Best of MTL, Food & Drink

Best of MTL 2019: Food & Drink

by Cult MTL

The top restaurants, top chefs, top dishes and top food shopping spots in the city, according to our readers.

For a biting critique of some of the winners in the section that follows, please see our food editor Clayton Sandhu’s Resto Wrongs article at the end of the May edition of our magazine. Here are some more neutral observations: The Southwest got a welcome pizza injection over the past year with the arrival of Rita and Elena, Best New Restaurant #1 and #2, respectively, with Fuggazi (#3) — in somewhat nearby Pointe Ste-Charles — completing a pizza triad in that category. Fugazzi/Bocata chef JP Miron, a contestant on the Food Network’s Top Chef Canada last year, was voted #2 Best Chef, joining Joe Beef’s Dave McMillan to unseat Beaver Sheppard and Antonio Park from the Top 5. And Ma Poule Mouillé got lots of support this year after a fire nearly destroyed the beloved Plateau Portuguese chicken spot, ranking #1 in Best Portuguese, #3 in Best Chicken and #5 in Best Cheap Eats.

Best Chef

  1. Danny Smiles
  2. JP Miron
  3. Chuck Hughes
  4. Dan Geltner
  5. Dave McMillan
  6. Antonio Park
  7. Sean Murray Smith
  8. Aaron Langille
  9. Martin Picard
  10. Beaver Sheppard

Best New Restaurant

  1. Rita
  2. Elena
  3. Fugazzi
  4. Vin Mon Lapin
  5. Aux Vivres (Westmount)
  6. Île Flottante
  7. McKiernan’s Luncheonette
  8. Moccione
  9. Pumpui
  10. Un Po Di Piu

Best New Food Trend

  1. Vegan/vegetarian
  2. Poké
  3. Pizza
  4. None
  5. Eating local
  6. Ramen
  7. Tacos
  8. Korean
  9. Pho
  10. Healthy eats

Best Pub Grub

  1. Ye Olde Orchard
  2. Burgundy Lion
  3. Bishop & Bagg
  4. McKibbins
  5. Else’s
  6. Vices & Versa
  7. Lord William
  8. Sparrow
  9. Broue Pub Brouhaha
  10. L’Gros Luxe

Best Cheap Eats

  1. Patati Patata
  2. Boustan
  3. Nilufar
  4. Restaurant AA
  5. Ma Poule Mouillé
  6. El Furniture Warehouse
  7. Montreal Pool Room
  8. Bocadillo
  9. Aux Vivres
  10. Chez Claudette

Best Pricey Eats

  1. Joe Beef
  2. Le Bremner
  3. Tuck Shop
  4. Damas
  5. Au Pied de Cochon
  6. Montreal Plaza
  7. Vin Papillon
  8. Liverpool House
  9. Lawrence
  10. Bouillon Bilk

Best Late Night Eats

  1. La Banquise
  2. Restaurant AA
  3. Nouveau Palais
  4. Boustan
  5. Chez Claudette
  6. Patati-Patata
  7. The Main
  8. L’Express
  9. A&W
  10. Bocadillo
Le Vieux Vélo. Best Breakfast/Brunch #1

Best Breakfast/Brunch

  1. Le Vieux Vélo
  2. L’Avenue
  3. Bagels Etc
  4. Fabergé
  5. L’Oeufrier
  6. Arthur’s
  7. Green Spot
  8. Aux Vivres
  9. Allo Mon Coco
  10. Cosmos

Best Delivery

  1. Uber Eats
  2. Foodora
  3. Skip the Dishes
  4. GOLO
  5. Panthère Verte
  6. À La Carte Express
  7. Chef on Call
  8. Just Eat
  9. Chasseurs Courrier
  10. St-Hubert

Best Food Truck

  1. Grumman ’78
  2. Le Cheese
  3. Nouveau Palais (Winneburger)
  4. Panthère Verte
  5. Mandy’s
  6. Au Pied de Cochon
  7. Lucille’s

Best African

  1. Nil Bleu
  2. East Africa
  3. La Khaima
  4. Queen Sheba
  5. Marmite Su’l Feu

Best Caribbean

  1. Lloydie’s
  2. Boom J’s
  3. Caribbean Curry House
  4. Agrikol
  5. Le Jardin du Cari
  6. Cuisine Caraïbe Delite
  7. Tropical Paradise
  8. Local Jerk
  9. Jean’s Trinidad Foods
  10. Méli-Mélo
Dragon de Chine, Best Chinese #5. Photo by Cindy Lopez

