© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
Bucky Roosters
Saint-Henri has an all-new, chicken spot from the chef-owners of Arthurs Nosh Bar along with some partners! Bucky Roosters serves all things fried chicken, from buckets to sandwiches and salads. And don’t skip dessert! The homemade pies are absolutely delicious.
© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
Caffettiera
This newest Golden Square Mile café promises a 90’s inspired ambiance and a true Italian “bar” experience. Caffettiera brews their espresso using an old-school Bialetti moka pot (or caffettiera) and serves sweet and savoury snacks, sandwiches and aperitivi.
Cantine
Cantine Burgz is bringing Haitian specialties to Pointe Saint Charles. Griot, rice and beans, fried plantain, chicken and pikliz, the famous Haitian pickles are all on the menu of this new spot that aims to serve authentic dishes to the public.
212
212 is the latest addition to Montréal’s list of fine dining establishments. The Old Montréal restaurant combines stunning décor with the talent of a Noma-trained chef in the kitchen and focuses on using seasonal and local ingredients to create true works of art on the plate.
Bar Mamie
Inspired by grandma’s (mamie’s) cooking, Bar Mamie serves some comfort food along bountiful cheese or charcuterie platters in a fun and relaxed ambiance on Rosemont’s Beaubien Street.
© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
Pizza Toni
From the team behind beloved Mile End spot Falafel Yoni comes Pizza Toni, which has garnered–in record time!–the same loyal following as its sibling. Pizza Toni serves gigantic New York style pizza, to be purchased by the slice or by the pie.
La Main Folle
La Main Folle is an Italian-style snack bar located in the old Laika bar spot on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. It serves sandwiches, New York-style pizzas, pasta specialties, desserts and more.
Kamúy
From Agrikol’s chef Paul Toussaint comes this new sunny spot located in the heart of Quartier des spectacles. Inspired by a traditional Caribbean market, Kamúy aims to bring people together around food. The cuisine is rooted in the chef’s Haitian heritage and inspired by the seasons.
Gabrielle Café
Open from breakfast/brunch, through lunch and all the way until dinner, Old Montréal’s Gabrielle Café is an unpretentious fine dining establishment where you can also purchase fine products.
© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
NELLi café et vins natures
Located in the Hotel Nelligan lobby, NELLi is a café by day serving the best bagels and pastries from around town that transforms into a bar once happy hour starts with a great selection of natural wines.
Restaurant Ayla
Inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean culinary traditions, Griffintown’s Restaurant Ayla serves an array of small dishes as well as mains that take diners on an exotic voyage around faraway lands, perfect when travel restrictions are in place.
Casa Kaizen
Sushi Momo creator is behind Casa Kaizen, a vegan Mexican and Asian fusion tapas restaurant in the heart of the Plateau. The elaborate plant-based menu is filled with exotic flavours and can be paired with a house specialty cocktail or mocktail.
Tinc Set
Popular Outremont restaurant Alma has decided to turn its back alley into a Catalan take out pop up serving roast chicken and other Iberian specialties such as patatas bravas and churros. Tinc Set means “I’m thirsty” in Catalan, which can only mean that the restaurant also offers a vast collection of natural wines.
Knuckles Cantine et Vins
This new Villeray restaurant specializes in panzerotti, a fried dumpling of sorts stuffed with tomatoes and cheese that hails from Bari, the birthplace of the owner’s grandfather. The rest of the menu is made up of seasonal and soigné Italian specialties.
© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
Mitch Deli
Mitch Deli’s sandwiches have become legendary in the city almost instantly. The Rosemont shop serves one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in town and also offers great bottles of wine.
Restaurant Joon
“Inspired by the Caucasus & Caspian regions and food from Persia, Georgia & Armenia”, Restaurant Joon is a new addition to the Little Italy dining scene. Colourful dips, Armenian charcuterie and other specialties unique to Montréal are available at Joon.
Resto-Bar le Pick Up
Resto-Bar Le Pick Up is the happy partnership between the Mile Ex’s most loved lunch counter Le Pick Up and its most popular bar, Alexandraplatz. The result is a scrumptious little spot in the heart of Hochelaga for great greasy spoon classics paired with amazing natural wines.
© Holt Renfrew Ogilvy
Café Holt
Inspired by the height of the Art Deco movement, Café Holt is a stunning restaurant located inside the recently renovated Holt Renfrew department store. Jewel tones, plush velvet banquettes and an unmistakable old Hollywood feel are all on the menu serving a decidedly French inspired cuisine.
Gentile Pizza Parlour
Popular Italian favourite Café Gentile is behind this new pizza spot. The menu consists of some Italian specialties, Gentile signature dishes and pies, including Brooklyn-style Sicilian square pizza.
Chez Téta
Chez Téta (téta means granny in Lebanese) is a new café that serves the usual coffee shop fare with the addition of Lebanese coffee to its beverage menu. It also serves food, including a few mezes and mana’eesh, the Lebanese flat breads that are typically topped with a mix of zaatar and olive oil.
© Alison Slattery - Two Food Photographers
Bar Verdun Beach
Verdun has just ranked 11th on Time Out’s top 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world so you know the crowd is hip at the recently opened Bar Verdun Beach on Wellington. Natural wines, fun signature cocktails, elevated bar bites and a great terrasse are on the menu here.
Piazza Sociale
Le Cathcart food hall beneath the oversized skylight of Place Ville Marie has been transformed into Piazza Sociale, inspired by Italian piazze or public squares. Chef Riccardo Bertonlino formerly of Maison Boulud is orchestrating the entire show which will be serving Italian specialties from pizza and pasta to meats and desserts.
Saison des pluies
As it names indicates, Villeray’s newest café Saison des pluies is an ode to spending time in a cozy café when it’s raining outside. A minimal décor, cozy ambiance and great menu of simple comfort food and great pastries can all be found at this instantly popular spot.
Other notable openings
Old Montréal/Downtown/Southwest:
Boba Boba, Bar Otto, Café Mimosa, Bernice boulangerie et patisserie, Le Jerk Spot, Le Super Loco, Le Coq Frit, Alice & Theo
Plateau Mont-Royal:
31 Latitude, Maynard, Station Mahalo, Maisonnette Bistro, Épicerie Basta
Côte-des-Neiges:
Le petit vibe
The Village/Montréal East:
Boulangerie MariePain, Bar Minéral
Westmount/Montréal West
L’Art Glacier, Baba Thai
New locations and restaurant news
Vietnamese restaurant Le Petit Sao has recently opened a 4th location in Old Montreal where you’ll find all their classics along with a short list of natural wines and some Asian and local beers.
Lloydie’s hearty Caribbean cuisine is now available in Saint-Henri, their latest location where jerk chicken, Jamaican patties and more West Indian specialties are on the menu.
Provisions 418 is the most recent project from the Provisions team, which is moving away from its usual Outremont locations with this Plateau-based ice cream parlour / butchershop combo.
La Catrina has opened a second spot in the Mile End where it serves specialties, tacos, cocktails and more in a superbly colourful décor.
Slice & Soda opened its second and third spots in the Mile End and downtown serving homemade sodas and New York style pizza.
Haitian restaurant Kwizinn’s second location is in Verdun where they continue to serve popular dishes such as lambi, griot and plantain poutine.
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.
