Montreal wasn’t love at first sight. But the more I explored, the more the city grew on me. One of the reasons I am looking forward to returning to Montreal is its foodie scene. There are some iconic foods to try in Montreal that have somehow found their place in the multicultural city.
In this article, I am not going to talk about high-end restaurants or expensive outlets but iconic diners, hole-in-the-wall eateries, and non-frills eateries that focus on exceptional food at a very affordable price.
Even if Montreal is a big city, walking down the streets feels like strolling around a small town. A very green small town. Each area is different, with the metro connecting all to the Downtown, like the tentacles of an octopus to its head. Nothing feels far away in Montreal. Maybe because it’s not a high-rise, glass city, if you don’t count the skyscrapers Downtown.
I based myself in the Village, the LGBTQ neighbourhood of Montreal, which became extremely flamboyant as the night settled each evening. Walking to my hotel each evening was a meander between terraces and bars with a lively atmosphere, with people wearing all sorts of vibrant colours and hairstyles. I had the best pizza in Canada at a tiny eatery on St Catherine’s Street, pedestrian-only during the warm season.
Food in Montreal
Montreal’s food scene is like the city itself—creative, diverse, and deeply rooted in tradition while always finding ways to surprise you. It’s a place where old-school delis sit comfortably next to trendy, experimental bistros, and where every neighbourhood offers its own unique flavours. You can taste the city’s rich French-Canadian heritage in every dish, but you’ll also find influences from around the world, thanks to Montreal’s vibrant immigrant communities.
The city has so many ethnic neighbourhoods, from the Quartier Portuguese to Little Italy, from Chinatown to the Historic Jewish Quarter. And with each community come delicious dishes that blend in with the local Canadian and French cuisines of the metropolis.
What really sets the foods in Montreal apart, though, is the passion behind them. There’s a real sense of pride here: bakers perfecting the art of Montreal-style bagels, chefs reimagining classic dishes, and family-run institutions serving recipes passed down through generations. Even something as simple as a smoked meat sandwich feels like a cultural experience because of the experience – but more of that later, when I’ll tell you all about the smoked meat sandwich.
I ate my way through Montreal, trying to find as many iconic foods as possible. I think that at some end, I designed my own food tour.
Iconic Foods to Eat In Montreal
Poutine at La Banquise
I just had to start my list with poutine, this quintessential Canadian food, the one that made it beyond the borders and is known all over the world. And what’s not to love from a plate full of perfect, golden fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and a lot of gravy?
La Banquise is an institution in Montreal. An institution which divides the locals. Some love it, some think there are better places to try poutine. For me, as a first-time visitor, it did not disappoint and it was a perfect introduction to poutine.
I came here for lunch, expecting to queue, but to my surprise, there were plenty of free tables. I decided on a seat on the outdoor terrace, in the back of the restaurant. The menu was overwhelming, with so many different options. Because here poutine is not just fries, cheese curds and gravy – it’s an entire meal with a lot of different toppings. I can’t remember exactly which one I went for (might have been the T-Rex), but I recall my surprise when the plate arrived, filled to the brim with potatoes topped with ground beef, sausages, and bacon, drenched in gravy. I didn’t think I could eat it all – spoiler alert: I did!
La Banquise got my approval, the poutine was nothing less than delightful and the service was very attentive.
Poutine at Poutineville
Poutineville is another great place where I tried poutine in Montreal and loved it. I came here at the end of my first full day in Montreal as it was quite close to my hotel. They have a large selection of poutines, from classic ones to an entire world tour.
I chose the local Montrealer poutine, topped with Swiss cheese, smoked meat, mushrooms and a fried pickle. My first ever fried pickle! As a pickle lover, I highly appreciated and wondered how I hadn’t come across this delicacy until this moment.
Smoked Beef Sandwich at Schwartz’s Deli
If there is one iconic food you need to try in Montreal, it is the smoked beef sandwich from Schwartz’s Deli. I was happy to find out that the deli was first opened in 1928 by Reuben Schwartzs, a Jewish immigrant from my home country, Romania.
