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The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office
    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed
    • Subscribe

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
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    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office
      --°C|Sunday, March 15, 2026|
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      --°C|Sunday, March 15, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.ROYALMOUNT Wants to Be Your Dining Destination for a Whole MonthGet 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
      InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin
      |
      Advertise
      The Main Logo
      Magazine
      Categories
      • Arts & Culture

        Creativity, heritage, and expression.

      • Beyond Montreal

        Travel, adventure, and global perspectives.

      • Design

        The best of Montreal design.

      • Food & Drink

        La bonne bouffe.

      • History

        Stories, lessons, and context.

      • Newsletter

        Our weekly newsletter.

      • See all original stories
      Explore Montreal
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
      • Place-Saint-Henri
      • Place-d'Armes
      • Jarry
      • View all
      Shop
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      Subscribe
      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing

      Chef Chouchou Jia spent years cooking in French and Italian kitchens before opening their first restaurant, and the result is unlike anything else in town.

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner

      Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg are combining dinners with breakfast classics to the 48-seat Arthus Dinette in Monkland Village.

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back

      Eight months after closing, the downtown institution has new owners, a renovation, and a reopening before St. Patrick's Day.

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution
      Food & Drink
      Anick Jasmin

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution

      Owner Jermaine learned to cook from his grandmother in Jamaica at six years old. Everything at Boom J's still carries those teachings.

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work

      A quietly confident Little Italy bistrot from Montreal restaurant alum puts chef Darcy Gervais-Wood front and centre.

      Figata is Saint-Henri's New Italian-American Red Sauce Temple
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Figata is Saint-Henri's New Italian-American Red Sauce Temple

      Meatballs from a family recipe, martinis refreshed before you ask, and a room dressed in heirlooms: eat with your hands and make a mess.

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing

      Chef Chouchou Jia spent years cooking in French and Italian kitchens before opening their first restaurant, and the result is unlike anything else in town.

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner

      Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg are combining dinners with breakfast classics to the 48-seat Arthus Dinette in Monkland Village.

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back

      Eight months after closing, the downtown institution has new owners, a renovation, and a reopening before St. Patrick's Day.

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution
      Food & Drink
      Anick Jasmin

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution

      Owner Jermaine learned to cook from his grandmother in Jamaica at six years old. Everything at Boom J's still carries those teachings.

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work

      A quietly confident Little Italy bistrot from Montreal restaurant alum puts chef Darcy Gervais-Wood front and centre.

      Figata is Saint-Henri's New Italian-American Red Sauce Temple
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Figata is Saint-Henri's New Italian-American Red Sauce Temple

      Meatballs from a family recipe, martinis refreshed before you ask, and a room dressed in heirlooms: eat with your hands and make a mess.

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      Bossa had a bread problem, so they built a 24-hour bakery to solve it
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      Bossa Had a Bread Problem, so They Built a 24-hour Bakery to Solve it

      Inside the warehouse where four bakers shape everything by hand, all night, every night to make 2,000 loaves a day.

      Numéro's brutalist bar wants to serve your next post-shift martini
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      Numéro's Brutalist Bar Wants to Serve Your Next Post-shift Martini

      Walk-ins and reservations share a warm welcome in this highly customized space, and it's got the menu to match.

      Give the gift of Montreal’s best restaurants this holiday season
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Give the Gift of Montreal’s Best Restaurants This Holiday Season

      Experiencing a great meal can stick with you longer than anything that comes wrapped.

      Montreal's most exciting openings and heartbreaking closures of 2025
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal's Most Exciting Openings and Heartbreaking Closures of 2025

      The restaurant and bar arrivals that thrilled Montreal writers, photographers, and influencers—and the beloved spots whose closures left lasting gaps.

      Old Montreal gets an intimate speakeasy for Peruvian dining with the arrival of Mezcla
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Old Montreal Gets an Intimate Speakeasy for Peruvian Dining with the Arrival of Mezcla

      Chef Marcel Larrea resurrects the restaurant that put him on the map seven years ago, this time hidden inside Capisco with a blind tasting menu and full creative control.

      The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]

      A Montreal take on a Scottish tavern, famed chefs jump back into action with a new project, a fresh Italian hangout in Westmount, and more.

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      From our archive.

      Bossa had a bread problem, so they built a 24-hour bakery to solve it
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Bossa Had a Bread Problem, so They Built a 24-hour Bakery to Solve it

      Inside the warehouse where four bakers shape everything by hand, all night, every night to make 2,000 loaves a day.

