Montreal, Quebec

[ol_ironstomach]

That having been said, I thought Pinxto was terrific, and might have been the best tapas I've ever had (including in Madrid).

We enjoyed our meal, although the individual presentations were a bit small and precious for tapas. It struck me as peculiar that a restaurant named Pintxo would not have a single example of Txakoli on the wine list (I asked the GM, who apologized that it's apparently very hard to come by in la belle province...blame SAQ). Even on the bar side, don't expect to find the plates of crostini resting on the bar...there were none on offer, nor any bocadillos.

What was on offer was quite enjoyable, even it if sometimes strayed closer to French cuisine than to Basque. It would have been nice to have at least one grilled octopus dish instead of poached. The fresh marinated sardine used a piece of filet from a rather larger sardine, instead of the customary small ones. The snails were the right size, but whole. The would-be morcilla de Burgos was devoid of filler, really more of a scattered boudin noir, although still very delicious. But the strawberry gazpacho was excellent this time of year, and the bakalao was a nice combination of flavors and textures, with a thick and well-crisped piece of skin on top.

If you're accustomed to the typically bar-food style of Jaleo, then this is an interesting change of pace. But don't expect to be transported to San Sebastián either.

[porcupine]

We enjoyed our meal, although the individual presentations were a bit small and precious for tapas. It struck me as peculiar that a restaurant named Pintxo...

Maybe because they're supposed to be pintxos and not tapas?

For anyone researching, this is a good resource: RestoMontreal

[Ericandblueboy]

APdC is crazy. People wait for it to open at 5 p.m. The place is small and we cannot push the stroller through the front because of a tight corner, so they opened a floor-length window and we carried our sleeping daughter/stroller through the window. At least during the summer, there are lots of seafood, a tank of dungeness crabs and a tank of lobsters vie for space with oysters, clams, whelks, sea urchin, mussels, snails, etc. on ice. Of course I had to order a seafood platter, even though the smallest one is $55 and I have no chance of finishing it by myself. On this platter were (i) sea urchin in a green creme, with rice crispy and chives, (ii) crawfish, (iii) cooked mussels, (iv) warm cooked sea snails, (v) chopped whelk, (vi) cold chopped sea snails, (vii) oysters, (viii) clams, and (ix) octopus salad. My favorite was probably the mussels, even though they were cold, had great flavor. My daughter actually ate a couple of the hot sea snails that I pulled out with a long toothpick

[Ericandblueboy]

Next came the cochonnailles platter, a variety of cooked organ meats and headcheeses.....I was already pretty full from devouring more than half of the seafood platter by myself (okay, with a little help from my daughter), so I only sampled these. They were generally good, nothing fantastic, and pretty cheap at $10.

[Ericandblueboy]

In the mean time, my wife ordered a goat cheese salad and a tuna tartar or something and 1000yregg was somewhere in the back of the joint with his group of 8 eating even crazier shit. Lastly I had the duck in a can. I've been told this dish doesn't taste all that fantastic and I have to somewhat agree. The duck is the culprit, while I don't know how they cook a duck in a can to medium, it was nevertheless tough. Alan Richman (of GQ) recently reported on many restaurants on Paris and he complained about a tough duck, to which the chef replied something along the line of - you need to practice chewing. Anyway, the foie gras was nice, so was the stewed veggies, mostly cabbage and carrots I believe. It's a memorable meal, if not a fantastic meal. The question is when will I get back there....I might have to tag along with 1000yregg next time

[Ericandblueboy]

There other 2 dinners sandwiching APdC were at Les 400 Coups and Cafe Ferreira. On Saturday, the day of our arrival, we went to dinner at L4C (presumably named after the Truffaut movie). L4C is in Old Montreal, a fairly new and well regarded restaurant. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed. They don't have high chairs so our daughter ate in her stroller. I started with a hibiscus beer (why not, never had one before) and it was refreshing for an unusually hot day in Montreal (high 80s and humid). Our appetizers were Mozzarella di Buffala, Beef Tartar (with mustard ice cream), and Salmon Gravlax. The mozzerella was very watery, which I don't particularly like, but more importantly, my wife also didn't care for it. The beef tartar was good but the salmon was as bland as salmon gravlox can get. My real disappointment was with my "Mr. Pettinicchi’s Splelt Spaghetti - fresh Gaspesie shrimps, tomatoes, kale, sea urchin butter" - overcooked spaghetti, overcooked small shrimp, with a slight hint of sea urchin flavor. Prior to visiting Montreal, I did ask on Chowhound if any restaurant in Montreal does sea urchin pasta and the answer was basically "no." I believe my wife enjoyed her scallops and pork but I'm not sure because our daughter threw up a little bit after trying my pasta.....coincidence?

The last dinner was at Cafe Ferreira, a well known Portuguese restaurant, known for its food and high prices. It's nicely decorated, with colorful tiles that reminds me more of Mexico than Lisbon but I'm not an interior decorator. I started with fleur de sel roasted sardines filets and crudo of seabass, and finished with clams cataplana. The appetizers were nothing special but the entree was amazing. I had no idea what a cataplana was before and now I'm interested in making it myself. It's both a pot and a recipe. The recipe is tomato based, kind of like a bouillabaisse, but spicier and better. The clams were big and tough but despite that, I would order it again to taste the soup base. They also offer the cataplana with fish or pork.

[1000yregg]

In the mean time, my wife ordered a goat cheese salad and a tuna tartar or something and 1000yregg was somewhere in the back of the joint with his group of 8 eating even crazier shit. Lastly I had the duck in a can. I've been told this dish doesn't taste all that fantastic and I have to somewhat agree. The duck is the culprit, while I don't know how they cook a duck in a can to medium, it was nevertheless tough. Alan Richman (of GQ) recently reported on many restaurants on Paris and he complained about a tough duck, to which the chef replied something along the line of - you need to practice chewing. Anyway, the foie gras was nice, so was the stewed veggies, mostly cabbage and carrots I believe. It's a memorable meal, if not a fantastic meal. The question is when will I get back there....I might have to tag along with 1000yregg next time

Our group had a couple noobies to APdC so we had some "old friends" from the menu: foie gras cromesquis (the soup dumpling/popper of foie), tarrogon bison tongue, foie gras poutine X2, codfish fritters, octopus salad, duck in a can, boudin, the plateau de plateau, and the big item, a tuna collar with morels/potatoes/onion rings. The collar was about 3 feet long, and the meat was unlike any tuna I've ever eaten- exquisitely tender, and full of flavor. I had so much seafood, that I actually felt a "seafood high" late in the meal.

