The 26 Top Lunch Options in Downtown Montreal Should Try
It’s tough being a tourist in a new city. Especially when the best restaurants are a 30-minute walk from your hotel.
You are reading this article because you are interested in eating lunch in downtown Montreal. But what should you choose?
We’ve got you covered with our list of the top 26 lunch options in downtown Montreal, including delicious salads, pasta, sandwiches, and burgers. In no particular order, here are our picks for the best lunch options in downtown Montreal:
The Top Lunch Options in Downtown Montreal
1. Bouillon Bilk
Address: 1595 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2X 2S9, Canada
Phone: (514) 845-1595
Website: Visit Website
Québécois-inspired dishes like scallops with cauliflower, shiitake, and brown butter or ravioli with mushrooms, walnuts, kale, and Louis d’Or cheese can be had at one of the city’s most important restaurants for a steal of a lunch price.
Don’t forget to end your meal on a sweet note by ordering any of the delicious mignardises, pastries, cakes, or Québécois cheeses on the menu.
2. Omma
Address: 51 Rue Ontario O, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y8, Canada
Phone: (514) 379-1183
Website: Visit Website
Opening for lunch Monday through Friday, this downtown extension of the wildly famous Korean establishment in Mile End serves as a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
You can’t go wrong with any of Omma’s savory and spicy dishes, such bibimbap and bulgogi.
3. Nouilles de Lan Zhou
Address: 1006 Saint Laurent, Montreal, QC, Canada
Phone: (514) 800-2959
Website: Visit Website
At this Chinatown institution, the hand-pulled noodles in beef broth soup are a must-try.
Take a seat at one of the oddly arranged tables next to the magnificent escalator leading to the basement grocery store and pay only $8 for a modest (read: enormous) bowl.
4. Brasserie T
Address: 1425 rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, QC H2X 2J4, Canada
Phone: (514) 282-0808
Website: Visit Website
French classics like tartares, foie gras terrines, and steak frites are consistently produced in the kitchen of Brasserie T, but the weekday lunch table d’hôte is not to be missed.
For about $27, you can have a meal that will keep you going for the rest of the day. Whether you decide with beef or salmon, tartare and fries are a delicious option.
5. Café Parvis
Address: 433 Rue Mayor, Montréal, QC H3A 2K7, Canada
Phone: (514) 764-3589
Website: Visit Website
Parvis, Furco’s next-door neighbor, serves pizza and salad as the meal’s mainstays.
Expect delectable not-quite-Italian dishes like as jambon blanc with smoked tomato, eggplant, cheddar, mustard, and roquette. The menu changes often.
6. La Finca
Address: 1067 Rue de Bleury, Montréal, QC H2Z 1N1, Canada
Phone: (514) 903-8911
Website: Visit Website
This little café on de Bleury serves more than just coffee and croissants; they also have a small but well-curated menu of salads, soups, and sandwiches.
It’s worldwide comfort cuisine, including grilled cheese, potato salad, and peanut butter and banana toast, as well as more exotic dishes like butter chicken pita and pho.
7. Jatoba
Address: 1184 Place Phillips, Montreal, QC H3B 3C8, Canada
Phone: (514) 871-1184
Website: Visit Website
Jatoba serves a variety of Asian dishes, from chicken curry with coconut milk to a few different kinds of dumplings, refusing to specialize in any one style. As an aside, have a look at the wonderful terrace.
8. Maison Christian Faure (multiple locations)
Address: 355 Place Royale, Montreal, QC H2Y 2V3, Canada
Phone: (514) 508-6453
Website: Visit Website
Although famous pastry chef Christian Faure’s Montreal outpost is most known for its sweets, the staff is versatile enough to offer savory options like as sandwiches and quiches from the “snacking chic” menu and lunch boxes.
There is now a second Drummond store open on de Maisonneuve.
9. Café Pavé
Address: 243 Rue Notre-Dame O, Montréal, QC H2Y 1T4, Canada
Phone: (514) 507-5102
Website: Visit Website
The only time of day when you may feast yourself on one of Pavé’s many sandwich varieties is at lunchtime on weekdays. There’s a wide variety of options, from pulled pig “naanwiches” to ciabatta cheesesteaks.
10. Escondite (multiple locations)
Address: 1206 Avenue Union, Montréal, QC H3B 3A7, Canada
Phone: (514) 419-9755
Website: Visit Website
While the tacos at Escondite, which feature a range of Mexican standards including al pastor and shrimp with chorizo, may be the restaurant’s claim to fame, the ceviches and mango salad are also safe options.
There’s now a second outpost on Drummond Street.
11. Toqué
Address: 900 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, QC H2Z 2B2, Canada
Phone: (514) 499-2084
Website: Visit Website
Toqué, widely considered to be the country’s second-best restaurant, is known for its extravagant but time-consuming night menu; yet, the restaurant’s lunch service provides an equally satisfying meal at a far more reasonable price.
It’s perfect for classy business lunches or a chance to pamper yourself, with a la carte dishes ranging from duck tartare to confit trout.
