Category: Restaurants
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Portus 360
A little over a year ago Helena Loureiro and the team behind PortusCalle uprooted their restaurant, which had been located in the micro-neighbourhood of Little Portugal on the Plateau, and migrated south to Old Montreal. Taking over the revolving restaurant that sits atop the EVO student residence (formerly the Delta Hotel) Portus 360 is a…
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Vladimir Poutine
Remember a couple of weeks ago when the sun was shining and the weather was warm? Even though the warm weather isn’t trending as much as Montrealers would like, we did take full advantage of being outside for as long as we could. I chose to spend my evening watching the sun’s rays descend over…
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Rosewood Revisited
As a food writer, restaurant lover and nightlife enthusiast, I eat out a lot. As much as I love the feeling of walking into a new restaurant for the first time, I also enjoy recurring visits to some of my favorite places in the city. When I returned to Rosewood a couple of weeks ago…
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L’Avenue 2
No one can deny that l’Avenue on Mont-Royal is one of the most successful restaurants in the city. Nowhere else in Montreal are people waiting for hours to eat in a restaurant and it isn’t because there’s isn’t anywhere else to eat brunch on the Plateau. Any restaurant in Montreal today would kill to have…
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Chef à l’érable
Every great meal, like any good book, TV show or movie, should have an intriguing beginning, a fruitful middle and a satisfying conclusion. Recurring food-related events such as Chef à l’érable should be treated in the same fashion. When Laurent Godbout started Chef a l’erable 4 years ago it was a massive success. Reinventing the…
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The Chain Gang
Restaurant chains get a bad rep for many reasons. Be it the fast food mentality, the international corporate domination or the lack of heart, larger restaurant chains have tarnished our view of them. On a smaller scale, several chains, born right here in Montreal, are helping to change the way we think, one new location…
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5 Hoods, 5 Must Try Brunches!
Weekends in Montreal are as much about the splashy parties as they are the morning brunch that follows. Great stories begin with a toast to our health on Friday and Saturday nights and followed by a healthy helping of toast, Caesars, eggs Benedict and just about anything to cure that hangover while dishing about what…
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L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
The night sky is full of stars and although some may shine brighter than others, they all have their place in a tapestry that reaches deep into milky way. The same can be said for Montreal’s equally vast culinary scene. I get to spend my nights rubbing elbows with this city’s finest chefs and restauranteurs,…
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Atelier d’Argentine
Every now and then an experience at a restaurant completely blows my mind. I’m eat out at least three or four times a week and while many of these experiences are pleasant, there are those that are completely forgettable. From the get-go every restaurant has the potential to dazzle but its what they do with…
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Nolana
I’ve been meaning to try Nolana for quite some time. The Italian restaurant on McGill Street in Old Montreal has been open for a few years now and every time I’ve walked by I’ve been captivated by the decor and how people seem to be enjoying themselves so much. Last week I finally got my…
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Taqueria Arturo
Prince Arthur Street, between St. Laurent and Laval used to be a bustling hub of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops that attracted people from all over the city. It was one of a few pedestrian promenades in Montreal and it was busy morning, noon and night. In recent years the area has become less popular…
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Europea
Although there are thousands of restaurants to choose from in Montreal, it’s difficult to find a lunch table that matches the impeccable attention to detail that you will find at Restaurant Europea. Over the holidays I paid a visit (my first ever) to the restaurant with one of the Montreal Food Divas and I was…
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Happening Gourmand 10: Food Edition
Happening Gourmand has been treating us to some great food for a full decade. Feast your eyes on some of the food we sampled at the launch late last week. Running until February 5th, 9 restaurants throughout Old Montreal will be serving up specially created lunch and three course dinner specials. This combined with some…
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Dolcetto & Co.
