The best sugar shacks in and around Montréal
Gastronomy Locally grown, raised products Market cuisine Quebec Around Montreal The city
When it’s sugar shack time, Montrealers know spring is around the corner. Maple lovers don’t have to go far as the city has some great urban sugar shacks where Québec tradition and modern influences are combined. Below is a list of some of our favorite ways of getting your sugar shack fix in and around Montréal.
Restaurant meals
Once again, Caribou Gourmand is offering its highly anticipated weekend maple brunch. The menu consists of cabane à sucre-inspired dishes laden with maple syrup, such as the “The Sugar Shack Plate” with a ham braised in maple for 8 hours, apple and maple sausage from the Jean Talon Market, bacon in maple syrup, baked beans, scrambled maple eggs, yak creton from the East Bolton Yakiti Yak Farm, pork rinds, sweet pickles, toasted country bread, breakfast potatoes and mesclun. Pick and choose among all the dishes available and create your perfect sugar shack brunch. Don’t forget to taste the maple latte, maple beer or sugar shack Mimosa. Some vegetarian options are available. (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until April 20th).
Le Richmond is once again offering its highly anticipated weekend maple brunch, a yearly rendez-vous for savouring maple delights in the heart of the city. For one weekend only, March 29th and 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., head to Le Richmond to enjoy a maple menu that starts with 5 dishes to share such as a millefeuille with black pudding, maple cream and foie gras mousse. That course is followed by your choice among 4 main course options then dessert, of course. End your sugar shack experience on their terrasse with maple taffy, a kid activity (meeting farm animals) and an adult one (mulled wine or Canadian whiskey on ice). This is a very popular event so we highly recommend you get your tickets in advance.
Les Refuges du Bivouac are offering their unique interpretation of a sugar shack menu in their heated domes with an unbeatable view of Place Des Arts. The menu is refined and includes local flavours such as maple-glazed slab bacon, confit salmon and a pudding chômeur with maple ice cream flambéed with local liqueur Sortilège. Vegan and vegetarian options are available. Reservations open on March 11.
From March 3 to 31, Les Enfants Terribles is joining in the sugar shack fun. They’re doing a tasty collaboration with local sausage maker Ils en Fument du Bon, featuring their artisanal sausages reminiscent of sugar shack flavours. The sausages will make an appearance in a risotto with caramelized and grilled squash, candied fennel, hazelnut butter with bacon, parmesan, as well as in a pappardelle dish with sausage, seasonal mushrooms, crispy sage, walnuts, and parmesan. Reservations are recommended.
Celebrations and festivals
Promenade Wellington’s Cabane Panache, the trendiest sugar shack in town, is partnering with Benelux Brasserie Artisanale, Coureur des Bois, Fizz, and Brique Recyc for its 13th edition this spring. Close to 20 Verdun restaurants will be cooking up a storm inspired by the traditional Québec feast while local drink establishments will be tending to all beverages. A line up of musicians and lumberjack-style activities will round up what promises to be a very festive weekend. (March 20 to 23, 2025)
A few Montréal pastry shops also partake in maple season. Villeray’s Mlles Gâteaux’ “Memories of a sugar shack” cake has a light maple mousse, caramelised pear confit and roasted pecan crunch. Première Moissonhas a few maple creations like the maple mille-feuilles and the maple-filled croissant.
Cabane Panache
Cabane Panache
Sugar shacks
Sucrerie de la Montagne
If a real sugar shack experience is what you’re after, be sure to check out Sucrerie de la Montagne in February, March and April. Named a Québec heritage site and situated amid a 120-acre forest of century-old maple trees atop Mont Rigaud (an hour away from downtown Montréal), this place will make you feel like you’re experiencing the authentic Québécois tradition of “sugaring off.”
Apple Sugar Shack of Labonté de la Pomme
For another authentic experience of Québec sugar shacks, visit the Apple Sugar Shack of Labonté de la Pomme. Known as the first apple shack in Québec, this family-run establishment located 45 minutes outside the city offers menus influenced by its specialty apples. In March and April, choose among several formulas, from a traditional meal with a twist to a gourmet spread in their dining room. Vegetarian menus are available.
Ste-Hélène Bistro-Terrasse
Parc Jean-Drapeau’s Ste-Hélène Bistro-Terrasse transforms into an urban sugar shack every Saturday and Sunday, from March 15th to April 20th. Enjoy a homemade, all-you-can-eat menu that includes all the classics such as pea soup, omelette in maple syrup, baked beans, maple ham and the all-important maple taffy. Reservations are recommended and bookings for groups of 25 or more are possible during the week.
Érablière Charbonneau
About 40 minutes south of Montréal is Érablière Charbonneau, a sprawling domain that celebrates maple in all its forms. There are hiking and snowshoe trails to explore before enjoying a very filling menu of traditional dishes, from pea soup to homemade tourtière and, of course, maple taffy on snow. Sugaring off season is taking place from February 22 to April 30, 2025.
The maple experience at home
Chef Martin Picard runs what is perhaps the most famous sugar shack in Québec. This season, his Au Pied de Cochon sugar shack is already fully booked for the season. They are, however, offering a gargantuan feast to celebrate the season at home. The generous box for 2 contains such delicious items as fried pancakes with maple dulce de leche and blueberry sauce, and a pithivier with porcini sauce and mashed turnips with brown butter. A lot of maple items can also be purchased separately, like the black truffle maple butter and the maple fudge.
Édouard & Léo are neighbourhood butcher shops from the team behind beloved restaurant Hoogan & Beaufort. They are offering a sugar shack box to go for 4 to 6 people. In it you’ll find maple sausages made from Quebec pork, a maple glazed ham cooked on the bone, marinated yellow beets, an old-fashioned meatball stew, baked beans, pork rinds, and a blueberry pudding chômeur. Some items can also be purchased separately.
Can’t make it to a sugar shack this year? No problem! With Ma Cabane à la maison, you can order your meal from a participating sugar shack and have it delivered to your home, your office or a nearby Metro grocery store.
Markets, food halls and shops
Montréal’s public markets are going on a great maple celebration! Les Sucres au marché starts at the Jean-Talon Market on March 29 from 10am to 5pm with traditional and Blue Grass music, children storytelling, exhibitors displaying alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, infused syrups, traditional dishes such as pea soup, maple poutine, homemade pogos and taffy on snow!
The Atwater Market takes over on April 5th from 10am to 5pm with maple taffy on snow, maple cocktails and mocktails, sugar shack menu, kids storytelling and games, traditional music and artisans and maple producers.
And finally, the Maisonneuve Market festivities take place on April 6th from 10am to 5pm with maple product tastings, inflatable games for children, traditional Québécois music and much more.
Maple stands abound at all Montréal’s public markets starting in early March and until late April so stock up on your yearly supply of maple syrup, which you can purchase directly from the producers.
Royalmount’s Le Fou Fou food hall is transforming their terrasse into a sugar shack. The Tire toi une bûche celebration is taking place March 8, 9, 15 and 16 and will include live traditional music, sugar shack specialties, signature maple cocktails, maple taffy, and surprises for the entire family and a lot of maple syrup.
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.