We had a couple good bottles of La Tentation Beaujolais. Dessert was the dark chocolate pot de creme, creme brulee, and pouding chomeur.

Big groups- family style is the way to go to APdC.

[1000yregg]

I went up with friends & relatives to Montreal over Canada Day and the 4th of July and did some seriously great eating:

Le Filet- new resto from the folks who run Le Club Chasse et Pêche highlighting a lot of great, fresh seafood dishes. For starters we had two sets of Canadian oysters- Eel Lakes (Nova Scotia) served with soy & citrus jelly and briny Beausoleils (New Brunswick) prepared slightly warmed with Hon Shimeji mushroom, truffle oil, & oyster cream, and we had raw fluke with wasabi, Japanese plum, & cucumber. For our mains we ordered off a part of the menu called "Amphibians", items mixing proteins from land and sea. We ordered two items with seafood & offal- sweetbreads, lobster salad, mozzarella, and eggplant puree & spicy grilled octopus, bone marrow, and cherry tomatoes. Dessert was rhubarb pie with white chocolate ice cream. Great meal- highly recommended. pics

Ta (Tourtiere Australienne)- opened last year by someone from Australia making traditional Aussie style pies. We tried the "Ned Kelly" (beef, bacon, egg, cheese) topped with mushy peas, mash, and gravy, and a vegetable curry pie. Great selection of pies perfect for lunch. We also enjoyed their desserts- an Afghan cookie (a dark Belgian cocoa and cornflake cookie, covered with bittersweet chocolate) and a Lamington. pics

Joe Beef This new place is like the little brother to Au Pied De Cochon. It's got the same over the top food philosophy. It's probably most well known for the foie gras Double Down, a take on the KFC wrongness with lobes of deep fried foie replacing the chicken breasts. We ate here on Canada Day and it was great. We were seated in their back garden at a stone table surrounded by fresh herbs and parked near their giant box smoker. It was perfect for the warm summer evening. We had the double down- it was amazing- like Southern fried foie gras, bacon and cheese between the lobes and a honey sauce. So rich, so good. Our other starters were a foie gras confit with rhubarb, their garlic duck fat fries, and Smorgasburg toast, a display of their smoked seafood, oyster, quail egg.

We had lobster spaghetti with a giant fresh lobster and a sauce made with lobster that was wonderful. We also got a giant portion of schnitzel with radishes, mash, and girotte mushrooms, a tender porchetta with root veggies, cavatelli in a creamy sauce with morels, and a horse filet with an enormous veal marrow bone. Horse was a bit overdone & dry, but the whole meal itself was awesome. Dessert was Bavarian creme with rhubarb.

Chef David McMillan chatted with us after the meal- nice guy. The Joe Beef cookbook comes out this fall with an intro by David Chang.

pics

[Ericandblueboy]

Bizarre Food does Montreal. Anyone who wants to eat well in Montreal should watch the episode. I have to go back and try DNA & Joe Beef. I would've on the last trip except they don't open until 6 p.m., which is late for my 1.25 year old.

[1000yregg]

More from our Montreal trip:

Here are the pics from Au Pied De Cochon- the tuna collar was amazing

We had poutine with Szechuan peppercorn gravy at La Cantine.

Another great find was Le Comptoir Charcuterie et Vins, a small casual restaurant that makes their own charcuterie. The also have a great wine selection. We had their housemade charcuterie plate that included saucisson sec, foie gras pate, country pate, sopressata, chorizo, and something like scrapple. For our mains, we had beef heart confit served chilled topped with a salad of octopus & potatoes with a red wine emulsion and a boudin tart with a shallot confit, bacon and "soft boiled egg". For dessert, we got a marquise au chocolat with strawberries, rhubarb and a hazelnut tuile. pics

Lastly, had a more laid back meal at Retaurant Le Plaza. Read about it here. My fav was the "Yankee toast" aka french toast with molasses & ice cream.

[porcupine]

If you're in Montreal and looking for a good cup, you can't beat this resource. A thousand blessings on its creator.

[1000yregg]

If you're in Montreal and looking for a good cup, you can't beat this resource. A thousand blessings on its creator.

I love Cafe Myriade near the art museum.

[porcupine]

This time around Au Cinquième Péché was a real disappointment. The new space is nice enough, but the menu focused on unusual preparations of meat and seafood. There was no sign of the former loving attention to local vegetables that had me loving the place five years ago. Steve's sweet potato gnocchi were heavy and bland, and there was no unity to the dish - just a mishmash of vegetables. I had a bison preparation that was fine, but I can't recall any details other than thinking that it was tasty and perfectly medium rare, but boring.

Pintxo, though, was as good as we remembered, if not better. I didn't take notes that night, but I think we tried a total of eight dishes. The asparagus was too soft, but that's the only complaint I can remember. Other than that we thought it the best food of our trip. The strawberry gazpacho is just awesome.

Le Quartier Général, a BYOB place, was also excellent. My only complaint was that once it got busy, service slowed dramatically. After waiting half an hour for dessert, we flagged the waiter. He'd clearly forgotten but hurried the order through. I never did get my coffee, though.

We had gnocchi parisienne with tomato chutney ("good potato flavor, nice texture," Steve said) and shredded pork imperial rolls to start. The shredded pork was as rich as confit, which could have been overwhelming, but they were served on a bed of lightly vinegared quinoa salad, which cut the richness. Steve had shrimp and scallops for a main course. He hoovered them up, so they must've been good (he's very fussy about seafood; if they'd been less than excellent, he would've left some behind). I had a perfectly cooked lamb shank on barley risotto - not the kind of dish that I normally eat in 90 degree weather, but I ordered it because of the accompanying salad of fennel and orange with (I think) currants and a sweet-sour dressing. A frozen nougat dessert was a refreshing if rather rich way to finish.

