Blending the owners’ Argentinian background with explorations of great cuisines from around the world, this tiny Verdun restaurant is cooking some of the most impactful yet deceivingly simple food in town.

Known for their level of creativity that hinges on the unhinged, this French restaurant’s stupefying theatrics are well-known both in the dining room and on its plates.

One meal here and you’ll no longer be surprised why its tables are in such high demand: This restaurant has single-handedly stolen the show when it comes to eating a fantastically delicious Italian meal.

Dining at this Old Montreal jewel of a French brasserie and dining room from chef Jérémie Bastien is both a masterclass in its cuisine’s techniques and classics plus cosmopolitan inclusions from other cuisines.

Consider this the next-gen steakhouse of Montreal: With its in-house butchery, it’s an address in Outremont that flips the porterhouse-and-martinis formula on its head in the best of ways.

A new-wave French bistro on the fringes of Little Italy, its chefs Harrison Shewchuk and Brendan Lavery are both about simple market food done well and aspiring to new frontiers through sheer creativity.

Bar St-Denis is rapidly ascending Montreal's culinary ladder, and for good reason. The magic lies in the dedication of David Gauthier, Emily Holmsy, and their gifted crew. Among a menu of standout dishes, the Deer Kibbeh Nayeh stands out. This raw deer delicacy, with its creamy texture and subtle sweetness, is a testament to premium local sourcing. Garnished with mint and onions, and enriched by a premium olive oil drizzle, it's a symphony of flavors. Paired with spicy chili-brushed flatbread, every bite promises a new revelation.

This ode to Quebecois cuisine is essential eating in Montreal, served in a completely unpretentious fashion that takes diners to the very heart of what makes this province stand out.

Specializing in Niçoise cuisine that combines the best of southern France and Italy, the father-daughter team behind this sweet spot of a restaurant in Villeray easily makes for chic evening any night of the week.

Heni, a Little Burgundy restaurant focused on the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) region of the world—a decolonial term for what’s commonly referred to as the Middle East—is a place of many new pathways for Montreal. Its kitchen is producing new kinds of flavours that blend its regional focus with Quebecois ingredients—think marinated olives with sea buckthorn berry instead of orange zest, kibbeh can be made with PEI beef or duck hearts, fatteh and couscous with wild mushrooms, lobster tails spiced with ras-el-hanout on a bed of corn, ice cream sandwiches of sfouf and wild blueberries that are dipped in dark chocolate—as well as wines taken from its in-house wine importation agency Sienna which highlights new-generation winemakers from Lebanon. It’ll have even more aces up its sleeves once the whole operation is fully up and running—stay tuned and subscribed to us for when the full story about this place goes out.

A local forerunner for Thai food augmented by pure creativity and Canadian products, this is where chef Jesse Mulder has taken his reputation for dizzyingly good eating to new heights.

This small tasting menu-focused restaurant from chef Marc Cohen celebrates offal and classics that have been with the restaurant from the very beginning, served with a level of hearty refinement.

Every Sunday, Griffintown's Mano Cornuto transforms into a haven of Italian tradition. Dive into a four-course feast that feels like home, yet surprises every time. At $40 per person, it's an unmatched culinary journey in Montreal. From fresh salads kissed with unique vinaigrettes to pasta dishes that sing with authenticity, and desserts that melt your heart. And, if you're in the know, the porchetta add-on is a must. Paired with curated wines and special cocktails, Sunday at Mano is more than a meal; it's an experience.

Living next to Arthurs on rue Notre-Dame felt like having a culinary gem right at my doorstep. Having known Rae from high school and Alex for years, it was a joy to witness their first day and the birth of the latke smorgasbord. From those early beginnings, Arthurs has grown into a gastronomic powerhouse.

But the true pièce de résistance? The Grand Slam. Imagine crispy Noshville fried chicken, soft mini Syrniki, rich all-beef bacon, and flawlessly fried eggs, all complemented by classic American diner-style hash browns. It's a symphony of flavors and textures, challenging you to capture every ingredient in a single, unforgettable bite.

Casual, fun, and incomparably flavorful, this Singaporean restaurant’s menu walks the line between addictive comfort food and inventive visits to Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond.

John Winter Russell’s classic restaurant for refined seasonal dishes inside a deconsecrated church is an exploration of landscape through food, where the cooking is both intriguing and engaging.

If you haven't lunched at Impasto, you're missing out. Seriously, make a reservation. With Luca, Charles, and Deborah at the helm, expect a parade of culinary delights from appetizers to desserts. Their weekly pasta specials, crafted by the genius Pastapooks, are a revelation.

This destination in Hochelaga is an exceedingly accessible option for fine dining where tasting menus take you on a tour of its chef David Ollu’s Bouillon Bilk tutelage plus wholly new avenues.

The restaurant that launched a thousand ships, this is a definitive Montreal dining experience thanks to its one-two punch celebrating classic dining with a banquet-style celebration of good food.

