Best Montreal Shepherd's Pie
Photo cred - The Minty
When people think of Quebecois comfort foods, poutine is usually the first one that comes to mind. However, an equally beloved local offering is pate chinois, or shepherd’s pie, as it’s known in English. The pile of meat, potatoes, corn, and more is just what we need when we’re looking for a satisfyingly filling taste. Thankfully, Montreal has no shortage of places offering a range of takes on the classic dish. Here are Montreal’s Best Shepherd’s Pies.
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McKibbin’s Irish Pub
Given that Shepherd’s Pie is historically an Irish dish, it’s no surprise that this Irish pub does an excellent take on it. Their delicious rosemary gravy is the perfect flavour to go with their creamy Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and the healthy portion of ground sirloin. Get a Guiness to go with it, and you’ve got yourself one hell of an Irish meal.
Restaurant Mâche
This place offers tons of awesome Quebecois comfort food, but none of it quite hits the spot like their pate chinois. They serve it fresh out of the oven, and the ceramic they put it in it in will still be radiating heat when it gets to your table. It has your classic combination of potatoes, beef, and corn, but they also bring something new to the equation by adding in tiny slices of merguez.
Brasseur de Montreal
Naturally, this place is more known for their beer, but their food menu contains tons of killer options, our favourite of which is their Sheperd’s Pie. It’s meaty and delicious, just the way it should be. It’s filling, but not so filling that it’ll stop you from enjoying one of their delicious brews, like the Absinthe-based Ghosttown stout.
La Binerie Mont Royal
$11 here gets you a delicious Quebecois meal, complete with coffee, pea soup, pouding chômeur, and of course, pate chinois. It’s delicious anytime of the year, but it’s especially great during the fall, when you can eat it with their homemade ketchup. The paprika they sprinkle it with adds the perfect amount of spiciness.
Restaurant Vallier
As its location in the Old Port suggests, this is the place to go for a classy shepherd’s pie experience. It’s served with duck confit and a homemade fruit ketchup that combine for a one of a kind take on the classic dish. Save room for a piece of their yummy cheesecake, which comes with salted butter caramel and fruit coulis.
Pub Burgundy Lion
This pub aims to blend the aesthetics of a traditional British pub with a modern bar experience, and their shepherd’s pie perfectly embodies their goal. They serve it up just the way you like it, loaded with a seemingly endless supply of veggies and meat. Wash it down with a pint of Boddington’s for a deliciously authentic British experience.
Jardin Nelson
This is not the place for sheperd’s pie purists. But if you’re willing to branch out a bit, you’ve got to check it out. They serve it with duck, and it’s the perfect addition to this already delicious dish. The beets and fruit ketchup it comes with elevate it to being the perfect remix of a classic.
La Banquise
You’re probably more familiar with this place because of their poutine, but their array of french fry and cheese curd platters hides a delicious take on another Quebecois comfort food: pate chinois. Unlike their poutines, they don’t offer a ton of varieties on the dish, but the one that they do serve gives you the classic taste that you crave.
Else’s
The goal at this pub is simple: comfort food, done well. Unsurprisingly, they more than exceed their mark, as is evidenced by their shepherd’s pie. Every bite is filled with cheesy and bacon-y goodness. Not only that, but you can get it at a bargain: about $10 for a healthy serving of the meaty wonder.
Les Enfants Terribles
The pate chinois isn’t cheap here, but you more than get your money’s worth. The braised beef cheek lends it a touch of class that grows on you more and more with every bite. The truffle oil that they lace it with is the perfect finishing touch.
Holder
It’s easy to miss it amongst the murderer’s row of meat dishes they offer here, but they have one of the best shepherd’s pies in the city. It’s loaded with succulent bits of shredded lamb that simply melt in your mouth. The onions and cognac sauce that they drench it with will send you straight into shepherd’s pie heaven.
Restaurant Élixor
The West Island deserves a great shepherd’s pie, and they serve one here. It’s packed with delicious extras like crispy fried onions, parmesan cheese, and more. Drench it all in a wild mushroom tomato Bordelaise sauce, as they do, and you’ve got yourself a damn fine shepherd’s pie.
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