Thon
Thinly sliced tuna, shimmering under a tomato dashi with lime zest and olive oil. It feels almost too delicate to touch. One bite, and the salt, citrus, and umami come alive. You'll taste it at the first bite: clean, bright, a little dangerous.
Pair it with a glass of Sancerre Blanc from Dorsia’s wine list. The acidity pulls the flavor deeper, like a tide pulling back the shore. It’s a whisper of the ocean on a plate. It’s light and effortless.
Terrine de Foie Gras & Anguille
This one is indulgence disguised as art. The foie gras melts instantly, but the smoked eel gives it an edge. A swipe of ginger confiture cuts through the richness, and the five-spice perfume lingers like a slow exhale.
It’s a French main course that feels both classic and rebellious: old-world luxury, reborn with a touch of Montreal boldness.
A sip of Barsac, Château Closiot 2022, plays beautifully with it in all of its golden and honeyed glory, with just enough sweetness to make the foie taste eternal.
Pieuvre Grillée
Grilled octopus, curled and caramelized, resting beside leeks and pearl barley in a mojo verde sauce. The first taste is smoky, then herbal, and finally softly sweet. It’s alive, with every bite a contrast of texture and warmth.
This is one of those top 10 French foods you’ll remember by feel, not just flavor. The kind that leaves a small pause between bites.
Agnolotti
Little parcels of beet-stained pasta, folded around aged sheep’s cheese and topped with crushed pistachio. The color alone stops you: deep rose against white porcelain. The first bite is earthy, creamy, and a little sweet. The pistachio crunch keeps it playful.
It’s comfort wrapped in art. A dish that feels like winter sunlight. It’s perfectly soft and glowing. Paired with a light Pinot Noir from Dorsia’s cellar, it sings in balance; tender and bold all at once.
Dorade Rôtie
Crisp-skinned sea bream laid over a silky allium risotto and a root vegetable salad that hums with freshness. The contrast is everything: sea salt against the earth, buttery rice against bright roots.
Each bite feels grounded and light at once. This is what makes French dining timeless: the simplicity that feels extravagant. This is the dish you pause over, maybe with a glass of Chablis, letting the flavors stretch into conversation.
Poulet
A roast chicken, yes. But not like any you’ve had. The wild mushroom and corn fricassée clings to the meat in a sweet, buttery glaze. There’s thyme in the jus, soft and woody, the kind that lingers in your clothes.
Simple, soulful, and perfectly French. It’s proof that comfort can still feel like luxury.
If you love a cozy meal that speaks softly, this one will ruin you for all other chicken dishes.
Filet Mignon
Cooked with the kind of precision that feels meditative, the filet comes with eggplant, maitake mushrooms, and an XO mushroom sauce that’s deep and savory.
It’s both power and grace, a French main course that feels cinematic. The knife slides through effortlessly, and the flavor blooms slowly, like a story you don’t want to end.
For a pairing, the Barolo Chinato, Erbaluna adds a whisper of spice and cherry that brings the whole thing into focus.
Couronne de Canard à l’Orange
This is French dining at its most sensual. Duck with orange glaze, aged citrus peel, and smoked tea sauce. The skin snaps, the inside glows pink, the aroma hits before the plate touches the table.
This dish will stop conversations mid-sentence. The sweetness of the orange folds into the smoky undertones — pure theater. Paired with a full-bodied Côte du Rhône, it feels like slow dancing under candlelight.
Côte de Boeuf
Shared between two people, this rib steak arrives like a celebration. Thick, juicy, brushed with Bordelaise or pepper sauce, served with roasted vegetables or pommes frites dipped in piment d’Espelette aioli.
Every couple has a meal they remember forever. This is that meal.
Order it with a side of haricots verts rôtis — the herbs and garlic cut through the richness just right. A Fine Armagnac, Delord after, and the night will feel infinite.
Gâteau Aux Carottes
Moist layers of carrot cake topped with whipped cream cheese and candied ginger pecans. It’s rich but never heavy, the spice gentle, the sweetness measured. The kind of dessert that leans closer instead of shouting.
You taste warmth, then silk, then a spark of ginger that wakes the palate for one last sip of wine. Maybe Ratafia de Bourgogne, maybe something golden and late-harvested. A soft, perfect ending.
Why French Dinners Feel Different Here
At Dorsia, dinner is layered, like a good story.
You start slow; maybe oysters, maybe caviar, maybe a Mozzarella de Bufflonne with grilled peach and heirloom tomato. Then you let the night build. By the time the main course arrives, you’ve already fallen into the tempo— the soft clink of cutlery, the hum of other conversations, the warmth of someone’s laughter nearby.
What makes French dishes for dinner special here is how they respect time. The ingredients are local with Quebec cheeses, herbs, produce from nearby farms — but the soul is deeply French: patient, generous, a little romantic.
And unlike most restaurants for private dining in Montreal, Dorsia invites you to share. The plates are meant to move across the table. It’s about connection, about tasting from each other’s plates, about that quiet look when you both realize you’ve found something special.
The Pleasure of Place
The room itself feels like silk and stone. The building is historic, but the mood is modern. It’s refined without pretense. There’s a quiet confidence in the design. Couples who come here are usually celebrating something: an anniversary, a promotion, or just the rare evening without distraction. The space invites it.
If you’ve explored the best private dining experience in Montreal or spent a day wandering Old Montreal’s narrow streets, this is where you finish the story.
A Final Toast to Desire
The night always ends softly here. Maybe with a chocolate from Ecuador, maybe a sip of Calvados that warms its way down. You look around, and the world outside feels far away.
This is why Dorsia stands apart. It’s where cuisine meets feeling and where French technique, local ingredients, and quiet glamour come together to create something more than a meal.
If you’ve been looking for the best French dishes for dinner, you’ll find them here — but you’ll also find something else. A mood. A moment. A memory waiting to happen.
So dress the part. Leave your hurry at the door. Let the night unfold slowly.
And when you’re ready to taste something unforgettable, the table is waiting. Reserve your evening at Dorsia.
We’ll see you here. 7 PM?