18 of the best restaurants around Montréal’s Bell Centre
Restaurants
Downtown Montréal is absolutely brimming with options for a night out, but when you need to need to find solid restaurants around Montréal’s Bell Centre, you need to choose wisely. Time will be ticking away before the big show, so you’ll need something not only excellent, but reliable as well. From food halls to fine dining options, any of these addresses will serve you right, whether you’re out for a date night, with the family, or looking for somewhere to get your energy up among friends.
For friends
Lucille's, Ibérica, Bazarette, Restaurant Kamúy, Deville Dinerbar, Otto Yakitori
Lucille’s Avenue des Canadiens
This venture from the Lucille Restaurant Group brings their focus on seafood to downtown Montréal in a package that'll meet the needs of professionals, sports fans, and seafood lovers alike. A varied selection of surf and turf ensures there’s something to please every palate, from Atlantic lobster rolls and wood-fired chicken to Angus beef tartare and platters of oysters. That's all served in a space outfitted with screens and a sound system tuned to games that'll help any diner get amped for a coming match at the Bell Centre.
1065 Rue Drummond
Ibérica
Looking for a dining experience where everyone can have a taste before the big show begins? Consider the Spanish tapas of Ibérica: The convenience of its location is one thing, but the level of attention and quality found in its menu make this choice extra special. Everything’s delicious, from the first bite from an assorted cheese plate to grilled seafood and a sumptuous couple of churros for dessert.
1450 Rue Peel
Bazarette
Operating just a hop, skip and jump out of the Lucien-L’Allier train station, Bazarette entertains its guests with sharing plates and finger foods like truffle fries and burrata before dishes such as pulled duck sliders and pasta. These go great with cocktails or imported wines, and even better when you consider how you’re located within the Bell Centre’s complex.
1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
Restaurant Kamúy
Chef Paul Toussaint’s pan-Caribbean restaurant in the Quartier des Spectacles can be just as good for a good pre-game snack as it can be for full and flavourful dinner before a big show. While it’s a bit further from the action of the Bell Centre, all of Kamúy’s famous classics like jerk chicken, accras and griot will quickly demonstrate how exceptional of a choice it is.
1485 Rue Jeanne-Mance
Deville Dinerbar
The glowing pink neon of 1950s-style diner twisted with nightlife may be first to draw in newcomers with appearance, but it’s Deville Dinerbar’s food and hospitality that keep them coming back. With over a decade of experience under its belt, this restaurant’s punch bowl-sized cocktails and upscaled takes on comfort food like hot dogs and fried chicken don’t disappoint.
1425 Rue Stanley
Otto Yakitori
This Japanese restaurant specializing in skewers of chicken, drinks, and a bevy of other dishes both inventive and traditional is a solid bet for when you want to eat a meal that’s meant to be shared. Order up a couple platters of the chef’s selection (make sure to double-check what’ll be served if you have any pickier eaters at the table), a pitcher or two of beer or a hot carafe of sake, and enjoy one another’s company before your show. Reservations are recommended on the weekends.
1441 Rue Saint-Mathieu
For families
Campo Poulet Portugais, Picks, Time Out Market Montréal, Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten, Tsukuyomi Ramen
Campo Poulet Portugais
This easy-going restaurant from the Ferreira family focuses on grilled Portuguese chicken, making it an easy choice for when you’ve got kids in tow. You can make things easy and split a whole chicken on the cheap, keep it healthy with some protein-covered salads, and treat you and your loved ones a bit and order a round of poutine for the table.
1108 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West
Picks
Not only does this Korean-run burger joint near the Bell Centre make an excellent burger, but they’ll build it out as big or as laden with toppings as you like. The only thing you need to take note of is that seating is limited here, but wait times aren’t that long. Otherwise, you can enjoy the long lists of sauces, cheeses, and other toppings to pick from that’ll please kids and hungry adults alike. They also make a mean poutine and kogos, a corn dog that’s studded with French fries you have to try once.
1407 Rue Saint-Marc
Time Out Market Montréal
Billed as containing the best restaurants in the city under one roof, this food hall inside of the Eaton Centre is an upscaled place to grab a quick meal. Options range from Italian to Japanese, Middle Eastern to Portuguese chicken, not to mention burgers from one of Montréal’s most lauded chefs, Normand Laprise. Thirsty? There’s always a fresh cocktail menu on offer as well as microbrews and curated wines.
