Where to enjoy natural wines in Montréal
This article was updated on June 2, 2023.
The natural wave hit Montréal a few years ago and the city has since become one of the best in the world to enjoy these funky wines. Several restaurants in town boast great cartes de vins natures that are fun to explore. Below are some of our favourites.
Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie, Hochelaga and Villeray
Mon Lapin
150, Saint-Zotique Street | Website
Mon Lapin’s sommelier Vanya Filipovic’s passion for great wines and fantastic winemakers is evident in the care and research that goes in the creation of the restaurant’s outstanding wine menu, one of the best in Montréal. Mon Lapin has just been nominated the best restaurants in Canada for 2023 so you’ll definitely want to move it to the top of your Montréal dining list.
Alep and Le Petit Alep
191 Jean-Talon East Street | Website
It’s rather surprising that these two unassuming neighbouring restaurants have one of the most sophisticated and elaborate wine cellars in town. Alep and its more casual bistro, Le Petit Alep, are best known for their outstanding Syrian cuisine, but their extensive wine list shouldn’t be overlooked.
Bar Mamie, La Cave de Mamie & La boucherie de Mamie
328 Beaubien East Street | Website
Cozy and quirky Bar Mamie, La Cave de Mamie and La Boucherie de Mamie have become a part of the neighbourhood scenery as if they’d always been there. The “planches et apéros” inspired menus are rooted in French cuisine. Let Mamie take care of you and be surprised by some of the great wines they have in their cave.
Pumpui and Pichai
Pumpui: 83 Saint-Zotique Street East | Website
Pichai: 5985 St-Hubert Street | Website
Thai streetfood and natural wines is the name of the game at Pumpui, a no-frills grocery store and excellent curry counter. Its sister establishment Pichai is located on Plaza Saint-Hubert and serves amazing food and the same delectable bottles in a more sit-down setting.
Hélicoptère
4255 Ontario East Street | Website
Hochelaga restaurant Hélicoptère has garnered quite the loyal following with its great food, pastries, artisanal breads and natural wines.
Lundis au soleil
801 Jarry Street East | Website
Local and privately imported wines share space in the Lundis au soleil cellar, a much beloved neighbourhood spot that has managed to thrive since it opened a couple of years ago. Head there for lunch, dinner or a 4pm to 6pm apéro and enjoy.
Restaurant Jaja (formerly Pastaga)
6389 Saint-Laurent Boulevard | Website
Pastaga was one of the precursors of the natural wine movement in Montréal. Chef Martin Juneau and partners have stepped down and passed the torch to the restaurant’s chef and pastry chef who have renamed it Restaurant Jaja and are staying the course with its natural and biodynamic wine collection and excellent food.
Le Elsdale
2381 Beaubien Street East | Website
A café by day and a wine bar by night, Le Elsdale is a neighbourhood restaurant that’s perfect for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Their menu is composed of simple and fresh seasonal specials that pair nicely with their collection of natural wines.
Buvette Pompette
414 Saint-Zotique Street East | Website
“Natural, organic and biodynamic wines, and all that, mainly privately imported” – that’s the claim on Buvette Pompette’s website. The food here is Iberian-inspired, the terrasse is lovely, the ambiance casual and fun and the wines top-notch.
Downtown, Quartiers du canal, Verdun and Old Montréal
Candide
551 Saint-Martin Street | Website
Designed by wine director Emily Campeau, Candide’s list is one of the best in town and the perfect match to chef John Winter Russell’s uncompromising dedication to local and seasonal produce.
Elena and Gia Vin & Grill
Elena: 5090 Notre-Dame West Street | Website
Gia: 1025 Lenoir Street | Website
Elena perfects the classic and effortless combination of pizza and wine. Easy drinkable wines from small, mostly Italian producers go hand in hand with the chic yet casual vibes and seasonal cuisine. Sister restaurant Gia Vin & Grill adheres to the same principle when it comes to its wine list.
Verdun Beach Bar
4816 Wellington Street | Website
200+ natural wine bottles are on the menu of this trendy Verdun guinguette (a type of popular tavern). Verdun Beach Bar has the atmosphere of a beachside establishment. It serves market forward dishes and the gorgeous terrasse is THE hot spot to hang out at.
KROOD
2606 Saint-Patrick Street | Website
This poké and tartar bar, situated in Pointe-Saint-Charles, is a nice hidden gem that overlooks the Canal Lachine. The decor is inspired by Californian style, making it aesthetically pleasing. You can customize your order, and their selection of natural wines will perfectly complement your poké or tartar.
Plateau Mont-Royal, Mile-End, Outremont and Mile-Ex
Lawrence and Larrys
9, Fairmount Street East | Website
Lawrence’s reputation as one of the best restaurants in Montréal has been set since its opening day. The Mile End restaurant also boasts a great wine list with many natural wine options to pair with its nose to tail market cuisine. Around the corner you’ll find its younger sibling Larrys, open from early morning to late at night. It serves everything from breakfast sandwiches to delicious small plates to share and, most importantly, a great natural wine selection.
Alma and Tinc Set
1233 Lajoie Avenue | Website
With an emphasis on mostly Catalan and Spanish “hand-selected artisanal wines”, Alma and sister roast chicken slinger Tinc Set are the perfect neighbourhood restaurants. It helps that the sommelière and co-owner is also behind private import company Vin I Vida.
Buvette Chez Simone and Bar à Flot
4869 du Parc Avenue | Website
“Buvette” has been a Montréal favourite for the past decade and a half. The Park Avenue establishment is famous for its French-inspired small plates to share, its cheese and charcuterie boards and its well curated wine list. Next door, sister buvette “Bar à Flot” run by sommelière Florence Pelland-Goyer is also a great spot to enjoy a glass or two of natural wine.
Majestique
4105 Saint-Laurent Boulevard | Website
Funky and quirky Majestique has been a staple on the Main for the past few years. The festive ambiance, the fascinating tchotchkes all around, the exceptional food and wines and the flawless service make this restaurant an absolute must.
Café Denise
386 Beaumont Avenue | Website
Unassuming Café Denise has become a reference when it comes to low intervention wines. This Beaumont Street eatery’s diminutive space is only offset by the impressive size of its natural wine collection, which is always full of nice surprises.
Boucherie Provisions
1142 Van Horne | Website
Part butcher shop, sandwich haul and wine bar, Boucherie Provisions is all kinds of delicious. This casual and fun Outremont spot is the perfect destination to share a meal featuring local ingredients, their own meats and a glass of natural wine from their extensive list.
There are many other Montréal restaurants with great selections of natural wines on their menus, including Henrietta, Boxermans, Buvette Pastek, Rouge Gorge, Bar St-Denis, Butterblume, Oregon (Laval), Place Carmin, Vin Papillon, and Les Cavistes Restaurant Wine Bar.
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.