Toqué! is the kind of restaurant that defines a city’s culinary identity. For over 30 years, chef-owner Normand Laprise has used Quebec’s seasonal bounty as the backbone of his French-inspired tasting menus, balancing technical rigour with deep respect for the province’s small producers. What began as a modest 50-seater on Saint-Denis has evolved into a downtown institution at Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, complete with soaring windows, a sleek open kitchen, and a glass-walled wine cellar boasting over 700 labels. While dinner leans into a seven-course dégustation format, lunch offers à la carte classics like oyster gratin and duck confit. Laprise’s influence on Montreal’s dining scene is hard to overstate—his kitchens have shaped talents like Martin Picard and Charles-Antoine Crête, and his eco-minded philosophy set the standard long before it was trendy. Refined, consistent, and foundational, Toqué! is more than a fine dining experience—it’s a living landmark.
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Worth the splurge: Fancy restaurants in Montreal
With its rich history of chefs with storied backgrounds and diversified dining culture, the following names can be counted among the highest tier in the city.
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