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Restaurant Recommendations for Montreal?
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
TDLink
Member
I haven't been in like a year but as far as I'm aware Boustan only has one location on Crescent downtown. Has that changed? That's the location I'm talking about. Dunn's I'm aware is a chain but I am talking about the downtown location (down the street from the movie theatre) for that one as well. And it is very good.
Not all "chains" are created equal. It's not like you can find Dunn's in whatever country someone happens to be visiting from. And it's not like it's some shit like Applebee's.
You definitely have to go in the Mile End area :
Dinette Triple Crown → Excellent North American restaurant
Marconi → A bit expansive, top quality over quantity
Salmigondis → A bit expansive but everything there is excellent
Le Petit Alep → Pretty good middle-east food
Also, my personal favorite one : Super Qualité → Best Indian Restaurant
Dinette Triple Crown → Excellent North American restaurant
Marconi → A bit expansive, top quality over quantity
Salmigondis → A bit expansive but everything there is excellent
Le Petit Alep → Pretty good middle-east food
Also, my personal favorite one : Super Qualité → Best Indian Restaurant
TDLink
Member
Woah, I looked it up. There's a ton now. This must have happened extremely recently. All my life there was just the Crescent location. And the food was great, won a bunch of awards like every year.
Did they sell the business? I guess I can't speak to the current quality of the food.
Asked a few people and got two different answers so not sure haha.
Pai Pai Master
Banned
Arahova Souvlaki on St Viateur. And pick up some bagels across the street while you're at it.
gutter_trash
Banned
Banquise is overrated.
Don't listen to suburbanites telling you to go there
Don't listen to suburbanites telling you to go there
went there on a bit of a quick restaurant tour for a few days.
I think my favorite was Tapas 88 in old montreal.
Schwartz is good, kind of wish I went to the place across the street though because I'm not the type who enjoys waiting in lines for stuff.
I tried Le Musso because I got my plane tickets on points and decided to try something fancy. It was really good but holy shit it's expensive. Like 200$ a person.
Le Cadet is ok.
In general though, coming from Vancouver it was a big step up. Feels like you can throw a rock there and probably hit a decent place. Nothing I had there was less that good.
I think my favorite was Tapas 88 in old montreal.
Schwartz is good, kind of wish I went to the place across the street though because I'm not the type who enjoys waiting in lines for stuff.
I tried Le Musso because I got my plane tickets on points and decided to try something fancy. It was really good but holy shit it's expensive. Like 200$ a person.
Le Cadet is ok.
In general though, coming from Vancouver it was a big step up. Feels like you can throw a rock there and probably hit a decent place. Nothing I had there was less that good.
F0rneus
Tears in the rain
beacon 0f light
Member
gutter_trash
Banned
Mini burgers at Patati Patata are amazing.
Get bacon
Get bacon
The Patatine is my favourite poutine in the city, and yes I know it isn't the standard poutine.
So happy they are opened till 2am daily now!!!
Protips: Actually wake up, you can go in fine before 10am most days. Also the Griffintown location has more seating and is slightly less popular (still has lineups after 10:30-11 though)
We like to sleep in on the weekend haha
Didn't know about the Griffintown one which is much closer for me to get to. Thanks for the heads up!
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
- Hyang Jin is the best Japanese/Korean restaurant that I know of. Their lunch specials continue during the week-end, and for the price, the quality of the sushi is excellent. If sushi isn't your thing they still have other quality dishes and their bento are big and generous. Probably my favourite restaurant in Montreal, though it's a bit far from my place so I can't go there that often.
- For poutine and good, generous, cheap breakfasts (also really good pasta and pizza), I recommend the Mont-Royal Hot-Dog. Don't let the name fool you, it ain't just hot-dogs or fast food
It's cheaper than La Banquise (same area too) and there's no stupid line-up full of tourists either. They have breakfasts all day too.
- Le Milsa is pretty amazing Brazilian barbecue. A bit pricey, but the meat is delicious.
- Il Focolaio has fantastic thin-crust wood oven-baked pizzas.
In Chinatown:
- Pho Saigon has the best pho in town. Their non-soup dishes are also really good.
- Dobe & Andy has the best BBQ pork and duck I've ever had, and their noodles (Singapore noodles and Shanghai noodles especially) are delicious too.
- Nudo is good, cheap and filling, good bang for your buck. Hand-made noodle franchise, you can get a very filling meal for $10 with tax and tip.
- Kanbai is a recent discovery of mine, amazing Szechuan place. Fully endorsed by my Chinese co-worker too, who took us there
- Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot is fun too, especially for small groups. I've only been there 2-3 times though but I always enjoyed it.
A Korean restaurant that won't include kimchi? That's pathetic, LOL. Every single Korean place I've ever been to included kimchi and other side-dishes (banchan) automatically.
Man, other than Hyang Jin, it seems Korean food is really pathetic in Montreal compared to Toronto. If anyone knows of a really good Korean place I'd love to hear it.
- For poutine and good, generous, cheap breakfasts (also really good pasta and pizza), I recommend the Mont-Royal Hot-Dog. Don't let the name fool you, it ain't just hot-dogs or fast food
It's cheaper than La Banquise (same area too) and there's no stupid line-up full of tourists either. They have breakfasts all day too.- Le Milsa is pretty amazing Brazilian barbecue. A bit pricey, but the meat is delicious.