We had no breakfast or lunch worth writing about. Marché Jean Talon is still a good place for a snack, and Le Fromentier still has something like the best bread anywhere. I spent awhile trying to talk the owner into opening a branch in the DC area, but sadly it was all casual banter. If only I had the money to be one of those angel investors... with a focus on food.

1000yregg, thanks for the tip on La Cantine. Sadly, they only serve poutine at dinner.

[xdcx]

Bizarre Food does Montreal. Anyone who wants to eat well in Montreal should watch the episode. I have to go back and try DNA & Joe Beef. I would've on the last trip except they don't open until 6 p.m., which is late for my 1.25 year old.

we just got back and tried both. both are exceptional and I liked them more than PDC. DNA was interesting because everything changes weekly and only local. We had an insanely good creme brulee with a local Quebec herb/flower. Grilled pig heart and roasted suckling pig complete with cracklin.

[acgator]

So it might be overkill with the APDC posts...but my buddies and I just got back from a rather extensive bachelor party in Montreal. My friends are, should we say, less inclined to enjoy good as I am but they told me I had one night to plan that they would humor me. After reading this board (and watching Bourdain on No Reservations) I felt like we had to go to APDC right?

We went on a Wednesday night (It was the Iron Man of Bachelor Parties - Wednesday through Monday) since we figured we'd be drinking most of the night we started with their house beer. It was ok but nothing special, best comparison I can think of is a decent american style lager. For apps we ordered the special of tomato salad with parmesan and foie gras poutine. The tomato was well seasoned, lots of oil and cheese, and the tomatoes were nice and ripe. The poutine was fantastic and rich, none of my dining compatriots had ever tried foie gras before and were suspicious of what I was trying to get them to eat but they quickly became converts. Both apps vanished before I could get my camera out to snap a picture.

For our entrees we went with the shepard's pie, pig head and a special wild mushroom rissoto of the night. The shepard's pie came served in a baking dish with braised pork and lamb, it was good but honestly I don't remember much about it because as soon as we started digging into it they wheeled this giant wheel of parmesan over to the table...clearly my attention turned there. It was a pretty spectacular show as they finished cooking the rissoto in the hollowed out cheese wheel, I saw copious amounts of butter and mushrooms dropped in as they viciously stirred. Put simply it was awesome, really deep earth flavors with the mushrooms and you could definitely taste the parmesan in the background.

As if our antics for the evening hadn't brought us enough attention, they then brought the famous pig head to the table. It was quite a spectacle, and it lived up to all the hype I had read about it on this board. The only thing that we didn't touch were the root vegetables served on the side...they were clearly inconsequential. Needless to say after such a meal my buddies and I waved the white flag, we simply lounged around out hotel suite in a food induced coma.

[Xochitl10]

I'm heading to Montreal in about five weeks to run the Rock&Roll half-marathon. Any recommendations for a good place to carb up the night before? I won't have a car and will be staying in Old Montreal.

[Xochitl10]

Montreal is a great city for runners. My hotel was not in Old Montreal, as it turned out, but was within easy walking distance. I basically spent the long weekend strolling down Rue McGill into Old Montreal for eats and ended up in a bit of a delightful rut.

On my first evening, I had a decent dinner at Chez Antoine in the Delta Centre-Ville, where I was staying. Penne tossed with garlic oil, tomatoes, spinach, and satueed mushrooms, plus a glass of Malbec was satisfying after a long train ride and carb-tastic in advance of the race. Eating got better with the next day's lunch at Olive & Gourmando: a hot panini of tomatoes, herb aioli, and Prince Edward Island sharp cheddar, eaten outside on a bench overlooking the harbor with a cappuccino. I got an almond croissant to eat while I went shopping. It was good and flaky, but the almond flavor was very subtle. I should've gotten another from another bakery at some point during the trip (you know, for science), but didn't. A good long walk got me in the mood for a hearty dinner, so I headed back to Restaurant Holder for dinner. Dinner started with a dry Manhattan and a bowl of thick gazpacho (with roasted tomatoes?), garnished with feta and Kalamata olives. My main was great: perfectly grilled salmon over mashed potatoes, surrounded by a lemony beurre blanc. Yum!

I started the next day with a return trip to Olive & Gourmando for breakfast: large cappuccino and granola with fresh fruit salad over plain yogurt. This was a lovely breakfast -- the fruit salad had perfectly ripe melon and pineapple and came with sprigs of fresh currants to be pulled off and mixed in with everything. I appreciated that the server located a bag of the house-made granola to show me after I asked whether it had certain nuts in it. Fueled up, I headed to the Jean-Talon market, which is every bit as fabulous as advertised. I bought my mother chocolates from Privilege Chocolatier and Azami and I a bottle of elderberry liqueur. Afterwards, I took a (really, really) long walk to St. Viateur for bagels. I got a whole wheat for race day and a sesame, which I ate on a bench outside. I don't know how I feel about Montreal bagels. Their texture is nice and chewy, but I haven't decided if I like the sweetness.

Dinner called for carbs, but not heavy, so I took myself back to Old Montreal and Mangiafoco. Mangiafoco is a relatively new pizzeria and mozzarella bar on Rue St-Paul. I started with mozzarella en carrozza, which came as a split grilled cheese sandwich (essentially) over a lightly dressed frisee salad -- delicious. My main was a prosciutto and arugula white pizza -- also delicious, although the crust was not very crisp. I finished with a small Mason jar of creamy, rich, delicious tiramisu -- so honking good.

Race day eats were nothing special (banana, yogurt, and St. Viateur whole wheat bagel for breakfast; the contents of my post-race snack bag for lunch) until dinner. I'd considered a number of options, but a) I hurt; and I wanted something comfortable, so I went back to Holder for a treat. And I've decided that a Hendricks Martini and steak frites are the perfect post-race meal. Holder's steak frites are a chewy, lovely hanger steak with a sauce of shallots and red wine under a massive pile of non-oily, shatteringly crisp fries. I moved on to a glass of serviceable Cab-Shiraz and the tasting plate of three Quebecois cheeses: Riopelle de l'Isle (Brie-like), Bleu Benedictin (what it says on the tin), and Tomme de Haut-Richelieu (a firm sheep's milk cheese). The cheeses were fabulous, especially the blue.

