29 Great Bets For French Dining in Montreal Must Try in 2022
The Montreal food scene is on fire! With some of the best restaurants on the planet, Montreal has become an essential destination for gourmands looking for incredible dining experiences.
If you are planning a vacation in Montreal and looking for something different, try the traditional French restaurant scene, which is gaining popularity in the city.
While in Montreal, you would not want to miss out on trying these 29 spots for French dining that are well-known in the area. Each one has its own signature dishes and unique style to set them apart.
29 Great Bets For French Dining in Montreal
1. Le Valois
Address: 25 Place Simon-Valois, Montréal, QC H1W 0A6, Canada
Phone: (514) 528-0202
Website: Visit Website
La Valois, an art deco restaurant in Hochelaga, serves a wide variety of local and international dishes, from surf and turf to vegetarian and vegan.
Among the more kid-friendly options, there’s plenty of places to dine (its terrasse alone has 120 seats).
2. Tandem
Address: 586 Villeray, Montréal, QC H2R 1H6, Canada
Phone: (514) 277-3339
Website: Visit Website
The best BYOW establishment in Montreal The city’s abundance of critically acclaimed French restaurants is a well-known fact.
Veal filet mignon and guinea chicken supreme are among the meatier options (a vegan menu is also provided).
3. Le Pégase
Address: 1831 Rue Gilford, Montréal, QC H2H 1G7, Canada
Phone: (514) 522-0487
Website: Visit Website
Le Pégase, a little restaurant on the Plateau, serves traditional French cuisine with a focus on meats such rack of lamb, flank steak, and stuffed rabbit.
Le Pégase is a popular BYOB in the neighborhood, so feel free to bring a bottle of wine from home to pair with your meal.
4. Au Petit Extra
Address: 1690 Rue Ontario E, Montréal, QC H2L 1S7, Canada
Phone: (514) 527-5552
Website: Visit Website
Au Petit Extra is a popular local hangout known for its ever-changing specials menu, which is scribbled daily on a giant chalkboard.
Fish soup with rouille, duck confit, and foie gras torchon are menu mainstays, while traditional desserts like crème brûlée and Paris-Brest are available as well.
5. Plein Sud
Address: 222 Avenue du Mont-Royal E, Montréal, QC H2T 1P3, Canada
Phone: (514) 510-6234
Website: Visit Website
Plein Sud is a novel option for visitors seeking regional French delicacies; the chef takes a Corsican approach, incorporating ingredients and techniques from all around France, from Italy to Provence.
The menu focuses mostly on hearty meat dishes, but there are also vegetarian and vegan alternatives, such as beet mille-feuille and ratatouille with a poached egg.
6. Le P’tit Plateau
Address: 330 Rue Marie-Anne, Montréal, QC H2W 1B1, Canada
Phone: (514) 282-6342
Website: Visit Website
This neighborhood café on a quiet Plateau street serves up substantial meals with a concentration on meat (think duck confit, lamb shanks, and grilled venison).
You can also bring your own alcohol. To paraphrase the great Tim Forster:
7. La Chronique
Address: 104 Avenue Laurier O, Montréal, QC H2T 2N7, Canada
Phone: (514) 271-3095
Website: Visit Website
There is little doubt that Chef Marc de Canck is one of the most traditionally educated chefs in France.
When you add in Olivier de Montigny’s analytical eye and taste, you get an immaculately-plated cuisine and an extensive range of good wines served in a clean setting.
8. L’Express
Address: 3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2W 2M4, Canada
Phone: (514) 845-5333
Website: Visit Website
L’Express has been a staple of the neighborhood for over 30 years because the French food and the Parisian bistro atmosphere are perfect.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks are all available, and the menu features house-made Toulouse sausage, poached salmon with chervil, duck foie gras, and calf liver with tarragon.
9. Le Margaux
Address: 5058 Av du Parc, Montréal, QC H2V 4G1, Canada
Phone: (514) 448-1598
Website: Visit Website
The proprietor and chef of this Mile End BYOB, Jérôme Chatenet, has a special talent when it comes to foie gras, as well as escargot, soupe à l’oignon, duck confit, and profiteroles. To paraphrase the great Tim Forster:
10. Chez Lévêque
Address: 1030 Avenue Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2K8, Canada
Phone: (514) 279-7355
Website: Visit Website
Chez Lévêque, which bills itself as a “classic Parisian brasserie” with a menu unchanged in 40 years, offers both à la carte and fixed-price meals.
While it has a casual vibe, the service and food are serious about refinement, with many dishes and wines brought over from the native country.
11. Leméac
Address: 1045 Avenue Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2L1, Canada
Phone: (514) 270-0999
Website: Visit Website
Richard Bastien’s Outremont restaurant, which serves escargot ragout, steak frites, and crab cakes, among other things, is a must-have on any list of Montreal French restaurants.
Plus, if you arrive after 10 p.m., you may take advantage of the restaurant’s exceptionally low prices on the late-night menu.