Best Chinese

  1. Restaurant Beijing
  2. Mon Nan
  3. La Maison VIP
  4. Kam Shing
  5. Dragon de Chine
  6. Gia Ba
  7. Ruby Rouge
  8. Foo Lam Restaurant Maison
  9. Noodle Factory
  10. Kan Bai

Best Eastern European/Russian

  1. Stash Café
  2. Euro Deli Batory
  3. La Caverne Russe
  4. Georgia
  5. Baba Yaga Café

Best French

  1. L’Express
  2. Leméac
  3. Le Pégase
  4. L’Atelier Joël Robuchon
  5. Henri

Best Greek

  1. Milos
  2. Marathon Souvlaki
  3. Arahova Souvlaki
  4. Marven’s
  5. Rotisserie Panama
  6. Ouzerie
  7. Villa Souvlaki
  8. Tripoli
  9. Faros
  10. Mythos

Best Indian

  1. Bombay Mahal
  2. Pushap
  3. Punjab Palace
  4. Atma
  5. Chand Palace
  6. Thali
  7. Palais d’Ajit
  8. Maison India Curry House
  9. Star of India
  10. Le Super Qualité

Best Italian

  1. Impasto
  2. Elena
  3. Bottega
  4. Nora Gray
  5. Pizzeria Gema
  6. Eduardo’s
  7. Pasta Casareccia
  8. Moccione
  9. Luciano’s
  10. Da Emma

Best Izakaya

  1. Kazu
  2. Kinka Izakaya
  3. Imadake
  4. Ichigo Ichie
  5. Otto Bistro
  6. Biiru
  7. Yokato Yokabai
  8. Noren
  9. Kinoya Izakaya

Best Korean

  1. GaNaDaRa
  2. Omma
  3. Mon Ami
  4. Chez Bong
  5. Kantapia
  6. Huang Kum
  7. Kimbob Café
  8. Petit Seoul
  9. Seoul Chako
  10. Comon

Best Latin American

  1. Bocadillo
  2. Arepera
  3. La Chilenita
  4. Sabor Latino
  5. El Chalateco
  6. El Rey Del Taco
  7. Tiradito

Best Mexican

  1. El Rey Del Taco
  2. Tacos Frida
  3. Tachido
  4. La Captial Tacos
  5. 3 Amigos
  6. Escondite
  7. Amaranto
  8. Carlos & Pepe’s
  9. Taco Trunp
  10. Maria Bonita

Best Middle Eastern

  1. Damas
  2. Sumac
  3. Boustan
  4. KazaMaza
  5. Le Petit Alep
  6. Omnivore
  7. Restaurant Alep
  8. Nilufar
  9. Khyber Pass
  10. Falafel St. Jacques

Best Portuguese

  1. Ma Poule Mouillée
  2. Romados
  3. Piri Piri
  4. Chez Doval
  5. Jano
  6. Casa Minhota
  7. Campo
  8. Douro
  9. Ferreira Café

Best Spanish

  1. Tapeo
  2. La Sala Rosa
  3. Club Espagnol
  4. Iberica
  5. Méson

Best Thai

  1. Épicerie Pumpuii
  2. Restaurant Thailande
  3. Chu Chai
  4. Thai Express
  5. Pamika
  6. Pick Thai
  7. Bangkok Express
  8. Maison Phayathai
  9. Chao Phraya
  10. Restaurant La Belle Thailandaise

Best Vietnamese

  1. Pho Tay Ho
  2. Pho Bang New York
  3. Pho Viet
  4. Pho Cali
  5. Pho Lien
  6. Restaurant Lyla
  7. Hà
  8. Red Tiger
  9. Vua Sandwiches
  10. Le Petit Sao

Best Bagel

  1. St-Viateur Bagel
  2. Fairmount Bagel
  3. Bagel St-Lo
  4. Ville Émard Bagels
  5. Beaubien Bagel
  6. REAL Bagel
  7. Bagels on Green
  8. MTL Bagel

Best Chicken

  1. Chalet Bar-B-Q
  2. Romados
  3. Ma Poule Mouillée
  4. Coco Rico
  5. Côte St. Luc Bar-B-Q
  6. Serrano Bar-B-Q
  7. St-Hubert

Best Burger

  1. Uniburger
  2. A&W
  3. Chez Tousignant
  4. Burger de Ville
  5. Notre-Boeuf-de-Grace
  6. Nouveau Palais
  7. Dilallo
  8. Five Guys
  9. Patati Patata
  10. Aux Vives

