Worldcon: Montreal Restaurant Guide  

Posted by Patrick


If you are an avid traveler, you know how much of a pain in the butt it can be to find restaurants offering good value when you visit a new city or region. Since I want everyone coming to Montréal to make the most of their experience, here's a little guide meant to help you eat well and mostly stay away from the establishments that cater almost exclusively to tourists. If you are visiting Montréal for the Worldcon or coming over for a well-deserved vacation, bookmark this page. And if you know anyone who's attending the convention and doesn't necessarily follow this blog, feel free to spread the word.

Five months in the making (I know I promised that it was coming last January), putting together this list required the help of a few MTL foodies and the folks at Guide Resto Voir 2009, which you can also find online at http://www.guiderestos.com/.

There is something for every budget. Hence, whether you are a backpacker on a shoestring budget, or looking for something that falls into the "splurge" category, we've got you covered! This is by no means an exhaustive list, however. Montréal has the second highest number of restaurants per capita in North America, with NYC taking the cake. Still, it's a pretty good start and should keep you out of trouble for a few days!

Yes, that's a poutine on the picture. And yes, it looks as though someone puked in your fries! But it's quite good, and everyone should have a taste while in town. Having said that, though I find poutine quite delicious, this restaurant guide will try to steer you toward more memorable culinary experiences!:P

Enjoy your stay!
---------------------

Please note that the prices quoted in this guide are based on an average two people would pay for a three-course meal, before tax and tipping, and doesn't include alcohol. It goes without saying that you can eat for less by skipping on dessert, or opting for the table d'hôte, etc. We just want to give you a general idea as to the average cost of a meal. When available, websites have been listed, and the full contact details are provided so you can use Google Map of Mapquest to get directions to and from your hotel. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

B: Breakfast

L: Lunch

D: Dinner

BYOW: Bring your own wine

*** Our picks
------------------------

Breakfast

***- Chez Cora
http://www.chezcora.com/
1396, rue Mont Royal, Montreal, H2J 1Y7, (514) 525-9495

1240, rue Drummond, Montreal, H3G 1V7, (514) 286-6171

3465, Avenue du Parc, Montréal, H2X 2H6, (514) 849-4932

B: 20$-25$

Looking for a "big" breakfast/lunch, this is the place!

***- Olive et Gourmando
http://www.oliveetgourmando.com/
351 rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Montréal, H2Y 2A7, (514) 350-1083

B: 20$ L: 35$

Worth waiting in line. . .

- Le Paltoquet
1464, avenue Van Horne, Montréal, (514) 271-4229

Café

***- Caffè Art Java
http://www.caffeartjava.com/
837 avenue Du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, H2J 1W9, (514) 527-9990

645 avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, H3A 1K1, (514) 350-5282

Supposedly offers some of the very best coffee on the eastern seaboard!

***- Brûlerie St-Denis
http://www.brulerie.com/
1587 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2X 3K3, (514) 286-9159

3967 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2W 2M4, (514) 286-9158

Great place for a nice cup of coffee.

- Café Dépôt
http://www.cafedepot.ca/
Over 20 locations in and around Downtown Montreal

- Second Cup
http://www.secondcup.com/
3695 rue St-Laurent, Montréal, H2X 2V7, (514) 844-0347

900 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, H2J 1X2, (514) 528-1717

1551 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2X 3K3, (514) 843-7264

150 rue Notre-Dame EstMontréal, H2Y 3P6, (514) 866-5915

800 Victoria Square, Montréal, H4Z 1A1, (514) 395-4490

895 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montréal, H3B 4G1, (514) 393-1250

1122 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, H3B 1H4, (514) 395-2983

400-2200 avenue McGill Collège, Montréal, H3A 3L3, (514) 843-4567

There are plenty of other locations. . .

Good Value (More bang for your buck/euro/pound/yada yada yada)

***- Restaurant L’Académie (French & Italian) BYOW
http://www.lacademie.ca/

St-Denis: 4051 St-Denis, Montréal, H2W 2M7, (514) 849-2249

Crescent: 2100 Crescent, Montréal, H3G 2B8, (514) 664-4455

L: 25$-35$ D: 40$-50$

- Casa Grecque (Greek & International) BYOW
http://www.casagrecque.ca/
200 Rue Prince-Arthur Est Montréal, QC H2X 1B9, (514) 842-6098

L: 25$-30$ D: 40$-50$

***- L’Avenue (North American)
922 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, H2J 1X2, (514) 523-8780

L: 20$-30$ D: 40$-60$

Funky place with good food! Check out the restrooms!

