Top 10 Secret Spots To Eat At In Montreal’s St. Leonard
Honestly, St. Leo is my home away from home. I live pretty close to the borough, and I've got tons of family and friends who are lucky enough to call this spot home. Plus, for some reason, I always end up spending the majority of my time there, anyway.
Which of course means that I've discovered some pretty awesome spots to eat at. And, I mean, sure, you've got the more popular St. Leo eateries, and even some super awesome places to take a date; but there are also tons of great, hidden spots to grab a bite in St. Leo.
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1. Restaurant Wing Phat
If you're a lover of authentic Asian food - and, let's face it, you're a lover of authentic Asian food - then Wing Phat is going to 100% become your new favourite place to grab a bite to eat.
Located right on Jarry Street, Wing Phat might not look like much from the outside. But, trust, appearances can be super deceiving. There are authentic culinary treasures like you've never seen before on the inside; like their steamed Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, fried General Tao tofu, and sautéed ginger quail dishes.
Wrap this up with their incredibly fair prices and friendly, open atmosphere, and you've got yourself a brand new lunch spot, friends.
2. Beniamino Traiteur
There are definitely some spots that spring to mind whenever you might think of "delicious Italian food"; and if St. Leo's Beniamino isn't one of those spots for you, then you've clearly never been there. This eatery is highkey amazing.
Featuring incredibly fresh and quality ingredients, all of which go into making sure you have the tastiest dishes possible, Beniamino's primary focus is on delicious, traditional Italian food. They're a catering service, which means you can enjoy their delicious food no matter what, but they also offer some seriously mouthwatering dishes to eat there live.
A sample of their outstanding eat-in menu? Provolone and meatball ciabatta sandwiches, grilled calamari salad, and eggplant parmigiana, just to name a few of their astronomically amazing authentic Italian meals.
3. Sushi Ryori
Because we are all sushi lovers at heart - although, to be perfectly honest, you've never tried sushi as fresh and amazing as the rolls at Ryori.
First of all, can I just say that their sashimi is boss? Because their sashimi is totally, totally boss: Super fresh, buttery, flavourful, and cut thick, if you're as obsessed with sashimi as I am, then you're going to want to try the ones at Ryori (my own personal favourite is their scallop sashimi, but they've got a bunch of different options, just in case scallop isn't your thing).
And, if for some reason you're not feeling an all-sushi meal? No worries whatsoever. Ryori's menu is hugely extensive, and they've got fresh and tasty dishes that'll put your favourite restaurant to shame. Their shrimp tempura, for example? On a whole other level of delicious, featuring a crisp, tender chunk of tasty shrimp in a light and crunchy tempura batter.
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4. Restaurant Di Menna
No joke, this is my go-to spot whenever I'm in the area. I definitely order way too much pizza from Di Menna, but it's cool. I have no shame, because the pizza at Di Menna is out of this world delicious.
Not only is it fresh, but this pizza pie is doughy, fluffy, and dense, with a heap of melty, tasty cheese; flavourful tomato sauce; and the freshest toppings you've ever tasted. But, while Di Menna's pizza is clearly top, their other food? Yeah. Just might cause actual, real tears of joy. Honestly, from super fresh seafood to tasty and decadent cakes, Di Menna seriously changes up the game when it comes to fresh and tasty food.
5. Salut, Bonjour!
Love breakfast? Then you're going to adore Salut, Bonjour! This St. Leo eatery serves up some seriously fresh and tasty breakfast meals, and although there's absolutely no going wrong here, my absolute fave thing to get is their "Lady Di": A fresh, tasty crepe, smothered in cream cheese and tasty strawberries. Honestly, it's heaven.
If, for some odd reason, breakfast isn't your thing, then don't worry. You can still enjoy Salut, Bonjour's fresh and quality ingredients later on. Their afternoon menu features salmon tartare, filet mignon, lobster, and many, many more beyond amazing options, cooked and flavoured - as usual - to absolute perfection.
6. Il Pazzesco
Okay, Il Pazzesco is technically located closer to Anjou - but it's awesome, and honestly, no list would be complete without adding in this authentic Italian spot.
The pasta here is totally out of this world amazing, first of all. Made fresh, they've got tons of delicious pasta dishes just waiting for you to try - like their Linguine Vongole (my personal fave), featuring clams, olive oil, white wine, and your choice of sauce; or their Spaghetti Alla Zozzona, with olive oil, hot peppers, white wine, spicy tomato sauce, and parmigiano.
Il Pazzesco boasts a wide range of fresh and tasty traditional Italian dishes, though, so no matter who you go with, you know there's going to be something awesome for everyone.
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7. Aux Recifs Du Cap
Centrally located right on Jean-Talon Street, this bright spot is a super solid choice if you're craving delicious Antillean food in St. Leonard.
Featuring a warm and friendly atmosphere, and some of the tastiest Caribbean/Antillean food you've ever tasted (their griot is out of this world, BTW), Aux Recifs Du Cap is definitely worth the trek, even if you're not from St. Leo. Seriously, it's worth the travel time for those of us who just straight-up love Antillean cuisine... Trust, it's that awesome.
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8. Panini Da Marco
Sometimes, you want a legit, amazing panino. Something with fresh bread, that's filled to the brim with tasty meats, crisp veggies, and yummy cheeses; something grilled up to perfection. Sometimes, you need a panino from Panini Da Marco.
The panini here feature real Canadian cheese, homemade sauces, and only the best, freshest meats, which makes for a sandwich experience unlike anything you've ever tasted. Although they've got a bunch of delicious options for you to choose from, my personal fave? Their "Franky's Favourite", with steak, pepperoni, onion, mayo, and mozarella. All the yums? You know it.
9. Cafetaria Lisboa
Portuguese food fans, this one's for you. Cafetaria Lisboa, right on Viau, serves up some of the tastiest Portuguese meals in the city.
This spot is relatively new, having only been opened for about a year - and, trust me on this one, it's one seriously good find. They serve up fresh and incredibly flavourful traditional Portuguese dishes, including their amazing Portuguese chicken. Seriously, this dish is served up crispy, tasty, savoury, and incredibly moist, with just the right hint of that charcoal flavour.
The star of the show at Cafetaria Lisboa, though? Their poutines. Featuring squeaky chunks of cheese, hot, tasty sauce, fresh potatoes, and their amazing chicken (or chourico) as far as the eye can see, this spot should absolutely be next up on your list.
10. Phuket
In my book, Phuket is pretty much synonymous with "delicious and authentic Thai food", and, TBH, this St. Leonard spot should totally be on your radar.
Other than having a super trendy and gorgeous interior, with an intimate, upscale setting - which makes it perfect for a date, BTW - this place boasts some seriously legit food. They've got sushi, they've got authentic Pad Thai, they've got fried ice cream... Honestly, they've got it all, complete with an extensive and hugely varied menu to prove it.
Of course, with their super fresh and quality ingredients, it doesn't really matter what you pick. No matter what, you're in for one super delicious meal.