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Food & Drink

The Top 25 Restaurants in Montreal Right Now

by Clay Sandhu

An evolving list reflecting what we’re into and where we think you’re guaranteed to get a good meal.

Below is a list of the Top 25 Restaurants in Montreal right now, an evolving selection of places we love to eat at. It’s by no means definitive, it’s just a reflection of what we’re into at the moment and where we think you’re guaranteed to get a good meal.

The Top 25 Restaurants in Montreal Right Now

1. Mon Lapin

Marc Olivier Frappier and Vanya Filipovic’s Little Italy restaurant remains, month after month, the top restaurant in Montreal. Having nabbed the #1 spot on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants two years running, Mon Lapin’s list of accolades only continues to grow. The food here is a poetic mixture of French and Italian cooking in Frappier’s unmistakable and ingenious style. As the undisputed queen of natural wine, Filipovic’s list is expertly curated and chock-full of classics and quaffable curiosities. (150 St-Zotique E.)

2. Le Violon

Despite his well-established celebrity-chef status, Le Violon is technically Danny Smiles’ first restaurant. Taking over the space formerly home to Maison Publique, Smiles is joined in the kitchen by co-owner and co-executive chef Mitch Laughren along with chef-de-cuisine Sara Raspa. Replacing Maison Publique’s cottage-kitsch décor is one of Montreal’s most elegant dining rooms thanks to designer Zébulon Perron and co-owner Dan Climan. The food is refined and beautiful, drawing inspiration from around the world. You might start with a plate of oysters with rhubarb mignonette and move to a kibbeh nayyeh-inspired beef tartare followed by a plate of stout bread with mussels bathed in cheddar custard or gochujang-glazed sweetbreads with a handsome round of grilled new onion. Word to the wise: save room for dessert. (4720 Marquette)

3. Beba

Owned by brothers Ari and Pablo Schor, Beba is a restaurant that changed the dining landscape in Montreal and has firmly entrenched itself in the ranks of the city’s best restaurants. Constantly in evolution, Ari’s vision is technique- and ingredient-driven, meaning he never hesitates to break with conventions or expectations to deliver a truly exceptional plate of food. Free from unnecessary embellishment and chef-centric ego, the menu oscillates from exceptional fish from Japan to premium caviar, perfectly prepared offal to boiled meats. Argentinian on paper, the restaurant’s roots are accented with Jewish, Spanish and Italian influences resulting in food that is singular, entirely unpretentious (though often luxurious) and absolutely delicious. (3900 Éthel)

4. Foxy

Spectacularly good wood-fired cooking, cleverly finessed cocktails, warm-yet-professional service and one of the city’s very best wine lists — honestly, what more could you ask for? Formerly owned by serial chef-restaurateur Dyan Solomon (Olive + Gourmando, Un Po Di Piu), Foxy has recently been sold to Véronique Dalle, the restaurant’s managing director. As one of Montreal’s most celebrated wine professionals, Dalle has been shaping wine lists across the city for decades in addition to training many of Montreal’s best sommeliers as an ITHQ instructor. While her vision for Foxy remains to be seen, it’s certain that the restaurant’s sterling reputation, exceptional sense of hospitality and excellent cooking will remain intact. With a menu built for the open flame, expect dishes with global influences prepared with tact and a generous helping of know-how. (1638 Notre-Dame W.) 

5. Pichai

A Thai go-to without equal and easily one of the city’s best restaurants. Moving away from silky curries and mango sticky rice, which made its sister restaurant Pumpui famous, chef Jesse Grasso’s food is diverse, composed and more reflective of dishes you’d see in northern Thailand. The fried fish balls in a sweet chilli sauce are incredible, as is the Laab Ped, a spicy salad of duck and duck hearts, but it’s the specials that keep the crowds coming back. Seasonal specials might include firefly squid served with nam jim talay (a potent dipping sauce made of lime, coriander and pickled garlic) or grilled veal heart with a fragrant lemongrass relish. The food is powerfully flavourful, unapologetically spicy and damn delicious. (5985 St-Hubert)

6. HENI

Centred around the ancient and diverse culinary traditions of the SWANA regions (an acronym for Southwest Asia and North Africa), HENI is one of the most unique, clearly defined and well-executed restaurant offerings to hit Montreal in some time. The kitchen is run by chef Julien Robillard (ex-Pastel and Hotel le St-James) along with sous-chef Rami Nassim and pastry chef Tien Nguyen. The menu embodies the flavours, techniques and diversity of the various regions it claims (think kibbeh nayyeh, Moroccan pastilla and couscous) and delivers them with finesse, refinement and a great deal of respect. Aside from the food, co-owners Noah Abecassis and Soufian Mamlouk also run Sienna Wines, an importation agency dedicated to importing low-intervention wines from Lebanon — one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions. (2621 Notre-Dame W.)