***- La Cage aux Sports (North American & International)
http://www.cage.ca/
395, rue Le Moyne, Montréal, H2Y 1Y5, (514) 288-1115

1437, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, H3G 1T7, (514) 878-2243

L: 25$ D: 40$

Unpretentious sports restaurant. Good place to hang out, grab a bite and a cold beer.

***- Boccacinos (North American & Italian)
http://www.boccacinos.com/
1251 McGill College, Montréal, H3B 2Y4, (514) 861-5742

B: 20$ L: 30$ D: 45$

- M:BRGR (Hamburgers)
http://www.mbrgr.com/
2025 rue Drummond, Montréal, H3G 1W6, (514) 906-2747

L: 25$ D: 50$

- Tim Horton’s
http://www.timhortons.com/
895 Rue de la Gauchetiere Ouest, Montréal, H3B 4G1, (514) 398-9253

605 Boul René Levesque Ouest, Montréal, (514) 395-1207

2081 Rue Guy, Montréal, H3H 2L9, (514) 935-1942

4006 Rue St-Denis, Montréal, (514) 843-5788

48 Rue Notre-Dame Est, Montréal, (514) 875-4540

Every foreign intern we ever had swore by this place. Good place for a quick breakfast or lunch, if only to eat at the restaurant that nearly drove Dunkin' Donuts out of business in this country!

Italian

***- Misto
http://www.restomisto.com/
929 avenue Du Mont-Royal Est, Montreal, H2J 1X3, (514) 526-5043

L: 40$ D: 80$

***- Sofia
http://www.sofiagrill.com/
3600 St Laurent, Montréal, H2X 2V4, (514) 284-0092

D: 70$

***- Buonanotte
http://www.buonanotte.com/
3518 St Laurent, Montréal, H2X 2V1, (514) 848-0644

L: 40$ D: 80$

You might see Jay-Z or another celebrity!

- Primo et Secondo
7023, St Dominique, Montréal, H2S 3B6, (514) 908-0838

L: 65$ D: 120$

***- Weinstein and Gavino’s
http://www.wiensteinandgavinos.com/
1434, rue Crescent, Montréal, H3G 2B6, (514) 288-2231

L: 40$ D: 70$

French

***- M sur Masson (Bistro)
http://www.msurmasson.com/
2876 rue Masson, Montreal, H1Y 1W9, (514) 678-2999

L: 40$ D: 90$

- Bistro Cogagne
http://www.bistro-cocagne.com/
3842 rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, H2W 2M2, (514) 286-0700

D: 70$

- Le Margaux (Bistro)
http://www.lemargaux.com/
5058 avenue du parc, Montréal, H2V 4G1, (514) 448-1598

L: 35$ D: 80$

***- Laurie Raphaël Montréal
http://www.laurieraphael.com/
2050, rue Mansfield, Montréal, H3A 1Y9, (514) 985-6072

L: 50$ D: 120$

***- Les Trois Petits Bouchons (Bistro)
http://www.lestroispetitsbouchons.com/
4669 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, H2J 2L5, (514) 285-4444

D: 70$

- Ariel
http://www.arielrestaurant.com/
2072 Drummond, Montreal, H3G 1W9, (514) 282-9790

L: 50$ D: 100$

- Alexandre et Fils
http://www.chezalexandre.com/
1454 rue Peel, Montréal, H3A 1S8, (514) 288-5105

L: 50$ D: 80$

***- L’Express
3927, rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2W 2M4, (514) 845-5333
L: 60$ D: 90$

- Europea
http://www.europea.ca/
1227 Rue de la Montagne, Montreal, H3G 1Z2, (514) 398-9229

L: 60$ D: 100$

***- Au 5e Péché
http://www.aucinquiemepeche.com/
330 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, H2T 1P7, (514) 286-0123

L: 40$ D: 90$

Québec (Nouvelle Cuisine)

- Chez L’Épicier
http://www.chezlepicier.com/
311 Rue Saint-Paul Est, Montréal, H2Y 1H3, (514) 878-2232

L: 50$ D: 70$

North American

- Bistro L’Aromate
http://www.laromate.com/
1410 rue Peel, Montréal, H3A 1S8, (514) 847-9005

L: 40$ D: 70$

***- Rosalie
http://www.rosalierestaurant.com/
1232 rue de la Montagne, Montréal, H3G 1Z1, (514) 392-1970

L: 70$ D: 120$

***- Toqué
http://www.restaurant-toque.com/
900 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, H2Z 2B2, (514) 499-2084

