Jnothing like eating in Montreal. It is a city built by the cross-currents of its histories and cultures, a city where French meets English, where Canadian practicality meets cosmopolitanism, and where 16th century fur traders make an impact as outrageous as hipster rock bands like Arcade Fire. If you’re looking for a sleek, Parisian-style bistro that still feels modern despite not changing its menu in 20 years, this is the place. And if you’re looking for a fusion restaurant where you can find Argentinian recipes transformed by Quebec flavors, look no further. Ask any local what the one thing you must do the first time you visit Montreal, and they’ll almost certainly tell you the same thing: Eat!
Here’s a list of essential results for where you can – and should – eat while you’re here.
Be quick
Deli Snowdon
If you thought New York had cornered the Jewish delicatessen market, think again. This Montreal institution, owned by the same family since it opened in 1942, is a go-to spot for matzo ball soup, latkes, knishes, blintzes and more. If you’re looking for a quick take-out situation, order one of the smoked meat sandwiches, piled on soft rye bread. While tourists tend to line up for smoked meat at Schwartz’s Deli on the Plateau, locals know that Snowdon’s flavorful and juicy smoked meat is as good as anything you’ll find in Montreal – and it’s not. there is never a queue of tourists around the corner.
See and be seen
Helen
Montreal’s hotspots aren’t three-martini lunches or candle-spending dinners — they’re where artists, writers, musicians and hipsters hang out. Since opening this pizzeria in 2018 in St-Henri, it’s been the go-to place to see and be seen by Montreal’s creative class, and for good reason: the sleek, industrial-chic dining room is one of of the sexiest spaces in the city. , and the accessible menu of pastas and pizzas paired with funky natural wines is fun, tasty, and just original enough to keep things interesting year after year.
hold the meat
Floating Island
Vegetables take center stage at this Mile End restaurant, where Chef Sean Murray Smith offers complex, unexpected tasting menus rich in flavor. The restaurant itself isn’t strictly vegetarian – locally sourced meat or seafood may pop up for a course or two – but the staff are more than adept at tailoring the tasting menu to diners’ dietary restrictions. . Leeks, for example, can be served braised in butter, topped with a dollop of melted Louis d’Or cheese and a dollop of salmon roe. It’s also a great option for foodies: the restaurant is named after Chef Smith’s favorite dessert, so it always retains a swirling flavor of floating island On the menu.
If it ain’t broke
Lemeac
Montreal Tourism/Mayssam Samaha
What’s a trip to Montreal without a little late-night French brasserie meal? Head to Laurier Avenue in the chic French enclave of Outremont for a dining experience that hasn’t changed in years and shouldn’t. Where else, after all, can you get a perfectly truffled salmon tartare, a lovely arugula and fennel salad with lemon and parmesan vinaigrette, or a giant, steaming bowl of fried mussels ? It turns out that many places, but few do it with a quintessentially French precision and endearingly stubborn resistance to change like Leméac.
Snacks
The ice
Montreal Tourism/Bruno Guérin
Ah, poutine. Even though the Montreal food scene tries to aim for European levels of sophistication and elegance, the world will always remember this city (and the province of Quebec, in general) for its greatest culinary contribution, a pile of crispy French fries topped with brown sauce. and topped with chunks of cheese curds. There are plenty of places around Montreal that offer great poutine, but few that shamelessly embrace simplicity like La Banquise. For the record, the menu includes lighter dishes such as sandwiches and salads, but who are they fooling? Crowds come here for the poutine menu, which includes classic and less classic versions, like La Royale, which comes with pulled pork, apples and bacon. Pro tip: If you need an early morning snack to fuel up for the day or to heal the effects of the night before, La Banquise also offers a greasy spoon morning menu which thankfully includes poutines for breakfast.
start Me Up
Olive and Gourmet
If you are in Old Montreal, make this your go-to place for breakfast and coffee. A neighborhood favorite since opening its doors in 1997, this intimate space is now an integral part of the neighborhood, blending in with the surrounding old-world architecture and cobbled streets. If you’re pressed for time, stop by the take-out counter for coffees, espresso drinks and arguably the best croissants in Montreal. If you have a little more time to spare, make breakfast the most important meal of your day with poached eggs, breakfast sandwiches, chia pudding and elegant entrees. pastry. The morning vibes here are, as they say, simply pristine.
under the radar
Baby
Ari and Pablo Schor, former students of The Brothers and Liverpool House, are leading the new wave of restaurants and bars that are sprucing up the Verdun neighborhood with this truly unique corner that is, perhaps unexpectedly, an example by excellence of what makes the Montreal culinary scene so cool. Beba is a hodgepodge of things that, in short, work perfectly together: casual yet special and refined; cool but unpretentious; and a menu that blends Canadian, Argentinian and Mediterranean flavors. Let chef Ari Schor sweep you away with handmade empanadas, zucchini involtini, lamb tartare with capers and anchovies, and halibut cheeks with asparagus, bone marrow and glasswort, then wash down Have it with one of Pablo Schor’s biodynamic wine recommendations.
One for the flow
The Blossom
Montreal Tourism/Alison Slattery
Every inch of this “neo-Japanese” restaurant in the Village exudes sex appeal, and the enormous silk sakura hanging above the bar is one of Montreal’s most stunning, instantly recognizable (and photogenic) icons. For drinks, there’s a comprehensive and robust sake list, with entry-level options as well as more complex offerings for connoisseurs. As night falls, there are a host of lively bars that have a real see-and-be-seen atmosphere. Oh! And the map. It certainly takes some liberties in terms of authenticity – the Bang-Bang cauliflower, while delicious, isn’t exactly traditional – but overall the food is fun, tasty and, in itself, quite Instagram worthy.
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