I finished my Montreal dining with a carryout breakfast from Cafe Presse -- a big, tasty fruit and yogurt parfait and a mediocre cappuccino (*sigh*). I also picked up a pain au chocolat for the train, which I enjoyed during the customs inspection.

[astrid]

We made a first time visit to Montreal to take advantage of July 4th holiday. Overall, very impressed by the food, though with three notable exceptions. Another nice thing is that even with the flood of New Yorkers and the Montreal Jazz festival, we were still able to book all the tables that we wanted (though Au Pied du Cochon required an 11 PM reservation) only a day or two in advance. The top tier places here are really good, and definitely cheaper than their US equivalents. Another thing I really like is that even though the restaurants were really good and the service was excellent, they still retain joie de vivre often missing from high end US restaurants that tend to be too serious about their *art*.

Le Filet - +1’s favorite and if we ever go back to Montreal we may make two reservations to have a complete survey of the menu. The comparison to a DC place might be Range – if Range executed everything perfectly and brings it to you seconds after its made. The space is also very cozy and relaxing.

Le Quartier General – probably my favorite. On paper it seems like a cliché of a black chalkboard bistro. But the food is so good and reasonably priced (especially as it is a BYOB) and the atmosphere is very convivial.

Le Club Chasse et Peche – the food and atmosphere is as good as Le Filet. We prefer Le Filet because we’re grazers who like a lot of small plate options, but this place would be great for a more formal romantic dinner.

Europea – on paper, this seems like another clique of a high concept, molecular gastronomy palace. But after a minor misstep at the beginning (stale truffle popcorn) the food was as good as the presentation. Though we ordered a la carte they gave us a lot of extras that we thought only came with their tasting menu.

Le Comptoir – very good value, nice atmosphere and service, terrific food

Pintxo – the portions were quite reasonable for the price and well prepared. Only quibble is that the food seem to have a similar flavor profile and started running together a little bit.

Au Cinquieme Peche – we stopped by for the novelty of its seal charcuterie plate, so we didn’t try much. But the service, cosy and not too boisterous atmosphere, and level of execution suggest that this would be a good place to return to.

Le Salle a Manger – very loud and boisterous, generous portions. But the still plenty tasty preparations were a little lacking in delicacy compared to other places.

Pastaga – my complaint is that their menu is a little limited and brunchy, but execution is as good as I’ve ever encountered for brunch. Their Frenched banana bread is the single best piece of brunch food I’ve ever eaten.

Restaurant Toque – I feel like if I could have ordered differently, I would have like RT much more. The limited lunch menu and high prices pushed us to order lamb shoulder and pulled pork filled crepes for mains. While those were well executed, they didn’t quite elevate them to another level of goodness, as good restaurants can sometimes do for boring sounding dishes. The appetizers were very good however. The rhubarb dessert I had was rather small and too precious.

Au Pied de Cochon – we were disappointed by APdC, especially given its outsized reputation (as others have mentioned, the restaurant is quite small and narrow). We had a strangely mushy and bland duck carpaccio. The $60 seafood platter was fresh but totally dominated by clams (at least 30 of various varieties and preparations) with only 4 oysters, a whelk, and two jars of frankly nasty periwinkles for variety. I would really have liked urchin or shrimp (the local shrimp are exceptionally tasty) or a couple raw scallops for variety. We didn’t think the seafood platter was particularly big. The bison tartare tamaki was pretty good and fried foie gras mousse was very good. The foie gras poutine is a well made poutine topped by a nicely seared piece of foie gras (our waiter was nice enough to get us an appetizer size portion to try). And the bread was the best thing we had at the place, it’s even better than Ashby Inn’s bread service.

Good

We enjoyed our ginormous poutines from Poutineville

Meh to Meh-est

St-Viateur Bagel – It was well made and warm, but I didn’t realize Montreal style bagel was so bready

Schwartz’s Deli – not very impressed with the smoked meat sandwich (kinda dry and less flavorful than Takeateasy’s version) and the stale fries lacked flavor

Maison Boloud – priced at a level where I demand mind blowing goodness, got good (but small) charcouterie, adequate (and small) burger, and meh (and small) portion of fries. The $38 steak tartare was a decent effort, but less tasty than $10-15 versions we encountered everywhere else in Montreal.

[lovehockey]

Just returned from a quick trip to Montreal.  While porcupine recommended RestoMontreal's website in 2011 I'll second it today.  It is a great resource, particularly the "Open on Mondays" option.

Our finer-dining choice was Bar & Boeuf (http://www.baretboeuf.com), located at 500 McGill near Victoria Square.  It is a place where you can find people in suits and dresses and people in more casual dress.  The space itself is nice and airy.

The SO had the French Onion Soup, which he enjoyed, and the Filet Mignon.  While it was cooked much more on the medium side of his desired medium well, he said that it was tender.  It came with a side of small potatoes and onions.  I had the bass with mixed vegetables.  The bass was cooked in a white butter sauce, and if you like butter as I do, it'll be your lucky day.  I have to say that I didn't expect the side of "mixed vegetables" to be potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, and some sort of fancy mushrooms (sorry, I'm not a mushroom aficionado).  The veggies came seasoned with more butter and flakes of salt, which made them very tasty.  Those flakes of salt were also served in a dish alongside butter when the bread was served earlier.

He loved his glass of Bourgogne, Pinot Noir, Franí§ois Mikulski 2012, and being a fan of Malbourough Sauvignon Blancs I was happy with my glass of Spy Valley 2013.

Alas, we had no room for dessert.

[porcupine]

Ce qui est nouveau í  Montréal?  Restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, things to do?

[astrid]

Our experience is above and I would go back to any of our top five in a heartbeat.  The only place we couldn't get reservations for and wished we could was Joe Beef.  Supposedly quite a temple to culinary excess.

Old town is very pretty and quite a nice walk. The botanical garden is huge and easily worth a day by itself.  The Jean Talon public market is very nice, I prefer it to Reading Terminal Market or Pike's Place.  The fine arts museum is large and interesting collection, I really love how it's curated.

[porcupine]

Mr. P decided he wanted a Montreal blowout for his birthday bash this year.  ISO really great restaurants but not fine dining.  I believe ol_I had something to report from last June <hint>.  Anyone else?  If it's a hot place I need to make a res soon, the trip is on the horizon.  Thanks.

