Where to dine in Montreal
My husband and I are heading to Montreal for the weekend. I am looking for good places to eat out that aren't overly expensive.
Casual dining is our preference, nothing too upscale.
Any suggestions are appreciated!
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14 Comments:
Moe's has amazing smoked meat sandwiches (and they used to have sweet potato fries to die for - but it's been a while since I have had those - they may not anymore).
Anywhere on Crescent street downtown is good - Greek food, crepes, the like. The weather is going to be very nice this weekend, so I expect all the patios will be open. There is a Belgian place a few blocks down from Crescent that is excellent.
There are restaurants that allow you to bring your own wine - which is much cheaper than buying it in house... Here's a list....
http://restomontreal.ca/restaurants/features/montreal-byow-bringyourownwine-restaurants.php?lang=fr
Maureen at 3:32PM on 04/15/09
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
With all due respect, Moe's is a crap sports bar chain and Crescent street is a loud, gaudy, overpriced tourist hell.
@mandylynn902 - What kind of food do you like? How adventurous are you? Where will you be staying? Do you have a car? Are you willing to use public transit? What's you idea of casual dining? Are holes-in-the-wall ok?
SqueezeBottle at 7:43PM on 04/15/09
Not Moe's. If you are going to have smoked meat it absolutely must be Schwartz on St.Laurent. That is the real deal. Been around for almost 100 years. http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/
Define expensive. If eating for two at a really memorable, fantastic restaurant for around 120 for two including tax and tip is within range Au Pied De Cochon must not be missed. Reservations required. http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/
Garde Manger in the Old Montreal/Port area is very popular especially for seafood and is in the same price range as PDC. L'Express is very popular for bistro fare. (reservations required for both)
http://eatwellmontreal.com/garde-manger-montreal/
http://www.montrealfood.com/restos/lexpress.html
Also, search the archives because someone (I think one of the Paupered Chefs) did a review of PDC as well as another place that offers great deals on prix fixe.
lexophile at 8:20PM on 04/15/09
My apologies - my definition of casual dining is obviously different than others - a 120 dollar meal is NOT casual dining in my book. I'll keep my opinions to myself from now on.
Maureen at 8:22PM on 04/15/09
Maureen, that's why I asked if 120 was out of the price range. Trust me. A 120$ meal for me is a major one or two times a year splurge, not a casual meal. Different people have different standards, so I thought it didn't hurt to ask since PDC is fabulous. It's where my fiance and I plan to dine for our honeymoon.
Also, here is the article about 48 hours of the top eats in Montreal.
lexophile at 8:26PM on 04/15/09
I went to school at Mcgill for a bit and lived in Montreal. Schwartz's is an absolute must, and affordable but don't go at peak times unless you're willing to wait in line for a bit. Order the lean smoked meat sandwich, trust me--I love indulgent food but the lean is delicious. Gotta get the fries, the pickle, and the cherry soda, that's the classic Schwartz's meal. Man I miss it.
Old Montreal is a cool area to check out. There is a little Polish place there called Stash Cafe that is so fun and would be a great excuse to see a very cool part of town: http://www.stashcafe.com/dinner.html.
I also used to eat dinner at a place called l'Académie. There are a couple of them, but the one I went to was on St. Denis, at 4051 St-Denis, Montréal, Québec. Affordable, delicious food, and we always brought our own wine that we bought at the SAQ (the province-controlled liquor store) that is right next door, it was perfect.
For breakfast, I really love Chez Cora. I know naysayers will say that it's a "chain" because there are a couple of them around the city but they're so lovely and affordable, I would check it out: http://www.chezcora.com/a/01-belle-histoire/index2-a.htm. Another breakfast option is the famous sesame seed Montreal bagel, at St. Viateurs: http://www.stviateurbagel.com/main/.
Serious Eats did a story on the poutine in the city here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/09/poutines-montreal-canada-la-banquise-patati-patata.html. The city is famous for it but since I prefer normal cheese fries I'm no poutine expert, though when in Rome, do as the Romans do (and thus you should try some poutine I think).
Enjoy it, Montreal is so fun!
LizLemon at 9:13PM on 04/15/09
Thank you all for your input! We are on a somewhat limited budget as I booked this trip before my husband lost his job. So unfortunately, $120 meals will be out this time, but definately will keep it in mind next time.
