This trendy Montreal restobar racked up $11,000 in MAPAQ fines in the past 3 months

A restaurant in downtown Montreal has accumulated $11,000 in fines from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) across three violations published in the past three months, according to records published in the provincial food safety registry.

5 Senses, located at 292 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, was cited twice for failing to keep its premises free of contaminants, including insects, rodents, or their excrement, and once for operating without a valid permit.

Google Maps now lists the restaurant, which served a variety of dishes, coffees, and cocktails, as permanently closed. MAPAQ records confirm that the operator running the location at the time of each infraction has since ceased operations.

One note before diving in: the inspections cited here did not necessarily take place recently. In many cases, several months or more can pass between the date of the infraction and the official publication of the judgment, as the legal process runs its course.

While the restaurant had received fines dating back to 2023, here’s a breakdown of the three most recent violations, listed chronologically by infraction date.

November 7, 2024 — $5,000

The restaurant was fined $5,000 for operating without a valid permit. The judgment was issued May 12, 2026.

November 7, 2024 — $3,700

On the same day, inspectors also found the premises were not free of contaminants, including insects, rodents, or their excrement. The judgment was issued May 12, 2026.

December 12, 2024 — $2,300

Roughly five weeks later, a follow-up inspection turned up the same contamination violation. The judgment was issued February 3, 2026.

It’s worth noting that these aren’t the only fines on record for this address. MAPAQ records show three earlier violations going back to August 2023, including two contamination fines of $1,500 and $1,800, and a $1,000 fine for failing to keep heat-sensitive products at or below 4°C.

Combined with the most recent round, the total fines on record for 5 Senses add up to $15,300.

On Google, the restobar holds a 3.8-star rating across more than 750 reviews. Many customers praised the atmosphere and charm of the place. More recent reviewers, however, pointed to a noticeable drop in quality following an ownership change, with complaints about overpriced and stale food appearing regularly in later reviews.

MAPAQ fines are issued by the Montreal Municipal Court and published in the provincial food safety registry. The violations listed do not necessarily reflect the conditions that existed at the establishment up until its closure. As noted above, MAPAQ records indicate the operator who ran this location has since ceased operations.