7. Lawrence

Having originally started as a pop-up kitchen running out of Sparrow in 2010, Lawrence is a name synonymous with hearty English cooking, whole animal butchery and, of course, brunch. Since taking the decision to run the kitchen solo, chef/owner Marc Cohen has breathed new life into Lawrence, re-establishing it as one of the most exciting restaurants in the city. The concise but balanced menu focuses on tidy, composed dishes that marry the best of old Lawrence’s offaly-good cooking with a newfound elegance, sophistication and maturity. Sommelier Keaton Richie’s wine list is also one of the deepest and best curated in Montreal and features everything from accessible discoveries to sought-after back vintages. (9 Fairmount E.)

8. Bistro la Franquette

Though it still feels like the new kid on the block, it’s hard to remember the Westmount dining scene without Bistro la Franquette. From his days running the kitchens at Pastel and Fantôme to his string of wildly successful “Baby Duck” pops-ups, chef Louis Deligianis is known around town as one of the city’s most talented cooks. At Franquette, he deftly lays his hand on bistro classics. Vegetables and proteins are cooked with masterful precision, sauces are rich when they ought to be and delicate when not. The menu is dynamic, moving from springy and briny house-made halloumi to a beef tartare “club sandwich” to guinea fowl, sweetbreads or a perfect steak frites. Co-owner and general manager Renée Deschenes, for her part, oversees a solid front-of-house team while providing an exceedingly warm and welcoming brand of hospitality and keeping a very well-stocked wine cellar. (374 Victoria)

9. Kitano Shokudo

Ask your favourite chef what their favourite restaurant in town is and Kitano Shokudo is likely to come up. Run by chef Hiroshi Kitano, this Plateau restaurant is best known for its high-quality ingredients (some shipped from Japan, much sourced locally) and the enticing, seasonal menu that brings together regional staples from the whole of Japan. Fish is nearly always the star with jewel-box-esque chirashi bowls overflowing with colourful sashimi, but don’t miss the richly-flavoured shoyu ramen or crispy karaage. The specials are always worth ordering and they vary from wild boar mapo tofu to uni carbonara and the infamous confit duck leg. Easily one of the best Japanese restaurants in the province. (143 Mont-Royal E.)

10. Gia

Arguably the crown jewel of the Nora Gray/Elena group, Gia is an emphatic embrace of Tuscany and Abruzzo, and represents the owners’ many years of dedication to bringing the best of Italy to Montreal. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant’s casual and convivial vibe is rooted in the Abruzzese tradition of grilling arrosticini (small skewers of meat cooked over charcoal) and drinking generous amounts of wine. The kitchen is run by co-owner and Elena mainstay Janice Tiefenbach alongside Chef de Cuisine Conrad Charron, while the front of house is overseen by Lawrence (Larry) Fiset, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the world of wine makes his list one of the best and most interesting in town. Pop in for a full meal or pull up to “Wine Island” for a few bites and a glass or two of vino. (1025 Lenoir)

11. Bar-St-Denis

Though Bar-St-Denis may have started as a watering hole with elevated bar food, Emily Homsy and David Gauthier’s eatery has clearly evolved to become one of Montreal’s best and most innovative restaurants. Having recently made its way onto Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, this regular haunt for industry folk and Little Italy locals has built its reputation on its easygoing atmosphere, genuine hospitality and undeniably excellent food. Inventive, iconoclastic and invariably delicious, a meal at Bar-St-Denis is always guaranteed to surprise and delight. (6966 St-Denis)

