Montreal Restaurants

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. Official Tourism Site: Montreal Restaurants
  2. Zagat Survey: Montreal Restaurant Ratings  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings
  3. Concierge.com: Montreal Restaurants & Dining Destinations  WARNING: Pop-ups
  4. Frommer's: Montreal Restaurants
  5. Fodor's: Montreal Restaurants  WARNING: Pop-ups
  6. Lonely Planet: Montreal Places to Eat
  7. TripAdvisor: Montreal Restaurant Review  WARNING: Pop-ups

Montreal High-End Restaurants

  • Toque!  WARNING: Portions in foreign language, French Contemporary - Map
    900, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
    Montreal, QC, H2Z 2B2 Canada
    voice: 514-499-2084
    fax: 514-499-0292
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "'The inventor of Quebec fusion cuisine,' chef-owner Normand Laprise, has 'influenced a generation,' using regional ingredients..."
    • Concierge.com Recommendation  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Laprise has been garnering raves from all over since 1993, so you need to book a weekend dinner a month in advance..."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Toque is slang for 'just a little mad,' and the name fit when Chef Normand Laprise catered to the uberhip in a bright and funky storefront on rue St-Denis."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "Chef Normand Laprise gets rave reviews for his superfresh, innovative menus based on blending local produce into eclectic dishes."
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "This expensive Eclectic-Quebecois is 'among the best', thanks to chef Claude Pelletier's 'fresh-market cuisine'..."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "The short menu seems simple enough until the waiter comes, kneels beside the table, and describes all dozen or so items in considerable detail."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "The elegant setting, Pelletier's innovative style, and impeccable service has made this a favorite with the city's serious foodies."
  • Joe Beef, Seafood - Map
    2491, rue Notre-Dame Ouest
    Montreal, QC, H3J 1N6 Canada
    voice: 514-935-6504
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "'With that name, you'd never expect seafood, but that's what they specialize in' at this St-Henri 'hot spot'..."
    • Concierge.com Recommendation  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Portions are large - it's better to add dishes later than to order too much food all at once. And make room for one of the three daily dessert creations..."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "Customary starters are oysters, including many rarely seen, such as Caraquets, Cortez Islands, and Marina Gems."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Dining at Joe Beef is a little like being invited to a dinner party by a couple of friends who just happen to be top-notch chefs."
  • La Chronique  WARNING: Auto-plays audio, Contemporary - Map
    99, rue Laurier Ouest
    Montreal, QC, H2T 2N6 Canada
    voice: 514-271-3095
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "'[P]lan for a long, sensual meal' of 'market-fresh,' 'creative and classic' fare, enriched by wine pairings that are 'second-to-none' and 'warm waiters who are all passionate' about their work..."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Without fuss or fanfare, De Canck has been cranking out the city's most adventurous dishes ever since he opened in 1995."
  • Ferreira Cafe  WARNING: Auto-plays audio, Portuguese/Seafood - Map
    1446, rue Peel
    Montreal, QC, H3A 1S8 Canada
    voice: 514-848-0988
    • Zagat Well-Rating  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "'Flawless' 'fresh fish grilled simply' and 'a festive atmosphere' will 'transport you to the Azores' at this 'ritzy,' high-priced 'Portuguese wonder' Downtown..."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "Ingredients vary depending on the cook, but at this extremely popular downtown spot, that means a fragrant stew of mussels, clams, potatoes, chourico sausage, and chunks of cod and salmon."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "A huge mural of antique-pottery fragments decorates the pale-yellow walls of this high-ceiling room -- an elegant setting for its "haute" version of Portuguese cuisine."

Montreal Moderate Restaurants

  • Au Pied de Cochon, Canadian - Map
    536 East Duluth
    Montreal, QC, H2L 1A9 Canada
    voice: 514-281-1114
    fax: 514-281-1116
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "'[E]nthusiastic waiters' and an open kitchen add to the 'noisy' 'party atmosphere.'"
    • Concierge.com Recommendation  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Martin Picard's pig-out palace in the Plateau is a big reason Montreal's culinary scene has been attracting attention in recent years."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "[The chef] lavishes [gravy] on everything, including hamburgers and his own version of poutine (french fries, gravy, and cheese curds)."
  • Bonaparte, French - Map
    447, rue Saint-Francois-Xavier
    Montreal, QC, H2Y 2T1 Canada
    voice: 514-844-4368
    fax: 514-844-0272
    • Zagat Well-Rated  WARNING: Paid subscription required to view ratings : "A 'most romantic spot in already-romantic Old Montreal,' this 'expensive"' Classic French veteran lives up to its name with 'truly elegant' Empire decor and 'well-executed,' 'delicious fare'..."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Don't be intimidated by the number of courses -- portions are generally smaller than main menu versions -- and their delivery is gently paced by one of the city's most professional staffs."
  • Maestro S.V.P., Seafood - Map
    3615 St Laurent blvd.
    Montreal, QC, H2X 1V5 Canada
    voice: 514-842-6447
    • Frommer's Recommended: "Smaller and more relaxed than many of the other restaurants packed in the 2 blocks of The Main north of Sherbrooke, the highlight of this storefront bistro is its oysters."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: pop-ups : "The regulars belly up to the big wooden bar and slurp down oysters by the dozen."
    • Lonely Planer Selection: "The fried calamari is a great appetizer and the oysters - a changing palette of 15 varieties - are served in a bewildering number of ways."
  • Pintxo, Spanish - Map
    256 rue Roy est
    Montreal, QC, H2W 1M6 Canada
    voice: 514-844-0222
    • Frommer's Very Highly Recommended: "[T]his tucked-away resto draws from the Spanish Basque tradition, going in for exquisitely composed dishes at fair prices in pleasant surroundings."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "You don't dine at Pintxo -- you graze. And what a lovely pasture it is, too, with bare brick walls, white tablecloths, and waiters in Lacoste shirts and expensive jeans."