I don’t think there is ever a time when there is no queue for the most famous beef sandwiches in Montreal. And the day I visited made no exception. Because the sun was shining and the weather was warm, I didn’t mind sitting on the outdoor terrace, even if this meant skipping seeing the historic interior of the deli. But, I came here for the sandwich, this was the main event. The outdoor tables are shared between patrons which creates a nice community atmosphere. Whilst waiting for the order to arrive, I started a conversation with the couple sitting next to me, who was visiting from the States.
I ordered the famous sandwich, with a side of pickles. As an Easter European, pickles are life. When the sandwich arrived I had a hard time analysing how to best grab it in my hands. The bread was there just to make an appearance, as the slices of beef were overspilling. Once I figured out, it was love at first bite. The meat is prepared the old-fashioned way, in a process that takes 10 days. Firstly, the beef is rubbed with a secret blend of herbs and spices, before being marinated for days. It is then smoked overnight, steamed, and hand-sliced. And you can taste the love the beef is prepared with every bite you take.
Tomato Gnocchi at Drogheria Fine
Drogheria Fine is a hole-in-the-wall selling cardboard takeaway boxes filled to the brim with Nona’s sauce-drenched gnocchi. While waiting in the queue to order at the small window, I could spot the large pots bubbling red on the stove. Both walls on the right and left were filled with jars of their famous Italian grandma’s sauce, displayed for sale.
The menu here is very simple: gnocchi topped with a generous amount of grated parmesan, gnocchi with extra parmesan, and gnocchi with extra parmesan and chilli flakes. The prices are the lowest I’ve seen in Montreal, starting at 5 dollars including tax for the classic option, and 6,50 dollars for the extra toppings one.
What I found very funny is that each portion comes with a free pair of chopsticks. If you want a fork, you need to pay 30 cents more.
I shared the gnocchi with a friend and between us, we barely finished the portion. The sauce was absolutely delicious, exactly what I expected from an Italian family-run eatery.
Soup Dumplings at Sammi & Soupe
Sammi & Soupe was another personal recommendation, and I came here for my first dinner in Montreal. It did not disappoint. I ordered the wonton soup as a starter because I was very hungry after a day of exploring Downtown.
For the main event, I went for the pork, shrimp and chives soup dumplings, which arrived at the table directly inside the steamer. I got 10 big dumplings for around 15 dollars, which is such a good price.
The soup was very good and full of flavour. The dumplings were so indulgent, filled with hot aromatic soup and plenty of pork and shrimp.
Bagels at St-Viateur or Fairmount
The Montreal-style bagel is a staple of the local cuisine and a reminder of the multicultural heritage of the city. The bagel was brought to Montreal from Eastern Europe, by Jewish immigrants from Poland. Why is the Montreal-style bagel so special? Because it is always baked in wood-fire ovens, for which both St-Viateur and Fairmount have special licenses. Nobody else is allowed to use wood-fired burners in Montreal.
The Montreal-style bagel recipe includes eggs and honey. Even the water in which the bagels are poached before baking has honey added to it, giving them that slight sweetness which makes them so good.
The population of Montreal seems to be split between which bagels they prefer: the ones made by St-Viateur or the ones at Fairmount. I, not a connoisseur at all, enjoyed both bagels the same.
Bagels at Crew Collective & Café
I had to add having bagels at Crew Collective & Café because of its stunning, unique location and experience. The café is located in a heritage building which was once the headquarters of Royal Bank of Canada. Their café serves high-quality coffee, as well as St Viateur bagels filled with cream cheese, smoked salmon, BLT, or butter and jam.
Pistachio Doughnuts at Café Olimpico
I can’t say that my encounter with Café Olimpico was that extraordinary. I expected very good coffee, but unfortunately, my cappuccino with oat milk was pretty average and quite small for a medium size. And not to mention, expensive.
