ChompChomp formerly "Jeremy & Vinita's Montreal Restaurant Guide"

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The following is a list of Montreal restaurants (appearing in each category approximately in the order in which we tried them) we have sampled since arriving in this wonderful city in November '97. Those curious about the (perhaps) disproportionate emphasis on French restaurants should note that this is, after all, Montreal. A favourite story I like to tell is that of the brief CBC radio interview with an unnamed British ex-pat, during our ice storm of January 1998. When asked if he wanted to go back to the UK after experiencing a Canadian winter, the fellow replied, "No, I view this winter as a freak event. But Montreal is an amazing city... I don't know any other place where one can get French food... in American quantities... at Canadian prices!" Guide to symbols memorable picks in their category closed their doors, for better or worse bring your own wine self-explanatory

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French

4.5 stars from 6 reviews at Yelp

1812, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montreal, QC H3H 1M1 (514) 937-4898

good entree, but disappointing salad and soup; reasonably priced

5 stars from 1 review at Yelp

4329 Rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2J 2K9 (514) 844-7246

Belgian waffles, great smoked turkey sandwich, cool atmosphere

4 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

2022 Peel Rue Montreal, QC H3A 1W5 (514) 281-6492

a time-honoured tradition, this moderately elegant restaurant has been serving the same set meal for years and it's hard to think of a reason why they should change it -- the formula consists of a vegetable cream soup, Boston lettuce salad with a vinaigrette dressing and walnuts, a tender steak in a light mustard sauce, succulent fries, and decadent profiteroles; the establishment was a haunt of Pierre Trudeau's

3.5 stars from 34 reviews at Yelp

3 rue Saint-Paul E Montreal, QC H2Y 1E9 (514) 874-1984

mediocre at best; probably succeeds largely on tourist appeal

4 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

1225 Rue Du Square-Phillips Montreal, QC H3B 3E9 (514) 393-3295

excellent, reasonably priced French cuisine, voted "best affordable French restaurant" in town

4.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1030 Rue Laurier Ouest Montreal, QC H2V 2K8 (514) 279-7355

very good French, although a bit on the pricy side, good atmosphere

4 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

70 Prince Arthur St E Montreal, QC H2X 1B3 (514) 845-0183

very good table d'hote fondue meals; great service, reasonable $

4.5 stars from 43 reviews at Yelp

900 Jean-Paul-Riopelle Pl Montreal, QC H2Z 2B2 (514) 499-2084

raved about but very pricy; the most succinct review we can provide is that this is a restaurant for diners who enjoy looking at their food more than eating it; presentation is absolutely gorgeous but neither the quantities the flavour come close to measuring up; the Riopelle address is a new location with funky decor; in their former location on St. Denis, they started you off with a selection of breads from Fromentier (see below in desserts); the "gourmet menu" includes a selection of six dishes (two very small appetizers, a sorbet, main course, salad and dessert) chosen by the chef; the preparations were mostly quite ordinary (e.g. a trout filet appetizer, sliced magret du canard, salad of mixed greens) with a few interesting exceptions, and while beautifully presented, all with impeccable service, it was exceptionally difficult to justify the $80 price tag; yes, this place is probably overrated and so, we have removed its red asterisk

1310 Boulevard De Maisonneuve E Montreal, QC H2L (514) 526-4940

elegant presentation but disappointing flavour; steak, in particular was most unimpressive; restaurant loses major points for giving us directions to this (second) location, when reservation made for the original which has a BYO license

7076 St. Laurent & Jean Talon, Montreal

superb food, in particular the duck, goat cheese salad looks incredible; fantastic fresh bread; but sadly, terribly understaffed, service was pathetic

3.5 stars from 51 reviews at Yelp

407, Place Jacques-Cartier Montreal, QC H2Y 3B1 (514) 861-5731

beautiful tree-decor atmosphere with classical or jazz band playing in the background; the crepes are commendable

St. Denis & Mont Royal, Montreal

(re-opened as Dali/Matisse -- see below) superb all round, the salmon and escargots appetizers were deligtful, supreme a la vollaile incredibly tender, and the game special was uniquely delicious

St. Denis & Mont Royal, Montreal

great ambiance, wonderful fish but undercooked steak, even for those who asked for medium-well

4 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

4720 Rue Marquette Montreal, QC H2J 3Y6 (514) 524-4187

simple setting, elegant presentation, meat entrees were very nicely done, although the accompanying vegetables were rather plain; salmon dish at the next table appeared far more impressive and the appetizers, which we didn't see, sounded very tempting

361 Bernard W & Parc, Montreal

reasonable, casual bistro, regular mussels and fries specials, cheap house wine, good filet mignon

1453 Mont-Royal Av E Montreal, QC H2J 1Z1 (514) 528-7242

Wonderfully seasoned steak and liver, great mushroom-stuffed pasta, beautiful presentation, in a friendly, open atmosphere. Excellent value.

4 stars from 13 reviews at Yelp

3635, rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2X 3L6 (514) 843-4308

pleasant cafe setting; generous serving of steak with a very tangy mustard garlic dressing, with a well seasoned grilled vegetable side, although the fries were decent but somewhat overdone

4350 Rue De La Roche Montreal, QC H2J 3J1 (514) 529-8377

(apparently now operating as "La Salamandre" with the same concept) this resto lost its red star following our most recent visit: slow service, uninspired and lukewarm appetizers, over-sauced main dishes, and mediocre dessert; perhaps it was an off-night, but a top-notch place should offer consistency; previous review was much stronger: superb all-round -- duck liver mousse with mustard appetizer, fresh mushroom soup, pasta and game entrees -- were all exceptional; friendly, patient service without attitude; the restaurant recently relocated to their new, more spacious setting, now allowing for the possiblity of reservations

327 Duluth E Montreal (514) 849-8403

a relative of Bistro L'Entrepont and Luca Bianca, two other outstanding French restaurants

4.5 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

330 Marie-Anne Rue E Montreal, QC H2W 1B1 (514) 282-6342

charming, cozy and relaxed setting with outstanding dishes prepared to perfection; the foie gras and pleurottes appetizers were well worth the price and the salmon entre was one of the best we've ever tried -- beautifully seasoned with a rich coating of herbs; the deer was also delicate but we had a hard time distinguishing the flavour of the meat itself from the sauce in which it was served -- perhaps a good sign?

917 Rue Rachel E Montreal, QC H2J 2J2 (514) 524-0094

simple and relaxed ambience, boisterous atmosphere with a constant banging of dishes and voices raised above the din; unfortunately, the food doesn't measure up -- all the dishes, from the opening salad to the (watery) escargots and (unseasoned) warm duck salad appetizers and into the main course of veal tongue were bland, uninteresting, and served with scant attention to presentation

5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

2063 Rue Victoria Montreal, QC H3A 2A3 (514) 844-1624

somewhat upscale in the price range, this resto offers an elegant decor with a number of cozy rooms from which to choose; the lunch dishes are fair overall, although nothing that warrants much excitement; while we were somewhat disappointed to learn that wine cannot be purchased in half-litre quantities, we were frankly appalled to find that the coat check downstairs charges patrons $0.75 per jacket -- how very petty!

500 Duluth E & Berri Montreal (514) 848-1716)

a cozy French-Italian hybrid restaurant, specializing in veal dishes; despite a strongly positive review in the MontrealFood.com site, we were very disappointed with the quality of every plate from the cesar salad and avocado shrimp appetizers, through the veal scallopini main course and the chocolate-rasberry mousse dessert; the only modestly interesting dish was the osso bucco, deserving of a decent grade, and while the prices of the table d'hote are slightly below many of the superior French BYOs we've tried, we were far from impressed with the overall experience

4 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

554 Duluth Av E Montreal, QC H2L 1A9 (514) 849-8844

A cozy atmosphere with simple decore and pleasant staff; the dishes were generally delightful, including a decadent hors d'oeuvre of vol-au-vent d'escargots, fois gras with a sweet chutney (our only complaint there was that biting into the thin slices of accompanying dry bread produced a crunching noise so loud as to distract one from the taste!), and a main dish of oh-so-tender venison in a rich blueberry sauce, served on a thin bed of green beans; however, the soup and rabbit pate appetizers, both served as components of the table d'hote, were somewhat disappointing; prices here are a bit higher than many French BYO's of this calibre, in particular for the appetizers, although these were of larger quantity than expected

900 Duluth E Montreal (514) 845-6557

the former Parigot has reopened with a new name, new location, new cuisine ("French/Spanish") and alas, need for a new chef; the service was fine but alas, the food came nowhere close to expectations; we suffered through overly pulverized and bland gaspacho, tasteless lamb ragout and an overcooked, dry confit de canard; even the creme caramel and chocolate crepe desserts seemed more befitting of a cafeteria

5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

351 Place D'youville Montreal, QC H2Y 2B7 (514) 844-1428

on occasion, we must differ strongly with the recommendations of our friends at montrealfood.com; in this instance, their suggestion that the restaurant's name ("greasy spoon") "belies... the quality of the cuisine"; on the contrary, greasy spoon dishes may have been preferable to the bland and insufficiently heated lamb and confit de canard we were served -- perhaps they were taken out of the fridge and simply warmed in the microwave; worse still, the dessert included in the table d'hote was an atrocious rasberry mousse, and while the waitress was happy to accommodate requests for a dessert upgrade to the profiteroles as an alternative, we were charged full price for these; pleasant atmosphere yes, but sorry folks, don't come here for the food

4650 De Mentana Montreal, QC H2J 3B9 (514) 509-1269

this cozy restaurant, tucked into a quiet corner of the Plateau and decorated with paintings for sale by local artists of modest quality (a somewhat disturbing trend), run by an accommodating and congenial maitre d', came just shy of warranting a red star; we were delighted with the entrees of warm chevre salad, angelfin gratine and a wonderfully wine-rich duck liver mousse; the featured plat principal, a steak farci, was interesting, but less impressive, and presentation was overly simplistic

4 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

1191 Union Av Montreal, QC H3B 3C3 (514) 871-1581

it is unusual to find a top-notch French restaurant outside of the Plateau area of Montreal, but this one, situated just south of Carre Phillipe is a pleasant surprise; the atmosphere is a bit on the high end of the spectrum, bringing to mind an upscale Parisian resto, but the service here is friendly and the prices reasonable given the quality of the dishes and the great care given to presentation, which was easily the most photo-worthy I have seen in town; the menu contains a nice mix of specials of the week and an interesting list of regular dishes, based largely on local ingredients, we were very impressed with the Arctic char, accompanied by some wonderfully seasoned vegetables and rice while the dessert of marquise fondante au chocolate made no effort to conceal its decedance; update (July 2003) -- unfortunately, I had to remove the red star formerly awarded after a highly disappointing lunch experience; the gigot d'agneau seemed stewed and tasteless while my lunch partner's fillet (ordered medium) arrived bloody and was simply microwaved after additional cooking was requested; I'm still waiting to hear back from the manager

