Grinder is a steakhouse restaurant in Griffintown, Montreal.
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.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must 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.
Address: 1708 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H3J 1M3
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.
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.