705 Rue Saint-Catherine Ouest
Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten
This trendy food hall found below the Place Ville Marie is a regular go-to for happy hours and easy eats. Combining sit-down experiences like bistro tenants with grab-and-go eateries such as cheeseburgers and Chinese cuisine, dropping in for pre-game or pre-show meals can be as short or as drawn-out as guests like, and that makes this option a steady one—especially when having trouble deciding who wants to eat what where.
1 Place Ville Marie
Tsukuyomi Ramen Bishop
Whether you’re going to see a game during the start of the hockey season and the colder months, or you’re watching planning on watching playoffs when it’s warmer out, there’s never a bad time for ramen. Warm, comforting, and rich, it’s as satisfying to eat as it is quick—especially perfect for when you’re in a rush. The relatively short menu of soups, sides, and donburi bowls of topped rice making stopping in for a bite super easy for the family.
1242 Bishop Street
For couples
Hiatus, Bar George, Tiradito, Marcus, Brasserie Le Pois Penché, Tbsp. Escondite
Hiatus
Few things can beat the views from the dinner tables of Hiatus on the 46th floor of Place Ville Marie. Except for the food, that is: Chef Yoann Therer’s blend of Japanese cuisine and French techniques consistently provide an exceptional experience that’s only matched by the pinpoint precision of the sommeliers and service staff.
1 Place Ville Marie
Bar George
The quality of the English and Scottish cuisine of Bar George is only matched by the amazing décor of the Le Mount Stephen Hotel. The experience here should be more than on par with the astounding show or match to see at the Bell Centre with the level of precision it brings to its cocktails and plates, like lobster pasta or foie gras and broccoli served with a silky gribiche sauce.
1440 Rue Drummond
Tiradito
Known for singlehandedly elevating Nikkei cuisine in Montréal, Tiradito’s takes on its diasporic combination of Peruvian and Japanese flavours is just as much a draw card as is its sleek interior décor and the energy of its bartenders. From ceviches with leche de tigre and crab causas to antichucho and crispy yuca fries, all of chef Marcel Larrea’s will tempt and delight.
1076 Rue de Bleury
Marcus
The Four Seasons Hôtel Montréal’s destination restaurant Marcus first turned heads in the city with its celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson leading its splash on the city’s restaurant scene, but it has maintained and only strengthened its stance by taking on local talents Jason Morris and S’Arto Chartier-Otis for its kitchen. Seafood reigns supreme here, whether it’s oysters or towers of chilled lobster tails and scallops before the main act of a night out.
1440 Rue de la Montagne
Brasserie Le Pois Penché
Those looking for some luxury before their trip to the Bell Centre would do well to pay a visit to this classic bistro that’s been a local standard-bearer for French food since 2007. Diners can splurge on seafood towers and steak-frites, or keep things light with a range of salads and soups du jour. It’s best to plan for prolonged visit here, however; you’d do a disservice to dinner if you tried to eat and drink within 20 minutes.
1230 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West
Tbsp.
This swish spot inside the W MONTRÉAL hotel isn’t reserved for guests by any means. Cuddle up on its leather banquettes wrapping around the dining room and indulge in either its tasting or shared menus, or split some of its luxurious options like grilled tomahawk steaks, delicate pasta, and wild game appetizers.
901 Square-Victoria Street
Escondite
Tostadas, ceviches, and tacos both inventive and traditional, Escondite excels at serving the crowds of Downtown Montréal memorable experiences in an interior that pops with colour and neon. Those who love Mexican restaurants for their selections of tequila and mezcal should take note, as this place has one of the better selections in town.
1224 Rue Drummond
JP Karwacki
JP Karwacki is a Montréal-based writer and journalist whose work has appeared in Time Magazine, the Montreal Gazette, National Post, Time Out, NUVO Magazine, and more. Having called the city home for over a decade and a half, he regularly focuses on spreading the good word about the amazing things to eat, drink and do in Montréal. One half raconteur and the other flâneur (with just a dash of boulevardier), when he wasn’t working on the frontlines of the city's restaurants and bars, he spent his time thinking about, reading about and writing about restaurants and bars.