[Rieux]

Years ago we had a fun mid-February meal at Fonduemental, which actually had pretty good Fondue.  I also recall liking the restaurant affiliated with the local culinary school (I think it was called L'Express).  There was a wine shop downstairs and you could bring in your own wine for free.  Prices were cheap, as all the front of house and back of house staff were students.

[rbh]

so a trip over memorial day weekend - we went to Olive & Gourmando once for lunch, another time for breakfast.  I had the Cuban panini for lunch and the egg breakfast panini for breakfast.  Very tasty.... coffee was quite good - but of course the reason to go is the pastries.

I've always liked Bonaparte in Old Town.... and this dinner was awesome.  We did the tasting menu.... I think it was 5 courses for ~$70CDN with a couple amuses thrown in .... wish I remembered the bottle of white we had (~$60CDN).... it was somewhere between a sancerre and a chenin blanc.  The tasting menu is a great value and between the two of us I think we were able to sample almost all the choices.

for childhood nostalgia's sake, also had lunch at St Huberts one day.  Think we had dinner at three brewers one night also.

highly recommend the Hotel San Sulpice in old town.  took avantage of the tourism montreal deal (buy 2 nights, get one half off) - and also the hotel's discounted rate at the scandanavian spa down the street.

[goldenticket]

In lieu of more traditional Turkey Day activities, we made a first visit to Montreal. Unfortunately there is no escaping Black Friday, as Vendredi Fou has made its way across the border. No turkey on the menu, but there was no shortage of good food.

Balsam Inn - newly opened in Downtown, next door to Dominion Square Tavern. Open late, great bar, cozy ambiance. Small plates menu with dishes meant to be shared. We particulary enjoyed the beef tartare and pan grilled squid. A fish soup was also tasty and featured generous chunks of trout in a hearty tomato base. The mushroom flatbread was a disppointment, especially since it was cooked in the woodfired oven.

Le Vin Papillon - in Little Burgundy, no reservation, veggie-focused, sister restaurant to Joe Beef and Liverpool House. Probably my favorite meal/spot of the trip. Dishes we tried include beet falafel, seven layer dip (this version has no sour cream, jalapenos, or guac), rotisserie cauliflower with chicken skin, and a duck egg with little grilled ham and cheese 'soldiers' for dipping. Lots of interesting wines by the glass - more detail about that in the "Best New Restaurants in Canada" article in the Air Canada inflight magazine. We arrived around 5:45 and were seated by 6:30.

Majestique - in the Plateau, near the intersection of Blvd. Saint-Laurent and rue Rachel. No reservations, but we were lucky to walk in at 8:00 and be seated immediately. Fantastic oysters, tartare de cheval ( ), bourgots (sea snails). Kitschy decor, reminiscent of a 70's paneled basement rec room. Very good service and a bar that looked like a fun place to be.

A few steps up the road is Big in Japan Bar, a speakeasy of sorts, worth a visit for a drink or two. We went on the early side and had no problem finding seats at the serpentine bar. Cocktails are pretty reasonably priced ($12 or less). There wasn't a lot of interaction with the staff, as the bartender is located at the bar which is somewhat separate from the large main room, and drinks are delivered by wait staff. They have a very limited food menu available.

The barely marked entrance is next to....

Patati Patata, a tiny little diner/friterie, right on the corner of Saint-Laurent and Rachel. The only place we had poutine, and mainly because La Banquise was closed for renovations. We were glad we wound up there though. We also tried a fish sandwich and a slider - for the quality you can't beat the price around $2 each. Plenty of people were in and out in a matter of minutes for carryout poutine. The breakfast menu looked good and included some breakfast poutine options.

Au Kouign Amman, on Ave. du Mont Royal E. A very small storefront with a few tables in addition to the bakery counter. The Kouign Amman, fresh from the oven, was more than worth the $1.95 price. The croissants looked amazing, as did everything else in the case, but we had to show some restraint. Bakers were working away in the back, rolling croissants as we waited to order.

Beauty's Luncheonette is a local institution. They serve up a hearty breakfast menu, with all the usual suspects, in a fast and efficient manner. The wait wasn't too long and the line was orderly despite the lack of a list. Fluffy pancakes, lotsa lox on the Beauty's Special. Maybe nothing that you wouldn't find at another diner, but it was a fun experience.

Portugalia - Portuguese grilled chicken in the Plateau, for carry out or dining in. Very good and very popular, as the menu notes to call an hour in advance.

Caffe San Simeon - a few blocks south of Marché Jean-Talon. They say it's the best espresso and cappucino in Little Italy. They may be right...

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Olive & Gourmando. It's busy, there is a wait, but it is worth it, in my opinion. I enjoyed the "Pomme de Luxe" panini - apple, Joe Beef Ham, and cheddar. It hit the spot on a very cold day.

We had the obligatory smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's. I think I prefer Stachowski's   We had some fantastic cheese from La Fromagerie Hamel and an indescribably good mushroom soup from a vendor at the Marché Jean-Talon (I need to look up the name).

Places we didn't get to that were recommended include Maison Publique, Lawrence, and Taza Flores.

ETA: L'Express - we didn't eat a full meal here, just a late dessert at the bar, but it is somewhere I would definitely return to on a future visit. The vibe is "très Franí§ais", as is the menu.

[lovehockey]

As for the section of the airport that is post-U.S. customs, don't expect much.  Starbucks, expensive Burger King, a locally-themed restaurant, and a sit-down restaurant called Houston's Steaks and Ribs which exists elsewhere (I know this because it's in Edmonton's domestic terminal).

[tentimesodds]

Anything in Downtown Montreal worth seeking out? I know about Schwarz's, but other non-fine dining places? Staying at the W this weekend for a bachelor party. Thanks in advance...

[Xochitl10]

I haven't been back to Montreal since 2012, but I enjoyed Restaurant Holder on rue McGill quite a lot when I was there. Delicious steak frites and a nice selection of Quebecois cheeses.

[DonRocks]

On 6/27/2016 at 1:38 PM, tentimesodds said:

Anything in Downtown Montreal worth seeking out? I know about Schwarz's, but other non-fine dining places? Staying at the W this weekend for a bachelor party. Thanks in advance...

