Anyone who can find Montreal on a map can probably also tell you of Montreal’s reputation as a restaurant lover’s paradise. For the second consecutive year, four Montreal restaurants have spots in the top ten of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. These restaurants – Joe Beef, Toqué!, Le Mousso and Montréal Plaza – have reputations that precede them, but the recently released 2019 edition of the list contains many more Montreal-area restaurants that are waiting to be discovered. In all, 30 restaurants from the 514 made the top 100 list to help reinforce Montreal’s status as an international food destination. This city has delectable dining options for all budgets at any hour of the day, and our guide will help point you in the right direction, no matter what you’re hankering for.
Above and beyond any particular restaurant, there are a number of Montreal institutions that will get people to line up on February’s coldest nights, July’s hottest days and in every other kind of weather in between: smoked meat, bagels and poutine. We covered a few of the must-try destinations for these local delicacies in last year’s guide; it’s worth reviewing for repeat travellers and a must-read for first-time visitors.
Montreal has no shortage of high-end dining options so anyone looking for a spot to celebrate a big tournament score, or simply to treat themselves to a memorable meal, is in luck! Food-media darlings like Joe Beef and Toqué! are known far and wide, for good reason, but these two restaurants are only the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for surf and turf then Gibbys has some of the finest options you can find; housed in a 200-year-old building in historic Old Montreal, it has served up delicious meals to generations of Montrealers. If you’re looking for a more Mediterranean meal then head up Avenue du Parc to Milos. They offer Greek coastal cuisine at its finest; serving up fine fish since 1979, Milos now boasts locations that span the globe. For fans of French cuisine, Maison Boulud offers a menu driven by the seasons, carried by Quebec’s terroir and executed with New-York-City gusto thanks to chef Daniel Boulud’s extensive experience in the Big Apple.
Although The Rail Coal Fire Bistro is one of the area’s top 24-hour restaurants, Playground’s visitors might be looking for something a little different in the wee hours of the morning, especially after a day of enjoying The Rail’s offerings while grinding through a tournament. La Banquise has been serving up every kind of poutine imaginable around the clock for over 50 years, earning it a spot on every Montrealer’s list of favourite late-night destinations, especially after a night in one of the Plateau’s many bars and clubs. If Asian fare strikes your fancy then La Maison VIP, located in Chinatown, serves up a wide range of Cantonese food until 3:30am.
As you can see, Montreal’s reputation has been built thanks to a competitive and vibrant restaurant scene that only gets better with each passing year. Visitors are always impressed, only to have their expectations exceeded with each subsequent visit- just like Playground’s events! This year’s edition of the MILLIONS North America is set to surpass all expectations, and we hope your dining experience does too.
