Mui Mui

149 Jean-Talon Street West | Website

In the spot formerly occupied by Jiep Jiep comes Mui Mui, a new project by chef Minh Phat of the now defunct Orange Rouge.  Mui Mui is little bit of an homage to Orange Rouge, a spot that gave Phat his start in the business. The menu is influenced by the chef’s different backgrounds, mainly Chinese and Vietnamese, but ultimately, it’s collection of dishes that he likes to cook and eat and that’s just fine by us. 

Sushi Dept

288 Laurier Avenue West | Website

Sushi, maki rolls, poke bowls and other specialties are on the menu at Sushi Dept., a new restaurant by the people behind Ryu, Ayla and Livia. Sushi Dept.’s ghost kitchen will be serving up sustainable creative fish and seafood concoctions in candy-coloured eco-friendly bento boxes.  

Beau Temps

5439 Saint-Laurent Blvd. | Website

This Mile-End restaurant was supposed to open where iconic taco spot Maïs used to reside just as the pandemic hit last March. It finally opened a few months ago and serves gourmet sandwiches and beautiful bottles. Popular pop up Parasol is run by the same team and is located in the back alley of Beau Temps. It is revisiting the lobster shack format it donned last summer and is the seasonal restaurant to eat at par excellence. 

Shay Express

1414 Notre-Dame Street West | Website

Lebanese pub food is not something one encounters every day but this new Griffintown spot promises to deliver all the familiar flavours in a new and fun format. Shawarma Philly steak sandwiches, shish taouk hoagies and a Beirut cream pie donut are some of creative items you’ll find on the menu. Shay Express hopes to open in its original dining room format soon. 

Barranco

4552 Saint-Denis Street | Website

Named after the hip Liman neighbourhood, Plateau restaurant Barranco will be bringing some of that buzzy ambiance to its dining room. The menu includes Barranco’s take on Peru’s iconic ceviche, as well as many other revisited traditional dishes such as causas and chicharron. 

Segreta

413 Beaumont Avenue | Website

A new Roman-style pizza al taglio spot has opened in Parc Ex. Beaumont Avenue Segreta has become an instant success with legions of fans clamoring the authentic pizza sold by the half meter. It’s highly advisable to order a couple of days ahead if you want to get your pizza fix. 

Salle Climatisée

6448 Saint-Laurent Blvd. | Website

Three Maison Publique alumni are behind this fresh new project on St-Laurent Boulevard in Petite Patrie. Salle Climatisée’s lunchtime sandwiches and dinnertime creative dishes are market-inspired and paired with a great natural wine list. 

Pizza Bouquet

45 Beaubien Street East | Website

What started as great pizza made in the back of bowling alley Notre-Dame-des-Quilles is now a legitimate, self-standing parlour on Beaubien Street. Pizza Bouquet’s new spot can now cook up 3 times as many pies to satisfy the increasing demand. The large pies (16”) come in 8 flavours and are sold by the pie or by the slice. 

BarBara

4550 Notre-Dame Street West | Website

The team behind defunct Mile End restaurant Lili Co. is at it again with BarBara in Saint-Henri. Chef David Pellizzari’s own unique twist on Italian cuisine will be on the menu while his wife and co-owner Catherine Draws will take care of the service. BarBara is open from breakfast to dinner and offers sweet treats, sandwiches, coffee, wine and prepared dishes as well as some grocery items. 

Bistro La Franquette

374 Victoria Avenue | Website

Westmount’s Bistro La Franquette is a chic, fine dining establishment from some alumni of celebrated restaurant Pastel. La Franquette is adopting a casual approach to its fine dining concept that’s open for lunch and dinner. In house freshly baked bread and pastries complement the menu. 

Tropikàl

3426 Notre-Dame Street West | Website

Top chef Canada contestant Jae-Anthony Dougan is at the helm of Tropikàl, “a modern restaurant offering a unique and luxurious Caribbean experience”. The tropical menu features such items as jerk chicken poutine, roti and the Tropikàl bowl with ackee, Jamaican callaloo and plantain.  

La Canting

1720 Saint-Patrick Street | Website

“Asian classics and comfort food, elevated and paired with natural wines and craft beers” is Le Canting mission statement. This simple approach has won them troves of loyal customers who flock to Le Canting for their tasty, comforting Taiwanese and Chinese specialties. 

Mastard

1879 Bélanger Street | Website

Chef Simon Mathys’ new venture and first restaurant has recently opened in Petite Patrie. As always, chef Mathys’ cuisine at Mastard features the best Québec seasonal produce as well as exciting wild ingredients to discover within his reasonably priced weekly table d’hôte menus. 