Get a pound of smoked meat to go at Schwartz's, a half-dozen bagels at St.-Viateur, and have them for breakfast in your hotel room (cream cheese optional - I happen to love the combination, much to some people's consternation (*)) - there is no need to dine *in* either of these restaurants, or to waste a lunch or dinner dining there: Combine the best of both, and you'll have some of the best sandwiches you'll ever eat - all you'll need to worry about is your morning coffee.

Sit at the zinc bar at L'Express and have a terrific steak-frites (or whatever else strikes your fancy) with a glass of red Bordeaux.

(*) There is almost no conceptual difference between smoked meat and smoked salmon when it comes to bagels and cream cheese - people are very closed-minded about this combination, but it works, and it works well.

[Marty L.]

On 6/27/2016 at 1:38 PM, tentimesodds said:

Anything in Downtown Montreal worth seeking out? I know about Schwarz's, but other non-fine dining places? Staying at the W this weekend for a bachelor party. Thanks in advance...

I was just there.  Don't have time to describe my meals in detail, except to offer these three recommendations:

1. Le Quartier Général:  A couple of miles from downtown, but very nice walk.  Very pleasant, neighborhood place.  very solid; not spectacular--the sort of place where you would regularly go with friends if you lived in town.  (There's a review or two upthread here.)  NOTE:  BYOB (and everyone does).

2.  Bouillon Bilk:  It's downtown.  Excellent, very cutting-edge; and room at the bar if you're on your own.  Very high quality cooking, and a definite, very content buzz.

3.  This was my favorite meal not only of my trip, but of the past year or so, anywhere:  Le Comptoir, which was recommended by 1000yregg a page or so back.   http://comptoircharcuteriesetvins.ca/menus/#soir.  Put yourself at the bar, and in the hands of the young, enthusiastic folks there.  Great wine choices; *fantastic* charcuterie (order the small if by yourself), and amazing dishes.  Plus it's the most convivial place imaginable (or it was the night I was there, anyway).  A true slice of the city.  Everyone but me knew everyone else (or so it seemed); and they made me feel right at home.  I had the "Tataki loin of veal, sage puree, armillary, 
pickled radish, fried sweetbreads, marsala reduction," and the "Nantes carrots, bresaola, dried meringue 
with coriander seeds & coffee."  Both fantastic, especially the latter.  I know, you're thinking: carrots.  But trust me--you won't regret it.  And everything else looked scrumptious, too.  I'd gladly order everything on the menu.  Inventive, delicious, inspired, prepared and served with care and love.

[alexandria1]

While glancing into Ma Poule Mouillée last Friday, a random woman walked past me on the street, paused for a moment, and then turned around to tell me in several languages that this place had le meilleur poulet. That she had even been to Portugal, and this was the best. Naturally I insisted to my local friends that we eat there the following night, even though they guaranteed me there would be a long line and wait.  Sure enough, we arrived about 6:00 and did not get food until almost 7:30. Despite the crowds, we were able to get table easily as most people were getting carryout. I got the "Louis Cyr" plate, which is a half chicken, a big mound of fries, and a big salad. The chicken comes sauced and you can get extra "sauce piquante" on the side; as far as I could tell there was just one type of sauce available. The sauce is not all that spicy but is flavorful. The chicken was very good, the fries pretty good, and the salad...well, you don't come here to eat salad but part of it sat under the chicken in a way that caused the dressing to mix with the chicken sauce in an unpleasing way. Next time I would get the "Tony Alves". which is just a whole chicken. Also, I would get there ten minutes before opening.

Brigade down in the shopping area near Rue Sainte-Catherine had decent fast-casual pizza with actual non-conveyor ovens.

 

[mnnchas]

I'm heading to Montreal this spring with my family (wife and two kids under 9).  Does anyone have any recommendations for eating with the family?

I have Schwartz's for smoked mean and St. Viateur for bagels on my list already.  Thanks!

[DonRocks]

1 hour ago, mnnchas said:

I'm heading to Montreal this spring with my family (wife and two kids under 9).  Does anyone have any recommendations for eating with the family?

I have Schwartz's for smoked mean and St. Viateur for bagels on my list already.  Thanks!

Scroll up - there's a wealth of information in this thread, and I hope you get some more current recommendations as well. 

[Marty L.]

On 2/2/2019 at 10:16 PM, mnnchas said:

I'm heading to Montreal this spring with my family (wife and two kids under 9).  Does anyone have any recommendations for eating with the family?

I have Schwartz's for smoked mean and St. Viateur for bagels on my list already.  Thanks!

Just a head's up that, alas, Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins, about which I raved above, closed in 2017.

9 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Just a head's up that, alas, Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins, about which I raved above, closed in 2017.

A bit of research uncovers that the chef is now running this place, Comptoir Sainte-Cécile, which has only a few counter stools.  By the looks of it, I'd definitely check it out for a casual lunch or brunch.

[Count Bobulescu]

On 2/2/2019 at 10:16 PM, mnnchas said:

I'm heading to Montreal this spring with my family (wife and two kids under 9).  Does anyone have any recommendations for eating with the family?

I have Schwartz's for smoked mean and St. Viateur for bagels on my list already.  Thanks!

 

Never been, so can't offer any advice, but did hear something like the following on NPR, and would be interested in your impression on return.

 

When the Quebec independence movement was at its zenith many corporations with HQs in Montreal fled to Toronto. Years later the result is that the city's tax base has shrunk to the point where they can't afford to repair sidewalks and potholes, and are well on their way to becoming the Detroit of Canada.

 

I want to believe that's an exaggeration.........

[Mark Dedrick]

I'm headed to Montreal next month as well, so any current recommendations are definitely welcome! I'm reading through this thread now as well. Thanks. 

[smithhemb]

https://www.nouillesdelanzhou.com/

Cheap, great, atmospheric (fun people watching and a busy grocery store downstairs), be prepared to wait in line/outside (but not too long).  Veggie daughter was happy too.

Depending on the kids and what’s in season, Jean Talon market might be fun.  We had amazing corn on the cob and seascape strawberries, but this was in September (go figure!)

[Steve R.]