We are staying downtown close to the Bell Center as the reason for the trip is we are attending UFC 97. It is my Valentine's gift to my hubby. We have no car and are relying on public transit. My hubby is pretty picky, filet is about as adventurous as he gets.
I'd like to check out places that the locals eat at. Not just the touristy places. Good breakfast places welcome too!
Thanks for the links. They offer good info I hadn't already found.
Thanks again for all your advice. It is very appreciated!!
mandylynn902 at 10:06PM on 04/15/09
People are going to stone me but.....La Belle Province is open 24 hours and the poutine should be within budget.
Sweetie at 11:29PM on 04/15/09
"My hubby is pretty picky, filet is about as adventurous as he gets."
@mandylynn902 - I have to admit that statement has me a bit stumped. In my mind, filet (we're talking beef tenderloin, right?) is right up there with boiled potatoes and boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the adventurous department. To me ground chuck is more interesting than filet-mignon. Maybe if you gave us a better idea of what your husband likes, that would help.
The thing about the downtown restaurant scene is that there aren't a lot of mid-range options that give you good value. Most of the more interesting options downtown are the ethnic holes-in-the wall around Concordia university.
I like most of the places suggested here. I would stay away from L'Académie, though. There are much better BYOW options. La Belle Province can be very good, but it's the most inconsistent chain I've ever seen. The quality varies greatly from one outlet to another. And I would get the medium at Schwartz, not the lean.
I would love to help you find places that you and your husband would enjoy, but I'm still not clear on what you like/are willing to eat.
SqueezeBottle at 7:57AM on 04/16/09
All I can say is Santropol! if you google it, there is a website. It's a sandwich place with great outdoor seating, some of the best milkshakes I've ever had and the sandwiches come to you like a present! The menu and location are all online. It's sooooo fun. Definitely go. Also, if you get pizza in Montreal with olives make sure you ask what kind because they are big fans of green olives on pizza. (I'm not). Don't have the Chinese food. I lived there for 2 years in Montreal and couldn't get good Chinese. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but it must be rare. A lot of the Indian and Mid-eastern countries food spots were great. 2nd cup is a cute coffee chain (like starbucks). Also le deux peirrots (i think that's how it's spelled) is a cabaret place in the vieux port (google it) and it's soooo fun. Definitely go to a creperie (nutella is strawberries is amazing).
Ok that's it! Have fun!
kmgagne at 12:45PM on 04/16/09
oops (Nutella with strawberries)
kmgagne at 12:46PM on 04/16/09
I second La Banquise for poutine. It was reviewed in a previous post here. It is about $30 for two dinner sized portions of poutine, drinks, tax and tip.
lexophile at 12:57PM on 04/16/09
If your husband is the sort of meat and potatoes guy I expect, he may find the greatest place on earth in Montreal. Le Milsa is a Brazillian rodizio place: all you can eat meat and dudes with swords full o meat bring it to you! It would cost you $30 CAD just for the non-stop meat, but depending on how fancy you want to be with the drinks, this might be doable. Anyway, check it out: http://www.lemilsa.com
drastic at 8:01PM on 04/17/09
Thank you everyone for the suggestions! We had a great time in Montreal. On the first day, we had brunch at Cora's which was just OK. The breakfast the people next to us had looked divine. I think we just didn't make the right choices there.
Then we had supper at Reuben's on Ste. Catherine. We shared wings, a smoked meat sandwich and poutine, all of which were delicious.
On Saturday, we discovered Au Pain Dore and picked up some croissants, salads and pastries. They were tasty too. I was hoping to get back there but didn't have time. We also ate at Firegrill on Stanley before heading to the Bell Center. I had New York strip and my husband had ribs. My steak was perfectly cooked and tender. We very much enjoyed our meal there.
On Sunday, we toured Old Montreal and headed for the airport. The airport was a zoo so I am glad we got there very early.
I really wanted to get to Schwartz's and Santropol, but with our schedule packed and our sleeping schedule was out of whack, we didn't make it far out of downtown.
So I see a return visit in our future and I hope to experience more wonderful places in Montreal.
Thanks Again!
mandylynn902 at 3:46PM on 04/20/09