Wilensky's Light Lunch is a deli restaurant in Mile End, Montreal.
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.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must 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.
Address: 34 Avenue Fairmount Ouest, Montreal, QC H2T 2M1
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.
