Great food experiences in Montreal?
Jun 12th, 2006, 06:55 PM
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Great food experiences in Montreal?
My husband and I will be in Montreal in July for 4 days and would appreciate recommendations for great restaurants, bistros, cafes, bakeries, markets, etc. Not necessarily the most expensive or formal, or trendy, but just really good food - - I've heard there's a lot of it! French is great, as well as other European and ethnic cuisines. Thank you for help. Tips on interesting and unique shops and galleries would also be great.
Jun 13th, 2006, 03:49 AM
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My favourite restaurant is La Brunoise. Favorite bakery/sandwiches, Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal. Favorite outdoor market with good restaurants around, Marché Jean-Talon (Jean-Talon metro). Best coffee, Café Italia on St-Laurent. Cute Greek neighborhood restaurant, Lezvos on Mont-Royal. If I think of anything else, I'll post back! 
http://brunoise.ca/ http://www.oliveetgourmando.com/index_flash.cfm
http://brunoise.ca/ http://www.oliveetgourmando.com/index_flash.cfm
Jun 13th, 2006, 06:25 AM
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We try to seek out places that are reasonable, but have good food and a fun atmosphere. Here are some of our favorites:
French Bistro - Cafe Cherrier near the Sherbrooke Metro stop, Grande Comptior Sq. Phillip, L'Express 0n St. Denis
Ethnic - Nil Bleu (Eithiopian) St Denis, Casa Tapas (Spanish) Rue Rachael, Crystal Saigon (Vietnamese) Chinatown
The most fun is buying a bottle of wine and perusing the BYOB places up on and near Duluth St.
Mt Royal Street may be the best place for offbeat, interesting, funky shops.
French Bistro - Cafe Cherrier near the Sherbrooke Metro stop, Grande Comptior Sq. Phillip, L'Express 0n St. Denis
Ethnic - Nil Bleu (Eithiopian) St Denis, Casa Tapas (Spanish) Rue Rachael, Crystal Saigon (Vietnamese) Chinatown
The most fun is buying a bottle of wine and perusing the BYOB places up on and near Duluth St.
Mt Royal Street may be the best place for offbeat, interesting, funky shops.
Jun 13th, 2006, 06:41 AM
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My favourites list is ever-modifying of where I like to go...
If you're visiting the Oratoire... (metro: Cote des Neiges)
Atlantique for divine Strudel or fruit cake and warm service! (corner Queen Mary/Cote-des-neiges).
Plateau Mont-Royal.
Cafe Rico for some great fair-trade coffee (Boyer/Rachel) at good price, very Montreal ambience.
Casa Tapas (Rachel maybe corner Hotel de Ville?) for delish Spanish tapas. Aux Vivres for healthy and unbelievably tasty vegan (St. Laurent just north of Mont-Royal).
Chocolantara for innovative, tasty chocolates (Mont-Royal btwn. Saint-Laurent/St. Denis).
Eduardo's (Duluth, east of Saint-Denis). Italian, their rosé sauces are out of this world.
MILE END. (if you're bagel hunting).
Vova (Parc north of Fairmount). Yummy clafouti and Russian pastries. Small place; Elena who works there is so warm & welcoming.
Patisserie de Gascogne. French-style bakery/pastry shop.
Taza Flores. Tapas again, different style from Casa Tapas though.
Le Vaudeville. Unique white curtained decor, special brunch. Basket of pastries await you on arrival. Owner very warm, type to know you by name & appreciate repeat customers.
OLD MONTREAL. I second Olive & Gourmando (Saint-Pierre/Saint Paul) for sandwiches.
Titanic is good bakery for when you're in a bind.
MARKET. I prefer Jean-Talon to Atwater (metro: de Castlenau). If you're in the neighbourhood and feeling brunchy, try le Petit-Alep for a Syrian-style brunch (on Jean-Talon itself, across street from the market). YUMMY mamounie.
Latin Quarter (on/close to Saint-Denis).