5700 Av De Monkland Montreal, QC H4A 1E6 (514) 481-2109

this resto, set in a cozy old house in the Monkland village and offering relaxed friendly service, does not, unfortunately, deliver consistency in quality of the dishes; the menu is heavy on the specialties of duck, veal and lamb, but none of these stood out as exceptional; the accompanying soup with the table d'hote was entirely disappointing; the entrees were creative and richly seasoned, in particular the smoked duck salad, although our companions were unimpressed with the shrimp guacacmole; as for main courses, we tried a generous portion of nicely cooked -- although unexceptional -- osso bucco-like lamb knuckle, accompanied by a very modest quantity of yam puree, spinach, and broccoli, and a fairly ordinary confit de canard; in contrast, the marquise de chocolat for dessert was wonderful and not overly sweetened, but the cappucino was an utter disaster

1050 Sherbrooke W & Peel Montreal (514) 985-6252

an elegant locale, frequented by the moderately upscale business set, serving generous and beautifully decorated portions; the cauliflower soup was fantastic and the rack of lamb richly seasoned; the "mi-cuit" dessert is a sinful delight for chocolate lovers

4354 Christophe Colomb Ave Montreal (514) 596-2205

while light on the atmosphere, this cozy east-Plateau resto offered excellent service, an inventive southern French menu heavy on Quebec meats (rabbit, carribou, quail) and consistently, delightfully seasoned dishes, from the complementary hors d'oeuvres and simple green salad to the tangy sauces and rich desserts

4007 St. Denis Montreal (514) 844-0555

decent value for food and ambience -- this resto offers a Parisian decor reminisicent of L'Express but much friendlier service; the fish dishes were wonderful but the waiting time was somewhat excessive

4785 Sherbrooke H3Z 1G5 Montreal (514) 933-1000

(what a pity to see this place disappear; one of our favourites, La Convivial brought great food to an otherwise culinaririly dismal area of town; unfortunately, the owners couldn't make a go of it in what may be a cursed resto location -- we'll see how the new breakfast joint opening shortly will fare); what a delight to find top-notch French cuisine in the Westmount area! the chef was previously head chef at Auberge North Hatley, and now serves up a wicked menu with a creative twist, for example (jumping right to the dessert), an unbelievable marquise fondante in a vodka-rasperry sorbet with maple syrup spears; their foie gras appetizer was simply decadent and main dishes of lamb leg and braised venisson shank were both exceptional; as if this weren't enough, the service was equally impeccable and polite; an update following a few more dining experiences -- if you opt to indulge yourself with the menu degustation, you'll be in a for a real treat: a flow of unique dishes, both aesthetically and mouth-wateringly delicious that leaves the pretentious Toqué (see above) far behind in its wake

5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1268 Van Horne Av Outremont, QC H2V 1K6 Montreal (514) 277-2728

simple ambiance, wonderful service and excellent food combine to give this cozy bistro a strong recommendation; the main dishes are generous in quantity, the leg of lamb beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection; unfortunately, the salmon and pineapple salsa appetizer was quite ordinary while both the spectacular appetizer of foie gras (prepared on the premises) and the truffle dessert were a tad on the small size; despite reasonable prices, it was hard to justify other reviews that consider Justine "a bargain" but we'd still happily return

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

2100 Rue Saint-Mathieu Montreal, QC H3H 2J4 (514) 846-1553

a very typically French bistro, with pleasant service and reasonably priced lunch specials; while the atmosphere is somewhat spartan, the food was simple but decent, reminiscent of basic Parisian lunches

4.5 stars from 118 reviews at Yelp

3927, rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2W 2M4 (514) 845-5333

we originally dined in this popular St. Denis bistro during our first year in Montreal, enjoying a seafood dinner in the bustling, crowded, and fairly noisy atmosphere; in the daytime, sun streams in through the skylight; fellow restaurant-reviewer Nick Robinson convinced me to make a return trip to try their steak-frites, following a pleasant debate about l'Entrecote St. Jean (see above); having spent a year in France not too long ago, this dish was an amusing reminder of the way it's served in a typical Parisian brasserie, as well as the university cafeteria's hanger steak, a default I'd choose when nothing else seemed worthwhile from the day's menu; the quality and flavour at l'Express were a notch improved over Parisian fare, but at $21 for the plate, I expected considerably better; in fairness, Nick's

5058 Parc H2V 4G1 Montreal (514) 448-1598

this resto came at the strong recommendation of another Montreal foodie (Amerlita Flores) so we finally got around to trying it for lunch; insofar as the ambiance, service, and inventiveness of the dishes is concerned, Margaux delivers solid value; we were generally impressed with the flavours of the appetizers -- a slightly spicy leek soup and salad with blue cheese appetizers and the duck magret "steak" on a bed of mashed potato and julienne vegetables was divine; the red snapper, served on sweet potato was similarly beautifully prepared, although itself, somewhat lacking flavour while the accompanying lobster sauce a questionable match

4.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

4622 Hotel de Ville Montreal, QC H2T 2B1 (514) 845-1369

friendly, small (seats 28) and a bit cramped, but the dinner was excellent; the appetizers, in particular were sensational; the duck liver salad and oyster mushroom in puff pastry entrees topped our list; on a repeat visit many years after our first review, the quality has remained consistent, both in taste and service; the opening soup (a zesty combo with leek and celery) set the tone for the rest of the decicious meal, which, according to our Aussie companion, included difficult-to-get-right kangaroo done to perfection; the desserts were, as expected, equally tantalizing, although after the richness of the previous courses, even a chocaholic was done-in by the marquise

4 stars from 6 reviews at Yelp

330 Av Du Mont-Royal E Montreal, QC H2J 2L2 (514) 286-0123

French for the "fifth sin", evidently intended to refer to gluttony, but not according to the ordering supplied by Dante or Pope Gregory (for which fifth would be "wrath", hardly a desirable image for a restaurant), this is a pleasant bistro, with a relaxed ambience that makes you instantly comfortable; food-wise, the lunch menu was sparse, including a guinea fowl, flank steak, monkfish, and, if memory serves, pork, in other words, probably not a great bet for a vegeterian; the meal included a typical choice of soup or salad, the salads looked reasonable but basic and the soup (sweet potato and carrot) was acceptable, but didn't do anything to stir up the taste buds; I'd heard good things about their fowl, so decided to give this a try as the main; the meat arrived as two meagre pieces, reasonably seasoned although a tad overcooked, set on a bed of polenta and accompanied with a wet mound of cabbage; the polenta worked well, but the cabbage was a disaster, both in taste and after-effects (hint: not a great choice if you're on a date); while I was really hoping to come away satisfied, neither the preparation nor quantity left much to be desired; the chocolate-almond-date dessert was ok, but far too fruity for a chocolate purist; the service as well, which started off pleasant and efficient became practically non-existent by the end of the meal, as the restaurant had filled up; evidently, the place is popular for a reason, perhaps a better dinner menu, but lunch did not impress

5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

99 ave Laurier Ouest Montreal, QC H2T 2N6 (514) 271-3095

While it was somewhat disconcerting to find the resto completely empty of patrons on our arrival shortly after noon, the pleasant decor and relaxing jazz, playing somewhat above background levels, soon put us at ease. The lunch menu was a typical one-pager, with a selection of half a dozen starters and mains. I started with the fish soup, a rich, thick broth, with several chunks of fish meat supporting a delightful cheese-covered crostini, decorated with chives; the flavours were well matched, although not up to the level of "Oh, this is amazing" that we'd experienced with a comprarable dish at a cozy resto along the Loire; for the main, I opted for the pasta bolognaise -- probably not a signature dish, but surprisingly, it offered a delicate texture and nice overall consistency, without overpowering the diner in tomato; presentation was gorgeous, but that seemed to be a constant for all of our dishes. To sum up the experience in a nutshell, Chronique offers the beauty of Toqué presentation but with adequate quantities of enjoyable food. For dessert, the choices included some sort of tart or pie, a tiramisu (again, the Italian influence here was obvious), and a fondant. For chocolate lovers, the latter was really the only choice, and at that, it was an excellent one

4 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

1333 Rue University H3A 2A4 Montreal (514) 844-1619

Our first review, based on early samplings, going back more than 10 years, summarized this place as "decent French food, high on snobbery, but with affordable specials that change daily". Given its proximity to the university, this was also a fairly regular choice when needing to find passable French cuisine, along with a classy interior and a bit of attitude, to take visitors for a quick lunch within a relatively short walking distance. However, after the most recent experience, no more. We made reservations for nine people, arrived at 1pm, ordered at 1:15, and learned at 1:35 that the lamb special, chosen by four of our group, was no longer available. We ordered substitutes at 1:40, that is, except for yours truly, as due to waiter incompetence (he was affable, sure, but not quite "together" as someone you'd want as the customer interface if you're trying to ensure repeat business), I wasn't given a chance to make my second choice, although somehow, this was resolved. Sorry, but while running out of a special is understandable, this level of delay and bungling of the orders was completely unacceptable. The mains finally arrived at 2pm, mine being the catch of the day, an entirely listless chunk of bass, most likely taken that day out of the freezer rather than a fisherman's net, sitting in an equally uninspiring sauce. All the more so, given that we weren't ordering the "budget" daily special, but rather, from the full-priced (i.e., overpriced, given the quality of the food) "business menu". Of course, if you're lunching on business, better bring your work with you, as by the time you pay your bill, there go two hours of your day. As an aside, the budget special is only advertised on the chalkboard outside, presumably to draw in passers-by, while no mention of the option is available inside, and certainly not in the menu. Need I go on? Ok, the potato leek soup, normally one of my favourites, was watery and far too light on the leeks, the salad was sugared to the point it should have been left for dessert, one of our creme caramels arrived with a chunk broken off -- at least not including teeth marks. It was still edible, but if that's their target quality of presentation, perhaps they'd be best off serving on paper plates. As a coup de grace, the waiter seemed completely oblivious to the fact he'd spilled water and ice into the plate while refilling my glass. I meant to have a quick chat with the manager on my way out, but he seemed busy in conversation with his buddy, blocking the front door with his back to the inside. I'll send him an email instead. Oh, but to be fair, top marks on the bread rolls, for which we had to remind the waiter to bring a second round while waiting an hour for our lunch.

