This is a 100% subjective list of the restaurants in Montreal that earned top marks for me this year, or held strong from previous years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
But for something new…well, go to:
1. Le Fantôme
This fine dining place in Griffintown is tasting menu only. It’s a leisurely meal to say the least (block off four hours). Courses are small, but I left satisfied, and I didn’t even have the foie gras sandwich (not so gluten free, dairy free). For more info, check out my recent review. It came out a nudge ahead of Candide and HVOR.
2. Most Romantic: Nora Gray
If I was going to get proposed to, I’d want it to be in one of the intimate booths at Nora Gray. If I was having a first date, I’d have it here. If my mom was coming to town, I’d bring her here. In fact, I’ve done two of those three. Guess which ones.
3. Casual: Satay Brothers
How can I stay away from these shmoozing, lovable guys? You walk in and they greet you like you’re their favourite person in the world. They treat everyone else like that, too, but you’re too full of yourself and blushing to notice. Maybe that’s just me. Food-wise, there are new creations on the menu in recent years, like the smoked skate wing, curries and steamed otak-otak fish in banana leaf. But you can’t go wrong with the classics: papaya salad, the buns, the satay and the best-in-house laksa soup with chicken, shrimp, egg, fish cake, deep-fried tofu, homemade sambal, rice noodles and a coconut milk broth.
Runner-ups: Sala Rosa, Tacos Victor
Sala Rosa got a revamp this year when Chef Jeremiah Bullied took over and beefed up the tapas and paella menu (figuratively, since it’s only chicken and seafood on the latter). Prices are still low, the place is relatively undiscovered, and I might change my vote about the romantic first date location after a couple glasses of Spanish red. Tacos Victor is my filled tortilla coup de coeur, specifically the shrimp taco, which comes with french fries on top of two grilled, soft tortillas. The smokiness from the grill comes through on the juicy, if probably not sustainable, shrimp. And you ask for extra radishes and cucumbers to fill out the $6 plate. The homemade salsas are serve-yourself, which is the key to any great taco place, I feel. Also the fact that they’re not oily and are very freshly made.
4. Vegetarian/Vegan: LOV
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been here yet. But Stephanie Audet’s new menu is making waves in the vegan community. The reason I haven’t been isn’t for lack of trying; it’s because I can’t get a reservation! Expect not-cheap but always-gorgeous plates that will satisfy carnivores too.
Runner-ups: Crudessence, La Panthère Verte, Aux Vivres, Casa del Popolo and Café Résonance
All of these places are vegan and fairly established, and it’s hard to choose between them. When I feel as though I haven’t been eating very healthy lately, Crudessence is my go-to place. It’s 100% organic and I can eat 100% raw. The Om Burger is filling, with its homemade mustard and aioli on a grain-free patty and dehydrated nut and seed bun. The pad thai is light and fresh, with zucchini noodles and a tamarind sauce. And the lasagna is for when you don’t really want to be that healthy. It’s a big slab of nuts and more nuts – macadamia nut ricotta between zucchini slices that double as noodles. Don’t miss the key lime pie for dessert. La Panthère Verte is my cheap healthy place. I always get the mixed salad plate because those sweet potatoes are addictive. And I get the dressing on the side so I can take it home and use it for about 6 more salads. BYO-tupperware for to-go orders if you want to save a little extra. The day-or-two-old specials in the fridge are great deals, and you get $1 back when you return the mason jar. Look for anything with eggplant, from curries to ratatouille. The peanut butter cookies are basically pure peanut butter, aka also delicious. Aux Vivres convinced my cousin that vegetables could be delicious. Enough said. Wait, also smoothies and rice bowls. For brunch, there are scrambled tofu and huevos rancheros options (without the eggs). Devoted gluten free followers stick to the Dragon Bowls, Buddha Bowls and anything else that comes in a bowl. Café Resonance is a little more expensive than Casa del Popolo, which has upped its menu quality with vegan soups and rice and bean bowls for cheap (and heaps of tortillas), but it also has more variety gluten free meal-wise. There’s a rice bowl with kimchi and marinated tofu, another with mashed guacamole, pickled sushi ginger, sesame, cucumbers and nori and another that’s very similar but with quinoa in place of rice, and cherry tomatoes and sprouts in place of cukes. My only complaint is that I wish they had a tempeh option. The best thing I’ve had is the chili, which is less than $7 and comes with coconut yogurt. The same yogurt cools down the dahl (less than $5) and adds a little tang. Oh, and the gluten free muffins…mmm. And the cocktail list is very good, though Casa has a good one now too (it didn’t use to).
5. BYOB: Thanjai
South Indian dosa. Thali platters at lunch. And South Indian rice and lentil specials on the weekend. The best are the pages of dosai: rice and lentil crepes. You can get thin and crispy ones, thick and fluffy ones, ones stuffed with potatoes, others with chilies, others with nothing. All come with coconut, tamarind and cilantro chutneys and sambhar soup. The chicken curries are great for sharing if you need a more filling meal. And fruit and yogurt lassis help wash everything down. Choose your BYO-wine or beer carefully. A spicy and light red would work, and so would a slightly sweet white.