12. Stash Café
Address: 200 rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Montreal, QC H2Y 1Z9, Canada
Phone: (514) 845-6611
Website: Visit Website
Stash’s stone walls and wooden furnishings make it look like any other tourist trap in Old Montreal, with one important difference: Stash is actually good.
Polish fare such as pierogies, kielbasa, and filled cabbage rolls pairs well with a few shots of vodka before heading back to the office.
13. Super Sandwich
Address: 1115 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montréal, QC H3A 1H3, Canada
Phone: (514) 842-1560
Website: Visit Website
Super Sandwich, tucked away in the unusual dépanneur of a condo complex, is a McGill student favorite for its lightning-fast production of deli sandwiches.
The chicken salad, which is the priciest item on an otherwise inexpensive menu, is served on a warm mini-baguette and is sure to give you the energy boost you need to get through the rest of the workday.
14. Foodchain
Address: 1212 Avenue McGill College, Montréal, QC H3B 4J8, Canada
Phone: (514) 532-0128
Website: Visit Website
This new salad spot, from the creators of Montréal Plaza and Hof Kelsten, eschews the traditional lettuce-and-toppings method in favor of artistically arranged plates of shredded, chopped, and julienned veggies.
The pain magique, a pastry filled with caramelized onions, cheese, and herbs, is not to be missed.
15. Olive et Gourmando
Address: 351 Rue Saint-Paul O, Montréal, QC H2Y 2A7, Canada
Phone: (514) 350-1083
Website: Visit Website
O&G’s midday crowds may be the hardest in the city, but the restaurant’s sandwich, salad, and viennoiserie pricing have increased throughout the years.
If you’ve never had a Cuban sandwich or a “poached egg on your face” panini, you’re missing out.
16. Le Taj
Address: 2077 Rue Stanley, Montréal, QC H3A 1R7, Canada
Phone: (514) 845-9015
Website: Visit Website
An expensive Indian staple of Montreal can be found on Rue Stanley, not far from Sherbrooke.
People from McGill and the nearby corporate buildings regularly go to Le Taj for its weekday lunch buffets. Have as much chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, and naan bread as you like.
17. Dominion Square Tavern
Address: 1243 Rue Metcalfe, Montréal, QC H3B 2V5, Canada
Phone: (514) 564-5056
Website: Visit Website
The Dominion Square Pub has been a favorite of the local business community for decades, and its building, which once housed a tavern dating back to 1927, has retained much of its historic character.
Welsh rarebit and bangers and mash are just two of the hearty British staples on the menu, along with outstanding mussels and fries in a cider-bacon broth.
18. Campo
Address: 1108 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 1M7, Canada
Phone: (514) 903-9639
Website: Visit Website
A city version of the famous Portuguese roast chicken at Plateau. This is the first quick-service restaurant opened by the Ferreira family, known for the enormously successful Ferreira Café and Taverne F.
19. Maison Boulud
Address: 1228 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC H3G 1H6, Canada
Phone: (514) 842-4224
Website: Visit Website
Maison Boulud is the place to go if you want to spend a lot of money.
There is no lunch special, but you may treat yourself to black truffle taglierini or a house burger with smoked pig belly and morbier cheese at the hotel’s in-house Ritz-Carlton restaurant.
20. Joe’s Panini
Address: 1404 rue Drummond, Montreal, QC H3B 1K1, Canada
Phone: (514) 843-8057
Website: Visit Website
Joe’s is half the price and twice as tasty as anything in a nearby food court, but it may be controversial owing to its utterly no-frills approach (see those alternating capitals on the sign).
Nobody can resist the irresistible lure of the chicken with a kick.
21. Mandy’s
Address: 2067 Crescent, Montreal, QC, Canada
Phone: (514) 419-0779
Website: Visit Website
The reigning salad queens of Westmount have not one but two locations in the city proper, including this one and a finer one in Old Montreal.
Make sure to include photogenic toppings like crispy noodles or tempura onions in addition to your mixed vegetables, dressing, and meat (if using). Although the salads here aren’t inexpensive, they are really nicely made.
22. Beatrice
Address: 1504 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC H3G 1L3, Canada
Phone: (514) 937-6009
Website: Visit Website
There aren’t many restaurants in the Golden Square Mile that can compare to the enchantment of the dining room of this longtime favorite, originally known as Bice.
One of the greatest discounts in the neighborhood is the $25 table d’hôte lunch menu, which includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Get some handmade cavatelli or veal scaloppini.
23. Ganadara
Address: 1862 Boul de Maisonneuve O, Montreal, QC, Canada
Phone: (514) 933-2288
Website: Visit Website
If you’re looking for authentic, budget-friendly Korean cuisine, such bibimbap and jigae stews, frequented by Concordia University students, you’d better get there early.
There are also cheesier, less-traditional takes on numerous comfort food staples available at Ganadara.
Conclusion
The Montreal food scene has so much more to offer than just poutine and Montreal smoked meat. While these are undoubtedly wonderful, there are many, many other delicious options to try.
This guide was compiled by locals who have been living in the city for many years. These are their picks for the top lunch options in downtown montreal.