3 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1362 Greene Ave Westmount, QC H3Z 2B1 Montreal (514) 939-6451

Parisian bistro-inspired atmosphere that doesn't measure up to its look; although the place seems to be doing a booming business, probably in large part to a good location, the service was painfully slow, the (four) slices of baguette were bland and (what's the opposite of "crisp"?); the Seared bison bavette with caramelized French shallots & veal stock reduction, ordered medium, was served well done and tough, while the osso bucco was overpowered by its sauce; we passed on dessert

3 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1012 De La Montagne Rue Montreal, QC H3G 1Y7 (514) 933-3885

junior sibling to the acclaimed, but no longer in operation, Plateau-based "Brunoise", this beside-the-hockey-rink (Bell Centre) location is an enjoyable success; although picking up a nod from the Gazette last year, the review from montrealfood.com was not so kind (alas, with Chef Nick overseas, I can no longer debate...) so I went in wary; fortunately, the skate wing was simple, but nicely pan fried with a touch of flour, and offset with spinach, oyster mushrooms and a few capers for a zing, although the absurdly small quantity of fried cauliflower sprigs could have been an accidental leftover from a previous dish had the waiter not specifically mentioned them; on a subsequent visit, the liver on a bed of spinach equally impressed, but in fairness to the true food critics out there, I didn't try the steak frites, so my choice of dishes may have been fortunate; the pannacotta, which confused me on arrival as I distinctly did not order the green soup (it turned out to be hidden under the passion fruit and basil syrup) was a superb combination of flavours, good enough to sway this chocolate purist to consider the merit of non-cacao-derived desserts, but the beignets au chocolate just didn't do it for me; service was prompt and courteous, despite dealing with a nearly full house, and prices were very reasonable; I'll be back

4.5 stars from 25 reviews at Yelp

311 Rue Saint-Paul E Montreal, QC H2Y 1H3 (514) 878-2232

l'épicier (the grocer) one escaped our attention for far too long; while we didn't expect to find anything exciting in Old Montreal, in particular right acoss the street from the Marché Bonsecours, this gem stood out; heaven forbid that we'd start judging restaurants by their web sites, but l'épicier's plays Nino Ferrer's "Les Cornichons"; it's French, fun, light-hearted, and food-centric -- what could be more appealing to bring you in? decor was fitting with the location, an interior spruced up with the blasted stone look and getting plenty of light through the large windows; as an added touch of style, the bathrooms include a waterfall sink; service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive, and most importantly, the food was top-notch; starting with a slightly fruity pumpernickel bread and curry butter (how's that for different?), or for the more conventional, baguette and "regular" butter; moving on to appetizers, the ginger-spiced potato soup was a crowd-pleaser, the fried tilapia accompanied by salt cod and leek was beatifully seasoned without overpowering, and the pan-friend foie gras gracefully melted on the tongue (as it should); this was accompanied by miniature side-cups of mushroom mousse and an inventive mixture of aged cheese with diced pineapple, shaped into balls with a thin dough cover and fried, much like an empanada; all were beautifully arranged and served with plate-specific cutlery; desserts included a chocolate moelleux and pannacotta served with a miniature fruit salad of strawberries, orange, and mint; both good, although clearly not the main attraction

2 stars from 1 review at Yelp

3487 Du Parc Av Montreal, QC H2X 2H6 (514) 845-2992

elegant setting, a neighbour and affiliate of the Patisserie Belge next door, serving an acceptable equivalent of Parisian bistro lunch fare as well as (sometimes) great desserts; check out the first item on the menu -- assiette de crudité, jokingly (I'm sure) translated as "plate of crudeness"; while the food is "safe", it's definitely unexceptional; the lunch menu (in particular the daily specials) seem catered more to the tastes of middle-age genteel ladies, rather than diners seeking something that stands out; case in point was the the bland "duo of poached salmon and tilapia" on a limp bed of spinach, served with absolutely no starch; unexcited by the description of the fruit tart (which looked miserable on arrival) included with the table d'hote, two of us ordered the profiteroles off the à la carte menu; although the waiter informed us that they were down to the last two tartes in any case, I'll wager we were nevertheless charged full price for the two special desserts

2480 Rue Beaubien E H2G 1N4 Montreal (514) 728-3107

this came as a recommendation from an otherwise reputable source, so I was expecting it to measure up, which, sadly, it did not; the decor and service are both pleasant enough, but the quality of the dishes didn't score as well; for appetizers, the fennel and split pea soup was all split pea and bland, while the celery remoulade would have benefited from anything to infuse a touch of zest; I was pleased with the confit de canard served with a peach chutney and accompanied by super-thin-sliced fried potato, although the side greens were lackluster; my companion was dissatisfied with the amount of fat content on his short ribs, although to my tastes, these were deliciously tender and I would have been happy with the plate; perhaps we should have stopped there, but the table d'hote included dessert, and we unwisely ruined whatever pleasant taste was left on our palates with the atrocious sponge-cake-like concoction they called a pastry; quelle horreur; keeping in mind that Dé is a somewhat out-of-the way French bistro for most downtowners, unless you happen to find yourself stuck in this neck of the woods for lunch, it's hard to justify the trip; perhaps the saving grace was the resto's sense of humour in referring to the taxes (on the bill) as "Jean" and "Stephen" rather than QST and GST

371 Villeneuve E. & St. Denis Montreal (514) 289-9921

we tried the Montée (which in formal French, translates as "lactation", although in Quebec, the phrase apparently, has a different meaning ) for lunch, immediately remarking on the crisp bistro-like decor, heavy on the pine, and unquestionably friendly service -- the waitress even offered to lock my bike to hers when I couldn't find my key; food-wise, after warming up on one of the best baguettes we've tried (surprisingly, from Premier Moisson, as our experience in their bread department has, shall we say, been mixed), we moved on to a thoroughly enjoyable ricotta-stuffed pasta in an asparagus sauce, while one of our companions tried the shitake hangar steak, served semi-blue at room temperature (I regretted not having both!); our mains were split between a black cod with two tempura fried onion leeks (the highlight of the dish) and a very tender cheek of veal, served on a polenta base; both were good, but neither hit a home run; the choice of desserts included a chocolate-centered shortbread with a sour ice cream topping and a pear sorbet on baked pear; regrettably, only one of the former was available, as this was heads above the pear

5 stars from 10 reviews at Yelp

4669, Rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2J 2L5 (514) 285-4444

recommended by a friend, I tried this for a lab celebration dinner; this is a cozy, basement-level resto in the popular and competitive Plateau area, so one has to do a decent job to survive here; the winning points at Bouchons were the excellent choice of wines and beautiful presentation of imaginative appetizers, of which the mushroom dish was a personal favourite; in terms of the mains, I sampled the caribou and grilled beef, both were, as per my friend's comment, "good, honest food", although nothing that stood out as exceptional; service started out friendly and most helpful but progressively declined through the evening to the point where we had to call the waiter over for coffee requests around 20 minutes after our dinner dishes were cleared

4 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

3842 Saint-Denis Rue Montreal, QC H2W 2M2 (514) 286-0700

housed in the former location of Toquée (before Toqée forgot that good food means more than posing), this bistro has a sleek modern look but service that runs a bit leisurely, especially for a not-too-busy Monday night; nevertheless, as you progress into the dining experience, the "no rushing here" atmosphere can be excused, and perhaps even appreciated; this is, after all, not a meal you want to rush; there was some back-and-forth with the menu as the waiter first noted their special of pan-seared foie gras... of which they were out... but a re-supply was imminent... and then sadly, wouldn't be showing up, oh wait... it just did!; we started with a cute amuse-bouche, followed by a mix of appetizers, including a zesty baked okra-something; next came that famous foie gras in an apple purée with shallot chutney; oh, this was Nirvana! I've had my share of force-fed duck livers and enjoyed pretty much every one, but this was something exceptional, not to mention, entirely rewarding a second time around, as our order of mains included one more slice adorning the Macaronade pasta with mushrooms; the pan seared (yes, a recurring theme) venison (in place of beef, of which they'd also run out) bavette with shiitake mushrooms was similarly superb and tender to perfection, although the lacklustre beef cheek (that was brought in as a substitute for the lamb) was, in contrast, rather disappointing; bottom line: it's hard to keep track of what's on the menu at any given moment, but chances are pretty good that you'll walk away with a big smile regardless

3000 Chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, RJ.511 Montreal (514) 340-7170

this is an upscale, semi-private dining hall intended for members of the Hautes études Commerciales (HEC); food is well above average for a university-affiliated dining establishment, in particular when compared to the atrocious fare that McGill serves in its Faculty Club; the menu is tantalizing to the taste buds, and the menu we tried deserved considerable praise; a deliciously smoky carpaccio of deer, followed by the most tender and gently seasoned carribou I can recall; on the downside, the included dessert was far less inspirational, the espresso was devoid of crema, and the (red) wine was served at 10 degrees; when we pointed this out to the manager, we were surprised to learn that this is the temperature they normally kept their bottles, and that apparently, nobody had yet commented on this... tsk tsk

3.5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

1840 Rue Beaubien E Montreal, QC H2G 1L6 (514) 722-2175

this is a friendly French resto with a Mexican twist; rather than starting off with the traditional baguette, you're treated to corn bread with a corn salsa; it's interesting, a touch zesty, but alas, not a preview of what's to come; trusting in the recommendation of an otherwise reliable source, our group opted to go for the gusto and ordered from their "tasting menu" (the red cover); this included a small salmon roll, avocado on a tortilla chip, a glazed beef chunk or sweatbread, seared foie gras, and as a main, most of our group had the hake with mushroom; unfortunately, it all sounded a lot more impressive on paper, in particular the rather disappointing fish (bland) and (dare I say it?) unenjoyable foie gras; even the dessert was unmemorable;

4 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

1915 av Mont-Royal E Montreal, QC H2H 1J3 (514) 528-4953

(note: our reviews are based on experiences at their former location on de Lanaudi&egrae;re) our initial review from approximately 2002 suggested that this was the closest we'd come to awarding a double "red asterisk"; we had been wowed by the interesting and delectable flavours of the feuillete d'escargots au brie et aux pleurotes and seafood in a blue cheese sauce for appetizers, a wild mushroom soup and entrees of canard a l'orange and ginger plus a tasting of our companion's rack of lamb and the piece de resistance, a dessert of truffle-like fondant in a beautiful chocolate cream sauce, served with Corinthian grapes; given the great memories from that meal, I was afraid to go back for many years, lest the memory be corrupted; unfortunately (granted, with that setup, coupled with the conspicuous lack of an asterisk beside the resto's name, you just knew this was coming) time elapses, decor changes, and so do the chefs, with the result that assurances from the hostess that "it's just gotten better over time" had me wondering what happened in the interim! overall, the food quality remains above average but service was impossibly slow, with the meal running three hours on a not-busy-Sunday night; appetizers were acceptable but a far cry from the first experience of sheer delight from years back, the soup was disappointingly watery, the evening's special, a veal steak, accompanied by various mushrooms and a pesto was reasonably enjoyable and the first few bites of barbecued bison rib (an oddity for such a venue that piqued my curiosity) fell ever so tenderly off the bone, infused with a rich, zesty seasoning, however, the novelty quickly wore off and I was soon dreaming about Bofinger, where the flavour stays with you through the whole rib; desserts again were good, especially the marquise, but nothing of the glory from before; sniff sniff... the current "heirs" have not inherited the quality of their predecessors

