Yokato Yokabai is a japanese restaurant in Plateau, Montreal.
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.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must 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.
Address: 4185 Rue Drolet, Montreal, QC H2W 2L5
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.
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.
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.