D:180$

***- Globe
http://www.restaurantglobe.com/
3455 St Laurent, Montréal, H2X 2T6, (514) 284-3823
D: 110$

- Newtown
1476 rue Crescent, Montréal, H3G 2B6, (514) 284-6555

L: 30$ D: 100$

***- Bâton Rouge
http://www.batonrougerestaurants.com/
1050 rue de la Montagne, Montréal, H3G1Y8, (514) 931-9969

L: 30$ D: 60$

- Kitchen Galerie
http://www.kitchengalerie.com/
60 rue Jean-Talon Est, Montréal, H2R 1S5, (514) 315-8994

D: 80$

***- Café Titanic
http://www.titanic-mtl.ca/
445 rue St-Pierre, Montréal, H2Y 2M8, (514) 849-0894

L: 30$

Steakhouse

***- Queue de Cheval
http://www.queuedecheval.com/
1221 blvd René-Lévesque ouest, Montréal, H3G 1T1, (514) 390-0090

L: 100$ D: 180$

- The Keg
http://fr.kegsteakhouse.com/
25 Rue St. Paul Est, Montreal, H2Y1G2, (514) 871-9093

D: 60$-80$

- Moishes
http://www.moishessteakhouse.com/
3961 St-Laurent, Montréal, H2W 1Y4, (514) 845-3509
L: 50$ D: 150$

***- Vargas
http://www.vargas.ca/
690, boul. René-Lévesque, Montréal, Québec, H3B 3A5, (514) 875-4545

L: 50$ D: 110$

Indian

***- Mysore
4216 St-Laurent, Montréal, H2W 1Z3, (514) 844-4733

L: 20$ D: 45$

- Bombay
1723 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2X 3K4, (514) 845-8080

L: 25$ D: 50$

- Devi
http://www.devimontreal.com/
1450 rue Crescent, Montréal, H3G 2B6, (514) 286-0303

L: 45$ D: 65$

- Le Taj
http://www.restaurantletaj.com/
2077 rue Stanley, Montréal, H3A 1R7, (514) 845-9015

L: 25$ D: 60$

Sushi

- Maiko Sushi
http://www.maiko-sushi.com/
387 rue Bernard Ouest, Montréal, QC H2V 1T6, (514) 490-1225

L: 30$ D: 80$

***- Mikado
http://www.mikadomontreal.com/
399, av. Laurier Ouest, Montréal, H2V 2K3, (514) 279-4809

L: 40$ D: 80$

1731 rue St-Denis, Montreal, H2X 3K4, (514) 844-5705

D: 80$

Vietnamese

- Feuille de Menthe (BYOW)
5136 avenue du Parc, Montréal, H2V 4G5, (514) 272-1477

L: 20$ D: 60$

***- Tay Do (BYOW)
300 avenue Duluth Est, Montréal, H2W 1H9, (514) 281-6788

L: 20$ D: 50$

Thai

***- Restaurant Thaïlande
http://restaurantthailande.com/
88 rue Bernard Ouest, Montréal, H2T 2J8, (514) 271-6733

L: 30$ D: 70$

- Chuchai (BYOW)
http://www.chuchai.com/
4088 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, H2W 2M5, (514) 843-4194

L: 25$ D: 50$

- Phayathai
1235 rue Guy, Montréal, H3H 2K5, (514) 933-9949

L: 25$ D: 55$

Chinese

***- Mei Le Café Chinois
5309 boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, H2T 1S5, (514) 271-5945

L: 25$ D: 45$

- Lotté Furama
http://lottefuramamontreal.ca/
1115 Rue Clark, Montréal, H2Z, (514) 393-3388

L: 30$ D: 30$

- La Maison Kam Fung
http://www.restaurantlamaisonkamfung.com/
1111 rue Saint-Urbain, Montréal, H2Z 1Y6, (514) 878-2888

L: 30$ D: 50$

International

- Madre (Latin America)
http://www.restaurantmadre.com/
2931 rue Masson, Montréal, H1Y 1X5, (514) 315-7932

D: 80$

-Rotisserie Panama (Greek)
http://www.rotisseriepanama.com/
789, rue Jean-Talon Ouest, Montréal, H3N 1S3, (514) 276-5223

L: 30$ D: 80$

- Milos (Greek)
http://www.milos.ca/
5357 avenue du Parc, Montréal, H2V 4G9, (514) 272-3522

L: 45$ D: 160$

- Ouzeri (Greek)
4690 rue St-Denis Montréal, H2J2L3, (514) 845-1336

L: 25$ D: 50$

***- Stash Café (Polish)
http://www.stashcafe.com/
200 rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Montréal, H2Y 1Z9, (514) 845-6611

