I'm a Montreal local — this is my definitive list of the city's 15 best restaurants
Montreal is known for its restaurant scene. Quirky cafes, trendy lunch spots, fine dining — if you can eat it, Montreal has it and does it well.
So I knew I had my work cut out for me when I was asked to round up the 15 best restaurants in Montreal. I mean, where do you even start?
I decided to make 15 separate categories that I feel encapsulate what it's like to live and eat in Montreal, and choose the best restaurant in each. Many of these categories had close runners-up, so I'm looking forward to the passionate DMs from disgruntled readers.
After careful consideration, here are my top 15 restaurants in all of Montreal.
Highest-Rated Restaurant: Le Violon
Claim to fame: Celebrity chefs have been spotted enjoying the French-Italian cuisine in their immaculately designed dining room. Critics have lauded it as one of Canada's best restaurants. And local diners' reviews have it at four and a half stars out of five on Google.
Price: 💰💰💰
Cuisine: French-Italian fusion (menu updated seasonally)
Address: 4720 Rue Marquette
Best Casse-Croute: Gibeau Orange Julep
Claim to fame: The Orange Julep has been serving Montrealers from its iconic spherical restaurant since 1932, even as the neighbourhood has grown and changed around it. The restaurant leans into its retro charm, making it a fun tourist stop for the whole family.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Casse-croute staples
Address: 7700 Bd Décarie
Best Poutine: La Banquise
Claim to fame: La Banquise takes the opposite approach to casse-croute to Gibeau Orange Julep, taking this traditional cuisine in exciting new directions. La Banquise is especially popular for its 28 delicious iterations on the poutine – all of which pair excellently with their selection of local microbrews.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Modern casse-croute
Address: 994 Rue Rachel E
Best Montreal-Style Deli: Snowdon Deli
Claim to fame: Run by the same family for the past eight decades, they offer a menu chock-full of top-notch deli staples. The prices are fair, the service is fast and efficient, and the food is delicious. It's hard to beat the quality earned by decades of perfecting the craft of cooking good nosh.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Yiddish/Deli classics
Address: 5265 Bd Décarie
Best Terrace: Terrasse Belvu
Claim to fame: Terrace culture is serious business in Montreal. The pièce de résistance of terraces is Terrasse Belvu, on the roof of the Marriott Chateau Champlain. The Mediterranean-fusion restaurant and cocktail bar gives diners a gorgeous view of downtown from underneath a canopy of vines and lanterns.
Price: 💰💰💰
Cuisine: Mediterranean with French Polynesian influences.
Address: 1010 Rue De la Gauchetière O
Best Bagel Place: Fairmount Bagel
Claim to fame: As a St-Viateur girlie, it kills me a little to say that Fairmount has the best bagel in town. But Fairmount bagels are by far the most iconic we have to offer, being the first bagels eaten in space. That's an out-of-this-world achievement that's hard to beat.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Bagel bakery
Address: 74 Ave Fairmount O
Best Family-Run Restaurant: Mama Khan
Claim to fame: On top of their menu of delicious Pashawari dishes, Mama Khan is emblematic of the best parts of Montreal: cultural exchange and appreciation, community care, locally-run businesses, and folks from all walks of life coming together to enjoy a good meal.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Pakistani Peshawari
Address: 4135 rue Saint-Denis
Best Trendy Restaurant: Yoko Luna
Claim to fame: Yoko Luna is definitely having a moment right now, and it totally deserves the hype. The indoor garden spaces with Asian-inspired murals are meant to transport guests into a dreamy atmosphere to enjoy Nikkei meals and Neo-Tokyo nightlife events.
Price: 💰💰
Cuisine: Nikkei
Address: 1234 rue de la Montagne
Best Soup on a Cold Winter Day: Pho Nguyen
Claim to fame: Pho is the lifeline of every Montrealer navigating the city in winter without a car. Ducking indoors for a bowl of the hearty Vietnamese soup (or grabbing a portion to carry home in your coat for supper) can be the difference between having a miserable day or a cozy day in the long winter months. And nobody does pho better than Pho Nguyen.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Address: 1452-A rue St Matthieu
Most Popular Dumplings: Sammi Soupe & Dumpling
Claim to fame: Sammi Soupe & Dumpling is one of those restaurants that everyone agrees on. Their xiao long bua (soup dumplings) are the epitome of East Asian comfort food, served fresh and for a great price. Combined with their willingness to accommodate food restrictions, this is hands-down the most accessible Chinese restaurant chain in the city.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Chinese
Address: Multiple locations
Best Cafe: Crew Collective & Cafe
Claim to fame: Located in the original HQ of the Royal Bank of Canada, this cafe is gorgeous. The vaulted ceilings and marble floors are such beautiful pieces of local history that companies hold conferences in the vault and people even reserve the cafe as their wedding venue.
But on a normal day, you can stroll in without a reservation and enjoy the ambience for the cost of a delicious lunch with coffee (or wine!)
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Cafe Classics
Address: 360 rue Saint-Jacques
Best Pub: Honey Martin
Claim to fame: In a city full of amazing bars, Honey Martin stands out as an authentic Irish pub. The N.D.G. institution is known for its friendly atmosphere, classic decor, and hearty beer on tap. It's often compared to the bar from Cheers, but with that hearty Eastern Canadian hospitality.
Price: 💰
Cuisine: Irish pub
Address: 5916 rue Sherbrooke O
Best Cocktail Lounge: The Cloakroom
Claim to fame: In a city full of hidden speakeasies, this one takes the cake. There are no menus – instead, the bartender susses out your vibe and gives you your best drink. They also host the kind of pop-ups that people talk about for weeks.
Price: 💰💰
Cuisine: Cocktail lounge
Address: Am I allowed to tell you?
Oldest Restaurant: Auberge Saint-Gabriel
Claim to fame: It's no wonder that Old Montreal is home to Canada's oldest restaurant. This is the oldest restaurant in the city. It was opened as an inn in 1754 and, apart from a brief stint as a privately-owned mansion, has been serving drinkers and diners ever since.
Price: 💰💰
Cuisine: French
Address: 426 rue St Gabriel
Swankiest Restaurant: Bar George
Claim to fame: Like C Cafe, Bar George's excellent menu is eclipsed by its stunning location. The George Stephen House is a 19th-century mansion that later housed the Mount Stephen Club, an exclusive gentleman's club with guests like Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Princess Margaret. Nowadays, the only barrier to entry to this piece of upper-class history is the price point.
Price: 💰💰💰
Cuisine: English
Address: 1440 rue Drummond
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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