4 Montreal Restaurants Made Maclean's List Of 'Canada's Best Places To Eat'
One restaurant is really racking up the accolades!
The pizza, wine and coffee bar behind Montreal restaurant Elena. Right: Montreal restaurant Damas.
"It's the place I dream about when I dream about going out for a meal" is how food critic Chris Nuttall-Smith described Mon Lapin, one of four Montreal restaurants to make his list of "Canada's Best Places To Eat" for Maclean's. The list is the product of what he calls "an epic, 50-restaurant, coast-to-coast eating jag."
That's a humble way of putting it. His thoughtful essay also includes insights gathered from conversations with each chef and owner.
The other three Montreal spots to make Maclean's list were Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension restaurant Mastard, Outremont favourite Damas, and "Elena P.S.," the moniker Nuttall-Smith chooses for the wine bar and "lunch counter" behind the popular Saint-Henri pizza destination.
This is the second major accolade for Mon Lapin in the span of a single month. It also topped the 2023 edition of Canada's 100 Best restaurant ranking.
Mastard earns its place on Nuttall-Smith's list for what he calls chef Simon Mathys' "playful, original, often exhilarating cooking." The critic points to Damas chef Fuad Nirabie's careful and deeply personal approach to his Syrian menu. And Elena P.S. charms the critic with its "superb" pizzas and casual vibe that "spills out into a community park."
Otherwise, Ontario dominates Maclean's list, with eight entries, six of which are in the Toronto area (the other two are in Niagara and Ottawa). B.C. claims four entries, three in the Vancouver area and one on Vancouver Island. The remaining four restaurants in Nuttall-Smith's top 20 are split between Calgary and St. John's, Newfoundland.
