73 Best Restaurants in Quebec, Canada

A favorite among vegans, celiacs, and vegetarians (and even omnivores), Montréal's first vegan restaurant serves comfort food dishes and beverages that are creative and delicious—not to mention packed with vitamins. Try the gigantic sandwiches such as the Sirocco (grilled eggplant and hummus), which comes on chapati bread, or for something a little earthier, go with the Dragon bowl, a crowd favorite of steamed bok choy, organic rice, tempeh, marinated veggies, and tamari sauce. Don't forget to order the "uncheesecake" for dessert. 

The Schkolnick family has been serving brunch at this Montréal landmark since 1942, and very little here has changed, including the menu. On weekends, the line out front can be daunting. The Beautys Special—bagel, lox, and cream cheese—is the ultimate classic. Standard picks also include the Mish Mash omelet, with sliced frankfurters, salami, green peppers, and fried onions; and the Superbeautys 2 with two eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage, and a toasted bagel. Until he passed away in 2017 at the age of 96, Hymie, the original owner, still sat at the counter and directed patrons to their seats.

The mastermind behind this photogenic bakery had been making bread for Montréal's best restaurants for years before he decided to open up his own place. His own shop is a favorite with locals, who line up every weekend for fresh baguettes. In addition to serving a delicious rye-and-caraway-seed loaf and chocolate babka, Hof Kelsten also makes sandwiches—like homemade gravlax with seasoned cream cheese or chopped liver with crispy onions—that make for an excellent lunch or early evening meal (the shop closes at 5). The bakery serves brunch on weekends.

Tucked away in an unassuming Lower Town corner, Café Apotek reveals itself as a beautifully designed, minimalist sanctuary. Step inside to discover a refined, perfectly welcoming space adorned with a grand wraparound brown marble table, microcement walls, and warm walnut beams. Indulge in delicious Danish pastries, including exquisite cardamom brioches, and savor coffee crafted from beans roasted and imported directly from Denmark. It's a proper Scandinavian experience and an absolute must-visit for discerning coffee aficionados.

One part pâtisserie, one part café, one part French bistro, this little restaurant has been a darling of food critics since it opened in 2017. Serving deftly executed French dishes like quiche, vol-au-vent, and tartines niçoises in a fresh, modern setting of white subway tiles, decorative brass struts, richly patinated wooden tables, and mint-green velvet seating, Café Bazin is a little corner of France in the heart of Anglo Westmount. You'll likely feel sated after your main course, but don't make the mistake of passing on dessert. Bazin is originally a pâtissier by profession, and the pâtisseries here are exquisite. Try the tartelette choco café, a chocolate flan with Chantilly coffee cream, or the Paris-Brest, a choux pastry with hazelnut praline mousseline.   

Ranked one of the world's best cafés by the United Kingdom's Telegraph, this unpretentious 1970s-style café is popular with locals for Italian pastries like cannoli and pistachio bomboloni and, of course, great espresso made from a secret blend of six different coffee beans. It's also a good place to get a feel for authentic Montréal. Families and suits alike head to Café Olimpico in the morning to kick-start their day, and the patio is overflowing with hipsters on sunny days. Baristas here know their craft, and the grinding of the espresso machine is a welcome melody to serious coffee drinkers.

Expect the usual crowd of students, freelancers, and others toting laptops at this third-wave café that has thoughtfully selected beans roasted on-site. Even so, the contemporary, all-white café is a welcome respite from the cold in wintertime—and the doughnuts alone are worth a visit.

Expect the usual crowd of students, freelancers, and others toting laptops at this third-wave café that has thoughtfully selected beans roasted on-site. Even so, the contemporary, all-white café is a welcome respite from the cold in wintertime—and the doughnuts alone are worth a visit.

A veritable institution in Little Italy, this modest cafe hasn't changed much since it first opened in 1956; think terrazzo flooring, half-wall plywood panelling, authentic retro barstools, and lots of photos and vintage posters on the walls. The one difference is that now there is a much wider range of coffees available to cater to the more demanding drinking habits of today's consumer. The friendly, welcoming cafe is a family affair, with daughter Luciana and granddaughters Nadia and Laura who manage the Tuscan patriarch's caffè.

Step inside Caffettiera and you just might be convinced you've entered a caffè in Italy circa 1994. Here in this faux-wood-paneled space with its stand-up espresso bar, beige and blue banquettes, and formica tabletops, you'll drink flavorful coffee made from arabica coffee beans roasted in Rome by Fantini and brewed from Vittorio Arduini Lever machines or classic aluminum Bialettis. At the bar, you'll choose from an assortment of panini and Italian dolci, such as brioches, crostate (jam tarts with a lattice pastry top), and bomboloni (ball-shaped doughnuts filled with jam or Nutella). And, since Caffettiera is an authentic Italian bar, not just a café, you'll see bottles of Aperol, Campari, Fernet Branca, and Amaro Nonino behind the bar. There's no detail Italian-Canadian owner Andreas Vecchio and his partner and cousin Diego Lovino haven't thought of. Imported Italian chocolates and bonboni? Check. Italian chips and snacks for aperitivi? Check. Cheap-quality Fantini paper napkins (they also have higher-quality napkins) in Fantini dispensers? Check. Just like in Italy.