12. Taverne on the Square

For over 20 years, Taverne on the Square has been a beloved fixture of the Westmount dining scene. As classic as they come, Taverne’s intimate and elegant dining room, with its spectacular curved banquettes and expertly draped white tablecloths, is among the most attractive in the city. Chef Stephen Leslie built his reputation on sourcing the best ingredients and puts together pitch-perfect renditions of tried-and-true dishes like salmon tartare, mac n’ cheese (theirs uses 18-month aged Comté) and Caesar salad. Unfussy and incredibly consistent, it rarely misses. Co-owner Jon Cercone’s wine list also deserves a special mention, as it’s filled with an abundance of rare and sought-after wines. (1 Westmount Square)

13. Bottega

Having first opened its doors back in 2006, Bottega has spent the last 18 years building its reputation for having the best Neapolitan pizza in Montreal. Run by the Covones (a stalwart family of Little Italy responsible for Il Mulino, Hostaria and San Gennaro), Bottega is an institution and the restaurant credited with setting a new standard for wood-fired pizzas in Montreal. Expect professional yet warm service, white tablecloths and perfectly blistered pizzas topped with the very best ingredients. The Sfizi (small sides) deserve a special mention, as does the wine list, which blends Italian classics with a well-chosen collection of natural wines. (65 St-Zotique E.)

14. Monarque

Since opening in 2018, the Old-port Brasserie run by Executive Chef Jérémie Bastien and his father, Leméac’s Richard Bastien has become an incontournable. Designed by celebrated architect Alain Carle (Milos, Harricana, Vol de Nuit), its look is stunningly sophisticated and timeless despite its modernity. Bastien’s menu is French but does away with conventional brasserie food for something more upscale, refined and better suited to the grandeur of the dining room. (406 St-Jacques)

15. Damas

Fouad Alnirabie’s Outremont institution is a love letter to Syrian cuisine and one of the most elegant and elaborate dining experiences in town. While you can easily opt for a tour of classic kebabs and mezze, the best way to experience Damas is by the sensationally delicious 10-course tasting menu. Abundant in delicious bites of land and seam it can include, at any time, perfectly prepared lamb, charred octopus, or succulent shrimp fragrant with Aleppo pepper, garlic, and tahini. The food’s only equals are the beautifully ornate dining room and the wine cellar which holds some of the city’s rarest and most coveted bottles. (1201 Van Horne)

16. Marcus

Among Montreal’s most beautiful restaurants, Marcus (named after celebrity chef/owner Marcus Samuelsson) is all about the finer things. Located inside the lavish Four Seasons Hotel and designed by Zébulon Perron, the restaurant has a swank and distinctly coastal feel. Executive chef Jason Morris (ex-Fantôme and Pastel) runs one of the city’s tightest brigades, and his menu concentrates on exceptionally high-quality fish and seafood prepared with finesse and intention. The cocktail program deserves a special mention (it’s spectacular) as does the terrasse, which is easily one of the best in town. A place to see and be seen. (1440 de la Montagne)

17. L’Express

The bistro that needs no introduction. Open since 1980, l’Express is perhaps the city’s most beloved dining institution. Classic French fare like steak frites and rognons de veau are served in the generously lit, Luc Laporte-designed dining room. While the restaurant isn’t known for being particularly innovative, the daily specials have gotten a lot more playful in recent years and have graduated from casual curiosities to frequently must-order dishes. 44 years after its opening, l’Express feels refreshed and reinvigorated and may be better than it has been in some time. (3927 St-Denis)

18. Chez Jean-Paul

Chef Isael Gadoua’s understated Rosemont resto remains one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Known for his somewhat eclectic ingredient pairings, his rock-solid cooking brings precision and harmony to each dish. French in technique, the cooking features influences from around the world and even some from Jean-Paul himself — Gadoua’s grandfather, after whom the restaurant is named. From beautiful veal tongue in sauce ravigote to Sommelier Laurent Blanchet’s (ex-Pullman) wine list, which is carefully constructed and full of trusted producers along with new discoveries, Chez Jean-Paul has the casual sophistication that great Montreal restaurants are known for. (1141 Bélanger)

19. Juliette Plaza

Montreal Plaza’s little sister Juliette is the fourth project by chef Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson. As the wine bar counterpart to Montreal Plaza, Juliette’s menu is more compact, featuring a handful of snacks in Crête’s signature iconoclastic style — think cocktail weenies with bacon and vegetable glaze or the “Red Lobster” scallops — and some more substantial plates fit for sharing (eg. lamb belly with labneh and chickpeas). The cocktail program is especially good, but with two wine lists (Montreal Plaza’s and Juliette’s own), wine is definitely the main draw. (6220 St-Hubert)