L: 30$ D: 60$

- Au Tarot (North Africa)
http://www.restaurantautarot.ca/
500 rue Marie-Anne Est, Montréal, H2J 2A3, (514) 849-6860

D: 70$

- La Khaïma (African, Mauritanian)
142 avenue Fairmount Ouest, Montreal, H2T 2M5, (514) 948-9993

L: 20$ D: 40$

- Le Canard Rouge (Chilean, Argentinian)
2150 rue Rachel Est, Montréal, H2H 1R2, (514) 529-8686

L: 15$ D: 40$

- Senzala (Brazilian)
177 rue Bernard Ouest, Montréal, H2T 2K3, (514) 274-1464
L: 25$ D: 60$

- Casa Minhota (Portuguese)
3959 rue St-Laurent, Montréal, H2W 1Y4, (514) 842-2661

L: 30$ D: 60$

***- Chez Doval (Portuguese)
http://www.chezdoval.com/
150 rue Marie-Anne Est, Montréal, H2W 1A5, (514) 843-3390

L: 20$ D: 40$

***- Chez le Portugais (Portuguese)
http://www.chezleportugais.com/
4134 boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, H2W 1Y8, (514) 849-0550

L: 30$ D: 45$

- Casa Tapas (Spanish)
http://www.casatapas.com/
266 rue Rachel Est, Montréal, H2W 1E6, (514) 848-1063

D: 75$

***- Le Petit Alep (Armenian and Syrian)
191 rue Jean-Talon Est, Montréal, H2R 1S8, (514) 270-9361

L: 20$ D: 40$

- Byblos Le Petit Café (Persian, Iranian, Middle Eastern)
1499 avenue Laurier Est, Montréal, H2J 1H8, (514) 523-9396

L: 30$ D: 45

***- Khyber Pass (Afghan, Middle Eastern) BYOW
http://66.49.138.201/
506 avenue Duluth Est, Montréal, H2L 1A7, (514) 849-1775

D: 55$

Poutine

- La Banquise
http://www.restolabanquise.com/
994 rue Rachel Est, Montréal, H2J 2J3, (514) 525-2415

- Fameux Viande fumée et charcuterie
4500 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2J 2L3, (514) 845-8732

- La Belle Province
1604 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, H2J 1Z2, (514) 527-5505

Smoked Meat

***- Schwartz’s
http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/
3901A boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, H2W 1X9, (514) 845-9592

When busloads of tourists rub elbows with locals, you know this place is special!

Chocolate and Dessert

***- Juliette et Chocolat
1615 rue St-Denis, Montréal, H2X 3K3, (514) 287-3555

377 avenue Laurier Ouest, Montréal, H2V 2K3, (514) 510-5651

This entry was posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 at Monday, July 06, 2009 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

17 comments

Matt Keeley  

A valiant attempt to introduce non-Canadians to the pleasures of poutine? That might be worth a blog post in and of itself.

Nice post, wish I had this around last I was in Montreal. Would definitely use this if I were going to Worldcon.

12:07 AM
RaveAir  

Do you know any good Hungarian restaurant in Montreal?

2:27 AM
Anonymous  

Makes me crave Poutine

7:45 AM
The Martin  

Hey Pat!

Where's Le Pied De Cochon?

The best Thai place is the cheapest: Bangkok in the Faubourg mall.

And the most authentic Chinese restaurant that I know of, and the best, is Cuisine Szechuan, corner Guy and Sherbrooke. By authentic, I mean "My wife lived in China, and swear by the place". And it's spicy. Really spicy.

8:29 AM
Allan  

Poutine = Chips cheese and gravy ?


If you added a side order of deep fried Mars bar you have Scottish cuisine at it's worst .

11:22 AM
Anonymous  

Pat, with the price of a plane ticket, hotel room, and con membership, that doesn't leave me near enough money for a splurge. But I've promised myself to stay away from McD's and BK this year, so what would you recommend as the best budget options? I'm there for the duration of Worldcon, so from the 6th to the 10th of August.

11:28 AM
machinery  

this was the lamest post ever in this blog.
I feel embarrased for pat.

11:50 AM
Dream Girlzzz  

Well, Pat has been working on a series of Montreal posts for those who will be going to Worldcon: Anticipation next month. I'm pretty sure anyone heading that way is quite happy to have this restaurant resource. I know I would be!

If like me you're not going, just scroll down dude...

12:30 PM
ELIZABETH  

So Pat, do you hire out as a guide and general knowledge person for any of us who just migh want to turn up as a tourist and not attend the con?

