Kazu is a japanese restaurant in Downtown, Montreal.
Kazu is the tiny, roaring Japanese counter on Sainte-Catherine in downtown Montreal, famous for its 48-hour pork, salmon bowls and long sidewalk queue.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: The 48-hour pork and the salmon and tuna bowl.
Tip: Expect a line and cash-friendly bowls; go at opening or off-peak to skip the wait.
Address: 1844 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montreal, QC H3H 1M1
Ferreira Cafe is the polished Portuguese institution on Rue Peel in downtown Montreal, grilling whole fish and pouring deep Portuguese wine since 1996.
Order: Grilled whole fish and the salt cod, with a glass of Douro red.
Tip: The fixed-price lunch is the value move; dinner is a splurge worth booking ahead.
Foxy is the Olive et Gourmando team's wood-fired Griffintown restaurant in Montreal, cooking vegetables, fish and flatbreads over open flame on Notre-Dame.
Order: The wood-grilled vegetables and a charred flatbread.
Tip: The open kitchen and its fire are the show; ask for a counter seat facing the grill.
Le Serpent is a sleek Italian-leaning bistro in a converted foundry in Old Montreal, plating confident pasta and grilled mains near the Fonderie Darling.
Order: A plate of pasta and whatever is grilled over coals.
Tip: The concrete room is loud and fun; book the early seating for a slightly calmer meal.
Ferreira Cafe is the polished Portuguese institution on Rue Peel in downtown Montreal, grilling whole fish and pouring deep Portuguese wine since 1996.
Order: Grilled whole fish and the salt cod, with a glass of Douro red.
Tip: The fixed-price lunch is the value move; dinner is a splurge worth booking ahead.
Tuck Shop is a snug, no-sign neighbourhood restaurant in Saint-Henri, Montreal, cooking a short, market-driven menu of pasta, fish and Quebec produce.
Order: Whatever pasta or fish is on the short handwritten menu.
Tip: There is no sign and few tables; book ahead and trust the room to steer you through the short menu.
Joe Beef is the Little Burgundy landmark that rewrote Montreal dining, serving decadent, seafood-heavy French-Quebecois cooking on Rue Notre-Dame.
Signature: Foie gras double down, Lobster spaghetti
Order: The lobster spaghetti and whatever seafood is chalked on the board.
Tip: Reservations are hard; try the walk-in bar or book a month out for the tiny dining room.
Liverpool House is Joe Beef's brighter sibling in Little Burgundy, Montreal, pouring natural wine over Italian-leaning plates and lobster spaghetti.
Order: The lobster spaghetti and a bottle from the natural list.
Tip: It is a touch easier to book than Joe Beef and just as good; go for the same kitchen, lighter room.