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

5308, boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC H2T 1S1 (514) 273-7442

despite the play on its name in terms of decor, including a stack of lumber adorning one wall, this "workshop" presents a highly polished appearance, as befits the higher than average prices, and serves, at least from our lunch sampling, a creative take on confit de canard, with a healthy dose of orange, wrapped in a thin spring roll exterior, and served with a well-matched side of pureed sweet potato (apparently a recuring dish); the opening gazpacho was somewhat bland, but the truffle dessert scored high marks; I've been warned that the ambience can be extremely noisy in the evening, but I'd be tempted to give it a try all the same, to see how well the fare measures up for dinner, although with warning that servings tend to be on the small side

4.5 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

176, rue Saint-Viateur Ouest Montreal, QC H2T 2L3 (514) 278-6854

this oddly named Mile End resto makes minimal effort at decor apart from some sparse artwork of disturbing Chinese "monkey X-rays" (don't ask) but more than compensates with their efforts to provide dishes with interesting flavours; we enjoyed a lively cauliflower soup entree and a curry-seasoned risotto, and gave good marks to the consistency of their chocolate fondant, although this dessert lacked a certain richness, with one of us questioning the chocolate content, and another the sweetness

825 Laurier Est H2J 1G2 Montreal (514) 276-1580

hailing itself as "cuisine métissée" (mixed blood), this is a fairly typical for Montreal French restaurant inspired by Quebec ingredients and traditions, hence, fries and mayo on the side of an onglet de boeuf; admittedly, the lunch menu was far less inspiring than the dinner offerings, and given the flavours of the former, I'd be happy to return to try the latter; this was solidly good food, reasonably priced, and served in a comfortable, no-rush atmosphere

4 stars from 24 reviews at Yelp

1045, Avenue Laurier Ouest Montreal, QC H2V 2L1 (514) 270-0999

this is a relatively spacious venue, with a crisp bistro atmosphere, offering good service and imaginative fare, at least for the lunch we tried; favourites included the appetizers of crusted goat cheese with apple and walnut salad and a snails with portabella mushrooms; the salmon fillet main, accompanied by a simple but nicely seasoned salad also scored good marks

4.5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

900, Boul Rene-Levesque Ouest Montreal, QC H3B 4A5 (514) 861-3511

(inside the Queen Elizabeth hotel) how's this just for the appetizer? pan-fried foie gras on cranberry, quince and ice cider compete, lightly reduced duckling jus... the Beaver Club, or perhaps more fittingly, its outstanding chef, possesses an exceptional talent in combinations, for which not only the ingredients themselves mingle together to the delight of the patrons, but even from reading the menu, one's salivary glands go into overdrive; for the main, I was fortunate to have gone with the fillet of doe, grand veneur sauce with spiced chocolate, Jerusalem artichokes puree with truffle, and for dessert, a dense chocolate mousse-like on a crispy base with a thin layer of creme brulé; like the appetizer, both were complex exercises in texture and flavour combinations, interwoven in a manner I have not experienced so successfully elsewhere; the doe (ok, so it sounds better as longe de biche) was the biggest surprise; Quebec game is often an outstanding choice, but this cut was exceptionally tender, with each bite bringing forth swoons of delight (and not just from this reviewer) and even with the dessert, there was something magical that went beyond top-notch chocolate; coffee -- the only disappointment of the evening, and these guys should seriously rethink their cappuccino machine -- was accompanied by an assortment of chocolate truffles, and served with a tray containing an assortment of white and brown rock sugar, whipped cream, and shavings of chocolate, providing a collective visual effect that more than compensated for the beverage itself; in any case, my taste buds had by then already demanded a break; although a bit on the high end for a casual evening out, this is definitely a special dining experience not to be missed

3 stars from 1 review at Yelp

222 Av Laurier O Montreal, QC H2T 2N8 (514) 495-4961

pleasant patio atmoshpere and adequate, but uninspiring lunch fare; their supposed signature dish, the bavette à l'échalote was entirely ordinary and alas, even the gazpacho appetizer fell flat

4.5 stars from 20 reviews at Yelp

250 Av Des Pins E Montreal, QC H2W 1P3 (514) 287-9127

in our initial review, Laloux earned our approval as one of the best in the semi-affordable French category; the owner-chef was a real character, raised in France where he became a dessert specialist; main dishes were creative and beatifully presented, etc.; unfortunately, subsequent dining experiences through the following years were increasingly disappointing, and the red star initially adorning its name was removed; but now... with a new chef and an entirely different approach to the menu, the star is back; while the "taster menu" was highly intriguing, not everyone at our table was game, so we went a la carte; my pick began with an appetizer of seared foie gras with a tantalizing mix of eggplant puree and raw mushrooms and almonds, continued with a delicate veal loin offset by baby onions, and wrapped up with a delightful layered Madagascar chocolate "Pot-de-crÃÂ¨me", with a thin layer of nutty caramel, topped off by a Maldon cream with a distinct touch of salt (oh yes, it worked!); bravo Laloux, we wrote, and welcome back! regrettably, on the most recent sampling, service has become appallingly slow (apparently known by others who've also been here recently) and unattentive, my confit de canard was served tepid and worse, somewhat lacking in flavour... at least they kept the pot-de-crÃÂ¨me, but still, the red star had to disappear once again

4.5 stars from 10 reviews at Yelp

1112 Boulevard De Maisonneuve Est Montreal, QC H2L 1Z5 (514) 525-3443

one of my fellow foodies put in a good word for O Thym, and judging by the full house on a Wednesday evening, the place seems to have earned its popularity; although food quality is obviously a factor, the location, isolated well south of the traditional cluster of French restos in the plateau, plus the BYO designation, no doubt help; in the important consumables category, the menu sounds amazing and the dishes look gorgeous, but nevertheless leave one slightly wanting; the tuna sushi appetizer proved (for me) the only star dish, at which the meal would (should?) have ended on a high note; out of obligation, I had to sample the pan-fried foie gras as well, normally a piece de resistance that elicits my swoons, but on this occasion, the flavour was lost in the puff pastry and killed by the candied fig that surrounded it... leaving me suspicious as to whether the chef was trying to hide something; similarly, the deer was lost in the cranberries, which, if used judiciously, can enhance an otherwise drab dish (memories of Thanksgiving, you know where I'm going), but in this case, the meat was very good and there was just no need for the overpowering sweetness; other dishes ordered by our group may have fared somewhat better, such as the texture-perfect and more gently seasoned scallops; for the above average price tag, though, one can definitely do better

3.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1155 Sherbrooke W Montreal, QC H3A 2N3 (514) 285-9000

upscale French bistro in the Sofitel hotel; high on ambiance and attempting to appear likewise on service, but when the waiter steals your menu before taking your order, only to return more than five minutes later, you have to raise your eyebrows; the food was certainly good although shy of outstanding on the preparation; I enjoyed the crab quesadillas and a bite of the grilled octopus, but was hoping for something a bit more exciting out of the bavette and polenta fries; coffee and tea service are big on aesthetics but dessert was mediocre at best

4.5 stars from 249 reviews at Yelp

536 Ave Duluth E Montreal, QC H2L 1A9 (514) 281-1114

I just don't get it; this place, so well-known on Montreal's restaurant scene that there is nothing on their facade to give away the name, and yet, it's imperative to make reservations well in advance; despite the buzz -- and once inside, the acoustics generate far more than a mere "buzz" but almost require shouting to make yourself heard by your dining companions -- most of the dinner fell far short of expectations, particularly atrocious being the final dish, foie gras poutine, pushed by our waitress as "the most popular" on their menu; while the pan-seared foie may have been delicious on its own, its flavours were completely smothered by the appalling gravy, with the fries adding nothing to the experience other than a grimace, thus confirming my earlier adage (with apologies to the die-hards) that poutine simply does not belong on a menu involving good food; the beet with goat cheese salad was similarly drowned by the cheese, the shark was lacklustre and definitely in need of something... anything... as accompaniment, and even the baguette was tough and flavourless; on the plus side, the braised lamb gnocchi (a special that evening) was decent, but the service loses all credibility when it was set on the table almost simultaneously with the seafood platter, the latter being the sole dish that stood out as exceptional, and credit where it's due, in large part thanks to the judiciously light but tasteful seasonings; sigh... if only we'd stopped at that one item

371 Rue Villeneuve Est, Montreal, QC H2J 2L5 (514) 845-6066

absolutely super salmon tartare, seafood risotto, good dried duck/chevre mousse, but the creme brulé was too hard, the fennel soup a strange brew, and the green salad exceptionally ordinary

Swiss & Belgian

3.5 stars from 21 reviews at Yelp

139 rue Saint-Paul Ouest Montreal, QC H2Y 1Z5 (514) 843-7432

Tintin-decor Belgian, tasty and friendly, fairly casual, reasonable $

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1059 Rue Gilford Montreal, QC H2J 1P7 (514) 524-8118

this Swiss resto impressed us with their signature dish (raclette) as an entree and main plates of delightfully seasoned fish, one with an interesting caper and dill sauce; the minced veal, served in a thick, rich cream sauce, was equally enjoyable; both the black cherry torte and decadent chocolate torte desserts were outstanding; the appetizer accompaniment of tangy baby pickles and onions was a nice touch

Italian

2201 St Catherine W, Montreal

(now the site of Bombay Palace) Olive Garden-inspired Americana version of institutional family dining

2077 University & de Maisonneuve Montreal (514) 284-1115)

decent and slightly upscale lunch bar with reasonable pastas, oversize and dried out burgers, served in a focaccia bun and some interesting specials

3 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

4097 Saint-Denis Rue Montreal, QC H2W 2M7 (514) 847-0184

great thin-crust gourmet pizza

3.5 stars from 29 reviews at Yelp

4051 Rue St-Denis Montreal, QC H2W 2M7 (514) 849-2249

(now with a second location at 2100 Crescent) the kitchen manages to churn out consistently superb dishes for a very large clientele, seated in the spacious three-story building, rebuilt after a fire gutted the building in '99 (rumour has it that the management refused to buy cheese from the "right company"); the decor is elegant and one senses that this place should be far more expensive and pretentious than it is -- in fact, it's decidely friendly and very affordable, considering the excellent quality, probably offering one of the best values for your dollar in terms of decent dining; on a recent visit, we witnessed top-notch service as three waiters descended almost instantly on a couple to change the table setting and one of their chairs after a mild "wine accident"; popular dishes include the veal scallopini and tangy pastas, but we've been back many times and have enjoyed many other offerings from the menu; note that the restaurant does not accept reservations but generally manages to seat waiting guests without an inordinate wait

4 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

404 Duluth Ave E Montreal, QC H2L 1A3 (514) 843-3330

very popular, similar to L'acadamie in menu, with more atmosphere but less impressive dishes

4.5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

3619 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2X 2V5 (514) 843-7853

affordable pastas, the El Sole Mio sauce is a delight, outstanding cannoli, especially when very chilled

3.5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

625 Rue Milton Montreal, QC H2X 1A1 (514) 845-8011

popular McGill ghetto pizza joint stuck inside a condo building, pizzas are decent value

4 stars from 11 reviews at Yelp

201 Milton Rue Montreal, QC H2X 1V5 (514) 845-8396

friendly atmosphere near McGill but the food is atrocious. I have frequent arguments with die-hard loyalists who swear by their five-cheese pizza, but our experience was that the pizza is sparse on toppings and far too runny while the salad ($7, rather expensive considering that this is largely a student pizza joint) was 90% iceburg lettuce and incredibly bland. Eggplant parmesana sub tasted like it came from a cheap cafeteria.