This iconic Montréal bistro hasn’t changed much since its opening in 1980, and it’s just as well—regulars would throw a fit if it did. Quintessential French fare is fairly priced and appetizing, outstanding even, with dishes like steak tartare with fries, salmon with sorrel, and calf's liver with tarragon. Tiny tables sometimes struggle to accommodate the ever-present crowds (including local chefs, who congregate here for dinner after hours), but the lively atmosphere is part of the charm. Kids are warmly welcomed.

Québec is notorious for poutine—French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy—and La Banquise has been the place for an authentic experience since 1968, with an extensive menu featuring 34 varieties. Neophytes might want to stick with La Classique, but mouthwatering novelties like La Taquise (guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes), L'Obélix (smoked meat), La Veggie Reggie (pickles, tomatoes, creamy coleslaw, and Banquise sauce), and La Véganomane (vegan sauce and cheese) are quite alluring. On the odd sunny day, have your poutine to go and enjoy it alfresco in nearby Parc Lafontaine.

The self-proclaimed "un coin perdu de Paris" (a lost corner of Paris) is famous for its wraparound patio, Parisian vibe, century-old corner building featuring stained glass and woodwork, and Art Nouveau bar. Although this is a full bistro serving three meals every day of the week, it shines brightest in the morning. Order a croissant while nursing a large bowl of café au lait.

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.

Voted Canada's best restaurant in 2023 and 2024 by the prestigious "Canada's 100 Best," Mon Lapin has gone from being a compact wine bar to a full-fledged 70-seater restaurant with a daily-changing menu of small plates emphasizing local, seasonal ingredients and playful flavor combinations that make the mouth sing. Depending on the day and the season, the minimalist menu might feature chicken brined in sourdough; croque-pétoncle; white asparagus atop razor clams with elderflower; barbecued whelks; or Nanaimo bars with chestnuts and amaro. But it's not just about the great food. The sommeliers here really know their low-intervention wines and which to pair with each dish. As for design, it's sophisticated bistro: mosaic tile floors, burnished brass bar, and local art adorning the walls. “It’s not fine dining, it’s fun dining!” say the staff, who work more as a team rather than a regimented kitchen hierarchy. 

Influential types arrive at lunchtime en masse for a table at this bustling bakery and sandwich shop where vegetables are organically grown in a nearby garden. Crowd pleasers include the Cuban panini sandwich and the #24 salad with pickled daikon, peanuts, roasted marinated tofu, fresh herbs, and soba noodles.  There is now a second location in the new Royalmount mall.

Some of Québec City's finest pastries are made at this gourmet newcomer on rue St-Jean. The weekly rotation of four flavorful chouquettes, puffy, bite-sized treats that are so good, no amount of guilt can stop you from indulging. There are also a few equally delightful vegan cakes on offer.

Eaton's 9th floor restaurant, an Art Deco masterpiece meant to simulate a 1920s ocean liner, was a paragon of sophistication during Montréal's zenith as a jazz age capital. Here, husbands took their wives for an elegant dinner. It was also where anglophone society women lunched, and where many mothers and daughters, as recently as the 1980s, marked special occasions. When Eaton's stores across the country shuttered in 1999 due to bankruptcy, the beloved restaurant sat collecting cobwebs for 25 years. Now, after a full restoration, the legendary 9th-floor restaurant reopened in May 2024. The ship-like dining room is used only for performances and special events, with the former grand hall and art gallery now serving as the restaurant and cocktail bar spaces. Some of the original Eaton's classics remain on the menu, but most of the cuisine can best be described as "French, with a Montréal twist". The cocktail bar, Le French Line, adjacent to the restaurant, is small but magnificently restored, featuring mirrored walls, some of the original, fantastical art tableaux, curved banquette seating, lots of windows, and pale green velvet curtains. Here, patrons can snack on tasty bar plates while sipping fabulous cocktails when the kitchen is closed. Or, any time the bar is open. 

To access the 9th-floor, take one of the restored elevators in the original entrance hall at 1500 boul. Robert-Bourassa. Here you'll find a grand corridor filled with window displays of historical objects, which leads to the reception desk.

