Check out some of the best spots to visit if you're looking for new Mediterranean restaurants to add to your list.
Milos
Cuisine: Greek
Address: 5357, ave. Park, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: Let's start off with one of the most well-known Mediterranean cuisines, Greek food, and one of the most well-known restaurants, Milos. This restaurant is a Montreal staple for when you're craving the foods from the Old Country or simply your favourite place in the world.
A beautifully decorated restaurant with exquisitely presented dishes, you can always expect an amazing meal. From their wide variety of fish and seafood, to delish Milos classics including their eggplants and zucchini bites — you'll be wanting more and more.
Menu
L'Olive Noire
Cuisine: Moroccan
Address: 4271, rue Ontario E., Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: For the flavours of North Africa, check out this restaurant in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Upscale and sophisticated, this place oozes with all of the exotic elegance for which Morroco has come to be known. Serving classic dishes like couscous, b’steeyas and tagines, this is a definite must-try whether you're new to the cuisine or an old pro.
Menu
Ayla
Cuisine: Eastern Mediterranean
Address: 386, ave. Richmond, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: From the team that brought you Ryu is this phenomenal Mediterranean restaurant with all of the same glitz, glam and good vibes that you've come to expect.
Focusing on the eastern part of the region, the dishes are flavourful and comforting, meaning you can't help but visit again and again (kind of like the Mediterranean, itself!). With a delish wine and cocktail menu, followed by some extraordinary choices including their flatbread, spreads, and dips, you really can't go wrong.
Menu
Marven's
Cuisine: Greek
Address: 880, ave. Ball, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: This landmark restaurant in the Parc-Extension area of Montreal has been serving up Greek food so good you'd think you're in Athens, for decades!
The family-run restaurant is known for its exquisite menu, including fried calamari, lamb, greek salad, and taramosalata spread, to name a few. If there's one thing Marven's is known for more than their food, it's their hospitality, and stuffed moose head that's become their claim to fame.
Menu
Tapeo
Cuisine: Spanish
Address: 511, rue Villeray, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: Spanish tapas has taken the world by storm for their small bites and natural bringing together of people to enjoy the thing that unites people the most: food.
Tapeo in Villeray is one of Montreal's most popular spots when it comes to tapas for its incredible menu and impressive wine list — which will certainly transport you to the Spanish seaside.
Menu
Les Pyrénées
Cuisine: Basque and Catalan
Address: 320, rue Saint-Paul O., Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: Located in gorgeous Old Montreal, this spot on the water dives deeper into the Spanish culinary traditions by exploring menus from the Basque and Catalan cultures.
Refined and sophisticated, this place is a definite must-try for anyone looking for a unique dining experience. Their menu is made up of flavourful fish and seafood, pasta, and meat, including their Quebec braised lamb, and Angus beef filet.
Menu
SHAY
Cuisine: Lebanese
Address: 1414, rue Notre-Dame O., Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: One of Montreal's latest and greatest in the foodie scene, SHAY has absolutely taken the city by storm. Serving Middle Eastern dishes with Montreal flair and a specially curated cocktail list from SHAY's in-house mixologist, this Griffintown restaurant is everything you think of when you think of the Mediterranean: beauty, food and being with your favourite people.
Menu
Restaurant Daou
Cuisine: Lebanese
Address: 2373, boul. Marcel-Laurin, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: If you're looking for a taste of Beirut, then look no further. Daou has a menu that you certainly won't forget. With their signature kibbeh and hummus dishes, along with a menu filled with Lebanese classics, you will not be disappointed by the authenticity and selection this resto has to offer.
Menu
La Porte Grecque
Cuisine: Greek
Address: 4600, boul. des Sources, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: It only makes sense to end things off with yet another Greek classic spot. La Porte Grecque, located in the West Island, offers Montrealers a taste of the Greek islands with their signature and delish menu.
"Our Mediterranean cuisine is based on olive oil, lemon, and garlic, and answers the overwhelming demand for fresh ingredients & Grilled food," La Porte Grecque says. With three simple ingredients, you'll dive into a handful of dishes for which you'll certainly want to go back.
Menu
A showcase of colourful mopeds during ItalfestMTL.Marcia Loor | Courtesy of ItalfestMTL