Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Montreal actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Montreal actually eats.
Schwartz's has hand-sliced Montreal smoked meat on Saint-Laurent since 1928, the city's most famous deli and a permanent queue on the Plateau.
Order: A medium-fat smoked meat sandwich with a pickle and a black cherry soda.
Tip: The line moves fast at the communal tables; the takeout counter next door skips the wait entirely.
Wilensky's is a nine-stool Mile End counter open since 1932, serving the fried bologna-and-salami Special exactly as it did in Mordecai Richler's novels.
Order: The Wilensky Special with mustard, no substitutions allowed.
Tip: They never cut the sandwich and never hold the mustard; order it their way or not at all.
Lester's is the Outremont deli locals send you to when the Schwartz's line is too long, smoking its own brisket on Avenue Bernard since 1951.
Order: A smoked meat sandwich, medium, with fries and a side of coleslaw.
Tip: It is calmer and roomier than the Plateau delis; a good sit-down option with kids in tow.
La Banquise is Montreal's round-the-clock poutine institution on Rue Rachel, slinging more than thirty gravy-soaked variations to a 24-hour crowd.
Order: La Taquise poutine with guacamole, or the classic with extra cheese curds.
Tip: Weekend nights bring a long post-bar line; go on a weekday afternoon for a seat straight away.
Ma Poule Mouillee is the tiny Plateau counter grilling charcoal Portuguese chicken over Rue Rachel, its piri-piri birds and francesinha drawing daily lines.
Order: A half charcoal chicken with piri-piri and a poutine topped with chicken.
Tip: Seating is minimal and cash speeds things up; get it to go and eat in nearby Parc Lafontaine.
Romados is a Portuguese rotisserie and bakery on Rue Rachel in Montreal, drawing daily lines for its charcoal piri-piri chicken and custard tarts.
Order: A charcoal chicken with spicy sauce, plus a pastel de nata for dessert.
Tip: Order the chicken and a couple of natas together; the queue at noon is worth beating early.
Chalet BBQ has roasted hardwood-charcoal chicken in NDG since 1944, an unchanged Montreal rotisserie whose quarter-chicken and gravy fries define the genre.
Order: A quarter chicken with fries and the house barbecue dipping sauce.
Tip: The room looks frozen in the 1960s on purpose; dine in for the full retro rotisserie experience.
Nouilles de Lan Zhou hand-pulls its noodles to order in Montreal's Chinatown, the dough stretched at the window over bowls of cumin-spiced beef broth.
Order: Hand-pulled beef noodle soup, watched being stretched at the counter.
Tip: Ask for your noodles thin or wide when you order; the beef soup is the one to get.
Tri Express is chef Tri Du's cramped, joyful sushi counter on Laurier Est in Montreal, a Plateau favourite for inventive maki eaten elbow to elbow.
Order: Whatever the chef sends out; the omakase-style specials beat the menu.
Tip: The space is tiny and cash-friendly; go early or expect to wait for one of the few seats.
Qing Hua fills its soup dumplings by hand in Montreal's Chinatown, a bustling counter where the pork-and-crab xiao long bao arrive by the steaming dozen.
Order: A dozen pork and crab soup dumplings, plus the coriander ones.
Tip: Order fewer dumplings than you think; a dozen each is plenty and they come out fast.
Bombay Mahal is the roaring BYOB Indian canteen of Parc-Extension in Montreal, plating fiery South Asian classics to crowds who bring their own beer.
Order: The butter chicken and a plate of pani puri, with a bottle you brought.
Tip: It is bring-your-own-wine and cash-friendly; grab beer from the depanneur next door first.
Tacos Frida grills proper Mexico City-style tacos in Saint-Henri, Montreal, its al pastor carved off the trompo onto small corn tortillas made in house.
Order: Three al pastor tacos with pineapple and a fresh agua fresca.
Tip: Order by the taco and try a few fillings; the salsas on the counter do the heavy lifting.
Pho Tay Ho is the Petite-Patrie pho specialist in Montreal, ladling deeply spiced beef broth over rice noodles that locals rank among the city's best.
Order: A large pho tai with brisket and a side of Vietnamese coffee.
Tip: Cash is easiest and the broth is the point; skip the appetisers and order the big bowl.
Pizzeria Napoletana has fed Montreal's Little Italy since 1948, a cash-only, BYOB institution on Rue Dante turning out thin-crust pizza and hearty pasta.
Order: A thin-crust pizza and a plate of pasta, with a bottle of your own wine.
Tip: It is cash-only and bring-your-own-wine, with no reservations; arrive early to beat the queue.
Deville Dinerbar is a glossy downtown Montreal diner, plating truffle-butter popcorn shrimp and spiked milkshakes under retro neon on Rue Stanley.
Order: The popcorn shrimp and a spiked milkshake to share.
Tip: It leans indulgent and photogenic; go for the milkshakes and fried starters, not restraint.
Foiegwa is a neon-lit French-American diner in Saint-Henri, Montreal, plating steak frites, escargot and a cult double cheeseburger late into the night.
Order: The Foiegwa burger, or the escargots and steak frites.
Tip: Late-night weekends are the vibe; the burger and a martini is the classic order at the bar.
Chez Tousignant is a retro snack bar in Villeray, Montreal, upgrading the casse-croute with a griddled cheeseburger, steamed hot dogs and hand-cut fries.
Order: The cheeseburger with a side of fries and a maple milkshake.
Tip: It nails the diner classics with better ingredients; the burger and a shake is the whole point.
Yokato Yokabai is a lively Hakata-style ramen shop on Rue Drolet in Montreal's Plateau, simmering a rich tonkotsu broth many locals rate the city's best.
Order: The classic tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu.
Tip: Order the tonkotsu and add a flavoured egg; the counter fills fast at both lunch and dinner.
Otto Yakitori is a late-night izakaya near downtown Montreal, grilling charcoal skewers and pouring sake and highballs until one in the morning.
Order: A run of charcoal yakitori skewers with a highball.
Tip: It runs late for the neighbourhood; go after ten for skewers and drinks when other kitchens have closed.
Jatoba is a slick pan-Asian room off Square Phillips in downtown Montreal, plating robata skewers, sushi and Korean-leaning share plates in a buzzy room.
Order: A spread of robata skewers and the sushi of the day.
Tip: It fills with a downtown after-work crowd; the robata grill and share plates are built for a group.
Grinder is a lively Griffintown steakhouse and wine bar in Montreal, plating aged cuts, tartare and seafood towers with an ambitious cellar on Rue Notre-Dame.
Order: A shared cote de boeuf or the beef tartare to start.
Tip: It leans loud and celebratory; the shareable big cuts and the wine list are the reason to come.
Ryu is a polished downtown sushi bar on Rue Peel in Montreal, turning out creative maki and sashimi, a reliable mid-range Japanese pick downtown.
Order: The signature rolls and a mixed sashimi plate.
Tip: The Peel location is central and busy at lunch; the creative maki are the strength over the nigiri.
Nouveau Palais is a retro Mile-Ex diner in Montreal, a 1960s luncheonette reborn as a chef-driven room where comfort classics and burgers run late.
Order: The burger or the fried chicken, with a slice of pie.
Tip: It keeps a genuine diner counter and runs late on weekends; the burger and a milkshake never miss.