Story & Photography | Renée S. Suen
Montreal isn’t only a city thriving with culture and activity, but each of its 19 boroughs has its own personality. The more one visits, the more one is drawn to neighbourhoods that are less trekked by tourists and loved by locals and travel experts. From up-and-here Villeray to Time Out’s coolest neighbourhood, Verdun, there’s plenty to keep you engaged and well fed.
The established neighbourhoods reveal a host of exciting spaces with a great atmosphere that will help you fall in love with the city once again. Stepping around the corner, you will find the following arbiters of fun and deliciousness. You won’t regret it!
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Known for being trendy and artsy, the borough of Le PlateauMont-Royal counts popular creative and bohemian neighbourhoods Le Plateau and Mile End within its borders. Identifiable by the cafes and churches that have been converted into condos, this is also the go-to spot to find Montreal’s iconic bagels and candy-coloured houses outfitted with spiral staircases.
When it comes to food, there are the city’s icons, from Schwartz’s, (smoked meat), Ma Poule Mouillée, (poutine and Portuguese chicken), to foie gras-laden Au Pied de Cochon, (pro-tip: order the seafood tower that features the pristine catch from Gaspe). Also, settle that age-old debate between Fairmount and St-Viateur for classic Montreal bagels. However, those willing to check out the neighbourhood’s lesser-sung gems will also be well rewarded.
At highly anticipated Cabaret L’Enfer on Rue St-Denis, an ItalianFrench menu celebrates the surrounding terroir while incorporating fermentation techniques. Each dish is given a bit of a lift from at least one element that’s been fermented. There is the house-made burrata served with a parade of charcuterie, including pate en croute and fantastic pasta courses, including pangrattato spaghetti topped with a silky lobe of sea urchin cooked and plated in front of you at the kitchen counter.
The long XY Contemporary designed dining room at Cabaret L’Enfer offers traditional banquette seating or a kitchen bar to watch chef-owner Massimo Piedimonte at work.
The 33-seat restaurant’s exposed brick with steel and granite industrial look has a contemporary-classic atmosphere. It offers a thoughtful tasting menu served on Quebec-made tableware with smart and interesting wines. You could be sitting on the banquettes with full views of the restaurant, around one of the tables made by local artisans, or pulled up at the counter flanking the open kitchen.
Caberet L’Enfer’s delicious tasting menu might feature a pangrattato spaghetti topped with a silky lobe of sea urchin as the pasta course.
Caberet L’Enfer’s signature dessert might feature a mousse capped with a whimsical skull and bones meringue or chocolate garnish.
For a daytime must, head a few doors up to La Panzeria. This basement Italian café has created a charming haven for good coffee, afternoon bites and light aperitivo eats. The daily prepared regional specialties include orecchiette pasta, brilliant focaccia Barese, (dotted with cherry tomatoes), panzerotti filled with cheese and tomato sauce, plus scrumptious sandwiches that could be stuffed with imported mortadella, burrata and pistachio nuts.
La Panzeria is a haven for good coffee, afternoon bites and light aperitivo eats.
The spot to visit for Apulian fare including supple olive-oil kissed focaccia that’s topped liberally with prosciutto or mortadella, burrata and pistachio nuts.
For a fun, casual and eclectic bar with fancy, quality snacks, head to Majestique on the Main. This is where you’ll encounter excellent wines and cocktails in a homey, relaxed 60-seat room that’s chock-full of a kitschy assortment of eye-catching tchotchke. There are share-friendly nibbles that include fresh-shucked oysters topped with Mujjol caviar
and ponzu, and foie mousse with strawberries and beef tataki. But it’s the foot-long Gaspor pork hot dog stuffed in a Hof Kelsten sesame bun with some of the city’s best French fries that may be the star.
If you’re looking for a bar with serious, fancy snacks, stop by Majestique for good food, great drinks and a fun vibe.
Open until 3 a.m. every day, you’ll be able to tipple from a weekly changing wine list that showcases private imports with interesting lowintervention numbers from small, artisanal producers. Bonus: most of it is very affordable. When it comes to the bar, there are house cocktails and classics that you might take on the Saint-Laurent Boulevard terrace in the summer.