- Il Focolaio has fantastic thin-crust wood oven-baked pizzas.
In Chinatown:
- Pho Saigon has the best pho in town. Their non-soup dishes are also really good.
- Dobe & Andy has the best BBQ pork and duck I've ever had, and their noodles (Singapore noodles and Shanghai noodles especially) are delicious too.
- Nudo is good, cheap and filling, good bang for your buck. Hand-made noodle franchise, you can get a very filling meal for $10 with tax and tip.
- Kanbai is a recent discovery of mine, amazing Szechuan place. Fully endorsed by my Chinese co-worker too, who took us there
- Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot is fun too, especially for small groups. I've only been there 2-3 times though but I always enjoyed it.
Agreed. Two very overrated places.
Whaaaaaaat
A Korean restaurant that won't include kimchi? That's pathetic, LOL. Every single Korean place I've ever been to included kimchi and other side-dishes (banchan) automatically.
Man, other than Hyang Jin, it seems Korean food is really pathetic in Montreal compared to Toronto. If anyone knows of a really good Korean place I'd love to hear it.
The recent Vladimir Poutine has reviewed well.
Maklershed
Member
Anyone in this thread that lives in Montreal - I want to learn French and be your new best friend. :b
Edit: Im now getting banner ads for Pizza Pizza and Live in Montreal!
I definitely have to plan more time for my next visit. I wish I had more time for Chinatown and some of the more residential type areas. And this Joe Beef sounds amazing.What is it with you guys recommending Schwartz's so much? The quality has gone WAAAAY down in recent years. Apparently when the old owner sold a lot of the older kitchen and buying staff left, and with that all the contacts for the good briskets. Their meat has gotten to be so damn dry it's not even funny. You go asking for the fattiest cut of meat and it's barely what their medium used to be (and with this you want the fattiest cut ever).
La Banquise is also a tourist trap - there's a TON of better poutine joints in the city. It's basically the place where all the people from France bring their visiting friends, but it's really ordinary poutine.
Joe Beef is 100% legit though, as is Le Pied de Cochon.
And hey OP, you went to the Korean place in the Eaton Center. If I think you went where I think you went, their bibimbap is okay but it's really missing kimchi (that you have to buy separately, ugh) and fried eggs but otherwise it's good.
I mean there's a ton of restaurants in the city, and most of you guys are suggesting places that are chains (Boustan and Dunns? Really?)
Qiang Hua is great for dumplings, but I (personally) prefer Mai Xiang Yuan in Chinatown (that doesn't even have a sign, ha!). I find their dumplings have more flavor, but it's still pretty close. Qiang Hua is always a bit dirty, too
Kim Chi. Its in the main food court.
Edit: Im now getting banner ads for Pizza Pizza and Live in Montreal!
That joint is co-owned by my brother in law. He started working there as a university student and eventually bought the place with his co-worker. He is passionate about the place and I think it shows.
They have incredible staff retention. It's like a family there.
It not a pretentious place but for a burger joint, it wonderful.
And yes, their patatine is great.
Ah ok, I knew of that place but I thought you two were talking about a sit down place. I mean Kim Chi is a fast food place, wouldn't think they'd go all out on the side dishes.
Ganadara, Mon Ami, Atti, and Samcha are my favourites.
Tell him thank you staying open late, god send.
Ah. That's not what I was thinking - there's an Atti Express in the tunnel from the Eaton Center that leads to Place Ville-Marie (I did a month-long contract at WeWork at PVM and we ate there a few times).
Kim Chi in the food court is... okay? A friend of mine had their japchae and it was apparently okay, but nothing special really.
Yeah the place I was talking about was the Atti Express in the tunnel. It's not bad, but like I said I was disappointed
Ganadara and Mon Ami are god tier though - the only knock I have against Ganadara is that their beef bibimbap doesn't use bulgogi, it uses some ground beef, which is really, REALLY disappointing
I also love to go for ramen at Yokata Yokabai, it's stupid delicious.
Noooo. I had no idea. That really sucks.
Maklershed
Member
Going off topic a bit and something I shouldve inquired about before I bought the training materials - but is French in Montreal basically the same as French French?
I just bought a Pimsleur French study set and French vocabulary guide to help prep me for my next visit.
I just bought a Pimsleur French study set and French vocabulary guide to help prep me for my next visit.
Euler007
Member
Yes, mostly. Different expressions are used and the accent is different, kinda like British vs US southern accent.
Regarding the initial question, I'd add "Chez Levesque" on Laurier West to the list of restaurants to visit, good French cuisine.
Also has a great after 9pm (10pm?) menu if you wanna be a bit more budget conscious.
Leméac across the street is also a phenomenal place to eat and also has an after 10pm menu.
Around the block from both of these is also La Croissanterie Figaro which has a great Parisian atmosphere and some decent desert and coffee.
Bol Orange (Cote Vertu/Decarie) has my favorite sundubu (tofu stew), even better than the ones I've had in Seoul. I highly recommend the pork belly one.
Opiano near McGill has superb bingsu (snowy shaved ice), though I guess it's not the season for that anymore.
I'd love to get recommendations for a good non-AYCE KBBQ place