If you’re planning a visit to Montreal, you need to take this opportunity to see for yourself why the city is widely considered as a foodie’s paradise. To do that, you should begin by making your reservations at these seven excellent restaurants. They’ll provide you with the best restaurant experiences that no visitor to Montreal should miss out on.
- Baton Rouge. Most of the restaurants on this list are generally on the expensive side, as the rule about steakhouses is that cheaper places tend to offer inferior steaks, but Baton Rouge is the exception. The restaurant offers tasty steaks with excellent service, a convivial atmosphere, and reasonable prices. It’s no wonder that it’s almost always full, so getting a reservation is a very sensible idea.
- Schwartz’s Deli. You don’t score a reservation with this establishment. Instead, you have to line up for the food like everybody else, but it’s worthier of your efforts than lining up for the newest iPhone or the latest Star Wars film. The smoked meat sandwiches you get here will blow your mind. The meats in these sandwiches have been prepared with the same secret blend of herbs and spices since 1928. This blend is marinated onto the meat for 10 days. That’s why your sandwich will be meat on white bread with a bit of mustard. It doesn’t need anything else.
- Au Pied de Cochon. If you’re expecting excellent French dining in a city that’s been dubbed as the Paris of North America, you must visit this French bistro. You know it’s a great place when both locals and tourists flock to it. Try to grab a seat by the bar so you can get a good view of the chefs preparing the food with artistic flair. Start your order with the signature dish “Duck in a Can” along with some foie gras and French onion soup.
- Le Garde-Manger. Canada’s national dish is poutine. This is French fries (called “chips” here) smothered in cheese curds and gravy. There are many different types of poutine, but the Le Garde-Manger offers the coolest version with its lobster poutine. This dish has the poutine topped with huge chunks of tasty Canadian lobster, and it’s the dish that garnered the Iron Chef America title for chef Chuck Hughes over the renowned chef Bobby Flay.
- Are you looking for some adventure that’s hard to encounter in NYC or LA? Then you need to try the Onoir experience which requires you to dine in complete darkness. It’s so dark here that you won’t be able to see your hand right in front of your face. It proves the Daredevil premise that your lack of sight will increase your focus on other senses. You can then come here and pick the “Surprise” menu—you can guess what you’re eating, but at the end of the meal the staff will tell you what you had. All you will know is that the dishes are terrific and you’ve focused more on its taste, smell, and texture. It’s a thrill.
- Hoogan et Beaufort. What kind of place is this when just about every food critic in the area raves about it? The flavorful food is locally sourced while the signature dish is handmade strozzapretti (pasta shaped like a hangman’s knot) with sea urchin. The vegetarian dishes are so good that even meat lovers will appreciate it. The dining vibe is alluring with an airy atmosphere mixing well with the industrial style of the décor.
- Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel. These two bagel establishments are embroiled in a bagel war, so everyone enjoys bagels that rival anything you might get from NYC. This is “friendly fire” at its finest and shows you how a war can be a very good thing for everyone!