While known as the vegetable-forward offering of the Joe Beef empire, its ingredients receive all the love and expertise of its meatier counterparts, plus a wine list of precision and innovation.

From its interior ‘wine island’ to its lunches full of sandwiches ‘n’ salads and dinners of arrosticini, finely spun pasta, and contorni, this Saint-Henri spot is a fine dining gem without comparison.

Liverpool House in Montreal's Little Burgundy has emerged from the shadow of its sibling, Joe Beef, with its own identity. Known for hearty French cuisine and exceptional seafood, it features a raw bar and dishes like Italian beef tartare and lobster spaghetti. Opened in 2007, it offers a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere and a diverse wine selection. The restaurant’s friendly ambiance and outstanding menu make it a favorite for both locals and visitors.

The wood fire-informed and deeply seasonal menus of this fine dining titan from chef Marc-André Jetté is as comforting as it is exciting, and its wine lists will immediately astound you.

Taking cues from Scandinavian cuisine and applying it to Quebec’s terroir, each plate here is done with pinpoint accuracy, resulting in plates that resemble small sketches or paintings from chef Antonin Rivard-Mousso.

This Mile End restaurant focused on vegetable-forward tasting menus is considered among the very best in the city for its high calibre of cooking and service, along with its energetic atmosphere.

Its rotating menus of upscale, seasonal fare will keep you guessing, but the buzzy ambiance and service at this Saint-Henri eatery will make you feel like you’re immediately at home.

An essential address in Montreal for Syrian cuisine, every spiced and aromatic bite here is impeccably sourced from across the Mediterranean, from shared mezze to sizzling grilled platters.

Hubert Marsolais and Claude Pelletier’s Old Montreal restaurant is a discreet and pensive place to spend hours over opulent dishes that, time and again, provide the most memorable of experiences.

The vibes are high when eating at this restaurant from Chuck Hughes. It’s an absolute parade of surf and turf served up with a service staff that knows how to have a good time.

A progenitor in the Montreal scene for taking Japanese cooking and treating it to French techniques and presentations, Hiroshi Kitano’s bistro in the Plateau is a must—especially the omakase.

A Westmount Square institution blends together the very best of French bistro fare, Italian trattorias and steakhouses into one solid offering that can upscale any night out on the town.

This next-gen Cambodian restaurant in Verdun is a lively cornerstone of the city’s dining scene because of the richly aromatic food they offer, playing on dishes both traditional and wholly new.

Just when you thought Saint-Henri couldn’t possibly squeeze in another place to eat, Bonheur d’Occasion landed earlier this year with a splash. Maybe it’s the simple and comforting corner bistro ambiance, the steady café noshes cakes and sandwiches during the day, or maybe it’s the “take my money!” dishes they create for dinner services, but chef Philippe Gauthier and pastry chef Victor Adnet are bringing their A-game and then some.

Dressed in an interior design of black and gold minimalism, the menus of this Griffintown destination sets a high bar for dining in Montreal thanks to its combination of wood-fired and fresh elements.

A hidden gem of Westmount, this French-forward bistro is equal parts traditional dishes done to perfection and a level of experimentation you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Taking over the space that once housed Mile-Ex’s chef-forward dining room of Le Diplomate, La Marelle comes from Salle Climatisée alum Carlos Melgar. Now brightened up with a new paint job, the restaurant’s softly opened with a purely creative menu that pulls inspiration from the chef’s personal and professional backgrounds. Seasonal with a good use of seasonal ingredients, dishes to date have featured scallop aguachile, beef taratares, sweetbreads, raddichio salads, and beets with stracciatella. Given the spot's connections, you can bet the wine selection’s off the chain here.

Snowdon Deli isn't just a restaurant; it's an institution. For those in the know, it's a nostalgic trip down memory lane. For newcomers, it's a delightful discovery waiting to happen. This iconic Jewish deli, with its vibrant matzo ball soup and cheese bagelach, transports you straight to the heart of classic Miami eateries, echoing the charm of places like Wolfie’s Rascal House. Outlasting local legends like The Brown Derby and Ben’s, Snowdon Deli stands as a testament to timeless taste and tradition.

A Montreal institution since 1980 on rue Saint-Denis, L'Express continues to uphold its reputation for timeless French cuisine and conviviality. Founded by François Tremblay, Colette Brossoit, and Pierre Villeneuve, the restaurant caters to everyone with a welcoming atmosphere that remains to this day. With a menu largely unchanged over the years, L'Express offers classic dishes like sorrel soup, marrow, and veal liver, prepared with an unwavering consistency and attention to detail. Designed by renowned architect Luc Laporte, the elegant decor exudes a timeless charm, attracting a diverse clientele served by a stable team of long-serving staff.

Grounded in his home country of Haiti and exploring the islands and South America, eating at chef Paul Toussaint’s restaurant is always a unique celebration of spice and flavour you can’t find elsewhere.