Nili
255 Saint-Viateur West | Website
This small unassuming Mile-End restaurant serves a French-Moroccan fusion cuisine with fresh dishes inspired by both countries. Some specialties such as the couscous marocain and the pistachio msemen (a type of flat bread) served with rose buds and a honey and orange blossom sauce are a must.
Améa Café
1188 Sherbrooke West | Website
The Ristorante Beatrice team is behind new Améa Café located inside historic Maison Alcan in Montréal’s Golden Square Mile. This new “café gourmand” is open from early morning to late afternoon and serves an interesting Italian menu that includes pizzas, salads, pastries and more.
9 Tail Fox
3401 Notre-Dame Street West | Website
This self-proclaimed “first modern Korean bistro in Montréal” serves beautifully plated Pan-Asian flavours in a contemporary décor.
Les Mômes
586 Villeray Street | Website
A dynamic BYOW restaurant located in Villeray, Les Mômes combines French technique with a commitment to local products and an eco-responsible philosophy.
Ma mère en feu
5868 De Lorimier Avenue | Website
Taking over the Mitch Deli De Lorimier space, Ma mère en feu from chef Beaver Sheppard will be combining casse-croûte classics and some of chef Beaver Sheppard’s more playful dishes. Ma Mère en Feu shares a space with vinyl purveyor 180g.
Tapi Go!
4057 St. Laurent Boulevard | Website
Toronto-based Tapi Go! Just opened its first Montréal restaurant. Tapi Go! specializes in naturally gluten-free, sweet and savoury Brazilian tapioca crepes with different colours, textures and toppings, including vegan ones.
Tesfa
4520 Papineau Avenue | Website
Middle-Eastern-inspired Tesfa serves a variety of absolutely delightful sandwiches that includes falafel, sabich and shawarma. Don’t leave without trying their traditional Eritrean (the owners’ nationality) coffee infused with cardamom.
Anemone
271 St-Zotique West | Website
Anemone has taken over the old Manitoba restaurant space in the Mile Ex. Chefs Minh Phat Tu (Mui Mui, Orange Rouge) and Mike Madokoro (Bar Suzanne) are manning the stove and have created a menu that will try and stay true to Manitoba’s hyper local philosophy while being a nod to Montréal’s many culinary cultures. The restaurant is named after the province of Manitoba’s official flower as a nod to the previous occupants.
Bars and buvettes:
Name’s on the way
500 Rachel East | Website
Name's on the way, a new trendy supper club located in the Plateau, offers market-driven plates to share, natural wines, cocktails and more served in a hip ambiance complete with live DJ.
Loretta
408 Faillon East | Website
A new buvette and aperitivo spot in Villeray, Loretta is a lovely, neighbourhood place to hang out for a few hours. The food menu is simple, think cheese and charcuterie boards, rillettes and croque monsieur. The drinks include wine, beer, kombucha, cocktails and more in a sunlit space that’s designed to make patrons feel welcome.
L'idéal bar & contenus
151 Ontario Street East | Website
L’idéal is a new multi-purpose, collaborative space combining a sound studio where they record their homespun podcast, a huge wine bar with 240 seats and a private venue for rent.
Sans Soleil Bar
1002 Saint-Urbain Street | Website
Located in the basement of hip restaurant Fleurs et Cadeaux, Sans Soleil Bar serves classics from their upstairs neighbour’s menu as well as sake, wine and cocktails.
Bière Froide Cold Beer
1905 Centre Street | Website
Bière Froide is a tap room and cocktail bar from the team behind successful bars Coldroom and El Pequeño. It started as a to-go beer depanneur and has now become a bar/restaurant (but you can still grab your beer to go) offering a dizzying array of craft beer.
Bar @Pol (Hôtel St Paul)
355 McGill Street | Website
Bar @Pol replaces Hambar on the ground floor of Hôtel St Paul. This charming Old Montréal bar specializes in cocktails and offers a tapas-style menu with items such as jamón Serrano and salted cod croquetas.
Cafés and Pastry News:
Marché Saint Laurent
503 Place d'Armes | Website
Located on Place d’Armes, Marché Saint Laurent is a cute café combined with a reinvented souvenir store that sells seasonal objects made by local artisans.
Café Caron & frères
26 Bélanger Street | Website
Formerly of In Gamba, the Caron brothers now have their own café in Little Italy. They carry beans from several local roasters such as Zab and Traffic and Structure and offer pastries, sandwiches and salads in a welcoming ambiance.
Pâtisserie lu & I
5147 Parc Avenue | Website
Lu & i is a bakery, café and grocery store featuring vegan, gluten-free and naturally sweetened cakes, cupcakes, tarts and more.
Le Palais Breton
1574 Mont-Royal Avenue East | Website
Le Palais Breton is a new pastry shop specializing in confections from Brittany, including the popular Kouign Ammam that montrealers are so fond of.
Café Bravo
4577 St-Laurent Boulevard | Website
The team behind Café Entre-Deux is also behind new Mile-End Café Bravo that shares a space with Bravo Musique.
Chez Popo
1037 Beaubien Street East | Website
Located in Petite Patrie, Chez Popo is a new coffee and ice cream shop from the team behind neighbourhood microbrewery Isle de Garde.
Café Camas
1372 Notre-Dame West | Website
With a focus on music and community, Café Camas offers great coffee and a seasonal menu comprised of sandwiches and a few other items. The “community” part of this Griffintown social club includes collaborations with local artists and artisans.
New locations and restaurant news:
Fugazzi Pizza
4851 Notre-Dame West | Website
A new Fugazzi Pizza is now open in Saint-Henri, offering the same 80s esthetics and great Neapolitan-style pizzas as their other locations.
Arthurs Nosh Bar
1 Place Ville Marie | Website
Montréal’s most famous brunch spot has opened a second pop-up location at Le Cathcart food court downtown.
Café Saint-Henri Wellington
4327 Wellington Street | Website
Café Saint-Henri has a brand new space in Verdun on Wellington Street (the “world’s coolest street” according to Time Out). The new café sports gorgeous design and outstanding coffee from one of the first independent cafés in Montréal.
Les Papi Churros
7275 Sherbrooke East | Website
Montréal’s premium churro purveyor has opened a new shop in Place Versailles.
Coming (relatively) soon:
YAMA, a new Japanese restaurant by chef Antonio Park, is opening soon on De La Montagne Street inside Vogue Hôtel Montréal.
Café Bazin is opening a second location downtown inside Vogue Hôtel Montréal.
Bar Bello is an Old Montréal bar that will be specializing in Italian style aperitivo.
Mange dans mon hood will be bringing smash burgers and case-croûte classics to La Petite Patrie.
Manuzza is an online specialty shop offering Sicilian specialties such as panelle, arancini, cannoli and more who are planning on opening a streetside spot in Little Italy soon.
Neo Tokyo is a “cyberpunk inspired” noodle bar opening soon in Old Montréal.
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.