Photo Cred - Randy F
When it comes to picking the restaurantfor a night out, Lebanese isn't usually the first thing that pops into people's heads. What they're missing out on is one of the most delicious and soul-comforting cuisines that have ever existed.
Lebanese cuisine pulls from all different food groups, but likes to keep its dishes simple and freshly seasoned. It does, however, feature copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, so you may want to bring a breath mint or two for afterwards.
Montreal has plenty of options when it comes to trying this Middle Eastern fare, so you can discover what there is to Lebanese food beyond shawarma.
Click here for the Best Montreal Lebanese Restaurants >
Boustan
2020 Crescent + 19 St Catherine E
This fast-food style Lebanese restaurant is a Montreal staple. Open, with delivery, until 4:00am every night, Boustan knows how to please it’s customers with delicious, satisfying, Middle Eastern fare. The shawarma plates are amazing, loaded with their signature garlic sauce and hummus, but The Creation is what keeps you coming back; it’s their “ultimate” pita, stuffed with chicken, potatoes, cole slaw, turnips, and hummus, and it's topped off with homemade hot sauce.
Omnivore
4351 St Laurent
If you ever find yourself wandering along the main, looking for somewhere to eat, make it Omnivore. All of the traditional Lebanese dishes and flavours are brought to life, but with Omnivore’s own twist. They use a Maple Charcoal Grill for the meat, which instantly blows the drool-worthy factor out of the water. Any dish with that on it will be sure not to disappoint.
Le Zawedeh
1015 Sherbrooke O.
Sitting right at the corner of Peel and Sherbrooke, this fine-dining establishment has a balanced mix of vegetarian and vegan delights, plentiful carnivorous dishes, and fresh seafood plates. To start your meal off right, go for the Chicken Arayes: grilled pita stuffed with ground chicken, sumac, tomatoes, parsley and onion. But if you’re not feeling the meat route, the Taboulé, a traditional parsley salad with crushed wheat, diced tomatoes, onions, fresh mint, olive oil and lemon, is amazing here too.
Photo Cred - Saj Mahal
SAJ Mahal
1448 Saint Mathieu
If you’ve ever wanted to be transported straight to Lebanon without having to buy an international ticket, Saj Mahal’s your place. As soon as you walk in you’re surrounded by the smell of traditional spices and the sound of Arabic-style music. Their Man’ouche (Lebanese flatbread) is out of this world, and they have more than 20 toppings for you to load it up with. And you can't forget the hummus with pine-nuts - it's not to be missed.
Trip de Bouffe
277 Mont-Royal E.
While technically a bakery, Trip de Bouffe serves up some of the most delicious, homemade Lebanese food around. It makes for the perfect lunch when you want something high quality that you can get on the fly. But if you're looking for something sweet, you can’t go wrong with a syrup coated Baklava.
Kaza Maza
4629 Parc
At Kaza Maza you’ll find a mix of Syrian and Lebanese cuisine, coming together to give you a fuller Middle Eastern experience. Their baba ghanoush is quite possibly the best in Montreal, and comes topped with fresh pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Garage Beirut
1238 MacKay Street
If you’re down by Concordia and want a Lebanese-style skewer done right, Garage Beirut is the place to go. Everything is cooked to perfection, and their grill platters come loaded with hummus, pita, pickled turnips, and grilled tomato and onion.
La Sirène de La Mer
114 Dresden
Seafood is the specialty at this Lebanese establishment. So much so that they even have their own fish market attached to the restaurant. You can either oder off the menu, or head on over to the seafood counters and pick out what you’ll be having for dinner that evening. All of the fish is kept light and simple in seasoning and you can have it cooked whatever way you prefer.
Photo Cred - Restaurant Daou
Restaurant Daou
2373 Marcel-Laurin + 519 Faillon E
You better come with your eating pants on because the portions at Daou are huge. The Kebbah Nayeh (Lebanese-style steak tartar) is seriously outstanding, made with raw onions, mint and olive oil. The hummus is also not to be missed, unless you’re okay living with regret.