I’ve walked past Dolcetto & Co. in Old Montreal a thousand times or more and almost every time the restaurant’s marine inspired decor has caught my eye. Anchors, buoys and life preservers are not things I would normally associate with an Italian restaurant but upon finally getting a chance to try their food last week,…
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LOV In Old Montreal
Up until now I don’t think I have ever uttered the phrase “let’s go to a vegetarian place for dinner”. My love of meat (especially hamburgers) and chicken is well documented and my fear of fainting from hunger after eating vegetarian or vegan has often led to a second supper. Up until now there hasn’t…
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The Holidays At Le Richmond
There are a number of reasons why I keep going back to Le Richmond. The larger-than-life decor is still as impressive as the first time I saw it, the ambiance is as lively as ever and the food keeps getting better. The main reason why I love going back to the restaurant and the market…
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Ichigoichie
A few years ago Montreal went through a Japanese Izakaya moment. A number of them quickly opened and just as quickly closed throughout the city as we moved onto the next trend du jour. The thing about restaurant trends is the first one or two of their kind are original but then the money grabbers…
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Brit & Chips
If you’ve read any other article on this website (or you know me personally) you know about my contentious relationship with fish and seafood. For the first half of my life, growing up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland, I ate fish on an almost daily basis. Whether it was baked, fried, caked, fresh…
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Taberna
I had big plans for this year’s MTLATABLE. With over 150 restaurants participating during the 10 day food festival, there was almost no limit to the choices that were offered. Well, those 10 days slipped by quicker than expected but I did manage to snag myself a table at Taberna towards the tail end and…
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KazaMaza
If you are going out for Middle Eastern food and you happen to choose Kazamaza on avenue du Parc, you better show up hungry. I recently paid a visit to the restaurant with one of the Montreal Food Divas and the kitchen laid out a feast like I’ve rarely seen. The restaurant is located in…
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Les Soeurs Grises
Brunch is something of a sacred institution in Montreal. Every Sunday morning people rush to their favourite restaurants to sit, gab and eat for hours on end. During brunch we recap the week, we catch up with old friends and we do it all while hauled into our favourite neighbourhood restaurant. In Old Montreal, the…
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Jerry Ferrer
A year ago last week, the very first Chez Jerry (recently renamed Jerry Ferrer) opened on Beaver Hall, just a short walk south of Rene-Levesque. Famous for restaurants like Europea, Jerome Ferrer has made quite the name for himself in Montreal. Over the last year Jerry Ferrer has expanded into half a dozen casse-croute (diner)…
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L’Gros Luxe Deluxe
In a very short time, L’Gros has grown to become a neighbourhood favourite throughout Montreal. They recently opened their second Plateau location after transforming their original St. Andre and Roy location into the first ever entirely vegetarian L’Gros Luxe. Until this week, the new Plateau location (451 Ave Duluth E) was serving only food…
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Emiliano’s
Two weeks ago Emiliano’s woke up the neighbourhood with a mariachi infused grand opening that sent the sounds of Mexico wafting through the corridors of Old Montreal. Hundred’s of people gathered at the 3 month old restaurant to mingle, try the food and get a feel for what they owners hope to accomplish with their…
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Socialito
The world can’t seem to stop raving about Montreal’s Mile-End neighbourhood and who can blame them? It’s one of the most densely packed neighbourhoods in Canada, overflowing with plenty of colourful things to see and do. Mile-End has a wealth of restaurants that draw inspiration from around the world. Socialito, a Mexican restaurant that recently…
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L’Auberge St-Gabriel
L’Auberge St-Gabriel is one of the most beautiful places in Old Montreal. It’s modern, chalet-inspired interior, with fur-decorated stone walls, segmented dining rooms and dim lighting make it the perfect place to cozy up for a cocktail. The smell of wood fire wafts through the space inspiring comforting thoughts of deep winter, drifting snow and…
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Apéritivo Pizzaiolle
I’ve lived in Montreal for over 15 years and during that time I must have walked up and down McGill Street in Old Montreal hundreds of times. Walking towards de la Commune from downtown I’ve passed Pizzaiolle on many occasions and thought about how nice the place looked from the outside. The brick exterior, the…
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Neighbourhood Watch
Hochelaga is one of Montreal’s most colourful neighbourhoods. It’s packed with great restaurants, awesome bars, cool micro-breweries, fun shops and more. Many people, especially Montrealers, know very little about the area but its inhabitants are very passionate about where they live. Earlier this week the SDC Hochelaga (business development commission) invited us into their neighbourhood…
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Maggie Oakes
A very lucky group of media and VIP guests were recently given a tasty preview of what Chef Derek Bocking has been cooking up for the recently opened restaurant, Maggie Oakes. The beautiful new space located in Old Montreal is the house restaurant for the equally majestic William Gray hotel. We were treated to a…
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Lunch With Beatrice
Ristorante Beatrice is one of Montreal’s most iconic restaurants. The elegant simplicity of the decor, that amazing terrasse and its reputation for holding very high standards in cuisine make Beatrice an important piece in Montreal’s diverse tapestry of fine dining. Late last week a small group of Montreal’s media was invited to Beatrice to experience…
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HVOR
With thousands of restaurants to choose from in Montreal, to stand out in the crowd, you must offer something extra special. In Griffintown, HVOR has taken the normal restaurant formula and changed it up slightly, offering something a little different which has led to a lot of curiosity throughout the city. A couple of weeks…
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Macbar et Fromage
It’s hard to sit still in a city like Montreal. Each of our diverse neighbourhoods offers something unique to everyone who lives in or visits them. On Ontario Street East, you’ll find a heap of new restaurants, bars and services popping up almost daily. They continue to transform and gentrify the area creating yet another…