3.5 stars from 47 reviews at Yelp

1 Rue Saint-Paul O Montreal, QC H2Y 1Y6 (514) 287-9582

nouveau Italian, attempting to be chic, but highly disappointing and boring dishes

3.5 stars from 28 reviews at Yelp

1434, Rue Crescent Montreal, QC H3G 2B2 (514) 288-22311

lively ambiance, very popular with the yuppie crowd, features fresh baguettes and pour-your-own wine, the Italian pasta dishes are quite good but the Thai is mediocre at best

1657 Rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2X 3K4 (514) 842-4042

good service, reasonable prices, good pasta

Parc & Prince Arthur, Montreal

overpriced cafeteria pasta; cool ambience and apparently good for their market section, but the in-house food just doesn't cut it

McGill College & Kennedy, Montreal

trendy Italian bistro with mediocre pasta and salad playing the all-too typical merengue tunes; waitresses are the main attraction

4993 Queen Mary, Montreal

hole-in-the-wall country-style; excellent thick vegetable soup, but the main dishes very amateur

5134 boulevard Saint-Laurent H2T 1R8 Montreal (514) 495-1131

casual but warm ambiance; modestly priced dishes with very good homemade pasta and antipasti; the sauces were decent but nothing inspired; the linguini au pleurottes, while nicely seasoned, was somewhat overpowered by the sundried tomatoes

5 stars from 1 review at Yelp

5555 Monkland Ave Montreal, QC H4A 1E1 (514) 486-5768

a semi-elegant setting with friendly service; delightfully spiced pasta with an interesting Mediterranean flair; the bowtie pasta with lamb and olives was outstanding

4.5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

3479 Boul Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC H2X 2T6 (514) 282-6644

tres hip atmosphere in the heart of trendy St. Laurent; the food measures up to expectations and the service was attentive but patrons should be prepared for a confused mix of background music, moving between quiet jazz to loud grunge (which, however, Vinita enjoyed); the waiters' hormones are on full display -- one goes chasing after a group of recently departed young ladies while another two ogle the attempted pick-up through the window, and later, a third gropes a waitress in front of the bar; and all are too preoccupied to close a door left open by newly arriving diners

Prince Arthur & Coloniale, Montreal

situated along the ever-popular Prince Arthur pedestrian walkway, this is one of the few non-BYO establishments, but the maitre d' was very accommodating (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) of our "bottle-in-hand" situation; while the service was friendly, the food, unfortunately, fell below even the surface standards one expects from the area; calamari appetizers were one decent exception, but the miniscule salad and cafeteria quality pasta (with -- count them -- four prawns) was utterly disappointing; a saving grace was that we warned not to bother with dessert; definitely a place for the atmosphere, not the food

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

2022 Stanley Rue Montreal, QC H3A 1R6 (514) 845-1852

despite all the posturing of a fine establishment including elegant decor, classical background music, and complementary veal meatball appetizers, this restaurant doesn't quite pull it all together; the veal dishes -- heavily emphasized in the menu -- were tender and nicely seasoned although the Ceasar salad was dull, jazzed up only by an overload of parmesan; our waiter, while pleasant, lacked the finesse appropriate for the job and neglected to bring a water refill, despite two requests; however he more than redeemed himself with an unsolicited offering of Cointreau-filled chocolates shells for the whole group at the end of the meal

3458 Parc & Milton, Montreal (514) 845-0501

a pleasant atmosphere with attentive service during the lunch hour, popular with the local business crowd and offering a wide variety of lunch specials; the salad was fresh and gently seasoned but the penne a la arabiata sauce, while pleasantly zesty, was perhaps a bit heavy on the chilli and in need of some reducing of liquid

2.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1487 Sainte-Catherine Rue E Montreal, QC H2L 2H9 (514) 522-1372

fast-food pizza; surprisingly half-decent and certainly good value for a low-cost meal

222 Avenue du Mont-Royal E H2T 1P3 Montreal (514) 844-7283

friendly service and decent, although unexceptional pastas; of the veal-stuffed tortellini and the smoked salmon-wrapped scallops on linguini, the arabiata, although the simplest of the dishes, was probably the best choice

1442 Sherbrooke Rue W Montreal, QC H3G 1K4 (514) 843-8230

housed in one of the classic museum-area buildings on the south of Sherbrooke, this upscale establishment offers diners a choice of a pleasant, albeit somewhat cramped interior or a beautiful courtyard that evokes images of upper-class Europe; the service almost fits the setting -- it's a combination of Italian exhuberance with a touch of Parisian indifference; as for the dishes, the eggplant-zuchini and cheese-filled crepe appetizers were both interesting and unique, while the risotto and wide spinach pappardelle with porcini mushrooms were excellent

176 Saint-Viateur Rue W Montreal, QC H2T 2L3 (514) 278-6066

This is what happens when you put an Italian grandmother who loves to cook in a pleasant, relaxed environment and let her make all the rules, including "what's for dinner tonight?" Serving up wonderful dishes of pasta and meats (the menu changes nightly at the whims of the Nonna); we were delighted with the ministrone soup, veal osso bucco and penne, all made and served without the fuss and pretension that accompany more formal establishments

3467 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2X 2T6 (514) 845-0404

(note: various locations around town; the one we tried seems to have moved down the street a block to the address listed here) highly disappointing; but I suppose it's what one should expect from a chain, despite the prices that are definitely not of the fast-food category

4 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1265, rue Bernard Ouest Outremont, QC H2V 1V8 Montreal (514) 278-0888

a very pleasant setting and friendly staff, offering an interesting assortment of antipasti and some beautifully arranged dishes that tastedq almost as good as their presentation; the veal scallopini with porcini mushroom and nuts was a powerhouse of flavours -- definitely a good choice if you like that sort of thing -- although it overpowered the wines we chose to accompany the dinner; portions were generous and prices seemed quite reasonable

4 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

3891 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2W 1X9 (514) 285-1616

reasonably good pizza with thin crust, but nothing to get too excited about

4785 Sherbrooke H3Z 1G5 Montreal (514) 933-1000

promoting itself as a "Mediteranean fusion" we would suggest that a more apt description is an Italian restaurant trying to incorporate a few basic North American dishes into its repertoire, with rather limited success; while the ambience is friendly and relaxed, the dishes are lacking inspiration and priced comparably with much better French and Italian restos in the Plateau area

107 Prince Arthur E, Montreal (514) 849-4680

part of the Prince Arthur pedestrian mall strip of mediocre restos, this one, obviously specializing in its namesake, manages a reasonable four-cheese pizza

3.5 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

5849 Sherbrooke Rue W Montreal, QC H4A 1X4 (514) 483-1588

a simple, but comfortable pasta supply store with a small restaurant on the side; we gladly followed the waitress's advice and ordered the roasted pepper soup, which was, indeed, delightful, while the riccota and spinach-stuffed pasta in a porcini mushroom and cream sauce was one of the finest such dishes I've enjoyed outside of Italy; other dishes, such as the minestrone soup and vanilla mouse dessert, were, however, only mediocre

4858 Sherbrooke O, Montreal (514) 482-2167

I've long believed that a sauce should enhance the dish on which it is served, rather than distract one from the main flavours; unfortunately the Mess Hall chef doesn't seem to agree -- the chestnut risotto with pheasant, while beautifully described in the menu, was simply overpowered by the accompanying sauce, such that the delicate taste (assuming there really was some) of both the meat and rice, were totally lost; sadly, while the decor is upscale, it can't compensate for the mediocre food

5545 Upper Lachine & Old Orchard, Montreal (514) 485-0235

it's hard to imagine that a reasonably busy, family-run Italian joint in Montreal would not be delicious, but this place proves the point that you often have to judge a resto by its location; unfortunately for Agostini, they're in the burbs, where the competition is largely fast-food chains; our meals were uniformly disappointing, from the bland chick-pea soup and the lifeless Ceasar salad right through the airplane-food chicken and soggy veal marsala

2001 McGill College & Sherbrooke, Montreal

a pleasantly set split-level atrium set in an office building, advertising an affordable lunch buffet, which, while including a reasonably aesthetic layout of dishes, significantly fails to match the appearance with quality; dishes were generally edible but uniformly unappealing to the palette; had they at least tried to use decent tomatoes in the salads, this would have been a significant improvement

3.5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

5768 Monkland Av Montreal, QC H4A 1E9 (514) 486-4343

despite several recommendations, praising this venerable Monkland street restaurant, we found the dishes mediocre; the Natasha pasta was no better than something we'd throw together as a short-on-time dish at home, the pizza was soggy, and the only flavour to be found in the tomato bocaccini salad was in the vinaigrette poured over the lettuce

4894 Sherbrooke W H3Z 1H1 Montreal (514) 487-9666

solidly well-prepared, reasonably authentic, pleasant ambiance and decore; delicious talapia, great use of polenta

5 stars from 1 review at Yelp

5525 De La Cote-Saint-Luc Ch Montreal, QC H3X 2C6 (514) 484-7525

there don't seem to be a wealth of restos in this part of time, so we were somewhat hesitant, but pleasantly surprised by their modestly priced lunch specials; both the pan-fried sole and the surprisingly tasty breast of chicken in a lemon sauce scored reasonably well, the rice and mashed potato sides were acceptable, although the veggies were most disappointing

3 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

2313, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montreal, QC H3H 1N2 (514) 228-5225

despite initial appearances and location-motivated concerns, set up in the corner of the old Forum, this place manages a reasonable, although unmemorable preparation of dishes; don't expect authentic cuisine as this is strictly for the downtown crowd, tolerating overpriced faux-Italian and willing to pay too much for it; in fairness, the pasta and salad were fairly decent and service was friendly without being obnoxious

1177 McGill College, Montreal (514) 842-2530

the McGill College strip is not known for its dining options; despite proximity to the university, we're impoverished when it comes to choices for relatively affordable cuisine that does not cause offence to the palate; this newcomer to the area (apparently, a second location to an original on Gauchetiere) is hopefully the start of a trend; the jury's still out on the mushroom soup, which departed from tradition by skipping the cream, but the salad with goat cheese, pine nuts, and apple scored strong marks and the penne dishes chosen by my colleagues were all rated highly; desserts were imports, not sure from where, but the lemon meringue pies pushed by our server were well received; less so the fondant au chocolate, which attempted to compensate for quality with quantity; only complaints: $8.50 for a Pellegrino -- come on! and how about getting with the program by processing credit cards without needing the patrons to accompany you to the cash register? (Update: a repeat visit a few months later and my comments about overpriced water stand: this time, Evian for $9.25; in protest, I took the amount off the tip and left them a note to that effect; interestingly, my credit card was charged an extra $10 -- the manager claims that it was an honest mistake (yeah, an extra '1' just appeared on my receipt)