Best Donut

  1. Léché Dessert
  2. Trou de Beigne
  3. Mr. Puffs
  4. Krispy Kreme
  5. Tim Hortons
  6. Crémy
  7. DoughNats
  8. Wawel
  9. Emma’s Boutique Gourmand
  10. Dunkin’ Donuts (RIP)

Best Dumplings

  1. Qing Hua
  2. Sammi & Soupe Dumplings
  3. Harbin
  4. Mademoiselle Dumpling
  5. Mai Xiang Yuan
  6. Ai Dumpling
  7. Noodle Factory
  8. Étoile Rouge
  9. Oh Dumplings
  10. Dumpling Hut

Best Falafel

  1. Panthère Verte
  2. Falafel Yoni
  3. Falafel St-Jacques
  4. Nilufar
  5. Boustan
  6. Sumac
  7. Amir
  8. Basha

Best Fish and Chips

  1. Brit & Chips
  2. Comptoir 21
  3. Restaurant Ad Hoc
  4. McKibbins

Best Fries

  1. Frite Alors!
  2. Patati Patata
  3. McDonald’s
  4. Lafleur
  5. A&W
  6. Romados
  7. Poutineville
  8. Smoked Meat Pete
  9. Vices et Versa
  10. Chalet Bar-B-Q
Dirty Dogs, Best Hot Dog #2

Best Hot Dog

  1. Lafleur
  2. Dirty Dogs
  3. Montreal Pool Room
  4. Belle Province
  5. AA
  6. Chez Tousignant
  7. Decarie Hot Dog
  8. Greenspot
  9. Orange Julep
  10. Patati Patata

Best Pad Thai

  1. Épicerie Pumpui
  2. Thai Express
  3. Bangkok
  4. Pamika
  5. Tampopo

Best Pho

  1. Pho Tay Ho
  2. Pho Lien
  3. Pho Bang New York
  4. Pho Bac
  5. Pho Viet
  6. Pho Nguyen
  7. Pho 88
  8. Nguyen Phi
  9. Tran
  10. Lyla

Best Pizza

  1. Adamo
  2. Magpie
  3. Pizza Bouquet
  4. Gema Pizzeria
  5. Elena
  6. Bottega
  7. No. 900
  8. Dominos
  9. Pizza St-Viateur
  10. Il Focolaio

Best Poutine

  1. La Banquise
  2. Poutineville
  3. Patati Patata
  4. Chez Claudette
  5. AA
  6. Ma Poule Mouillée
  7. La Belle Province
  8. Frites Alors
  9. Nouveau Système
  10. Orange Julep

Best Ramen

  1. Yokato Yokabai
  2. Kinton
  3. Misoya
  4. Ramen Ya
  5. Ichifuku
  6. Ichigo Ichie
  7. Tsukuyomi
  8. Ramen 9000
  9. Kazu
  10. Ramen Plaza

Best Ribs

  1. Baton Rouge
  2. Rubs
  3. Coco Rico
  4. Bar-B-Barn
  5. Blackstrap
  6. Diablos
  7. Broue Pub Brouhaha
  8. Le Boucan

Best Sandwich

  1. Santropol
  2. Aux Vivres
  3. Clarke Café
  4. Dagwoods
  5. Bocadillo
  6. Dépanneur le Pick-Up
  7. Capitaine Sandwich
  8. Schwartz’s
  9. Panthère Verte
  10. Boucherie Lawrence

Best Seafood

  1. Le Bremner
  2. Milos
  3. Maestro SVP
  4. Le Festin du Capitaine
  5. Lucille’s

Best Shish Taouk

  1. Boustan
  2. Amir
  3. Basha
  4. Sumac
  5. Adonis
  6. Omnivore
  7. Zouki’s

Best Smoked Meat

  1. Schwartz’s
  2. The Main
  3. Smoked Meat Pete
  4. Snowdon Deli
  5. Lester’s
  6. Dunn’s
  7. Le Roi du Smoked Meat
  8. Jarry
  9. AA
  10. Reuben’s

Best Steak

  1. Moishes
  2. The Keg
  3. Gibbys
  4. Joe Beef
  5. L’Express

Best Sushi

  1. Sushi Momo
  2. Park
  3. Saint Sushi
  4. Jun I
  5. Tri Express
  6. Sushi 4 Saisons
  7. Mikado
  8. Yuukai
  9. 5 Saisons Sushi
  10. Le Kioko