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Robin des bois
The story of Robin Hood is familiar to us all. The galant vigilante who robbed from the rich to give to the poor was a symbol of defiance and a hero to those downtrodden and helpless against a system build to keep people in their place. In Montreal, Robin des bois, a restaurant concept unique…
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The Big Cheese
Science has proven that a good cheeseburger is the best food you can put in your mouth. Ever. Years of study and endless hours of testing and retesting have determined that cheeseburgers are indeed much more than meat, toppings, condiments and buns; they are little bites of heaven and moments of pure joy. In the…
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Old Port Market Fresh
There’s no denying that Old Montreal is one of our city’s most beautiful neighbourhoods. The area also happens to be one of Montreal’s most active neighbourhoods. From restaurants and bars to activities for the whole family, a summer spent in Old Montreal is far from dull. Adding a brand new element to the area is…
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Fahrenheit 155 Is Closed
As far as burger places go in Montreal, we have our fair share. Ranging from fast food to haute gamme, there’s something for everyone who loves their meat between two buns. Fahrenheit 155 is the latest restaurant in the city to feature their take on burgers and we’ve already stopped by twice to check it…
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Remember Your Roots
Many of today’s hottest neighbourhoods in Montreal got off to a gritty and very practical start. Both Griffintown and Hochelaga were both centres for tanning leather goods. La Tannerie on Ontario east in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is a bring-your-own-wine restaurant that pays homage to the neighbourhood’s roots in name, style and substance. At a recent media event,…
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Beyond The Books
Montreal’s Côte-des-neiges neighbourhood is rich with wonderful restaurants, shops, cafes, pubs, parks and more. A walk along Côte-des-neiges road can lead to some truly unique surprises. Tucked away, behind the shelves of books in the neighbourhood’s popular Olivieri Bookstore you’ll find the Olivieri Bistro, one of these wonderful surprises that feels like a veritable secret…
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DJNL’s TOP TERRASSES
Montreal is a great city to be in all year round but its an especially cool place during the warm seasons of spring and summer. As the temperature rises and the flowers begin to bloom we take to the parks, bike paths and terrasses, soaking up the glorious sunshine. Our terrasses are second to none…
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Not Just Any Other
Mile-End is one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the city (some even say the world) and you don’t get that reputation without showing us a little proof. From one end of the neighbourhood to the other you will find the coolest shops, the best cafes, the greatest bagels in North America and of course some…
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Pizza On The Plateau
Though you can find just about everything on the Plateau, a good pizza place was the one thing that eluded Mount Royal Avenue. With Pronto arriving on the scene a few months ago, that’s all changed now and for the better. Pronto isn’t just a pizza place though. To limit it to one thing would…
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DJNL’s BEST PIZZA
When it comes to guilty pleasures, pizza is right up there with burgers, fries and poutine. Whether its dinner time or 3 am, gourmet or 99 cent, Montrealer’s will find any occasion to grab a slice or two. We’ve done the legwork to bring you our 4 favourite places that slice up the competition. Here…
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Empty Indulgence
There’s no denying the insane popularity of Martin Picard’s restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon. For years the restaurant, located in the heart of the Plateau, has gotten rave reviews from critics and food lovers alike. Au Pied de Cochon has become notably known around the city for its foie gras poutine and other delectable treats.…
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A World Of Wine
We are very excited to finally present you with an exclusive look at M. Mme, Montreal’s coolest new wine bar and restaurant. From the brilliant minds of Chef Stelio Perombelon (Les Chèvres, Les Cons Servants, Sinclair) and Hovig Kalanjian (Toi & Moi Café), M. Mme is an immersive experience into the delicious world of wine,…
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Rounded House
I’ve been wanting to try Nini Meatball House in Griffintown for some time now. The relatively small restaurant’s captivatingly pure aesthetic draws us in like moths to a bright white flame but its what’s on the menu that really piques our interested. Last week a handful of Montreal’s media gathered at a table to sample…
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Buonanotte
A restaurant’s success depends on many factors. Food quality, service, ambiance and a little notoriety rank among the most important of these factors. Without this necessary foundation of imperative building blocks, nothing (including a solid customer base) can be built. During its 25 years on St. Laurent, Buonanotte has seen it all. The restaurant and…
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A Sweet Escape
As we roll slowly into the month of March, we being to bare witness to the end of winter as we’re teased by the first promising signs of spring. Here in Montreal, March also means its time to start gearing up for the highly anticipated maple season. As the sap starts to flow, some of…
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The BRUNCH List
A city with a nightlife like we have here in Montreal needs bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants to keep the party going all night long. We eat, we drink, we sing and dance our way late into the night and sometimes even early into the morning. How many of us have gotten out of an…
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An Italian Adventure
We find Fiorellino on a quiet section of La Gauchetière near Beaver Hall where the longstanding structures of Old Montreal meets the sky-scraping new towers of downtown. In the few short weeks it has been open, Fiorellino, a new Italian snack-bar from the guys behind some of Montreal’s coolest restaurants, has been attracting a wealth…
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Rosewood Revisited
It’s been a little over a year and a half since Rosewood joined the ranks of Montreal’s busy restaurant scene. Part restaurant, part bar and part music venue (no doubt an influence brought to the restaurant by co-owner and Montreal rocker, Jonas), Rosewood has aimed to add a rock and roll element to our dining…