Montreal is known as a foodie city for good reason. With such a multicultural population, French history, and neighbourhoods from Little Italy, to Chinatown, to a Little Maghreb, the cuisine from just about every country under the sun can be found here. Why not give the city of Montreal a try on your next vacation? There’s plenty to eat, drink, and explore in the city of Montreal. Here are our top three reasons why you should explore the Montreal food scene.
3 Reasons to Explore the Montreal Food Scene
1. The Celebrity Chef Experience
Chef Antonio Park of Park restaurant was born in Argentina but is Korean by descent. During his youth, he moved all over South America before settling in Canada and eventually headed to Japan for culinary school. His food manages to blend all the flavours that influenced him around the world into modern Japanese and Korean dishes. Meanwhile, over at Lawrence restaurant, chef Marc Cohen is more of a minimalist and serves simple British cuisine where just about everything is homemade. Cohen even has a butcher shop where every piece of meat is sourced from local farmers.
Even some of the newer restaurants in Montreal are starting to get recognition. Lattuca Barbecue is an authentic Southern-style barbecue joint where you can feast on brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Inside the W hotel is ê.a.t. (être avec toi) which combines art and food. Curious? The dining room is literally one giant canvas with murals, paintings, sculptures and installations by multiple artists. The menu here is mainly seafood-based but there are other options available. Come here to get a sense of the trendy Montreal food and drink scene.
2. Lots of Trendy Places for a Cocktail (or two)
Although you can buy alcohol at retail shops throughout the city, it’s much more exciting to have cocktails at the trendiest bars. La Distillerie has three locations in the city but we suggest going early since they all fill up fast. If you’re not sure what drink to choose, their menu explains how strong and sweet your beverage will be. If you are in the mood for something more classic, one of the most popular bars in the city is the Dominion Square Tavern where the long bar, bar stools, and decor is meant to be a throwback to the 1920’s.
Since Montreal is a multicultural city, there are plenty of international drinking experiences that can be had locally. Imadake is an Izakaya (Japanese pub) where the experience begins right away since the staff cheers as soon as you arrive. Imadake has been voted the best Japanese restaurant in the city and has the largest selection of sakes and Japanese whisky in the city. Over in Old Montreal is Santos, an upscale tapas bar with nightly DJs. The chic ambiance and lively atmosphere are especially popular on Tuesday’s when it’s ladies night.
3. All the Poutine
Find cheap flights to MontrealCanadians love poutine and there’s no better place to have it than Montreal. French fries topped with cheese curds and covered with hot gravy is a Canadian classic and is even celebrated with a weeklong festival in the city. If you only have time for one poutine, head over to La Banquise where any of their 30 different kinds of poutine could do you no wrong (except for maybe, your cholesterol levels). It’s a staple when it comes to Montreal food!
If you’re looking for a high-end version of poutine, try the lobster poutine at Le Garde-Manger. This is the dish that helped seal the win for Chuck Hayes on Iron Chef America. Over at Au Pied de Cochon, French cuisine meets excess with their foie gras poutine. If you just want a classic poutine then the Montreal Pool Room is the place to be since they’ve been around since 1912!
Liked this list of Montreal food? Check out our other guides on Montreal.
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