4.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

6728 St-Laurent Blvd Montreal, QC H2S 3C7 (514) 274-4351

no question this was decent quality; the primo di casa, with buffala cheese, tomatoes, rich olives, and a smoky beef carpaccio was a highlight, the risotto was the real deal and even the fettucine alfredo (ordered off the slightly lower priced bistro menu) seemed to pack an extra something in flavour; service was relatively attentitve and friendly; if they dish out similar quality for the $10 lunch weekday lunch specials, this would be a real bargain

1 star from 1 reviews at Yelp

896 Sherbrooke O & McGill College H3A 1G3 Montreal (514) 288-7874

basically a university-style cafeteria with a bit more decor; the pastas and salad were acceptable, and the quality is probably appropriate for the cost

4 stars from 10 reviews at Yelp

777 Rue De La Commune O Montreal, QC H3C 1Y1 (514) 392-1568

in brief, I don't like pretensionsness, and Da Emma is full of it; billed as an upscale joint for "authentic" Italian-Roman cuisine, housed in the architecturally stunning interior of a former women's prison in the old city, it may score marks for the setting but throws them all away on overpriced, mediocre dishes and lacklustre service; for starters, the menus, displayed on faux chalkboards at each table, are written exclusively in Italian, which means the waiter spends several minutes reading out the full list to the table in English or French; of course, by the time he's half-way through, you've forgotten pretty much everything; a tip for the management: sometimes, being "different" doesn't mean "better"; food-wise, the salad and soup appeared very plain; the signature pasta, fettuccine with porcini, was reasonably good, but didn't come close to the magic of the dish I've experienced throughout Italy; the lamb was nicely tender, but devoid of flavour, and the outrageously overpriced (at $20) tomato with bufala appetizer was entirely run-of-the-mill; to top it off, the waiter brought a third bottle of mineral water to our table, unsolicited, just as we were finishing our meals, tacking on another $7 to the bill -- a drop in the bucket of the bottom line, but indicative of an attitude that is 90% cash register and 10% kitchen

48 Westminster, Montreal West (514) 488-5525

affordable, cute, family-run cafe/take-out joint with a reasonable selection of pasta, pizzas,an salad;I tried the solidly decent spinach lasagna and great chocolate chip cookies

3 stars from 6 reviews at Yelp

189 Dante Rue Montreal, QC H2S 1K1 (514) 276-8226

one of the few joints we could find open for lunch on Sunday, Napoletana is fairly large, of simple decore, and seems to cater to a mix of couples and families; after some trepidation due to several disappointments in Little Italy, we were fortunately delighted to find that this place does justice to their pizzas, both in the quality of crust and the combination of flavours (Chef Pizza was heavenly); the farfalle in rose sauce, suggested by the waiter as something to accommodate our constraints with the kids, also proved decent, although eyeing some of the dishes on neighbouring tables, I expect we need to try some of the others on another occasion; service was prompt and friendly, prices are reasonable, and with a BYO license, what's not to love about it?

2.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

116 rue McGill Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5 (514) 876-0116

unsurprisingly given its location, this resto has a crisp business-set atmosphere and an oddly arranged downstairs (bathrooms and private meeting rooms), and easily lets you drop several times your food bill on the wine; top marks to a delectable salmon sashimi primo, seasoned to perfection, and a wonderful lamb tagliatelle secondi; sadly, the dessert menu was unmemorable and service ran a bit slow

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1083, Côte du Beaver Hall Montreal, QC H2Z 1S5 (514) 861-2634

billing itself as Mediterranean fare, with a strong fish/seafood menu, this is a business-crowd-oriented but more affordable venue from Jérôme Ferrer (of Europea fame); along with the requisite olive oil for dipping your bread, a small jar of seasoned nuts and garlic-stuffed olives make nice touches; the calamari appetizer was good, although fell short of expectations from other reviews; scallops were excellent and both the salmon tartar and grilled sea bass scored decent marks; for desserts, you can't go wrong with the chocolate panna cotta; service was good albeit it took some time for the dishes, but this is somewhat understandable with a packed house at lunch

1130 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal (514) 861-3166

pricey, but is it worth it? evidently not, since it recently shut down; the lunch special was decent, but honestly, the best part was the bruscetta-style appetizer

Spanish & Portugese

4 stars from 8 reviews at Yelp

3907, boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC H2W 1X9 (514) 849-5554

great rotisserie Portugese chicken; it's won over a number of vegeterians to the other side

4.5 stars from 7 reviews at Yelp

150, Rue Marie-Anne Est Montreal, QC H2W 1A5 (514) 843-3390

excellent Portugese chicken & calamari, known for the singing and spontaneous party atmosphere on Friday nights

Boul St. Laurent & Laurier, Montreal

(not to be confused with Le Canard Libéré, down the street) mediocre family-run Portugese

4 stars from 7 reviews at Yelp

3883, Boul. Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC H2W 1X9 (514) 849-0646

decent Portugese grill, super hot sauce and sardines, great dessert mousse

4 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

266 Rachel Rue E Montreal, QC H2W 1E6 (514) 848-1063

mouth-watering tapas, served in a dimly lit, cozy atmosphere; a wonderful place to spend a few hours sampling some good wine with your pick of marinated vegetables or grilled seafoods and meats seasoned with garlic and olive oil; reservations recommended, especially on weekends

3.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

101 Rachel Rue E Montreal, QC H2W 1C8 (514) 844-4588

bland Portugese; very run-of-mill

3507 Du Parc Av Montreal, QC H2X 2H8 (514) 843-8212

pleasant ambiance, good gazpacho, very mediocre paella

20 Rue Prince-Arthur O Montreal, QC H2X 1S3 (514) 845-7915

affordable, boring tapas, the dishes were acceptable but nothing inspired

Parc & Milton, Montreal

a somewhat upscale, although pleasantly relaxed setting, good service, and decent, although unexceptional dishes; while the lunch specials are perhaps a bit pricey for the area, the quantities are generous

5 stars from 55 reviews at Yelp

115 Rue Rachel E Montreal, QC H2W 1C8 (514) 849-1803

Montreal has some excellent Portugese grilled chicken offerings, such as those from Coco Rico, Jano Grill, and Chez Doval, but this one tops the list; we're talking about an almost strictly take-out only joint, coupled with a modest bakery section, and we're talking about easily understood line-ups to get at those delicious birds and wonderfully seasoned fries; yes, this is how it's supposed to be done

4.5 stars from 27 reviews at Yelp

1446, Rue Peel Montreal, QC H3A 1S8 (514) 848-0988

in Montreal, a C-note should go a fair ways toward a decent lunch; at the popular-with-the-suits Ferreira, we dropped that on two lunch specials, a shared glass of wine and a shared dessert, expecting something at least warranting the term "special" rather than "disappointment"; sadly, the appetizer (seared lamb in a mint sauce and ill-matched chick peas) was mediocre, the mahi-mahi, which we expected to come with the scallops, as advertised, but was instead served straight as the "fish of the day" at a higher cost (!), although correctly cooked, was entirely bland, and would most certainly have benefited from a modicum of seasoning; the bouillabaisse was the one tasty dish, although not served with any accompanying bread beside the initial (meagre) portion of two slices per person; to top it off, coffee was not offered, although included in the lunch price; the dessert was the sole exception, beautifully decorated, and almost worth the trip itself; still, we'd have been better off grabbing the main meal elsewhere

3.5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

1472 Peel Rue Montreal, QC H3A 1S8 (514) 286-2688

it's surprising how dramatically different two restos under the same ownership can be; de Gama proves the point, as the junior sibling to the disappointing Cafe Ferreira, the upscale sandwiches are well worth the price, and indeed far more salubrious than the dishes next door; although the salads (we tried a goat cheese and tomato, as well as a palm heart salad) were fairly average, both the fresh tuna and the beef and foie gras burgers were exceptional

4 stars from 17 reviews at Yelp

256 rue Roy E Montreal, QC H2W 1M6 (514) 844-0222

Pintxo, the Catalan equivalent of tapas, makes its mark on the Montreal resto scene with a distinctly inventive flair that warrants the praise it has been receiving; the dishes, most smaller than traditional tapas, range from good to superb, with the salmon tartar, duck confit, and a (main dish of) rack of lamb in the latter category, joined by a wonderful chocolate crème brulé for dessert; other strong showings were the ostrich terrine, octopus, mushroom combo, sardines, and duck confit with goat cheese, although the opening strawberry gazpacho didn't really work me though, disappointingly, this was more strawberry juice with a hint of paprika and a far cry from the delightful mix of zesty flavours that are normally associated with this dish; a warning, the ambiance here is on the high side of noisy, so while it's a fun place for an interesting dance of the taste buds, this is clearly more for a group dinner than a quiet date

5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

4388 Boul Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2W 1Z5 (514) 842-6301

the setting is what you'd expect from a large dim sum restaurant, except it's Spanish, and on the Sunday night we visited, the large hall was practically empty apart from a few tables near the windows, a few more on the patio, and the requisite tv screens playing some Spanish soccer (sorry, football) match; the dishes we tried -- sardines, chicken wings, garlic mushrooms, cod nuggets, and paella, were all solidly good, but nothing that leaped into our minds as warranting a "wow!"