3 Brasseurs. For quality beer, not food!
Camelia Sinensis. Tea house.
Maison du Tibet.
So much good stuff, I'm only scratching the surface here.
So much good stuff in the city. (There is bad, though, so don't give up on us if the first try does not work out.)
Cheers! DAN
If you're visiting the Oratoire... (metro: Cote des Neiges)
Atlantique for divine Strudel or fruit cake and warm service! (corner Queen Mary/Cote-des-neiges).
Plateau Mont-Royal.
Cafe Rico for some great fair-trade coffee (Boyer/Rachel) at good price, very Montreal ambience.
Casa Tapas (Rachel maybe corner Hotel de Ville?) for delish Spanish tapas. Aux Vivres for healthy and unbelievably tasty vegan (St. Laurent just north of Mont-Royal).
Chocolantara for innovative, tasty chocolates (Mont-Royal btwn. Saint-Laurent/St. Denis).
Eduardo's (Duluth, east of Saint-Denis). Italian, their rosé sauces are out of this world.
MILE END. (if you're bagel hunting).
Vova (Parc north of Fairmount). Yummy clafouti and Russian pastries. Small place; Elena who works there is so warm & welcoming.
Patisserie de Gascogne. French-style bakery/pastry shop.
Taza Flores. Tapas again, different style from Casa Tapas though.
Le Vaudeville. Unique white curtained decor, special brunch. Basket of pastries await you on arrival. Owner very warm, type to know you by name & appreciate repeat customers.
OLD MONTREAL. I second Olive & Gourmando (Saint-Pierre/Saint Paul) for sandwiches.
Titanic is good bakery for when you're in a bind.
MARKET. I prefer Jean-Talon to Atwater (metro: de Castlenau). If you're in the neighbourhood and feeling brunchy, try le Petit-Alep for a Syrian-style brunch (on Jean-Talon itself, across street from the market). YUMMY mamounie.
Latin Quarter (on/close to Saint-Denis).
3 Brasseurs. For quality beer, not food!
Camelia Sinensis. Tea house.
Maison du Tibet.
So much good stuff, I'm only scratching the surface here.
So much good stuff in the city. (There is bad, though, so don't give up on us if the first try does not work out.)
Cheers! DAN
Jun 13th, 2006, 08:34 AM
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For tapas, I suggest Sala Rosa instead of Casa Tapas. The prices at the latter are a bit inflated. Sala Rosa (boul. Saint-Laurent, south of Saint-Joseph) is a Spanish cultural club with authentic cuisine. Their tapas aren't that expensive and are fabulous (especially the grilled calamari!). On weekend evenings, they often have live bands.
I second Marché Jean-Talon - lots of great food to buy on site (bahjis, crepes, freshly made juice and smoothies, French cuisine, North African and European sausages, fried calamari).
For breweries, try Dieu du Ciel on Laurier Ouest (between Saint-Laurent and Clark - metro Laurier). Now that all the restos and bars are smoke free, it'll be an enjoyable experience! They brew all their beer on site and have at least 8 varieties to offer every day.
I second Marché Jean-Talon - lots of great food to buy on site (bahjis, crepes, freshly made juice and smoothies, French cuisine, North African and European sausages, fried calamari).
For breweries, try Dieu du Ciel on Laurier Ouest (between Saint-Laurent and Clark - metro Laurier). Now that all the restos and bars are smoke free, it'll be an enjoyable experience! They brew all their beer on site and have at least 8 varieties to offer every day.
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Jun 13th, 2006, 09:04 AM
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I must bump into pavfec quite a lot, we have the same tastes!
I second Sala Rossa for tapas AND for breakfast during the week-end. There are flamenco nights also, on Wednesdays I think.
I also second Petit Alep for mamounie and mouhamara... mmmmmmmmmmm
I second Sala Rossa for tapas AND for breakfast during the week-end. There are flamenco nights also, on Wednesdays I think.