Best Taco

  1. Frida
  2. Le Capital Tacos
  3. Tacos Tijuana
  4. El Rey del Taco
  5. Fortune
  6. Grumman ’78
  7. Victor
  8. Escondite
  9. Trunp
  10. Maïs

Best Vegetarian

  1. Aux Vivres
  2. LOV
  3. Lola Rosa
  4. Sushi Momo
  5. Chu Chai
  6. Panthère Verte
  7. Copper Branch
  8. Velish
  9. Le Kitchen
  10. Café Résonance

Best Craft/Microbrew Beer

  1. Dieu du Ciel
  2. Brutopia
  3. Brasserie Harricana
  4. Benelux
  5. 4 Origines
  6. Ma Brasserie
  7. Vices & Versa
  8. St. Ambroise
  9. Labrosse
  10. Cheval Blanc

Best Bakery

  1. Guillaume
  2. Automne
  3. Chez Fred
  4. Hof Kelsten
  5. Sweet Lee’s
  6. Mamie Clafoutis
  7. Arhoma
  8. Chez Fred
  9. Au Kouign-Amann
  10. Co’pains d’Abord

Best Barista

  1. Helen Papapanos (Le Kitchen)
  2. Pieiro (Baristello)
  3. Simon-Pierre Caron (In Gamba)
  4. Sarvenaz (Dispatch)
  5. Tanisha Arthur (Odessa)
  6. Forde Cooper (Olimpico)
  7. Vincenzo Spinale (Olimpico)

Best Café (Place)

  1. Olimpico
  2. Dispatch
  3. Myriade
  4. Nocturne
  5. Velish
  6. Saint Henri
  7. Névé
  8. Odessa
  9. Cagibi
  10. Bloom

Best Coffee (Beverage)

  1. Dispatch
  2. Myriade
  3. Olimpico
  4. Saint Henri
  5. Starbucks
  6. Bloom
  7. Tim Hortons
  8. Pikolo
  9. Café Félice
  10. Melk

Best Teahouse

  1. Cardinal Tea Room
  2. Camellia Sinensis
  3. Cha Noir
  4. Griffon d’Or
  5. David’s Tea
  6. Café Aunja
  7. Ming Tao Xuan
  8. Salon Rosie Lanoi

Best Chocolates/Sweets

  1. Juliette et Chocolat
  2. Chocolats Chloé
  3. Lecavalier Petrone
  4. Geneviève Grandbois
  5. Leonidas
  6. Sweet Lee’s
  7. Sophie Sucrée
  8. Biscuiterie Oscar
  9. Audacieuse Vanille
  10. Cacao Locale

Best Ice Cream

  1. Kem Coba
  2. Dalla Rose
  3. Ripples
  4. La diperie
  5. Bilboquet
  6. Ca Lem
  7. Wild Willy’s
  8. Havre aux glaces
  9. Hoche Glacé
  10. Les Givrés

Best Fromagerie

  1. Hamel
  2. Atwater Market
  3. Bleu et Persillé
  4. Copette et Cie.
  5. Foumagerie
  6. La Vieille Europe
  7. Qui lait cru
  8. Yannick

Best Organic Produce Store

  1. Tau
  2. PA Nature
  3. Chez Robin
  4. Rachelle Béry
  5. Provigo

Best Vegetable/Fruit Store

  1. Fruiterie Mile End
  2. PA
  3. Jean-Talon Market
  4. Provigo
  5. Adonis
  6. Sami
  7. Segal’s
  8. Atwater Market
  9. Bob’s
  10. Eden

Best Fishmonger

  1. La Mer
  2. Nouveau Falero
  3. Odessa
  4. Shamrock
  5. Waldman’s
  6. Atwater Market
  7. San Miguel
  8. Fous des Iles
  9. Victoria

Best Butcher

  1. Lawrence
  2. Chez Vito
  3. McCormakc’s Meats
  4. Pascal Le Boucher
  5. Viandal
  6. Le Maître Boucher
  7. Aliments Viens
  8. Boucherie AGA
  9. Provigo

See the rest of the Best of MTL here:

* PEOPLE & PLACES
* MEDIA
* NIGHTLIFE
* MUSIC
* FILM & ARTS
* GOODS & SERVICES

Posted in Best of MTL, Food & Drink
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by Cult MTL

Contributor
Cult MTL is a daily news website and monthly magazine focusing on Montreal culture, music, arts, news, politics and city life. Along with interviewing local and visiting artists, promoters and entrepreneurs, we feature analysis and criticism, curate a daily To-Do List and run the annual Best of MTL readers poll.