438 rue McGill, Montreal, QC H2W 1Z5 (514) 878-1555

decor is crisp, ambiance is pleasant, and the service could not be criticized; for the lunch menu, I enjoyed what was probably the most delicious cod I've ever tried; the appetizer was tasty but miniscule in portion; dessert was a boring slice of cake

Thai

3 stars from 5 reviews at Yelp

1310 Rue Sainte-Catherine E Montreal, QC H2L 2H5 (514) 524-6705

decent

1925 Sainte-Catherine Rue W Montreal, QC H3H 1M3 (514) 938-2235

spicy soup, decent

3 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

4497 Saint-Denis Rue Montreal, QC H2J 2L2 (514) 285-9494

(part of a chain; we tried the one at 3710 Saint-Laurent) formerly a trough-based Thai fast food without any pretense of quality, we were pleased to see that this joint, with a whole new look, now offers an actual restaurant experience including a passable som tam (papaya salad) and decent fried tofu; unfortunately, the tom yum soup was an insulting, watery mess, but otherwise, this was a major improvement

4.5 stars from 9 reviews at Yelp

1616 Sainte-Catherine Rue W Montreal, QC H3H 1L7 (514) 935-2178

(in the Faubourg food court) after many return visits, this early entry warranted an update: I'm becoming convinced that there is simply no need to seek elsewhere in town for excellent Thai food (at least if you stick to basics of pad thai and green curry chicken... and yes, "hot" really does mean "hot"!); the prices are an absolute bargain and the long lineups (not to mention numerous "readers choice" awards) are a testamant to Bangkok's excellence; note that for those averse to the food court environment, they've opened a (recently relocated) formal restaurant branch across the street, but be cautioned that the quality may not measure up

7093 Rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2S 2S5 (514) 948-1930

good spicy lunch soup

3.5 stars from 6 reviews at Yelp

4094 Rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QC H2W 2M5 (514) 843-4194

cafeteria sibling of the more upscale ChuChai (next door), featuring all-vegetarian fare including imitation meat that comes surprisingly close to the real thing, especially the crispy beef; that dish, along with the curries and eggplant stand out as best picks

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

88 Bernard Rue W Montreal, QC H2T 2J8 (514) 271-6733

excellent tom yum soup and a reasonable red curry lamb; unfortunately, the som tam (papaya salad) was rather bland, although we have yet to find one properly made outside of Thailand

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

904 Rue Sherbrooke O Montreal, QC H3A 1G3 (514) 842-5381

a recently opened pan-Asian joint with an emphasis on Thai, although the regional flavouring is in need of some refinement; the lunch special was hopefully a mistake, with the spring roll lacking the requisite crispiness and the beef strips too big for a mouthful and far too tough to rip apart; decor was also minimalist, but their location provides a captive audience nearby; on a more recent sampling for dinner, the main dishes seemed to have improved although the cold vegeterian spring rolls were tasteles

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

3780 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2W 1X6 (514) 843-9001

disappointing take-out, the interesting appearance of many of the dishes is sadly deceptive of its true quality

1639 Rue Sainte-Catherine O Montreal, QC H3H 1L8 (514) 846-1003

described elsewhere as a "sit-down resto with take-out prices" this newcomer across from the Faubourg offers some very good dishes in an elegant setting at surprisingly low prices; however, one should be prepared for absurdly slow service -- upwards of 40 minutes for a take-out order; the pad thai was excellent and the beef curry also scored good marks, although a chicken curry was disappointingly bland and consisted primarily of potato

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

4514 Saint-Denis Rue Montreal, QC H2J 2L3 (514) 843-6269

(BYO -- and you'll probably want a lot to drown the food) it's not so bad when you walk into an obviously low-class restaurant, pay low prices and get fed slop, but when the decor is nice and the prices are in the order of $10/plate, one has the expectation of -- if not good food, then at least -- a modicum of attention to service; the "Belle" here, offers neither; for starters, the red fish curry in eggplant appeared to be made from frozen breaded fish fillets and the eggplant was the large North American variety, the Pad Thai was nothing of the sort -- essentially devoid of flavour and made with thin chow mein noodles (with an almost burned taste); when we complained politely to the waiter concerning the latter dish, he refused to take back the plate ("I'll have to charge you for it"), although a more senior staff member did discuss the seasoning with us and repeatedly offered to add more chilli despite our protestations that the spice level wasn't the problem!

3 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

5697 De La Cote-Des-Neiges Ch Montreal, QC H3S 1Y7 (514) 739-2999

a mixed bag in that some of the dishes (green curry chicken with bamboo and long beans, Tom Ka Gai) are superb, while others (pad Thai, red curry chicken, Tom Yum) are disasters

McGill College & de Maisonneuve, Montreal

(in the former Eaton Centre food court) bleah; despite the popularity as evidenced by the long lines, this place just doesn't measure up to the quality and authenticity of Cuisine Bangkok (see above); the one dish we tried -- their namesake -- was overly sweet with badly overcooked noodles, eggs added far too early in the cooking, and what could well have been tough, boiled chunks of chicken

3 stars from 1 review at Yelp

3710 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2X 2V4 (514) 287-9957

while the restaurant tries to be a bit pan-Asian, the menu has a bias toward Thai dishes; the atmosphere inside is pleasant, decor is sparse but clean, the kitchen range visible at the far end; as for food, I sampled a lunch with a bland salad appetizer followed by beef pad thai; the seasoning was almost acceptable although far too mild (I had requested hot) but the beef was tough and overcooked, while the tofu was inconsistent in size and texture... sorry, but these are basics and the Bouddha doesn't cut it

3 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1235 Rue Guy Montreal, QC H3H 2K5 (514) 933-9949

this popular sister restaurant of the larger location on Laurier offers a reasonable compromise between comfort and price while serving nicely seasoned, albeit a tad mild; the soups in particular seem to be favourites, and with good reason, as the tom yum gai we sampled was by far the best of the dishes, and had the rest of the meal kept pace, this would easily have garnered Phayathai a red star; perhaps we were unfortunate in choosing dishes that, by and large, fell short of the requisite spice level expected from authentic Thai

Chinese

3 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

2061 Rue Sainte-Catherine O Montreal, QC H3H 1M6 (514) 989-5826

cheap noodles, once half-decent but generally very disappointing

3.5 stars from 30 reviews at Yelp

1111 Rue Saint-Urbain Montreal, QC H2Z 1Y6 (514) 878-2888

(recently relocated to this new address) large, highly popular dim sum

1050 rue Sherbrooke Ouest H3A 2R6 Montreal (514) 499-0801

nouveau Chinese-focus; Peking duck and chili shrimp with pecans are superb; however, this restaurant lost its red star after a mediocre Zen-experience ($27) dinner, made especially disappointing by the $2 surcharge for each cup of after-dinner tea. Beware of exceptionally poor serice on Saturday night.

1050 Rue Clark Montreal, QC H2Z 1K2 (514) 866-1668

great ginger and onion Chinese lobster special during the summer; tung choy veggies are a second great pick

3.5 stars from 15 reviews at Yelp

92, Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest Montreal, QC H2Z 1C1 (514) 861-2003

excellent all-round Chinese, wonderful seafood dishes, hot and sour soup, and XO-sauce specials

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1115 Clark Rue Montreal, QC H2Z 1K3 (514) 393-3838

(reviewed at their former location on St. Laurent) we once wrote that this was perhaps the best Dim Sum in town but quality is variable; on a good day, great texture and flavour as well as excellent service; it's still good, but not deserving of special acclaim

4 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1748 Saint-Denis Rue Montreal, QC H2X 3K6 (514) 284-2016

trendy noodle house featuring build-your-own tepanyaki; fresh and zesty, the place has a fun, hectic atmosphere

4 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

1111 Saint-Urbain Rue Montreal, QC H2Z 1Y6 (514) 861-9958

incredible value lunch special; BBQ duck is superb

Queen Mary & Snowden Metro, Montreal

reasonable westernized-Cantonese; food was fresh but seasoning is bland -- the pitfall of catering to a largely Jewish clientele?

5255 Queen-Mary Ch Montreal, QC H3W 1Y3 (514) 484-3046

ordinary bland Cantonese/Szechuan

1059 St. Laurent @ Gauchetiere, Montreal

very cheap lobster special but not up to the Ming-Do standard; otherwise mediocre, as evidenced by sparse crowd on a Friday night

83 Rue De La Gauchetière O H2X 2W1 Montreal

(reviewed before they moved down the street and were subsequently replaced by yet another resto) $4.50 lunch specials (taxes included) but beware of coming late as the food seemed microwaved; General Tso sauce was as subtle as a bag of bricks

4.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

7373 Decarie Boul Montreal, QC H4P 2G8 (514) 731-1818

Excellent "taster's experience" dinner where you can sample as many dishes as you wish for $26; the Peking duck, shrimp with cashews, and crispy sesame beef are top picks

1242 MacKay Rue Montreal, QC H3G 2H4 (514) 932-7099

By far the best Asian food we've enjoyed in Montreal; although a bit pricy at about $25/head, the quality is worth the cost. The restaurant offers a mix of Cantonese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes and the chef appears to have considerable experience in each of these genres. The Thai soups were excellent as was the chili beef, black pepper prawns and orange duck in hot pot, and mango chicken in bird's nest. The basil beef, the most memorable of the dishes, was marinated to perfection and retained a wonderful tenderness.

3 stars from 4 reviews at Yelp

70 Rue De La Gauchetiere O Montreal, QC H2Z 1K1 (514) 393-1668

Crowded and noisy, but the dishes were enjoyable and the quantities reasonable. The crispy beef in orange sauce and duck with vegetable were both superb.

3766 Saint-Laurent Boul Montreal, QC H2W 1X6 (514) 286-6668

Modest joint, very popular and crowded during weekday lunch; a reasonable selection of decent lunch special -- don't know about the rest of the menu

2017 Peel Rue Montreal, QC H3A 1T6 (514) 287-1878

somewhat upscale in terms of ambience and price; the dishes are delicately prepared and seem fairly light on the oils; Schezuan chicken with crispy spinach and vegetables with shitake mushrooms were both oustanding

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

84 Rue De La Gauchetiere O Montreal, QC H2Z 1C1 (514) 397-9410

another of the lobster-fest joints offering somewhat larger and better broken (easily accessible) pieces than many of the other restaurants on the Gauchetiere strip; typical low-end service and boring mixed vegetables but one goes for the lobster...

3 stars from 7 reviews at Yelp

1871, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montreal, QC H3H 1M2 (514) 933-0531

fighting it out with a slew of other fast-food Chinese restaurants on the block, this place seems to pack in the biggest crowds and it's little wonder; while this is certainly not a gourmet experience, the service is friendly, the dishes are very good and the quantities generous for the price

4050 Sainte-Catherine Rue W Westmount, QC H3Z 1P2 Montreal (514) 989-5999

somewhat upscale atmosphere serving reasonably cooked and mildly seasoned dishes

1510 De Maisonneuve Boul W Montreal, QC H3G 1N1 (514) 939-0115

drab fast-food and take-out; the General Tso chicken was passable but the recommended vegetables were Americanized Chinese at its finest and the tom yum soup, ordered for curiousity, contained almost nothing to speak of apart from water and spice, and relied on an overdose of chili to substitute for actual flavour

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

5828 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest Montreal, QC H4A 1X3 (514) 487-8868

reasonable quality orange crispy beef and tofu with vegetables although not up to the standards of Keung Kee; somewhat expensive for the quality

4242 Decarie Boul Montreal, QC H4A 3K3 (514) 488-0096

horrid crispy beef, with tiny tough-as-leather chunks of beef smothered in batter, the vegetables were not nearly as appaling but the overall experience was a definite write-off

2 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

374 Victoria Av Westmount, QC H3Z 2N4 Montreal (514) 369-1122

while service for take-out orders borders on apathetic, the food here is well above average; the lo mein struck the right balance between tender and firm while the sesame crispy beef was a pleasant mix of tangy flavours and light breading

1845 Rue Sainte-Catherine O Montreal, QC H3H 1M2 (514) 938-1882

fast food Chinese; decent portions and a well-rated (in some Montreal survey) General Tso chicken, although we found that the orange beef had an almost identical sauce

