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Old Montréal is home to some of the city's hippest and most charming bistros and fine-dining restaurants—all tucked into heritage buildings. Foodies eat wild game and fresh seafood while drinking imported wine. Many of the better restaurants have a reasonable table d'hôte at lunch. Daily changing menus written on chalkboards are a common sight, since market-fresh food is popular.
You'll want to keep coming back again and again to this charming little gourmet convenience store and café with its mint-green façade and single-origin coffee. Le Petit Dep proudly stocks local products, including prêt-à-manger (ready-to-eat) soups, salads, and comfort foods such as chili, pasta, and vegan shepherd's pie. There are also mouthwatering home-baked goods and candy in bulk. There is a second Old Montréal location at 461 rue St-Sulpice.
Frequently named one of Montréal's best restaurants and Canada's third best by Canada's 100 Best ( canadas100best.com), a meal at Toqué! is not so much about sustenance but rather about experience. Toqué is slang for "a little stubborn," as in the chef's insistence on using fresh, local ingredients; consequently, the menu changes daily in accordance with market offerings but foie gras, duck, and wild venison are on constant rotation. Some patrons wouldn't consider ordering anything but the seven-course C$205 dinner tasting menu.
Despite the name—French for "Hunting and Fishing Club"—this isn't a hangout for the local gun-and-rod set. Impeccable service and top-notch ingredients have made this one of the best restaurants in the city; the name is simply referencing the wood-and-leather décor. Chef sommelier, Joris Gutierrez Garcia, was named the 2025 Best Sommelier of the Americas by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.
Blink and you'll miss it. While the address is written on the building's façade, the restaurant's nondescript exterior and lack of a sign mean you may be searching for a while. Popular options at this atmospheric see-and-be-seen locale, steered by local celebrity chef Chuck Hughes, include bountiful platters of seafood, mains featuring fish, duck or beef, and usually a pasta dish with meat. With few plant-based sides on the menu, vegetarians and vegans will be left wanting. The bar, where flirting is in high gear, is a fun option for dining and hanging out. The kitchen closes at 10, after which the party rages until 3 am. Minors are not permitted on the premises.
This low-key destination is the perfect spot for an intimate yet elevated meal, where diners can safely anticipate irreproachable dishes (including the $125, five-course tasting menu with wine pairing) and a finely curated wine list. The decor is grandiose and includes a very large mural taking up one long wall, a vintage tin ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling doors and windows. The creative market-based menu changes frequently and focuses on the use of local products. Staples include suckling pig, arctic char, and chanterelle mushrooms with kale and bleu d’Élizabeth cheese.
For fine dining in Old Montréal, head to this elegant contemporary restaurant and brasserie serving expertly presented Canadian fare, from oysters to Prince Edward Island côte de boeuf. A chic, illuminated bar showcases the wine collection, with 400 selections including some Quebecois bottles.
Initially an artisanal frozen dessert brand, Végania unveiled its sit-down patisserie-boutique in August 2022, mere steps from Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal. Chef-pâtissier owner Justine's plant-based, mostly gluten-free desserts, made with cashew nuts, Québec maple syrup, and organic ingredients, marry gourmandise with healthy eating. The pâtisserie-boutique's antique décor is quaint and attractive, but it's the artfully presented, divinely delicious desserts that will have you coming back for more.