20. Moishes

When Sportscene Group purchased the legendary 85-year-old steakhouse from second-generation owner Lenny Lighter in 2018, many skeptics thought that the legacy was over. After a prolonged hiatus during the pandemic (which was partially due to difficulty landing a location), Moishes reopened in Square-Victoria last year. Moishes 2.0 comes with a spectacular and lavishly chandeliered dining room, a swank curved bar and evocative, city-inspired frescos on every other wall. Regulars will be glad to know that a meal at Moishes still begins with the house coleslaw and the hearty dill pickles. The steaks (especially the rib eye) remain Moishes’ main draw, and deservedly so. Generously cut, grilled to your liking and served with your choice of sauce, they’re everything you could want in a cut of beef. (1001 Square-Victoria)

21. Keung Kee

Keung Kee’s relatively unmarked second-floor location, on the busy part of de la Gauchetière in the heart of Chinatown, means it’s an easy enough place to overlook. However, for those in the know, the restaurant is a mainstay for Cantonese-style seafood and a hub for celebratory meals. There’s little to talk about in terms of decor and ambiance, but the food is phenomenal. The menu is on the large side, so look around the room to see what folks are eating and don’t be shy to inquire about seasonal specials. Stand-out dishes include the famous lobster noodles, clams in black bean sauce or steamed razor clams with vermicelli and fried garlic. (70 de la Gauchetière W.)

22. Marci

Yes, another pizza and natural wine spot — but a great one, I promise! Recently opened on the St-Hubert Plaza, Marci is an ode to 1960s Italian sports bars, vintage Americana and New Jersey. Bringing together a bunch of serial restaurateurs (including David Schmidt and ​​Hideyuki Imaizumi), it’s the fist restaurant for chef Alex Geoffrion, who has spent the last few years honing his pizza chops in Montreal and stateside. The menu is short and sweet and features dishes like clams casino, a punchy, anchovy-laden caesar salad and exceptionally crispy Jersey-style pizzas. In addition to the food, there’s a solid wine list and a bangin’ sound system. (6600 St-Hubert)

23. Daou

Lauded by many for serving the best Lebanese food in Montreal, this Ville Saint-Laurent institution has been feeding the community excellent and uncompromising meals since 1975. While the storefront on Marcel-Laurin (which is in front of a cheap motel and opposite a car mechanic) doesn’t necessarily inspire, the sensationally good food, warm and professional service and even the charmingly elegant interior (which screams 1975 but in the best way) make up for it. All the Lebanese classics are on display here and they’re all good, but the artfully cross-hatched kibbe nayyeh, hand-rolled yabrak (stuffed vine leaves) and kefta are the standouts. (2373 Marcel-Laurin)

24. maps pizza

Montreal remains squarely in its pizz-aissance with new pizza places and pop-ups opening regularly, which begs the question, “When, if ever, will we reach pizza perfection?” maps, a recently open project from pizzaiolos Percy Carrière and David Reily, might be as close as we’re likely to get. The house specialty is 16-inch crispy, thin-crust pies with beautifully bubbled crust covered in a lacy char. Toppings are classic — Margherita, pepperoni, sausage etc. — and while all the pies are great, the bianca, a “white” pie dressed with garlic and lemon cream sauce, is special. (8501 St-Denis)

25. Bar Vivar

A Spanish taberna by two Joe Beef alumni. After spending the better part of a year living in Spain, chef Georges Greiche returned to Montreal obsessed with the country’s humble yet diverse regional cooking. Joining Greiche in the venture is co-owner and sommelier Patrick Oakes, who has put together a robust selection of Spanish wines and vermouth. The menu features tapas classics like the silky smoked-paprika-laced tortilla de patatas, plates of paper-thin Jamón Ibérico sliced by hand to order and golden croquetas, alongside more inventive dishes like the bagel calmar — a St. Viateur bagel topped with fried calamari, aioli and spicy salsa brava. (533 Duluth E.)

For more on the Montreal restaurant scene, please visit the Food & Drink section.

Posted in Food & Drink

by Clay Sandhu

Food Editor
Clayton Sandhu is what you might call a tasteful glutton who happens to write about food. When not cooking in restaurant kitchens or pouring natural wines, he can be found eating well, drinking well and enjoying a leisurely lunch.