12. Café Cherrier
Address: 3635 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3L6, Canada
Phone: (514) 843-4308
Website: Visit Website
Café Cherrier, a longtime favorite of many Quebec public personalities and a bit of a tourist trap thanks to its green terrace and excellent Plateau setting, serves up nothing too out of the ordinary and instead focuses on perfecting the classics, from rabbit to steak-frites.
13. Les Deux Gamins
Address: 170 Rue Prince Arthur E, Montréal, QC H2X 3B7, Canada
Phone: (514) 288-3389
Website: Visit Website
Classic French bistro fare served in a spacious, elegant setting, Les Deux Gamins (both inside and, in the summer, in its expansive terrasse) exudes a quaint, Parisian air.
Despite its slightly touristic reputation, this restaurant serves some of the greatest onion soup in town, as well as duck confit and escargots, perfect for people-watching from an outside table.
14. La Maison du Magret
Address: 102 Rue Saint-Antoine O, Montréal, QC H2Y 1J6, Canada
Phone: (514) 282-0008
Website: Visit Website
La Maison du Magret is a combination bistro and deli, and it is a must-visit for fans of duck dishes including duck gizzard salad, duck foie gras torchon, duck confit, duck burgers, and duck ravioli.
Desserts like Basque cake and crème brûlée, which thankfully don’t include duck, round off the meal.
15. Bonaparte
Address: 443 Rue Saint-François-Xavier, Montréal, QC H2Y 2T1, Canada
Phone: (514) 844-4368
Website: Visit Website
Lesley Chesterman, writing in Bonaparte’s 26th year of operation, praised the restaurant’s consistency: “.
I like the fact that every bite was excellent and every plate was soigné,” demonstrating that “underall the elegance, Bonaparte is a well-oiled machine.”
Bonaparte, located in the heart of Old Montreal, is renowned for its sophisticated atmosphere and delicious food.
16. Monarque
Address: 406 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montréal, QC H2Y 1S1, Canada
Phone: (514) 875-3896
Website: Visit Website
Monarque, opened in 2018 by father-and-son team Richard and Jérémie Bastien (also see: Leméac), is a gorgeous new addition to Old Montreal’s eating scene.
The restaurant’s front room is a more traditional brasserie with dishes including steak, tuna niçoise, and bouillabaisse.
The more formal dining room offers a variety of delicious meat and fish dishes, some of which are given a twist with international ingredients like dukkah, but a strong vein of French flair runs throughout.
17. Holder
Address: 407 Rue McGill #100a, Montréal, QC H2Y 2G3, Canada
Phone: (514) 849-0333
Website: Visit Website
Holder, under the direction of chef Simon Laplante, is a popular restaurant loved by residents for its casual brasserie atmosphere and French influences.
Not everything on the menu comes from the l’hexagone, but the braised beef cheek à la bourguignon and the fish soup with rouille and gruyere are worth the trip.
18. Maison Boulud
Address: 1228 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC H3G 1H6, Canada
Phone: (514) 842-4224
Website: Visit Website
The Ritz-fine Carlton’s dining establishment is named after celebrated French chef Daniel Boulud, who takes a more modern approach to French cuisine at the establishment.
In one of his many namesake restaurants across the world, Boulud and head chef Riccardo Bertolino have created a menu of savory Lyonnais salads and charcuterie, grilled and seared meats, and exquisite pastries.
19. Jérôme Ferrer par Europea
Address: 1065 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 0B9, Canada
Phone: (514) 398-9229
Website: Visit Website
Although it is known primarily as a tourist destination, Jérôme Ferrer’s flagship restaurant nevertheless manages to please.
Dishes like pan-fried foie gras with passion fruit gremolata and fizzy sweets may be found on both the tasting and discovery menus, making them both excellent choices.
Business casual attire is required for dining, which is rather formal by Montreal standards.
20. Leméac
Address: 1045 Av. Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2L1, Canada
Website: https://www.restaurantlemeac.com/
In a city full of cafes, a newcomer needs to find a method to set itself apart. Leméac is able to do this with a degree of subtlety; the new twists on classic dishes aren’t overbearing.
The wine selection is excellent, and the staff is helpful and kind. Anyway, how are things?
You can’t go wrong with escargot in a basil butter sauce made from roasted tomatoes and portobello mushrooms, or a boudin served with puréed celery root.
Excellent main dishes include Cornish hen with black olive polenta fries or venison with a walnut-porcini crust and licorice sauce. An ideal dessert would be a Manjari chocolate tart topped with ginger ice cream.
It’s a French restaurant in Montreal with a cozy European bistro vibe, therefore it comes highly recommended for French speakers.
21. Au Pied de Cochon
Address: 536 Duluth Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2L 1A9, Canada
Website: https://aupieddecochon.ca/en/
In the early 2000s, Martin Picard popularized Montreal’s dining scene by reviving the robust, meat-based dishes beloved by the city’s original French inhabitants.