Uluwatu

1239 Lajoie Avenue | Website

Montréal can add this authentic Indonesian restaurant to its dining scene. Uluwatu is located in Outremont and serves an array of dishes, from Indonesian street food to traditional dishes. 

Danny Pan Pizza

3734A Notre-Dame Street West | Website

After a hugely popular 6-month stint as a pop up on the South Shore, chef Danny St Pierre is bringing his Danny Pan Pizza to Saint-Henri. The menu is simple and consists of a collection of his Chicago-style pizza, salads by the half-liter and rustic desserts. However, the chef’s extensive background is evident in the toppings his pizzas bear such as the boudin pizza with apples or the Croque Monsieur one with béchamel, ham, Dijon and Alfred le Fermier cheese. 

Pavillon Snack Bar

5200 Wellington Street | Website

Pavillon Snack Bar is a new coffeeshop slash snack bar located in Verdun. They serve Trillium coffee roasted by their very own manager and light snacks such as soups, sandwiches and sweet treats.   

Kokochi Izakaya

5145 Wellington Street | Website

Kokochi Izakaya has taken over Restaurant Su’s space on Wellington Street in Verdun. The extensive menu consists of tonkotsu ramen and chirashi don, as well as sushi and other Japanese specialties and some creative dishes such as Temaki unagi with foie gras and fresh crab sandwich. 

Soda Épicerie

211 Beaubien Street East | Website

Colourful Petite Patrie Soda Épicerie is a take out counter, épicerie, café and wine and beer shop all rolled into one adorable and delicious package. They serve Zab coffee and baked goods from Le Toledo among other local products. 

Chez Potier

630 Wellington Street | Website

Talented pastry chef Olivier Potier is back in town with Chez Potier, a new shop on Wellington Street in Old Montréal. All of his sweet creations, from the flaky pastries to the decadently rich desserts are absolutely exquisite. 

Indish

51 Beaubien Street East | Website

Beaubien Street Indish serves the kind of comforting Punjabi food you want to eat all the time. From authentic dishes to fun street food, everything on the menu is delicious, including the tandoori-cooked naan and meats. 

Les Garnements Pizza Milkshake

4061 Ontario Street East | Website

If you’ve ever fancied a pizza with a blue, fuchsia or green crust, then head to Les Garnements where colourful pizzas are the norm. You can pair your pie with one of their rainbow-hued milkshakes for the ultimate experience. 

Yin Ji Chang Fen

1861 Sainte-Catherine Street West | Website

Famous rice noodle roll chain Yin Ji Chang Fen has opened its first Montréal restaurant downtown, in the Guy-Concordia neighbourhood. They have an extensive menu of congee, dim sum and other dishes but people are lining up mainly for their namesake specialty, the rice noodle rolls. 

Sushi Okeya Kyujiro

1227 de la Montagne Street | Website

Okeya Kyujiro is the first omakase sushi restaurant of its kind in Montréal. Chef Takuya Matsuda from Japan’s Mie Prefecture hopes to introduce his country’s culinary culture to Montrealers. Omakase means “chef’s choice” so pick a box and trust that the chef will create a sublime dinner for you to enjoy.  

Café news

Beta Bar - 418 Saint-Sulpice Street | Website

Beta Bar is the new incarnation of the SSence store café in Old Montréal. However, it is not a coffee shop in the true sense of the word since it doesn’t serve any coffee. Instead, it’s an “Adaptogenic Beverage Bar” with a menu of a dozen or so curated concoctions of herbs, spices and fruit aimed at restoring the mind and body.

Cafécoquetel - 426 Faillon Street East | Website

Villeray’s vintagey Cafécoquetel is the purveyor of coffee, cocktails and snacks to go, for now. It hopes to become the neighbourhood’s go-to buvette some day. Until then, grab a rose and pepper latte and one of their fantastic sweet and salty grilled cheeses. 

Dreamy Coffee Supermarket - 3780 Saint-Patrick Street | Website

The Dreamy Coffee Supermarket is a welcome addition to the Canadian Roasting Society, which hosts some of Montréal’s best micro-roasters. Dreamy sells the largest collection of local beans as well as exquisite Southern-style biscuits to pair with the featured roaster. Open weekends only. 

Venelle - 4526 Papineau Street | Website

The Plateau’s newest café, Venelle, is co-owned and operated by two young men who seized the opportunity to open their own business during the pandemic. They serve beans from Sherbrooke-based micro-roaster Hubert Saint-Jean and several of their snacks are vegan and gluten-free.