Many would say that you simply haven't eaten in Montréal if you haven't eaten at Schwartz's, Canada’s oldest deli. This Montréal classic has zero frills on the décor front, yet crowds have been lining up here since 1928 for a thick and legendary smoked-meat sandwich on rye with mustard. The cooks do such an excellent job at curing, smoking, and slicing beef brisket that even when it's 20 below zero, locals (and celebrity visitors) endure the consistently long queues.  Try to avoid lunch and dinner hours, as the wait is particularly long. If you're in a rush, use the take-out counter next door.

A darling of Montréal food critics since it opened in 2014, Canada's first vegan sushi restaurant is an innovative twist on the traditional sushi eatery. Inspired by Mexican Canadian chef Christian Ventura's values, the setting is replete with brick walls, natural woods, and soothing tones, including a few stunning walls of botanical murals. "You eat with your eyes," says Ventura, "so everything has to be beautiful." And beautiful it is. Exquisitely plated, inventive confections are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The bar serves organic wines, colorful cocktails, and privately imported sakes, making Sushi Momo an attractive destination for a quiet 5 à 7 (cocktail hour).  There's also a Sushi Momo takeout counter at 16 avenue des Pins in the Plateau.

Opened in 2020, this luminous, inviting bakery in St-Henri has made a name for itself with its old fashioned layer cakes, cookies, and loaves that transport you back to Grandma's kitchen.

Is it possible to eat sushi without harming our oceans and the fish that live in them? The owners of Bloom think so. At this pretty plant-based eatery in the Quartier des Spectacles, you can choose between artfully plated maki, futomaki, gyoza, crispy rice treats, and specialty rolls, each dish a captivating fusion of flavors. Complement your meal with a kombucha or a kaeru margarita flavored with matcha, pineapple juice, lime juice, and agave syrup.

Come hungry—really hungry—to this foodie destination, where the full-service, family butcher shop dating back to 1943 also hosts a café and gourmet food market featuring locally made artisanal products. Tuck into a thick rib steak with a local saison beer, select from the hot and cold buffets, or go for the “menu of the day” and watch butchers in action as you dine. Vintage meat market tools are on display. Don’t worry about saving room for dessert, because you can purchase a selection of fine chocolates and other sweets for later. Not very hungry? Come anyway and nibble top-quality cheeses with a glass of wine. Come early for dinner, though—the shop closes at 5:30, or 6 Thursday and Friday.

Entrées are as colorful as this complex’s buildings, and the deck is the best place to sit on a sunny day. Dishes are all over the map: French onion soup, pepperoni pizza, grilled merguez sausage, barbecue ribs, fish-and-chips, New York–style cheesecake. Poutines are just as varied—one is made with shrimp, another with lobster, yet another with spaghetti sauce; special poutines might feature smoked salmon sausage or General Tso’s chicken. Stick around for live music. Emerging talents, some of whom have gone on to fame, take the stage year-round, usually on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

There's no need to cross the pond to find perfectly battered fish and delicious chips, as they can be found right here in Old Montréal. The cod is a staple, but the salmon dipped in beer batter is also a menu favorite, and for a Canadian touch, try the haddock covered in golden maple syrup batter. Vegetarians will appreciate the tofu in chipotle batter and the veggie samosas. There's gluten-free available as well. Polish off your jolly ol' British experience at the chippy with sticky toffee pudding. Wine and a range of beers are also served. 

Sip a house-roasted coffee or nibble a bright shrimp salad while pondering art that decorates this colorful café at the heart of the town. The owner's intention was to create a delicious place that helped support local artists. Paintings, stained glass, and other objects decorate the sunlit space, where timbers support high ceilings. Generous salads and sandwiches characterize the menu. Homemade soups and desserts are available, too. For a nightcap, try a spiked coffee.

This casual and attractive café right on the corner of scenic Place Royale is a great place to stop for an afternoon pick-me-up, be it coffee or various indulgent sweets. For a light lunch, there are yummy sandwiches, quiches, and soups. There are other branches elsewhere in the city that are just as good, just not as scenic.  On sunny days, make sure to enjoy the sun-drenched patio.

For specialty coffee in Upper Town, step into Québec-based group Café La Maison Smith on Rue Saint-Jean. Its inviting street-facing counter offers a perfect, cozy vantage point to people-watch and find warmth on a chilly winter's day.

The Packwood is a charming, intimate café-boutique that hosts over 50 handpicked artisans from various regions of Québec. Set in a former general store, the café offers homemade sandwiches and salads at very affordable prices as well as excellent third-wave coffee.

Aficionados are willing to wait for a seat at this small café, where the foam on your latte or café au lait is artfully arranged in waves, hearts, or curlicues. The gastro coffee is imported from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Brazil, Bolivia, and elsewhere via the famed 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters in Vancouver. Patrons can choose alternatives to dairy milk, such as soy, almond, and oat. Don't drink coffee? Try the molten hot chocolate or the homemade iced tea.