6. Wine Bar: Vin Papillon
I had the best restaurant evening of my year here. We sat outside on the back terrasse. We ate razor clams and scallops and sipped natural wine. We even traded a glass of our bottle for a glass from our neighbour’s bottle. His was better. It was a great trade. The pace was perfect. The meal was just enough; not too much. The wine left me feeling light but not tipsy. And there was certainly no hangover. It was perfect.
Runner-up: Pullman/Moleskine
When you dine at Moleskine with a group of natural wine import agents and their visiting winemakers, you’re going to eat well. This evening had far too many a lot of magnums, vintage Champagne and course after course of amazing food that I could eat. I remember summer’s-end tomatoes, fresh seafood, beautiful salads and braised meat. I also remember being thankful I couldn’t eat the pizza, because there was no way I could fit it into my stomach along with the other 5 or 6 courses. Amazing service, too, but it helps when you know the sommelier. Pullman has just as impressive a wine list with just as elegant an ambiance. And the food is just as good. Not cheap, but very, very good. And a snack and a glass of wine will be a good idea.
7. Bistro: Chez Roger
I love L’Express and I love La Buvette Chez Simone. I also love Brasserie T! and Bistro Accords. But Bistro Chez Roger in Rosemont has that small neighbourhood feel that these wine bar/bistros don’t. It also has hand-cut beef and salmon tartare that goes on special on Mondays. It’s made à la minute, so it has good texture and is never soggy. If you love classics, there’s calamari that’s ultra-crispy; sage and Jerusalem artichoke pappardelle; beef macreuse; duck confit; blood sausage; and foie gras crème brulée. And if you like a little bistr-innovation (not a word), there’s haddock fish ‘n’ chips and a lamb BBQ platter for two with lamb sirloin, rack, merguez sausage, chimichurri, polenta and salad. And of course, you can add on as much foie gras as you want.
8. Gluten Free Bakery: L’Artisan Délices Sans Gluten
When this place opened, I nearly cried from joy. And the fact that Le Marquis is down the road (another gluten free, mostly dairy free bakery), only makes it better, since you can walk between the two for the best of both. You have your pick of crusty baguettes and miches, but you really come for the éclairs, key lime pie, verrines of lemon, cream and fruit, and incredible clafouti and tarts. The raspberry and apricot tarts are heavenly, with almond marzipan and butter-y (but butter-free) crusts. I usually buy a box of treats and eat a couple of bites of each over the course of the next five days…because if I’m going to trek to Villeray, I’m going to make it worth it. And then I walk down to Le Marquis for its Napoléans and other pastry cream-stuffed millefeuilles and muffins. Gluten free gluttony.
9. Brunch: Lawrence
I hate brunch. Don’t judge me. I’m gluten free and dairy free and can’t eat cooked eggs for some reason. I can’t eat bread. I can’t eat granola and yogurt. And when I eat my favourite seafood ceviche at El Rey del Taco in Jean-Talon, I feel like I need to drink about 2 litres of water to make up for the salt. And as much as I love maple syrup, my heart sometimes feels like it’s going to explode when I have it. The best part is that I never know when those times will be, making it difficult to agree to poached, scrambled or hardboiled anything…
That’s brunch for me: delicious, but painful.
But if I’m going to indulge, Lawrence is a great place to do it. You don’t need to eat bread there to eat something hearty and unique. You also won’t need to eat for the rest of the day (which is actually disappointing to someone who likes eating but good bang for your buck), and you probably need to eat pig if you can’t eat all those other things that I can’t eat, but it’ll be the best quality pig you’ve ever eaten. And there’s often smoked mackerel or haddock or some other creative interpretation on potatoes and lard and gorgeous vegetables and herbs. And do you know what cuts through the fat? A glass of white from the mostly natural, biodynamic wine list.
10. Sunday Night Special: Junior’s Hand & Hand Kamayan
It’s hard to find a good restaurant open on Sunday evening in Montreal, and even rarer to find a special event only on that day. While the morning and afternoon are devoted to “Rice & Shine” Filipino brunches at Junior (which would be my runner-up brunches to Lawrence if I didn’t feel biased giving Junior two awards), the evening is a unique concept: a bunch of Filipino dishes from fried fish and chicken to shell-on shrimp, okra, tomatoes, peppers, bok choy and wok-seared beans on a thick piece of banana leaf, all to be eaten traditionally with your hands and shared communally with the rest of the table. “It’s called Kamayan,” says Jojo Flores, and Junior is the only restaurant in Montreal to offer it. “‘Kamay’ is the Filipino word for hands. It’s a centuries-old practice.”
Not everything normally served on the leaf is gluten free (which is too bad because that fried chicken looks amazing), but with some forewarning, they can do a gluten free or vegetarian option. In fact, you should always RSVP so they can plan quantities ahead. It’s not a massive restaurant, and it’s nice to see them thinking about not wasting food and about catering to their customers’ dietary needs.
Photos of Junior by @tronteljordan
Happy 2017 feasting!
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