Cabaret l’Enfer
4094 R. Saint-Denis, (514) 219-1110, cabaretlenfer.com
La Panzeria
4084 Rue Saint-Denis, (514) 219-1110, apanzeria.ca
Majestique
4105 Boul. Saint-Laurent, (514) 439-1850, restobarmajestique.com
Le Sud-Ouest
The borough of Le Sud-Ouest is the amalgamation of six uniquely distinct historic working-class neighbourhoods around the Lachine Canal, including Pointe-Saint-Charles, Saint-Henri and Ville-Émard.
Start the day at Café Bloom for a coffee, homemade baked goods or weekend brunch, while shopping for a bottle of natural wine to take home, (along with their Saturday-only doughnuts). At Clarke Café, you’ll find mouth-watering Italian-style sandwiches, including thickly stacked porchetta or capicollo, and pastries served with a rich cup of coffee. Stop at Lecavalier Petrone for stunning hand-painted bonbon bars filled with flavours like blackberry with Tasmanian pepper, passion fruit caramel and hazelnut praline.
Not just a great stop for coffee, Clarke Café is also a go-to for Italian-style sandwiches packed full of fillings.
Clarke Café’s well stuffed Italian-style sandwiches
The Canadian Roasting Society is a co-roasting facility that is a great space to hang out, shop for and sip on excellent coffee. It has created a space where micro and nano roasters can roast their own beans on state-of-the-art equipment.
Canadian Roasting Society
The Canadian Roasting Society is a great space to shop for and sip on excellent coffee.
A stone’s throw away is Messorem, a cool, multi-function brewpub that has one of Montreal’s largest terraces—an inviting Biergarten that accommodates 250. Since opening in 2019, the microbrewery has been popular with beer enthusiasts for their hoppy IPAs and Petite Jus de Mort sour beer smoothie that’s made with pureed fresh fruits, among other options on tap. Don’t forget to pick up some cans to take home, since the brews aren’t available anywhere else.
Messorem is a cool, multi-function brewpub.
Don’t forget to pick up some cans to take home.
Don’t miss McKiernan Luncheonette’s well-executed comfort foods, which are excellent with craft beers and natural wines. Its second-floor commissary kitchen and event space are fun and welcoming. You’ll find areas with large communal picnic tables, spaces to relax or play foosball between feasting on the schnitzel sandwich, a glamorous elevated version of a big mac, roast chicken, plus flavourful vegetable-forward sides all while overlooking the canal.
Don’t miss McKiernan Luncheonette’s well-executed comfort foods.
The schnitzel sandwich from McKiernan Luncheonette is a glorious beast stacked high with comforting Big Mac flavours.
When it comes to classic Québecois fast food, you can’t miss visiting casse-croûtes, (greasy spoons), like neighbourhood stalwart Paul Patates. Opened since 1958, the old-school diner has been refreshed with modern retro finishes. What hasn’t changed is the simple menu, which remains focused on hot dogs with mustard and coleslaw, plus French fries, including a no-fuss poutine overflowing with squeaky cheese curds that should be enjoyed with a bottle of Bertrand’s spruce beer.
Stalwart Paul Patates has been serving fans of casse-croûte foods since 1958.
Always popular, the steamies (hot dog) at Paul Patates are topped with mustard and coleslaw, which can be sided by fries, poutine, and Bertrand’s spruce beer.
Café Bloom
1940 Centre Street, (514) 508-2313, lecafebloom.com
The Canadian Roasting Society
3780 Saint-Patrick Street, canadianroastingsociety.ca
Clarke Café
2483 Centre Street, (514) 938-5554, clarkecafe.com
Lecavalier Petrone
2423 Centre Street, (514) 448-4014, lecavalierpetrone.com
McKiernan
5524 Saint Patrick #200, (514) 759-6677, mckiernanmtl.com
Messorem
2233 Rue Pitt, (438) 375-3776, messorem.co
Paul Patates
760 Charlevoix Street, (514) 937-2751 bieredepinette.ca/restaurant-paul-patates
