Favorite gems/finds to dine in Montreal?
Am heading there next month & have perused Zagat, etc. & read an informative post I received from starchefs.com this week. Any hidden must-go-to spots?
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16 Comments:
After my car blew a gasket (literally) and I had to get towed to a motel (it was a long weekend and all the garages were closed), I remember having a very comforting meal at St. Hubert's!!! Yes I know, a chain! I had a nice meal of roast chicken and there were lots of local families there eating together.
Also, if you get a chance have Maple Sugar Pie anywhere you can find it.
ag3208 at 12:28PM on 04/19/09
I went to Montreal for a few days around New Years Eve 2007 and had the most spectacularly fresh seafood platter at Globe (3455 boul. St-Laurent). It was so wonderful, my husband and I still talk about it from time to time. Yum!
yayfood at 3:46PM on 04/19/09
I took some university course two summers ago in Montreal and I have a list of "must eat" places whenever I visit:
St. Viateur Bagel - 1127 Ave du Mont Royal Est, closest metro is Mont Royal
- Amazing freshly made Montreal bagels and homemade cream cheese; good anytime of day but definitely my favourite breakfast! Open from 6am to Midnight.
La Paryse - 302 Rue Ontario Est, closest metro is Berri-UQAM
- One of the best burgers I have ever tasted! My favourite burger place in Montreal and the fries are delicious too! So good! Mmm...Open 11am to 11pm Monday to Friday and 2-10:30pm Saturday and Sunday
Restaurant Gourmet Grec- 180, rue Prince-Arthur Est
- Delicious, tasty and plentiful Greek food! It's been three years since I ate at this restaurant but its one of my fondest memories of Montreal. They have a great, vibrant patio scene during good weather and the prix-fix menu at lunch let's you eat for hours for only $12 including dessert. Enjoy!
Reuben's - 1116 Rue Ste Catherine Quest; closest metro Peel
- Tasty smoked meat sandwiches and the biggest pickles I've ever had (they are the size of pop cans!) It's a Montreal landmark and a yummy one at that.
Brutopia Brew Pub - 1219 rue Crescent Montreal
- My favourite drinking spot with a huge selection of unique and craft beers; personal favourite is Raspberry Wheat Beer! Monday's are $2 beers and their appetizers are delicious. Their samosas' are delicious and I take the leftovers for a hangover breakfast the next morning. Also enjoy their nachos with chorizo sausage.
Have a delicious trip!
thehollers at 3:58PM on 04/19/09
I enthusiastically second St. Viateur bagel. Montreal bagels are a must-try, smaller and sweeter than their New York counterparts.
For fantastic bistro food, try L'Express, 3927 Rue Saint-Denis. Steak frites, patés, all the classics, in a charming space for fair prices.
And make sure to try poutine... anywhere.
Carey Jones at 4:06PM on 04/19/09
Also, Zach did a great post a few months back:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/09/montreal-guide-eating-best-food-48-hours-canada.html
Carey Jones at 4:07PM on 04/19/09
I agree with La Paryse!! Mmm... Also, Bilboquet is THE best ice cream...
I went to a great wood-fired pizza place with my family, Bottega. Excellent.
Any of the small ethnic eateries on St. Viateur are great also (Polish, Caribbean)... oh, and rotisserie chicken sandwiches!! Had that recently for the first time and it was delicious.
lizaj at 4:16PM on 04/19/09
Everyone, thank you....always great to get the inside scoop! I love this community!
stigcr at 5:53PM on 04/19/09
One of the greatest meals I ever had was at Pintxo.
drastic at 12:39AM on 04/20/09
I love, love, love Pintxo. It's one of my favourite places in town. I have recurring daydreams about their goat cheese ravioli in duck gizzard stew. You could follow that up with dessert at Pop! . Don't expect comfort food, though. Patrice Demers' creations might be a bit challenging for some, but they also just blow your mind.
Le Jolifou might be a bit out of the way, but it is totally worth the trip. David Ferguson creates dishes in the French tradition that include ingredients from the American southwest. I would hate to call it fusion because it's really not the precious, confused crap that is usually associated with that word.
For bistro fare, I prefer Leméac to l'Express. The food is a notch above and the general experience is a bit more refined. It's still loud and boisterous like any good bistro/brasserie should be, but it's a bit more Montreal than the almost Epcot-like Parisian experience of l'Express. Also, their 22$ after 10pm menu is the best food deal in town.
Qing Hua Dumpling is a newish place that's been talked-up quite a bit on the Montreal Chowhound board. It's not fancy, but it's damn good. I highly recommend the pork bone salad and the magic noodle soup. There are tons of other great places in town. If you've never had pupusas you should check out Los Planes or La Caretta in Petite-Patrie neighbourhood. Both places are a hop, skip and a jump from Jean-Talon Market. There are lots of Portuguese grill places in town and most of them are really good.
Montrealers love rotisserie chicken (called BBQ chicken here). The best place to experience it is Chalet BBQ . It is to BBQ chicken what Schwartz's is to smoked meat.
One last note I would add would be a short list of what to avoid while you're here. Sushi: it's just not that good here. Thai food: see sushi. Any place on St-Laurent between Sherbrooke and Pines. With the exception of La Porte all those places are less about food and more about money and boobs. Any of the flashy downtown places: Queue de Cheval, Trinity, Cavalli, Rosalie, Pois Penché... There are very few downtown fine dining establishments that offer good food and service at a fair price. I've heard good things about La Montée, Europea and Ferreira, though.
Please feel free to ask any questions you might have. I love telling people about my home town.
SqueezeBottle at 9:54AM on 04/20/09
Holy crap, I almost forgot about Dilallo Burger !
It's small chain burger joint and a Montreal institution. The burgers might not be the best in the world, but they are unique and friggin' tasty!
SqueezeBottle at 10:09AM on 04/20/09
third pinxto, also au pied du cochon is insane!!!!!!!!!! nothing like it in the u.s.
http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/
dmarina at 2:59PM on 04/20/09
ditto on au pied du cochon, it is great and is somewhere we always eat when we are in Montreal - not really a hidden gem but worth it. (Also try to pick up their cookbook it is great, even just for a look)
Peony at 9:20AM on 04/22/09
I would also strongly urge anyone thinking of coming to Montreal to check out An Endless Banquet . It's a great blog written by some very savvy people. Their Montreal food guide is an awesome source of info for anyone interested in good food.
SqueezeBottle at 10:07AM on 04/22/09
Santropol for a great interesting sandwich and milkshake!
kmgagne at 10:18AM on 04/22/09
A little late to the discussion, but I second the suggestion for Santropol. The Killer Tomato is perhaps one of the most delicious sandwiches in the entire world. Also, if it's late at night and you're stumbling home from the bars, you've got to try dollar pizza (amazing drunk food). Or poutine (tastes so much better when you're drunk). Or just eat both. I love Montreal.
unpocojmoney at 3:51PM on 04/24/09
I'm way too late for this, but my 2 cents for most awesome Rotisserie chicken is St. Hubert http://www.st-hubert.com/index2.php (the sauce alone is to die for!) and I still like Cora's for breakkie (http://www.chezcora.com/).
jo_jo_ba at 12:03AM on 05/09/09