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Montreal is known worldwide for its culinary diversity. And to feel the pulse of the city, nothing beats embarking on a gourmet tour and discovering Quebecois traditions. But Montreal's foodie culture isn't just about its famous poutine, bagels and smoked meats.
Over the years, the French-speaking city has become the dream destination of many chefs, determined to move the lines. “We are witnessing a real culinary boiling thanks to the new generation,” rejoices Julie Martel, gastronomic programmer of the Montréal en Lumière festival, which took place this year from 16 February to 5 March. Passionate about everything related to catering, she also gave us her list of the best places to discover the city, from street food to world cuisine, to gourmet restaurants.
Fine Dining Lovers offers you a gourmet tour of Montreal, with the invaluable help of Julie Martel.
Where to eat traditional Montreal dishes
Where to eat great poutine in Montreal
Credit: La Banquise
While in Montreal, you will surely wonder where to eat a good poutine. The dish, an emblem of the city, is made up of fries, gravy and the famous cheese curds nicknamed ‘couic couic,’ in reference to the noise they make when chewed. To enjoy this comforting street food dish, Martel recommends La Banquise, a place offering 20 different recipes, from the most traditional to the most creative, as well as Gras Dur, a hidden corner in the Le Central food court in downtown Montreal. For a revised version, head to Au Pied de Cochon, which offers a poutine au foie gras "to die for" according to Martel, or the Bistrot Gaspésie, still within the Central, for lobster poutine.
Where to eat a great chômeur pudding
Another traditional dish from Quebec is pudding chômeur, a dessert dating from the economic crisis of 1929, also called the poor man's dessert, made with flour, butter, sugar and above all a lot of maple syrup. To discover a quality chômeur pudding, Martel suggests La Binerie near the Mont-Royal district. "It's a place where we serve typical Quebec grandmother's dishes," she says. Another good address is Bivouac, a restaurant nestled in the Double Tree Hilton hotel.
Where to discover the typical street food of Montreal
One shouldn’t leave Montreal without trying smoked meat (if a meat eater) and bagels, two emblematic specialities of local street food. To discover the famous smoked meat, head to Schwartz's to order a nice plate or an XXL sandwich (be careful, even the portions considered small are already huge!). This was Leonard Cohen's favourite place, which has become so popular over the years that Celine Dion and René Angelil bought it.
Credit: Schwartz's
To devour a fresh bagel throughout the day, head to St-Viateur, on the street of the same name, a bakery known for its wide offering of this small bread with a hole, offered plain, with rum and cinnamon or even with cinnamon. To devour a savoury version, go instead to Café St-Viateur, which offers it garnished with pastrami and other delicacies, on-site or to take away.
Where to have breakfast in Montreal
To build up your energy before a long day of walking through the city, there are many options available to you. Among our favourites is La Finca, a coffee shop offering savoury and sweet breakfasts, hot drinks and homemade juices, all in a refined Scandinavian atmosphere. Another good plan: Olive et Gourmando, a small shop in Old Montreal. We love its ultra-generous cinnamon brioche, its homemade granola, its salty ricotta (pictured) but above all its hot sandwiches like the Cuban, to devour throughout the day.
Credit: Mathilde Bourge
Bistros and bistro cuisine in Montreal
To enjoy classic bistro cuisine, Martel recommends heading to Le Galaxie, a restaurant in the heart of town run by Guillaume Lepage, offering French brasserie-style cuisine, or Au Petit Extra, a bistro established nearly 40 years. As for us, we adored Etat Major, a fairly remote restaurant offering perfectly executed cuisine using the best Quebec products. Note that the latter allows customers to bring their own bottles of wine to accompany their meal. With wine being very expensive, it is not uncommon to see some restaurants offer this alternative to reduce the bill – places practicing a BYOB policy generally mention it on their storefront, so keep an eye out!
Credit: Chloé Ratte/Barroco
For a more elaborate cuisine, our favourite is undoubtedly the Barroco, opened in 2008 by the Frenchman Jérémie Falissard. Based in Montreal for nearly 20 years, he offers cuisine made from local products but always with a Mediterranean touch, with stunning results! With its stone and exposed beams, the place is not lacking in charm either. Note that Falissard has other establishments spread across the city, such as Fugazzi (Neapolitan pizzas), Foiegwa (bistro) or the bars Atwater Cocktail Club, Milky Way and the very recent Bon Délire.
Montreal, a city open to world cuisine
Montreal is a city open to the rest of the world. In the street, both French and English are spoken, but it is also not uncommon to hear Italian, Spanish and even Chinese. To discover the pleasures of African cuisine, Martel recommends Virunga, run by chef Maria and her daughter Zoya. Both work with local products in the African way and have even forged partnerships with local producers to raise and cultivate typical products in Quebec, such as mutton, African aubergine and peanuts.
Italian culture is also very present in Montreal and Mintel suggests going to Graziella in Old Montreal. Also stroll through Chinatown to eat good dumplings, pho soups or a pork bun like at Coco. Finally, one of the most recommended restaurants by Montrealers is none other than Le Petit Alep, a bistro offering Middle Eastern dishes close to the famous Jean-Talon market.
Montreal's gourmet restaurants
If you have a little more budget to spend on restaurants, Martel highly recommends you go to Cabaret de l'Enfer by chef Massimo Piedimonte, who perfected his culinary art at Daniel Boulud. "He even makes his own bread, charcuterie and homemade butter," she says. It is also impossible to miss Mastard, the restaurant of the very promising chef Simon Mathys, who enjoys working with unknown products and local spices.
Credit: Mastard
Where to drink in Montreal
It’s impossible to go to Montreal without enjoying the nightlife. To do this, head to the Atwater Cocktail Club, Jérémie Falissard's speakeasy cocktail bar, or even Bar Pamplemousse, Le Furco, or Vin VIn Vin, a wine bar (you guessed it) offering small plates to share.
Bonus addresses
Finally, the inhabitants of Montreal will surely advise you to take a trip to the Jean-Talon market, which is particularly lively on weekends with its large stalls of fruits, vegetables, Quebec cheeses and spices of all kinds. The place also has a few corners where you can sit down and devour a superb galette made with Canadian buckwheat, or Italian or even Polish cuisine.
Just opposite the market, push the door of the Marché des Saveurs, a small store featuring all the culinary wonders of Quebec, from the famous maple syrup to dozens of local cheeses, jars, cookies and other delicacies to bring back of his trip to Montreal.
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