Top Montréal restaurants for the gourmet traveller
Some people eat to live and some live to eat. This list is for the latter: those who are driven by the decadent pleasure of discovering new gourmand destinations and enjoying delectable gastronomic experiences.
Restaurant Toqué!
For fine dining par excellence: Restaurant Toqué! Chef Normand Laprise’s cuisine – the very one that started the Montréal food revolution – will leave you speechless and wanting more.
900 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Website
La Chronique
For the foie gras enthusiasts: La Chronique. This is where you go for the best foie gras in Montréal, and keep returning for the flawless French-inspired menu.
104 Laurier Avenue West
Website
Maison Boulud
For a Michelin-star type experience: Maison Boulud. Chef Daniel Boulud’s extensive expertise shines through in this magnificent establishment and the exquisite service that reigns within the sumptuous dining room.
1228 Sherbrooke Street West
Website
Chez Delmo
Chez Delmo is an restaurant located in the historic district of Old Montréal, which was originally opened in 1934. The owners have recently updated the venue with a contemporary flair while still maintaining the long-standing tradition of gastronomy in the area. The menu offers a variety of revisited dishes that showcase fish and seafood, including novelties such as lobster rolls and salmon tartare.
275 Notre-Dame Street West
Website
Le St-Urbain
For those willing to travel for food: Le St-Urbain. One of the city’s best tables, it’s located a tad out of the way, but is very much worth the trip. You’ll enjoy the elegant cuisine inspired by the seasons and the exceptional wine list.
96 Fleury West
Website
Le Serpent
For the design lovers: Le Serpent. The industrial chic restaurant design will wow you just as much as the Italian-inspired menu.
257 Prince Street
Website
Estiatorio Milos
For those in search of exotic flavours: Estiatorio Milos. You’ll savour the vast array of delicate Mediterranean dishes, fresh seafood and scrumptious desserts in a décor reminiscent of a Greek holiday.
5357 Parc Avenue
Website
Bouillon Bilk
For those who want to feel like a local: Bouillon Bilk. This restaurant is so inconspicuous, that it’s easy to miss, but it would be such a shame because the cuisine here is sophisticated yet unpretentious, set against a minimal décor that lets the dishes shine.
22 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Website
Le Club Chasse et pêche
For the Québécois traditionalist: Le Club Chasse et Pêche. Savour a modern and fine dining twist on Québécois traditional cuisine in an elegant and sophisticated décor reminiscent of a hunting and fishing lodge.
423 Saint-Claude Street
Website
Primo & Secondo
For those looking for la bella vita: Primo & Secondo. Opened in Little Italy since 2001, Primo & Secondo is the place to be for simple Italian cuisine prepared in an elegant ambiance with impeccable service.
7023 Saint-Dominique
Website
Marcus Restaurant + Terrace
For the celebrity chef spotters: Marcus Restaurant + Terrace. New York-based star chef Marcus Samuelsson’s stunning restaurant is conceived by Montréal designer extraordinaire Zebulon Perron, while the cuisine focuses on seafood and a raw bar offering.
1440 De La Montagne Street
Website
Vin mon lapin
For an award winning experience: Small sharing plates featuring some of the finest local ingredients are the stars at much beloved neighbourhood restaurant Vin mon lapin (voted Best Restaurant in Canada in 2023). Wine enthusiast will be happy to dig into one of the best natural and biodynamic wine list in the city with rare bottles often finding their way here.
150 Saint-Zotique Street East
Website
Restaurant Candide
For the admirers of regional cuisine: No one adheres to a more strict policy of only serving a regional-driven menu than Restaurant Candide. The reasonably priced, 4-course tasting menu is a joyous celebration of local ingredients (or those preserved at their peak). The impeccable service, exquisite wine list and elegant ambiance of this cozy establishment located in a former rectory all contribute to a memorable dining experience.
551 Saint-Martin Street
Website
Hoogan et Beaufort
For lovers of open-fire cooking: Hoogan et Beaufort's soaring ceilings and light-filled dining room are centred around its open kitchen where the wood burning oven reigns supreme and where local ingredients are prepared with love.
4095 Molson Street
Website
Sushi by Scratch
For a luxurious and mysterious experience: Sushi by Scratch is a 10-seat, 17-course high-end omakase suhsi restaurant that operates in the manner of a speakeasy, making this extravagant experience unforgettable.
640 Saint-Paul Street West
Website
Moishes
Moishes is a well-known restaurant in Montréal that has earned a reputation for serving aged meat. It is one of the only restaurants in town to offer USDA Prime beef. The restaurant boasts two distinct dining rooms, including an enclosed area, and features pewter ceiling tiles, offering a unique dining experience that is a must-visit in Montreal. Additionally, there is a bar area where you can enjoy a drink before or after your meal.
1001 du Square-Victoria Street
Website
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.