Michelin Star predictions: 23 Montreal restaurants that might make the cut

As we eagerly anticipate the release of the MICHELIN Guide for Quebec in 2025, here are our predictions for which Montreal restaurants might earn this coveted recognition.

Controversial as it may be, a Michelin Star remains one of the most prestigious accolades in the culinary world, awarded to restaurants that showcase outstanding cooking based on five universal criteria: ingredient quality, harmony of flavours, mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and consistency across the menu over time.

While we don’t expect any Montreal restaurants to earn 3 or even 2 stars, the following restaurants include potential 1-star locks and standout Bib Gourmand options:

1 STAR

Mon Lapin

As Canada’s reigning best restaurant (according to Canada’s 100 Best), Marc-Olivier Frappier and Vanya Filipovic’s Little Italy spot is a likely 1-star lock. Frappier and co-executive chef Jessica Noël’s menu has a clear identity and consistently delivers thought-provoking, exceptionally rendered food.

Toqué

While Toqué has fallen further down best restaurant lists in recent years, Normand Laprise’s fine-dining institution has been one of the city’s most respected tables since 2005. An easy lock for quality, consistency and personality.

Mastard

Chef Simon Mathys’s ode to seasonal Boreal cuisine has made Mastard an industry darling. Meticulously sourced ingredients, refined execution and a concept with Michelin written all over it.

Beba

While potentially too casual or understated for a 1-star distinction, Ari and Pablo Schor’s Verdun restaurant is both a deeply personal reflection of their cultural heritage and a masterclass in ingredient sourcing and intentional cooking. If merit truly comes from what’s on the plate, Beba is an easy lock.

Le Mousso

Let’s be honest — Michelin has a type, and that type is le Mousso. Run by the iconoclastic, self-taught chef Antonin Mousseau-Rivard, le Mousso is a product of the Golden Era of Nordic cooking, rendered with the very best local ingredients. From artful plating (and the hand-thrown ceramic plates themselves) to the overall refinement of the dishes, le Mousso is another easy prediction.

Île Flottante

Chef Sean Murray Smith’s Expo 67-influenced restaurant on St-Viateur has been charming locals and visiting gastronomes since opening in 2017. If there’s such a thing as “Oscar bait” in dining, then Île Flottante is Michelin bait. Smith is best known for awe-inspiringly beautiful presentations of delicious (if a bit eccentric) dishes and a tasting menu with the best value for money in town.

Lawrence

Sourcing the best quality local ingredients has been part of Lawrence’s DNA since it opened in 2010. Historically, Chef Marc Cohen focused on serving hearty dishes made of quality Quebec meat and vegetables with a noted British inflection. Since moving operations to a smaller storefront, running the kitchen solo and broadening his influences, Lawrence has become one of Montreal’s most thoughtful, refined and best-executed restaurants. Certainly deserving of a star.

Candide

“Love and precision, warmth and refinement, but in the end, Candide is an excuse to make people smile.” John Winter Russell’s celebrated restaurant is always carefully considered and thoughtfully executed. It’s got all the makings of a Michelin-star restaurant.

Bouillon Bilk

Bouillon Bilk is all about nuance, precision and finesse. Having recently moved to a new location, they’ve only dialled things up. This is a highly skilled, highly technical team putting out beautifully intricate dishes. Seems ripe for a star.

Marcus

Chef Jason Morris is an ingredient obsessive, overseeing a kitchen that regularly works with the highest quality seafood available in Canada. While Marcus’s supper-club reputation might preclude it from a star, the seriousness of the food makes a legitimate argument for recognition.

Joe Beef

If identity, consistency and legacy (not to mention good eats) have any bearing on who merits a star, then Joe Beef is an absolute lock. Since 2005, Joe Beef has been a taste-making restaurant that has not only redefined Montreal’s dining culture but has influenced chefs and restaurants around the world.

Jun-I

Among Montreal’s premier sushi restaurants, it’s one of the few local Japanese spots operating at a 1-star level. Chef Junichi Ikematsu’s style combines Japanese and French techniques to create a cuisine that is entirely his own.

Hoogan & Beaufort

Having recently cooked for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, Marc-André Jetté’s pedigree is only growing. Refined wood-fire cooking, artful plating and a focused Quebec-forward identity.

Okeya Kyujiro

Montreal’s first reservation-only Omakase restaurant specializing in Edomae sushi. Using exceptional quality fish imported from Japan and sourced locally, the restaurant would follow in the footsteps of many high-end sushiyas, including Okeya Kyujiro’s Vancouver location, which earned 1 star earlier this year.

Hélicoptère

Easily Hochelaga’s top fine-dining destination, Hélicoptère operates at a 1-star level with its innovative seasonal menus. Chefs David Ollu, Natacha Lehmann and Youri Bussières-Fournel bring a unique style that blends local ingredients with creative, vegetable-forward dishes, offering an elevated and thoughtful dining experience.

Montréal Plaza

Founded by Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson, Montréal Plaza is a confluence of their culinary prowess and Crête’s unmistakably playful personality. Known for its eclectic menu, the chefs combine classic French techniques with global influences. A likely 1-star based on the chefs’ pedigrees, the clear identity and the quality of the food.

Cabaret l’Enfer

Led by Massimo Piedimonte, Cabaret l’Enfer delivers an innovative, often unorthodox and always playful dining experience rooted in traditional Italian cooking. Piedimonte, who cut his teeth at Maison Boulud, le Mousso and Noma, comes with a Michelin-level pedigree. There’s personality in spades here and tons of technique to back it up — an easy pick for a star.

Maison Boulud

Daniel Boulud’s Ritz-Carlton restaurant is about as sophisticated and refined as they come. Boulud himself is no stranger to Michelin (2 for his eponymous Manhattan restaurant Daniel, and 1 each for le Pavillon and Joji) so he certainly has an understanding of what it takes to get a star — though his Toronto outpost, Café Boulud, was noticeably omitted from the Toronto guide. 

BIB GOURMAND

The Bib Gourmand category recognizes “restaurants that offer high-quality food at a reasonable price.” This somewhat nebulous description is usually awarded to high-calibre restaurants providing a more casual experience.

Bar St. Denis

BSD is easily one of the city’s best tables, thanks to the consistently inventive and brilliantly executed food by chef and co-owner David Gauthier. The bar backdrop, however, hurts its star potential.

Pichai

Jesse Grasso’s considered take on regional Thai fare is as focused and quality-driven as any on this list, though the casual nature of the restaurant likely precludes it from earning a star.

Le Vin Papillon

While at least one of the Joe Beef group restaurants is likely to get a star (my money is on the flagship), the more casual Vin Papillon is an obvious Bib Gourmand lock.

Casavant

Bustling energy, beautiful food and a stunning dining room — Casavant has plenty going for it. After a year or so of praise and nods, the Villeray bistro deserves a Bib Gourmand mention.

Alma

Since shifting their focus from Italy and Catalonia to chef and co-owner Juan Lopez-Luna’s native Mexico, the level of precision, intention and personality has skyrocketed. Alma is Bib Gourmand at a minimum and a good candidate for a star.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Key to the star rating system is “consistency over time.” Restaurants are usually visited multiple times before they are eligible to earn a star. Below is a selection of restaurants that might not make the list this year but likely will in the next edition of the guide.

• Le Violon
• Hiatus  
• Dorsia  
• Panacée

For more on the MICHELIN Guide, please visit their website. This article was originally published in the Dec. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

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