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Atwater Cocktail Club
The speakeasy from the same owners as popular restaurant Foiegwa, Atwater Cocktail Club is located just around the corner from the eatery and offers craft cocktails as well as an abbreviated version of Foiegwa’s menu.
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Au Pied de Cochon
For Martin Picard, who is widely credited with putting Québécois cuisine on the map, almost anything edible is an acceptable vehicle for foie gras. At Au Pied de Cochon, he serves it alongside buckwheat pancakes and bacon (drenched in maple...
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Boucherie Lawrence
The casual sister to brunch favorite Lawrence, Boucherie serves foodie-adored grab-and-go fare for shoppers strolling the Mile End neighborhood. The market-meets-butcher shop hawks a variety of gourmet groceries like clotted cream and bread-and-butter pickles alongside their delicious homemade treats: pâté,...
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Bouillon Bilk
Despite opening in 2011, Buillon Bilk seems to have gotten its second wind after a 2014 rehaul that elevated the restaurant from good to excellent. Dishes range from the inventive (pork dumpling with plum, celery, mushrooms and popped rice) to...
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Buvette Chez Simone
A neighborhood haunt that resembles your typical West Village wine bar, Buvette Chez Simone attracts a mix of local Francophiles and trendy visitors. The simple fare of charcuterie, cheese and a excellent roast chicken platter pairs well with the curated...
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Cloakroom Bar
Hidden behind a mirrored wooden door, adjacent to a high-end menswear shop, this petite speakeasy is a fabulously serene place for an inventive, pre-dinner cocktail. There’s no menu; rather, the bartenders discuss your likes and dislikes and whip up the...
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Cocoa Locale
Reema Singh is the owner, baker and cashier at this one-woman cupcake show in Mile End where she whips up the city’s best confections. The atmosphere—which feels like a grandmother’s fragrant home—is as sweet as the goods themselves. The chai...
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Flyjin Coffee Shop
This small, charming coffee shop is tucked away on Rue Saint-Pierre in Old Montreal and a great spot for a caffeine boost or freshly squeezed orange juice. Flyjin has a modern, minimalist wood interior and a well-curated selection of design...
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Foiegwa
This diner offers an indulgent menu of American and French staples with a twist. The frog legs are served with a side of ranch dressing, and the restaurant’s lauded cheeseburger is topped with soft caramelized onions. The décor, too, fuses...
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Garde Manger
As is the case with most Montreal restaurants, patrons at Garde Manger would be wise to check all notions of a nutritious meal at the door. This shouldn’t, however, dissuade you from a meal at the Old Montreal hot spot;...
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Grinder
Griffintown’s Grinder, the latest spot from the owner of Buvette Chez Simone, is nearly always packed with sexy young things mingling on the shaded terrace or in the industrial dining room. The interior is nearly all wood, accented by the...
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Hof Kelsten
This artisanal hipster boulangerie is famous for its array of French/Jewish pastries, including an acclaimed (and often sold-out) panettone during the holiday season. Owner-chef Jeffrey Finkelstein, whose resume is full of such renowned spots as Per Se, Noma and the...
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Holder
A cavernous, high-ceilinged brasserie located off of McGill Street in Old Montreal, Holder offers reliable French fare (French onion soup; duck confit) in a bustling environment. Brunch is especially excellent, with a variety of sweet and savory dishes complimented by...
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Ikanos
Serving some of the best seafood in Montreal, Ikanos is an upscale Mediterranean restaurant offering authentic cuisine from the Greek Islands. This posh eatery, featuring caramel leather booths and an airy, modern design, specializes in beautifully presented mezzes (small sharing plates),...
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Joe Beef
This inconspicuous-looking eatery in southwest Montreal's Little Burgundy neighborhood has inspired many a northerly road trip. The sublime cuisine, which ranges from tender (backyard nasturtium-sprinkled lettuces) to taboo (horse loin) to apocalyptic (a maple-soaked bacon and cheddar sandwich bundled between...
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Lawrence
This Mile End mainstay serves up haute Anglo fare made with ingredients from Québécois family farms. Weekend brunch regulars rise early in anticipation of scones with jam and clotted cream and boudin noir – black pudding served on soda bread...