At the Plateau Mont-Royal restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, where the braised pig’s foot and canned duck are the stars of the show, the vegetables, cereals, and even spices and herbs are treated as secondary ingredients.
The fries in this world-famous poutine are cooked in duck fat, and the cheese curds and gravy (duck gravy) are joined by chunks of foie gras.
22. Modavie
Address: 1 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1Y6, Canada
Website: http://modavie.com/
This trendy spot serves up polished and varied Quebec fare in a setting that’s as cutting-edge as the city it calls home.
The restaurant first debuted in 2010, and since then it has been noted for its innovative use of regional foods and support of local farmers.
Dishes like suckling pig with chanterelles, turnip, and sweet potato, and lobster with mascarpone, tarragon, and roe, may be found on the tasting menu.
23. Le Pois Penche
Address: 1230 Boulevard de Maisonneuve O, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M2, Canada
Website: http://www.lepoispenche.com/
Despite billing itself as a “brasserie Parisienne,” Le Pois Penché has much more to offer than your standard watering hole. It offers one of the largest menus of any French restaurant in Montreal, if not the largest.
The extensive wine list at Le Pois Penché complements the wide variety of delicious French cuisine on the menu.
24. Les Enfants Terribles
Address: 1 Blvd Robert-Bourassa, Montreal, Quebec H3B 4S6, Canada
Website: http://www.jesuisunenfantterrible.com/au-sommet-place-ville-marie/
The fact that Les Enfants Terribles has expanded to five locations in Montreal speaks volumes about the success of their idea and the seemingly endless appetites of Montrealers for French cuisine.
While the menus are the same at each location, the one on the upper floors of Place Ville Marie is where you’ll find the best view of the city and its surrounds, as well as a special treat.
Those with a fear of heights need not worry; alternate options exist.
25. Garde Manger
Address: 408 Saint Francois Xavier St, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2S9, Canada
Website: http://gardemanger.ca/
Since its 2006 inception, Garde Manger has been a constant hub of activity in Old Montreal, with many eager diners eager to sample Chuck Hughes’ culinary creations.
The cuisine is a significant reason why it’s still a popular hangout today; the menu is written on a gigantic chalkboard that’s always being updated.
Pan-fried sea scallops with bacon Romanesco, buttercup squash, and black truffle are highly recommended, as are the lobster salad and short ribs with cauliflower mash.
26. Le Vin Papillon
Address: 2519 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H3J 1N4, Canada
Website: http://vinpapillon.com/
In 2005, Joe Beef debuted on a hipster strip in Montreal’s Little Burgundy area, and it quickly gained a loyal following for its shamelessly decadent interpretations of French classics (imagine a foie gras sandwich drizzled with maple syrup; why not?
A hunk of smoked pork). Almost overnight, the divey tiny restaurant spawned a mini-empire that now includes two more eateries on the same refurbished block: sibling eatery Liverpool House and the most recent incarnation, Le Vin Papillon, which debuted in 2013.
Papillon is the most recently prepared option if you can only choose one.
27. Le Serpent
Address: 257 Rue Prince, Montreal, Quebec H3C 2N4, Canada
Website: http://www.leserpent.ca/
This Griffintown hotspot’s menu is broken down into four sections: appetizers, pastas, mains, and desserts.
As an appetizer, try the heated octopus with potato mousseline and salsa verde; for the main course, try the ravioli with green peas, braised lamb, stracchino cheese, and olives; and so on.
Citrus lovers will like the lemon pie made with clementine cake, cream cheese, and grapefruit jam, which is a Japanese take on traditional Italian sweets created by renowned pastry chef Masami Waki.
28. BOUILLON BILK
Address: 1595 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2X 2S9, Canada
Website: http://www.bouillonbilk.com/
Bouillon Bilk, one of the top French restaurants in Montreal, serves what has been called “eclectic modern French gastronomy” in a sleek, minimalist setting.
Here, you may have savory meals like guinea chicken with porcini, nuts, potatoes, and foie gras, or sweet ones like arlette with chocolate, caramel, sour cream, and tonka bean, all prepared by chef and co-owner Francois Nadon and his staff.
29. Île Flottante
Address: 176 Saint Viateur West Street, QC 2L3, Rue Saint- Viateur O, Montreal, Quebec H2T 2L3, Canada
Website: http://www.restaurantileflottante.com/
When Les Deux Singes, a Montreal institution and one of the city’s best restaurants, closed down last year, many foodies were left inconsolable. While that was happening, relief arrived rapidly.
The remodeled and renamed kitchen, now called Île Flottante, reopened in October to rave reviews with a bright blue dining area.
Conclusion
There are 29 great bets for French dining in Montreal. Some of these restaurants are pretty close to you, but it’s always fun to go to places that you’ve never been to before.
So, take a look at this list and see if any of your favorites are on it!