Montreal Affordable Restaurants

  • L' Express, French - Map
    3927 St. Denis Street
    Montreal, QC, H2W 2M4 Canada
    voice: 514-845-5333
    • Concierge.com Recommendation  WARNING: Pop-ups : "The room, often filled with local entertainers and politicians, is always crackling with energy - making you feel that you're among the creme de la creme of Quebecois culture."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "While there are no table d'hote menus, the food is fairly priced for such an eternally busy place and costs the same at midnight as at noon."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Service is fast, prices are reasonable, and the food is good, even if the tiny crowded tables barely have room to accommodate it."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "L'Express has all the hallmarks of Parisian bistro - black-and-white checkered floor, art deco globe lights, papered tables, brown mirrored walls - but the food matches the presumption."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "Many are convinced it's the only place to indulge in the guilty treat of viande fume -- a kind of brisket that's called, simply, smoked meat."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "[L]ocals line up outside to get a seat at the city's most famous deli and order a sandwich thick enough to dislocate jaws."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "[T]his old-time Hebrew deli is widely considered to serve the best smoked meat in Montreal whether it's brisket, duck, chicken and turkey, all piled high on sourdough rye bread."
    • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "At this cafe you can get bagels to go or to eat in -- sesame and poppy seed choices only, thank you -- with sandwiches, soup, and salad on the menu, too."
    • Fodor's Choice  WARNING: Pop-ups : "Even expatriate New Yorkers have been known to prefer Montreal's light, crispy, and slightly sweet bagel to its heavier Manhattan cousin."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "A splendid cafe that serves up its signature bagels, grilled or nature, with soup or salad."
  • La Paryse, Light Fare - Map
    302 Ontario Street East
    Montreal, QC, H2X 1H6 Canada
    voice: 514-842-2040
    • Frommer's Recommended: "[People] come for the burgers, as much the consensus choice for best-in-town as Schwartz's is for smoked meat."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "Often credited with the thickest, juiciest burgers and best fries in town, this smart little retro diner offers an almost paralyzing variety of toppings and gorgeous thick milkshakes."
  • Cafe Cherrier, Light Fare - Map
    3635 St-Denis Street
    Montreal, QC, H2X 3L6 Canada
    voice: 514-843-4308
    • Lonely Planet Review: "Locals flock to the shady, wraparound terrace of this comfy cafe with the long zinc serving counter that wouldn't be out of place in Paris."

Montreal Vegetarian Restaurants

  • Le Commensal - Map
    1204 McGill College Street
    Montreal, QC, H3B 4J8
    voice: 514-871-1480
    fax: 514-871-0116
    • Frommer's Recommended: "Most of the dishes are so artfully conceived, with close attention paid to aroma, color, and texture that even avowed meat eaters won't feel deprived."
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "You don't have to be a vegetarian to like Le Commensal. Even members of the steak-frites crowd drop in occasionally..."
    • Lonely Planet Selection: "The usual suspects are all here (tofu, kale, bean sprouts etc) but they're all so well-seasoned and prepared that you'll forget it's health food."
  • Aux Vivres, Vegan - Map
    4631 bd. St-Laurent
    Montreal, QC, H2T 1R2 Canada
    voice: 514-842-3479
    • Frommer's Recommended: "All foods are vegan and the kitchen uses organic vegetables and local organic tofu and tempeh."
  • Chu Chai, Thai - Map
    4088 rue St-Denis
    Montreal, QC, H2W 2M5 Canada
    voice: 514-843-4194
    • Fodor's Review  WARNING: Pop-ups : "[C]hefs at the rigorously vegan Chu Chai also prepare meatless versions of such classics as duck salad with pepper and mint leaves, fish with three hot sauces, and beef with yellow curry and coconut milk..."
  • Yuan Vegatarian, Asian - Map
    400 Sherbrooke Est
    Montreal, QC, H2L 1J6 Canada
    voice: 514-848-0513