Its only January, but we just rented an apartment in Montreal for the month of May (we're driving up from NYC, stopping in Glens Falls for a couple of nights so my wife can revisit where she lived as a child).  At any rate, except for 3-4 nights in Quebec City, we'll be needing recommendations on restaurants, places to see, some nearby day trips, etc. to fill the month.  No need to recap what's already been said on this thread -- I've read every word of it & took notes.  But, if anyone has any place that they've eaten at in the past year or so that isn't one of the places that I should be expected to know about (I'm talkin' Joe Beef, Pied De Cochon, L'Express, Nora Gray, Le Quartier General....), please share (I'm looking at you mnnchas & Mark D.).  Same goes for Quebec City.  For other than eats, please send me a message if there's no other appropriate place on the boards.  Thanks.

[porcupine]

20 hours ago, Steve R. said:

Its only January, but we just rented an apartment in Montreal for the month of May (we're driving up from NYC, stopping in Glens Falls for a couple of nights so my wife can revisit where she lived as a child).  At any rate, except for 3-4 nights in Quebec City, we'll be needing recommendations on restaurants, places to see, some nearby day trips, etc. to fill the month.  No need to recap what's already been said on this thread -- I've read every word of it & took notes.  But, if anyone has any place that they've eaten at in the past year or so that isn't one of the places that I should be expected to know about (I'm talkin' Joe Beef, Pied De Cochon, L'Express, Nora Gray, Le Quartier General....), please share (I'm looking at you mnnchas & Mark D.).  Same goes for Quebec City.  For other than eats, please send me a message if there's no other appropriate place on the boards.  Thanks.

I've been spending a lot of time in Montreal recently (including right now). About two months total since last July. Ate at more than 30 different restaurants. Also know where to find the best coffee, patisserie, etc. in le Plateau. And markets, if you're going to be cooking. I could send you a link to the google map I've made of, well, everything.

Getting ready to head to the airport soon. Will try to write more once I've settled in there and have time to kill. If I forget, don't hesitate to ping me.

[Steve R.]

41 minutes ago, porcupine said:

I've been spending a lot of time in Montreal recently (including right now). About two months total since last July. Ate at more than 30 different restaurants. Also know where to find the best coffee, patisserie, etc. in le Plateau. And markets, if you're going to be cooking. I could send you a link to the google map I've made of, well, everything.

Getting ready to head to the airport soon. Will try to write more once I've settled in there and have time to kill. If I forget, don't hesitate to ping me.

Looking forward to your comments.  Much appreciated.

[porcupine]

I have a ton of information to share but not hours in which to do it. Tell me what neoghborhood you're staying in and what types of things you like to do, and I can get more specific. Also, do you have a dog? Montréal is not dog-friendly; good luck finding a place with a terrasse where you can dine with your dog.

For restaurants, take my suggestions with a grain of salt. I don't drink except a beer or glass of wine once or twice a month, and I don't care for formal dining. I do like original, innovative, creative food in almost any setting. In DC I prefer Tail Up Goat to Metier, to give you a metric. 

Favorite restaurants

• Le Chien Fumant
• Hélicoptère
• Damas
• La Maison de Mademoiselle Dumpling
• and if you must go more formal, Bouillon Bilk

I sent you a link to my google map which has more than 60 food-related places marked. If you want more detail about anything, just ask.

ps just noticed from Quebec thread that you're interested in wine bars.  Check out Alma in Outremont.

[weezy]

A friend of mine just opened Soupe des Artes, 1635 Clark, Montreal.  She's been in the biz for 30+ years in one form or another and is a fine, fine chef.   Soupe des Artes has a Facebook page and you can see what she's got on the menu for the day.   I haven't been here, but I can vouch for her cooking generally.

[Steve R.]

Got your map - great... thanks.

It seems that we're in the same range and interest, as we're a cross from upper moderate to store front mom & pop places. I'm an old Chowhound person & the key is finding interesting, tasty, well made & non-fussy food.  In NYC, that means from Flushing Chinatown dives & many ethnic enclaves up to Gramercy Tavern.  Just about never in the high end stuff (Per Se, etc).  Curious why everyone really loves Damas - we have many local Syrian, Lebanese, Yemen and other middle eastern places around us and we're definitely interested to go to find out.  

If you're curious about us and want to waste time, take a look at the listing I posted about our stay in Paris last May.  Sort of looks like your Montreal list in my opinion.  We get around, so we weren't so concerned about which neighborhood in Montreal to stay in.  We'll get to all of them, as well as some places outside of the city.  We rented an apt. in the high rise next to the Bell Center.  It's a 2 bedroom & has 2 bathrooms (crucial to our marriage remaining viable), has a garage parking space, a roof deck, a terrace and is over the Metro & underground city.  We'll do a lot of walking and get to both Atwater and Jean Talon Markets.  No dog (allergies).  Too much info?

Again, thanks.

eta: Weezy - thanks for the Soupe des Artes info.  Sounds like a plan.

[arldiner]

I do not remotely claim to be a Montreal expert and it sounds like there are some on this thread, but will chime in to say that on a weekend trip to Montreal over the summer, greatly enjoyed meals at Le Chien Fumant (great food, great atmosphere, and in a cool neighborhood) and Le St-Urbain (even better food, although fairly far out from the city center with not much around it, although still a nice atmosphere with a nice patio). Both fit your description of your food priorities well (outstanding food with great value and a laid back atmosphere).

[Steve R.]

Le St-Urbain is on our list, as it was highly recommended by several other friends.  I’m glad to hear that you also liked it.  Thank you for your post.

[porcupine]

19 hours ago, Steve R. said:

 We get around, so we weren't so concerned about which neighborhood in Montreal to stay in.  We'll get to all of them, as well as some places outside of the city.  We rented an apt. in the high rise next to the Bell Center.  It's a 2 bedroom & has 2 bathrooms (crucial to our marriage remaining viable), has a garage parking space, a roof deck, a terrace and is over the Metro & underground city.  We'll do a lot of walking and get to both Atwater and Jean Talon Markets.  No dog (allergies).  Too much info?

 

A few really random thoughts:

Looks like you're close to two orange line stops, so that will make it easy to get around. Last July I walked an average of over 8 miles each day. Partly because dog, but also because the Metro doesn't go everywhere, and some of the bus lines run very infrequently.

