Babacool
140 Notre-Dame Street West | Website
Free-spirited, Old Montréal newcomer Babacool serves up specialties from around the Mediterranean, from the Middle East to Morocco, in a sleek, contemporary, monochromatic space.
Bazart
969 Wellington Street | Website
Griffintown’s New City Gas is now Bazart, a space that combines several distinct experiences that include a restaurant, art galleries and a craft market. Bazart’s cuisine is Mediterranean (think mezes and charcoal grilled meats) while its décor is bohemian and reminiscent of beach restaurants in Mykonos, Tulum or Ibiza.
Chabanelle
315 Chabanel Street West | Website
This new venture by chef Martin Juneau and partners just opened on Chabanel Street. Chabanelle will be serving sandwiches, salads, coffees and pastries as well as wines and more to come at a later date.
Laurier BBQ
231 Saint-Viateur Street | Website
The iconic Laurier Street rotisserie chicken joint has resuscitated! It has moved to St-Viateur but that’s about the only change Laurier BBQ has made since the new owners have tried to keep the same classic recipes that’s kept fans happy for 75 years at the original location.
Pincette
94 Saint-Paul Street East | Website
A new chic, lobster shack has recently opened on Saint-Paul Street in Old Montréal. Pincette will serve East Coast lobster in rolls, clubs, mac & cheese, pasta and more.
La Sobremesa
4922 Sherbrooke Street West | Website
La Sobremesa is a new project by the H4C team. The Spanish-themed restaurant is an upscale affaire that offers tapas, mains, and more all inspired by the Iberian Peninsula. Cocktails and an excellent wine list are also on the menu, as well as a prix fixe, 3-course, Sunday brunch.
Mokili
93 de CastelnauStreet East | Website
Villeray’s Mokili is a celebration of the vast array of street cuisines and hearty stews found on the African continent. The menu changes often and always features every dish’s country of origin.
Brook
4900 Wellington Street | Website
Brook opened this past summer in a light-filled space on Wellington Street in Verdun. It serves New York style pizzas by the slice or by the pie.
Mici D’Ici
19 du Mont-Royal Avenue East | Website
The first Romanian street food spot has landed on the Plateau. Mici D’ici serves mici, a Romanian specialty made of minced meat infused with spices and grilled. Mici D’ici serves their mici as is, in slider form or as a topping for their poutine.
Nita Tout Garni
5687B du Parc Avenue | Website
A new Parc Avenue sandwich and natural wine spot has just opened. Nita Tout Garni is the latest venture from a few industry veterans. Expect great sandwiches on homemade bread as well as excellent private import bottles.
Blandino Brasserie
6939 Décarie boul. | Website
Blandino is a new Italian restaurant located inside the Hilton Garden Inn on Décarie. The marble-clad space designed by Zébulon Perron is open from breakfast through to dinner and serves great Italian classics such as fresh focaccia, grilled octopus and ricotta gnocchi.
Restaurant Sauvage
52 Saint-Jacques Street | Website
Located in the space that previously housed Joverse, Old Montréal’s newcomer Restaurant Sauvage is the latest of many Mediterranean restaurants to open in the city. The cuisine here is upscale and inspired by the entire Mediterranean basin, from Spain, Italy and France all the way to the Middle East.
Bar à Flot
4857 du Parc Avenue | Website
The team behind popular Parc Avenue Buvette chez Simone is also behind this new next-door bar, where cocktails, excellent wine and a few plates to share will be on the menu. Bar à Flot is a play on words and on sommelière Florence Pelland-Goyer’s name, since she’ll be taking the lead on this project.
Place Carmin
740 William Street | Website
Place Carmin is the latest addition to the Bouillon Bilk and Cadet team. Moving away from downtown to Old Montréal with this new venture, Place Carmin will be serving classic French brasserie fare.
Here are some more noticeable openings:
Hong Cuisine Thailandaise: 4221 Saint-Denis Street | Website
Le Pontiac: 701 du Mont-Royal Avenue East | Website
212: 212 Notre-Dame Ouest Street | Website
Ruby’s Café: 3824 Saint-Patrick Street | Website
Chef Lee: 1901 Sainte-Catherine Street West | Website
Chez Ernest: 6596 Saint-Hubert Street | Website
Mellön Brasserie: 7141 Saint-André Street | Website
Etna Pastificio: 7500 Drolet Street | Website
Cafés and Ice Cream News
Rose Crèmes – Café - Amour
26 Gounod Street | Website
Cream, coffee and love is the motto behind this pink-clad new Villeray coffeeshop. Steps away from Jarry Park, Rose is an Instagram dream spot and serves espresso-based drinks, Italian rooted sandwiches, desserts, gelato and more.
Brouillon
6580 Saint-Hubert Street | Website
Located on the newly restored Plaza St-Hubert, Brouillon is a coffeeshop by day and a buvette by night. The Zébulon Perron designed spot is open from breakfast right through dinner with your brunch and apéro needs taken care of as well.
Café Léo
1215 Berri Street | Website
Café Léo is a coffeeshop, a creative space and an event venue all rolled into one. Located in the Latin Quarter, it serves pastries and sandwiches as well as beans from local roaster Zab.
49th Parallel Café
488 McGill Street | Website
The Vancouver-based craft coffee emporium’s fist venture outside its home city is to a centennial building on McGill Street in Old Montréal! 49th Parallel is bringing their legendary brews to our fair city, along with donuts from Lucky’s.
Maison Chabot
5477 Chabot Street | Website
Rosemont’s Maison Chabot serves specialty coffees, a large selection of pastries and a menu of light seasonal dishes such as shrimp rolls and tomato tarts created by their in-house chef.
Crèmerie Meetha
787A de Liège Street West | Website
Located in Parx-Ex, Crèmerie Meetha specializes in Indian-flavoured ice creams as well as chai. The flavours are inspired by Indian desserts such as gulab jamun or jalebi and are available by the scoop or by the pint.
Bodega
248 de la Montagne Street | Website
Inspired by New York City’s bodegas, this new Griffintown café serves its to-go cawfees in the iconic blue and white Anthora cups. Bodega also offers some sandwiches and Dunkaroos, served with a side of 90s nostalgia.
New locations and restaurant news
Pizzeria Stella
1100 Bélanger Street | Website
Pizzeria Stella recently opened a second location on Bélanger Street. The extensive menu includes Neapolitan style pizza as well as Italian specialties such as pasta, polpette, carpaccio and more.
Ryu
388 Richmond Street | Website
Popular sushi spot Ryu has opened a third location in Griffintown.
Coming (relatively) soon
J’ai Feng (43 Beaubien Street East | Website) is chef Anita Feng’s new Chinese grocery store and ready-to-eat counter on Beaubien Street.
Stellina (410 Saint-Jacques Street | Website) is an à la minute, fresh pasta restaurant located in Old Montréal.
Tiramisu (989 Saint-Laurent boul. | Website) is an Italian-Japanese fusion opening soon within the new Chinatown Hampton Inn by Hilton.
Pubjelly (600 Marguerite-d’Youville Street | Website) is Old Montréal restaurant Jellyfish’s little brother and its Instagram bio states “Wine, Oyster bar, Pizza Al Taglio”.
Bvrger is just like your regular burger joint but it just happens to be vegan.
Miette Boulangerie (317 de Lévis Street | Website) is an artisanal and organic bakery specializing in sourdough breads coming to Saint Henri very soon.
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 30 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.