12:53 PM
Patrick  

RaveAir: Check out http://restomontreal.ca for a more extensive list of MTL restaurants. The only one I found in a quick search was Bistro Europa: 1620A, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, H3H 1C9

The Martin: Au Pied de Cochon didn't make the final cut. Not because it doesn't deserve to be there, but because we already had too many selections in the "splurge" category. And since most people attending the con won't be able to afford such restaurants, it felt like it was a bit pointless to add more establishments in that category.

Allan: Poutine is 100 times better than anything you can get in Scotland!:P

Anonymous: Hmmm, if you are looking for good value for less money, here's what I'd do. I'm assuming that breakfast is included in your hotel bill, so I'll concentrate on lunch and dinner.

For lunch, the food courts of every big mall and skyscraper offer good value. Of course, you can opt for junk food, but there's always a Subway (they're everywhere!), Amir (Lebanese food), Place Tevere for great pizza, and a variety of asian food stalls, etc.

In the places listed in the little guide I just posted, the best value for lunch would probably be Tim Horton's. They have quite a few lunch combos that go for about 5$. You could try a couple of different ones.

A poutine is a must, if you haven't tried one yet. As is a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's on St-Laurent.

If you are up for South American fare, Le Canard Rouge can be a cheap option for lunch. As is both Vietnamese restaurants listed here.

For dinner, stick with the Good Value category and you'll eat good food at an affordable price. L'Académie remains a favorite of mine, and you can bring your own wine. Casa Grecque also offers good value, and it's BYOW to boot. A meal at La Cage aux Sports will fill you up without breaking the bank. L'Avenue is a funky place that offers great atmosphere and good food. Boccacinos is another great option.

You can get away with lunch for less than 10$ and dinner for around 20$ at each and everyone of those places.

Hope this helps!

Elizabeth: As an avid traveler, it's important to me that folks have fun on my turf. Paying it forward and all that stuff...:-)

2:55 PM
Jebus  

Man you really need to start using the "read more" sort of option on this site, scrolling through that and book excerpts is bloody annoying.

7:58 PM
Anonymous  

Most impressive list.

Foodwise, I have a feeling that this might be my best con yet! Thanks a lot for taking the time to come up with this guide.

Most of your readers can't appreciate just how great it is to come into town and not really having to worry about where to eat. But those of us who'll make it to Montreal for Worldcon Anticipation appreciate the effort you put into this.

Best regards,

Phil

10:46 PM
Blend  

In my experience, the best poutine in Montreal is at Le Petit Restaurant du Village. Yes it's in the village, but there's not much there that I don't like. It's absolutely wonderful!

9:47 AM
Anonymous  

What type of cheese do you recommend for Poutine? I am a sheltered American who enjoys trying new things...also, any special type of gravy? Turkey, Beef, Chicken.....

10:37 PM
Brahm_K  

I'm going to double recommend La Banquise for anyone who wants to try poutine- nobody makes it better, and they have so many vegetables/meats you can mix and add on.

Anonymous: Poutine always comes with cheese curds; and basically just go for whatever gravy the restaurant is offering. You don't really have much choice for these things.

And for all those coming to Montreal for the first time: La Belle Province can only be eaten after midnight, and only then if you've been drinking/smoking. It is known.

Anonymous 2: If you want cheap but good food, and want to stay away from fast food places, there are some really damn good Lebanese "cheap food" places, like Boustan on Crescent. You can get cheap pizza and more middle eastern food at Altaibs on Guy street (and hell, if you want pizza, there are cheap pizza places all around the downtown area). If you want some damn good burgers for not too much, go to Mr. Steer on St. Catherine. For pub style food and breakfast, you can go to Moe's on De Maisonneuve corner Lambert Closse, though I think it's been renamed to something else. And any sports bar should also do- places like Les Trois Brasseurs on Crescent and St. Catherine; though some stuff on their menu is expensive, other stuff is cheap.

6:07 PM
Patrick  

Just realized that some of the links were inactive. Took care of that, which should make it easier for you guys to peruse various restrautants' websites!;-)

1:39 PM
Anonymous  

Hi,
I would like to add that the chinatown (a small one) is literally a outside of the convention center (north-east). A bowl of 'Pho' is just 8$, in most vietnamese restaurent.

For the ultra cheap: a vietnamese sub is 2.50$ each, also available on chinatown, just insist on having the little hot pepper inside.

'La belle Province' is a passable junk food place, but please don't get your poutine from them.

Hodor

2:33 PM

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