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Le Butterblume
This popular restaurant is tucked at the periphery of the Mile End, but that doesn’t deter throngs of locals from lining up for the delicious comfort food, especially during weekend brunch. Try to snag a seat at the counter overlooking...
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Le Filet
One might wonder if there is room for a seafood restaurant in carnivorous Montreal, which seems to offer menus full of foie gras and smoked brisket at every turn—and sometimes at the same time. Le Filet, whose menu features fish...
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Le Serpent
Set among a cluster of quirky galleries in Old Montreal, Le Serpent caters to a well-heeled art crowd at lunch and glitzy clientele at dinner. The short menu has something for everyone, from light appetizers like salmon tartar with spicy...
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Le Vin Papillon
While Le Vin Papillon bills itself as “a little wine bar,” that simplistic approach undermines the hot spot’s exciting, nuanced cuisine. The Griffintown eatery—owned by the folks behind Montreal mainstay Joe Beef—features a small, veggie-centric menu with such dynamic dishes...
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Liverpool House
The sister restaurant to the pilgrimage-worthy Joe Beef, Liverpool House boasts a similarly impressive reputation as a hot spot for locals and visitors alike. Located on the same street as Joe Beef in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighborhood, the restaurant serves...
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LOV McGill
Vegetarian fare has never been as creatively prepared as at this hot spot, whose name stands for “Local, Organic, Vegetarian.” The bright, streamlined design—with lots of light wood, white-painted brick walls and terrariums filled with succulents—is the perfect backdrop for...
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Maggie Oakes
Located in Hotel William Gray, this upscale steakhouse is helmed by former Top Chef Canada contestant Derek Bocking. Housed in a space that was previously a ham-hock repository, the eatery boasts a glass meat locker, which elegantly displays the evening’s...
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Maison Boulud
Daniel Boulud hardly needs any talking up, but after closing his short-lived Vancouver restaurant, there was some doubt he’d find success in Montreal. And yet, Montreal locals were quick to approve of his restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton, which serves an...
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Maison Publique
Despite being owned by superchef Jamie Oliver, the innovative British pub Maison Publique boasts cuisine that is all thanks to Derek Dammann. Located a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Montreal in a mostly residential neighborhood, the cozy spot feels like a...
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Olive + Gourmando
At this bustling patisserie and sandwich spot in historic Old Montreal, the colorful comfort food and cozy atmosphere are perfectly in sync. The seasonal lunch menu is always evolving, but the chalkboard menus invariably feature a nostalgic array of restorative...
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Park
Chef Antonio Park was the first sushi guru to bring Kaimin tai to Canada—this acupuncture method induces fish into a coma-like state while being transported to ensure maximum freshness. The results are extraordinary; fish arrive from an overnight flight in...
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Pastaga
It’s hard to have a bad meal at Pastaga, which, despite its location in Little Italy and seemingly Italian name, is a simple wine bar with locally-inspired small plates. Diners have the choice of sitting in three different spaces, including...
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Pullman
This chic spot offers light fare and a selection of over 450 wines (don’t worry: flights are available for those unable to commit to a single varietal). Those looking to snack while they drink can order from the menu of...
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Schwartz’s
There are a number of awards and accolades attributed to this Mile End Delicatessen, but for the sake of simplicity, suffice it to say that Schwartz’s serves the best smoked-meat sandwich in North America. The kosher-style haunt opened in 1928,...
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St-Viateur Bagel
Montreal’s great bagel debate rivals those that are waged over Chicago’s best deep-dish pie. This one, however, has only two players: St-Viatuer and Fairmount (74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest; 514-272-0667). Just blocks from each other, the rivals each have their own...
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Toqué!
Toqué! has been the star of the Montreal dining scene since opening in 1993. The refined Relais & Châteaux establishment, accredited with popularizing new Québec cuisine, features an airy, contemporary dining room, where diners are treated to one of the...
Montreal

Courtesy Les 400 Coups
Montreal’s culinary variety puts many of the world’s foodie cities to shame—in the course of a day and in a few mile radius, a visitor can feast on a classic Montreal-style bagel (smaller, denser and sweeter than the New York variety), a bacon-and-cheddar sandwich bundled between two slabs of foie gras and a dry-aged filet mignon from a decades-old Jewish steakhouse. The Canadian city is second only to New York when it comes to restaurants per capita in North America.