I also second Petit Alep for mamounie and mouhamara... mmmmmmmmmmm
Jun 24th, 2006, 06:04 AM
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Wow--
The McGill campus is a pretty large area, so depending where you are within it, the ones that I list in Old Montreal, the Plateau Mont Royal and the Quartier Latin are within a 20-30 minute walk. The others using bus/metro you could get to in about 20-30 minutes from many locations from the McGill area (depending on your exact starting point).
Excited_confused: Jean Talon Market has multiple pastry shops, including the excellent chain Première Moisson and Wawel for Polish pastries. If you don't feel like trekking up there, other options include:
1. Pâtisserie Belge (Parc & Milton) in the McGill Ghetto
2. Pâtisserie de Gascogne (multiple locations...the two I go to area on Laurier/Jeanne Mance in Mile End and on Sherbrooke in Westmount)
3. Boulangerie M. Pinchot (if you're in the Plateau... corner Brébeuf/Marie-Anne)
4. Atlantique (near Oratoire...corner Queen Mary, Côte des Neiges) For divine strudel!
5. Olive & Gourmando (Vieux Montréal, corner Saint-Paul/Saint Pierre)
6. Again I don't go wrong with Première Moisson which has multiple locations including Gare Centrale, Atwater Market and the Plateau east of Mont-Royal metro.
This list is woefully incomplete, but should give you a good starting point wherever you may begin your journey.
Bon appétit! DAN
The McGill campus is a pretty large area, so depending where you are within it, the ones that I list in Old Montreal, the Plateau Mont Royal and the Quartier Latin are within a 20-30 minute walk. The others using bus/metro you could get to in about 20-30 minutes from many locations from the McGill area (depending on your exact starting point).
Excited_confused: Jean Talon Market has multiple pastry shops, including the excellent chain Première Moisson and Wawel for Polish pastries. If you don't feel like trekking up there, other options include:
1. Pâtisserie Belge (Parc & Milton) in the McGill Ghetto
2. Pâtisserie de Gascogne (multiple locations...the two I go to area on Laurier/Jeanne Mance in Mile End and on Sherbrooke in Westmount)
3. Boulangerie M. Pinchot (if you're in the Plateau... corner Brébeuf/Marie-Anne)
4. Atlantique (near Oratoire...corner Queen Mary, Côte des Neiges) For divine strudel!
5. Olive & Gourmando (Vieux Montréal, corner Saint-Paul/Saint Pierre)
6. Again I don't go wrong with Première Moisson which has multiple locations including Gare Centrale, Atwater Market and the Plateau east of Mont-Royal metro.
This list is woefully incomplete, but should give you a good starting point wherever you may begin your journey.
Bon appétit! DAN
Jun 24th, 2006, 11:17 AM
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Premiere Moisson has wonderful looking pastries - I know, I'm working in Montreal this summer, and pass by them everyday while walking through the train station. It's very tempting!
A place I like for sandwiches and salads is MBCO (Montreal Bread Co.) I think they are in a few locations (including Dorval airport), but the one I go to is on Stanley, just off St. Catherine's. It's small, but the sandwiches are wonderful. I stay at the Sheraton, and it's handy to that location. (I first heard about them here in Toronto.)
A place I like for sandwiches and salads is MBCO (Montreal Bread Co.) I think they are in a few locations (including Dorval airport), but the one I go to is on Stanley, just off St. Catherine's. It's small, but the sandwiches are wonderful. I stay at the Sheraton, and it's handy to that location. (I first heard about them here in Toronto.)
Jun 25th, 2006, 06:10 AM
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In response to the question from "wow", my favorite French bistro, with excellent food and loaded with atmosphere, within walking distance of McGill, to the east, is Chez Gauthier. I forget the address, but looking at my scribbled notes, think the phone is 845-2992 (514). Also, on Prince-Arthur, I think the Mazurka is more than okay--it is indeed dirt-cheap, and offers delicious, authentic, homemade Polish cuisine. It's my favorite restaurant on that pedestrian street.