      Numéro's brutalist bar wants to serve your next post-shift martini
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Numéro's Brutalist Bar Wants to Serve Your Next Post-shift Martini

      Walk-ins and reservations share a warm welcome in this highly customized space, and it's got the menu to match.

      Give the gift of Montreal’s best restaurants this holiday season
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Give the Gift of Montreal’s Best Restaurants This Holiday Season

      Experiencing a great meal can stick with you longer than anything that comes wrapped.

      Montreal's most exciting openings and heartbreaking closures of 2025
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal's Most Exciting Openings and Heartbreaking Closures of 2025

      The restaurant and bar arrivals that thrilled Montreal writers, photographers, and influencers—and the beloved spots whose closures left lasting gaps.

      Old Montreal gets an intimate speakeasy for Peruvian dining with the arrival of Mezcla
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Old Montreal Gets an Intimate Speakeasy for Peruvian Dining with the Arrival of Mezcla

      Chef Marcel Larrea resurrects the restaurant that put him on the map seven years ago, this time hidden inside Capisco with a blind tasting menu and full creative control.

      The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]

      A Montreal take on a Scottish tavern, famed chefs jump back into action with a new project, a fresh Italian hangout in Westmount, and more.

      1. Articles
      2. Food & Drink

      Montreal’s ‘fake Café’ Saturday, a Casual Hangout Turned Roaming Pop-up

      Whether intimately based out of their apartment or expanding out into the real world, Saturday is about maintaining devoted time for people to connect.

      By J.P. KarwackiOctober 25, 2024 - Read time: 6 min
      Montreal’s ‘fake café’ Saturday, a casual hangout turned roaming pop-up
      Kate McDevitt (left) and Victoria Lauren Da Silva (right) of Montreal's ‘fake café’ Saturday. | Photograph: @viclauren_ / Instagram

      There’s a lot of prep on one Friday night a month between two Villeray apartments only separated by an alleyway. As one grinds coffee, preps space, makes cold brew, and draws up a menu, the other bakes. 

      By the next morning, Victoria Lauren Da Silva and Kate McDevitt’s ‘fake café’ Saturday has opened its doors, welcoming invited guests to a cozy dining room.

      Photograph: Victoria Lauren Da Silva

      “It started as a casual way to hang out with friends,” Victoria shares. “We began in February and quickly realized how much we all missed spending time together. After the first one, we saw how much fun it was and decided to keep it going every month.” 

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

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      Advertisement

      1. Articles
      2. Food & Drink

      Montreal’s ‘fake Café’ Saturday, a Casual Hangout Turned Roaming Pop-up

      Whether intimately based out of their apartment or expanding out into the real world, Saturday is about maintaining devoted time for people to connect.

      By J.P. KarwackiOctober 25, 2024 - Read time: 6 min
      Montreal’s ‘fake café’ Saturday, a casual hangout turned roaming pop-up
      Kate McDevitt (left) and Victoria Lauren Da Silva (right) of Montreal's ‘fake café’ Saturday. | Photograph: @viclauren_ / Instagram

      There’s a lot of prep on one Friday night a month between two Villeray apartments only separated by an alleyway. As one grinds coffee, preps space, makes cold brew, and draws up a menu, the other bakes. 

      By the next morning, Victoria Lauren Da Silva and Kate McDevitt’s ‘fake café’ Saturday has opened its doors, welcoming invited guests to a cozy dining room.

      Photograph: Victoria Lauren Da Silva

      “It started as a casual way to hang out with friends,” Victoria shares. “We began in February and quickly realized how much we all missed spending time together. After the first one, we saw how much fun it was and decided to keep it going every month.” 

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      Advertisement

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      The Bulletin: Halloween parties, a haunted forest trail, and soul-shaking organ performances [Issue #100 🥳]

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      The Bulletin: Halloween Parties, a Haunted Forest Trail, and Soul-shaking Organ Performances [Issue #100 🥳]

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      Family and the Weight of Change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's Latest Novel, The Reeds

      Family and the weight of change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's latest novel, The Reeds
      The Bulletin: Halloween parties, a haunted forest trail, and soul-shaking organ performances [Issue #100 🥳]

      Previous

      The Bulletin: Halloween Parties, a Haunted Forest Trail, and Soul-shaking Organ Performances [Issue #100 🥳]

      Next

      Family and the Weight of Change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's Latest Novel, The Reeds

      Family and the weight of change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's latest novel, The Reeds

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