Leafy Outremont keeps things quietly upscale, from Syrian fine dining at Damas to Laurier Avenue's long-running French rooms and delis.
Damas brought high-end Syrian cooking to Outremont, Montreal, plating charcoal kebabs, muhammara and cherry-sauced meatballs in a jewel-box room.
Signature: Muhammara, Cherry kebab
Order: The cherry kebab and a spread of cold mezze to start.
Tip: Order family style and share widely; the mezze are the reason to come.
La Chronique is a long-running fine-dining room on Laurier Ouest in Montreal, plating precise French-market cuisine and pouring a serious wine list.
Order: The market tasting menu with a wine pairing.
Tip: It is small and old-school; dress up a little and let the sommelier lead the pairings.
Alma is an upscale Mexican restaurant on Avenue Lajoie in Outremont, Montreal, turning house masa, seafood and mezcal into a refined tasting menu.
Order: The tasting menu built around fresh masa and Mexican seafood.
Tip: Take the mezcal and agave pairing; the bar program is as considered as the kitchen.
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.