4 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1 Place Ville Marie Montreal, QC H3B 3Y1 (514) 866-8000

while doing a bit of research, I discovered a possible reason why our review site is so popular -- too many other "restaurant guides" are clearly not written by food critics who sampled the dishes, but rather, lifted straight out of the restaurant's own promotional material; in Mr. Ma's case, this is most clear when reading about how the restaurant "promises an authentic Chinese meal at the cutting edge of gastronomy"... please! at $20/head for overcooked, over-sauced and largely westernized lunch specials, this is a place that survives thanks to a trapped clientele of white businessmen who wouldn't recognize authentic cuisine if it hit them on the head with a heavy wok; the giveaway should be the difficulty of finding a pair of chopsticks on any of the tables, but judging from the liberal sprinkling of caramelized onions over the rice, the chefs probably couldn't use a pair either

1900 Ste-Catherine W. & St Marc, Montreal (514) 931-0081

some of the fast-food Chinese joints in this busy corner, right across from Concordia, serve a passable, if not necessarily impressive set of dishes; Nouilles U & ME does not; their wide noodles came with large clumps stuck together and a most unpleasant sauce, the mixed vegetables consisted of a few pieces of brocoli, carrots, and onion on a mound of rice (horribly overpriced even at $7), and the orange beef -- the only passably edible item of the three -- was easily five-parts breading to one-part beef

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1245 Du Square-Phillips Rue Montreal, QC H3B 3E9 (514) 282-8388 (and other locations)

although probably more oriented to Vietnamese and Thai named dishes, this joint seems to prepare everything from the same "Oriental food for whities" stock, including the requisite General Tao chicken, the Pad Thai that isn't and the spiceless Tom Yum noodle soup; decore is crisp and modern, as befits the location and prices, but the food clearly delivers on quantity over quality; a reader noted a rather unpleasant experience involving a 2" metal wire found in her soup and the manager still charging for her husband's dish... that kind of attitude might earn the restaurant a marginal profit on one customer but it will cost them many more in the long run

3 stars from 6 reviews at Yelp

400 Boul Rene-Levesque O Montreal, QC H2Z 1V5 (514) 866-8788

we first passed up this resto after a disappointing look through their menu, only to learn, several months later, that they have a different, somewhat less westernized, although still predominantly written in English, menu, available to those who ask; we're glad we did, as the dishes we tried were excellent; the crispy noodles with chicken and vegetables were a generic safe bet for the kids, but memorable picks for the grownups included a "homestyle" eggplant and "spicy" beef, heavy on cumin, a rather unusual but interesting approach to the seasoning

1163 Clark & Rene Levesque H2X 2P8 Montreal (514) 227-0464

those following the evolution of listings on this page will note the long wait for an addition of a red star, but Niu Kee earned it solidly; scanning the message posts on Chowhound, you'll see why -- everyone seems to love the place, and with good reason; from the moment you enter the door, climb the musty carpeted stairs and make your way to the disposable-plastic covered table, surveying the rest of the patrons to realize you're the only white face there, you just know you're in for a good meal; indeed, the dishes we sampled, a spicy beef with cumin and onions, spicy fish with peanuts, and eggplant with peppers were excellent without exception; all were zesty to a certain extent, the fish beautifully sweat-inducing hot (hardly surprising when the dish is swarming with chillies), and the waitress was right on the mark in terms of suggesting which items would be too hot for the kids

4 stars from 9 reviews at Yelp

1809, Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montreal, QC H3H 1M2 (514) 931-8889

this joint has the ambiance of the typical budget Chinese, catering in good part to a nearby student crowd, but their menu, which offers "Cantonese, Thai, and Szechuan" should be taken as due warning that you're not in for authentic anything; sticking to the first part of the menu, where their emphasis supposedly lies, my friend suggested the snow pea leaves with garlic -- an excellent choice, and the waitress recommended the fried haddock in XO sauce, which was a lukewarm disaster of flavours and texture that didn't belong together... lesson learned: trust your friends

1441 St. Mathieu & Maisonneuve, Montreal (514) 935-2321

formerly a Mongolian dumpling joint, now offering more typical westernized Chinese fare, this place does a decent job on the mandarin orange beef, less so on the dummplings (which we had to try, given the history of the place), and far less so on the noodles

3 stars from 1 review at Yelp

1110 Clark Rue Montreal, QC H2Z 1K2 (514) 871-8778

despite a glowing recommendation from a colleague, we found the dishes mediocre in general; I'd be tempted to fault bad luck in the ordering but most of the dishes were recommended by our waiter

3.5 stars from 20 reviews at Yelp

50, Rue De la Gauchetière Ouest Montreal, QC H2Z 1C1 (514) 393-0888

the pots come as a choice of mild, spicy, or half-and-half; the spicy is authentic, and a wonderful treat for those afraid of a watered down level for western tastes; each table is served a large broth of spicy chillies, Chinese cloves, and various other spices, into which you add (i.e., cook your own) thin slices of beef and lamb, along with vegetables of your choice, available from supermarket-style shelves on one half of the restaurant; it's great fun and a delicious meal with plenty of variety

1001 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest Montreal, QC (514) 398-5465

in 2004, McGill University renovated the Bronfman building and installed a bistro location for "Upper Crust", which apparently didn't cut it commercially; recently, they've been replaced with a pan-Asian cafeteria, serving a small menu of spring rolls, General Tao chicken, fried beef, chicken with cashew, laksa, tom yum soup, and a few other offerings, all made relatively fresh; normally, the "pan-Asian" designation is enough to scare away anyone who values their taste buds, but at the recommendation of my students... and to my delight, I gave the laksa (Malaysian) a try; I'm a newcomer to this dish, but the mixture of colours of coconut milk, oils and chili immediately stirred my appetite to life, the aroma wafting up from the bowl hinted at something spectacular, and my taste buds were not disappointed; even the thick noodles delivered a texture and flavour of their own, although the morsels of chicken were obviously generic, flavourless, white meat; more sampling of the dishes is required in the weeks ahead, but at $7 for a "small" serving, which was more than adequate for lunch, this may represent the first decent place to grab a quick meal on a campus that has otherwise been known for its atrocious culinary offerings, and for that alone, it warranted the prized red star; unfortunately, after a sampling of a few of their other dishes, the red star was hastily removed; just as in music, there are the "one-hit wonder" bands, this may be a "one-dish wonder" eatery

4 stars from 24 reviews at Yelp

1676 Ave Lincoln Montreal, QC H3H 2T5 (438) 288-5366

after a few failed attempts to locate this place (at their previous address), we finally had a chance to try the dumplings that everyone (well ok, just two fellow foodies) had been raving out, and yes, it was worth the wait; these are not the sort of greasy dim-sum style of dumplings, but rather a smaller variety from the south of China with a much more delicate taste; there's a bit of "soup" actually sealed in each dumpling with the meat, so you have to be careful that this doesn't squirt out on your first bite; we tried the beef with spring onion and lamb with coriander; both were superb, and wonderfully complemented by a spicy dipping sauce

5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

2125 Saint-Marc Rue Montreal, QC H3H 2P1 (514) 937-5419

decent hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese, filled largely with non-Caucasian clientele (always a good sign); despite a pork-heavy menu, the only choice if you want to eat the wontons, other dishes are certainly worth ordering; the beef dumpling soup was top notch, the hot and sour packed a nice punch, and the zesty mo-pa tofu came with an appropriate warning (it's spicy!) from the friendly matron who runs the show

3.5 stars from 12 reviews at Yelp

1008 Rue Clark Montreal, QC H2Z 1J9 (514) 390-8828

this was the location of Kam Fung, Montreal's most popular dim sum joint before they moved over to Saint Urbain; the place still fills up at lunch hour, and the food seems just as good, although contrary to some reports, the food carts do not seem to be warmed, so you can't count on a hot dish by the time the cart has made a few laps around the tables; on the up-side, grease level, often a problem with dim sum, is palatably low

1110 Rue Clark, Montreal, QC H2Z 1K3 (514) 390-8828

(aka KanBai) super place for those who delight in good Schezuan; the chou sauté (sauteed cabbage) is out of this world; poulet à la vapeur, poulet cuit cocotte, and boef découpe poche (bathing in chilies) all scored big time; another blogger gives even higher marks to their second location on St. Catherine W. -- guess I'll have to try that next!

1809 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montréal, QC (514) 931-8889

fast-food Cantonese, very heavy (too heavy) on the sauces

2350 Rue Guy, Montreal, QC H3H 2M2 (514) 933-5041

fairly decent, not overly greasy, but the crispy beef was tough

Korean

3.5 stars from 2 reviews at Yelp

1421 Bishop Rue Montreal, QC H3G 2E4 (514) 288-1703

very good and interesting Korean, very different from the ordinary fare

4 stars from 1 review at Yelp

4950, Queen Mary Montreal, QC H3X 1J9 (514) 733-7823

Delightful, zesty fare in a relaxed setting; the barbeque beef ribs were wonderfully done and the side vegetables added a nice bite; it was especially refreshing to find quality, authentic Asian fare in this part of town

4200 Saint-Jacques H4C 1J3 Montreal (514) 932-3309

while they offer a mix of Asian cuisine including a significant Japanese menu listing, favourable reviews from the local press suggested concentrating on the Korean specialties; the barbeque beef was definitely a good choice although we had trouble settling on an accompanying dish so went for the fried tofu (Japanese) which was a adequate but hardly exciting; the atmosphere is that of a relaxed, open space with Oriental screens separating rows of tables; a number of private booths are also available for large parties

5030 Sherbrooke W. & Claremont, Montreal

picking up at the site of two failed restaurants (Mahatma and Ichiban), this new entry on the Korean scene seems to be off to a good start with high quality and reasonable prices; while the barbeque beef was fairly ordinary, the vegetable tempura was simply superb and the fried tofu also gets high marks

5908 Sherbrooke W & Royal, Montreal (514) 487-1712

good bulgobi beef; otherwise unexciting

2077 University & de Maisonneuve, Montreal, (514) 842-2884

as other reviews have noted, this place evidently caters more to mild western tastes than those looking for an authentic experience; kimchi was entirely disappointing, and the other appetizers seemed a stretch from typical Korean flavours; however, the potato noodle dish, ordered spicy, was reasonably zesty and scored marks for flavour; still, Atti is clearly aiming for ambiance over authenticity and in this regard, and while the service didn't measure up, the overall package seems a fair trade for the modest prices (for this neck of the woods, anyway); let's hope Atti sticks around and improves with time

6400B Saint-Jacques and Cavendish, Montreal (514) 482-3490

given the remote-from-downtown location and nearly exclusively Korean clientele, this has the feel of a more authentic place than most; interest soups, although some of the appetizers definitely threw us for a loop and the kimchi was underwhelming

64 Sherbrooke W, Montreal, QC H3A 1B5 (514) 508-2585

exuberant new Korean place, good food, and decently priced

Vietnamese

14 Prince Arthur O Montreal, QC H2X 1S3 (514) 842-3512

mega portion Vietnamese, excellent duck

3.5 stars from 3 reviews at Yelp

79 Sainte-Catherine Rue E Montre