I'm much more familiar with le Plateau than with the area you're staying in. Looks like you are close to Griffintown, which is supposed to be happening but I haven't explored there yet. Atwater market is really nice. Jean Talon is much the same but with many more produce vendors, who all seem to buy from the same produce auction places, so big deal. But the produce is usually excellent quality. Actually, I heard a rumor about internal politics leading to big changes at marché Jean Talon that will result in fewer vendors next summer. We'll see.

At Jean Talon look for Marché Des Saveurs Du Québec, which features foods from Quebec. Quebec is cheese-lovers' heaven; there are so many small producers of excellent cheeses. You could spend your whole month eating nothing but Quebec cheese and still not taste it all.

We took two weekend trips to visit fromageries in the countryside, with mixed results. It was a lot of driving around with some disappointments but beautiful scenery.

Great hiking at the national parks in Quebec, but we didn't do much because of serious limitations on where we could take the dog.

Like ice cream? Stay away from Coaticook, the local grocery store brand. We went to their main place in the town of Coaticook. Bleh.  For ice cream, try Cremerie Meu Meu, Kem CoBa, BoBec, and le Bilboquet (in that order).

Best coffee: Cafe Noble, Pourquoi Pas, Cafe 8oz.

Fantastic boucerie called La Queue De Cochon (near the best dumplings in town).

Fantastic bread and pastries at Boulangerie le Toledo on ave. Mont Royal. Fantastic bread at le Fromentier on ave. Laurier.

Put together a picnic and spend an evening chilling out in one of the gorgeous neighborhood parks (ours is Parc Wilfrid Laurier). You'll see people playing games, having cookouts on portable hibachis, random small groups of musicians practicing. Well, I'm not sure if it will be warm enough in May for all that, but keep eyes open.

Parc Jean Mance has free symphony concerts in the summer, not sure if that will be happening in May, though.

Spend time roaming in le Plateau, especially east of rue St. Denis. There's a store that specializes in buttons. Another for antique Japanese textiles. A cooperative handmade pottery shop. The second best chocolates in the world at le Chocolats de Chloe (first place goes to Artisan Confections in NoVa). Little shops on little streets, so fun to discover.

Like architecture? Pay attention to the exterior stairways in le Plateau. So much variety.

More later, I need to get on with my day.

[Steve R.]

Wow.  Great stuff -- just the kinds of things I need to know.  Forget the rest of your day/life... keep writing 😏

Thanks.

[porcupine]

More random thoughts.

Montréal is full of festivals in the summer - music, theater, film, etc. I have no idea if any are happening in May but google around and if you find something, try it.

I haven't been to the art museums in years so I can't point to anything in particular, but if you like art museums, they're worth your time. So is the Biodome. Save these for a rainy day.

The so-called "underground city" is just a network of passageways connecting some of the large shopping/business complexes in the downtown core. Really nice option when the weather sucks, however I always lose my bearings and end up at some obscure exit with a bunch of pot smokers hanging around [exaggerating]. I find it difficult to navigate. But again, if you have a rainy day, check it out.

Pot smoke is everywhere. Get used to it. So is tobacco smoke. And Montréal is, frankly, a dirty city. In terms of civic appearance it's the opposite of Vancouver. But it's so full of joie de vie...

For a month-long stay buy an Opus card and choose the monthly option. Unlimited rides on buses and subways for the whole month, for something like 76 CAD. You'll save a ton vs. buying individual trips.

I am no fan of large complexes or large businesses, but Hudson's Bay ("la Baie") is f'in impressive, kind of like Takashimaya was in NYC, but not as nice. Building is 7 floors occupying half a city block. I went to buy some housewares but found it overwhelming.

If you explore downtown you'll find some nice contemporary art galleries, and many of the same brand stores you'll find in many North American and European cities. Sadly the galleries are somewhat spread out.

I rely on my iPhone to navigate but both google maps and apple maps can't handle the tall buildings downtown and frequently mis-locate me. Study a map and learn the layout before you head out.

Speaking of directions, Montréalers have an unusual sense of cardinal direction. You'll see.

"Chinatown" is a bust. Head there if you like bubble tea and associated drinks, and Asian pastries [reluctant to use that term]. You can find decent stuff (egg tarts, buns, mochi) at Coco. Presotea makes the best bubble tea and their mango slushies are made with fresh mango whenever they can get it. 

The old town area is worth a stroll for the architecture. Sadly, those neat old buildings house too many cheap tourist souvenir places. But again, explore; there are some galleries (overpriced), and other nice small shops selling housewares and such. The food scene there is mostly pitiful. The reason why Olive et Gourmando is always mobbed is that it's the only good food in that part of town. Pro tip: google and around for cruise ship schedules and if you find any arriving, STAY THE HELL AWAY from old town. It's horrible when a few thousand extra day-trippers are mobbing the narrow streets. I know from experience.

Sadly you won't be around for the "competition weekend" - the Formula 1 race, which I think is always the first or second weekend in June. The city goes nuts for F1. It's one big party. Even if you don't care for auto racing, it's fun to experience the atmosphere. If you can extend your stay into June give it a try.

need to get on with my day. Next up, ethnic neighborhoods, Mont Royal, and so on.

[Steve R.]

Well, obviously our plan to be in Montreal for the month of May has been cancelled.  To their credit, the folks renting the apartment to us waived their cancellation policy and are allowing airbnb to refund the entire amount.  We'll remember that if/when we look to re-schedule.  Since we were driving, that was really the only financial outlay, so we're fine on that front.  I felt guilty cancelling the restaurant reservations that we already made, as I'm sure they will need the business if/when they re-open.  Oh well.  We're hoping that we all get through this in good health & think that maybe we'll try again for August.  I guess we'll see. 

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, Steve R. said:

Well, obviously our plan to be in Montreal for the month of May has been cancelled.  To their credit, the folks renting the apartment to us waived their cancellation policy and are allowing airbnb to refund the entire amount.  We'll remember that if/when we look to re-schedule. 

Ooh boy, you're touching on a sensitive nerve, and bringing back an awful memory. 

(Feel free to put in a link to that apartment - the renters deserve it.)