But, my morning was saved by the pistachio doughnut, which was filled to the brim. One bite and the filling oozed all over the edges. I could tell this was proper pistachio cream, thick, nutty, and natural tasting. The doughnut was also very soft, with a light sugar dusting on the top. 10 out of 10 for the doughnut.
Jean Talon Market
Jean Talon is the most famous market in Montreal. It has plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable vendors, as well as cheesemongers, fishmongers, butchers, and florists. There are a few stalls selling freshly made food too alongside a lot of Italian cafes on the outskirts, but I didn’t try them.
I came here on my last day in Montreal to buy maple syrup from local producers in Quebec. The syrup is cheaper here than anywhere else in the city centre, and at the same rate as in the supermarket. What I loved is that before buying, I was actually given a lesson in maple syrup, together with a tasting. I now know the difference between the different types of maple syrup, and I also found that the amber one best fits my palette.
Strawberries at Marche Atwater
Whilst everyone knows about Jean Talon Market, Marche Atwater is a little local secret. Located in the southwest of the city, outside the city centre, this market is full of locally grown produce, meats, cakes, and baked goods. Strolling through the interior hall I really wished I had a kitchen in my hotel room. Everything looked so good, especially the meat specialities. I could have cooked so many amazing dishes with all those fresh vegetables and that great-looking protein.
I ended up buying a punnet of strawberries grown in nearby Quebec, which I munched on sitting on a bench, next to the Lachine canal.
Ice Cream Of the Day at Kem Coba
I am not really into ice cream, but so many people recommended Kem Coba that I had to add it to my Montreal itinerary. The small shop in Mile End is a family business that offers soft-serve ice cream and sorbet in two different flavours each day. On the day I passed by, the soft serve of the day was passion fruit and lemon – delicious and a perfect refresher for that hot September day.
The Simpson Doughnut at Bernie Beigne
Bernie Beigne is a little bit out of the way and a longer walk from the nearest metro station, but it’s so worth the trek. Living in Europe, I am not familiar with the North American doughnuts, which I’ve seen in endless movies and series. The most famous doughnut I grew up with was the Simpson’s one. Who doesn’t remember Homer biting from that pink frosting and colourful sprinkles on top, perfectly round doughnut?
Well, Bernie Beigne makes and sells the same doughnut, and I just had to go and see what the fuss was all about. I had to queue for well over half an hour to enter the small shop and order my doughnut. Meanwhile, I could see the freshly made doughnuts in the window, still dripping the excess sugar glaze on a tray below.
As my turn came, I didn’t just order the Simpson Donut, but also the apple fritter, which, whilst waiting in line, I learned is a speciality as well. Little did I know that it was absolutely huge and it was impossible to eat before my flight to Nova Scotia that evening. So I ended up sharing it with other guests in the lobby of my hotel.
The doughnut tasted as good as it looked – fluffy, sweet, so soft. I would fly back to Montreal just to have this doughnut again.
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Wow! These are some absolute delicious options. Super happy that there are quite a few vegetarian options as well. The fresh fruits & veggies at Jean Talon Market and Marche Atwater would totally make my day! The Pistachio donut looks so appetizing and I wouldn’t miss it! All that said, Tomato Gnocchi is my top priority! Haha.
Montreal’s food scene looks amazing! I’d love to try the bagels—everyone says they’re even better than NYC’s. As a vegan, I’m curious about the meat-free options for some of these dishes. Poutine with mushroom gravy sounds like a solid choice! Definitely adding Montreal to my foodie bucket list.
Wow! The Smoked Beef Sandwich from Schwartz’s Deli looks so delicious. I think it’s worth waiting in line based on how you described it. As someone who loves beef, I am glad to know that the servings are generous. Will keep this in mind during our next trip to Montreal and perhaps I can make a guess on the secret herbs and spices that they used.
I think that the local Montrealer Poutine at Poutineville looks better than the one from La Banquise. The first one looks really messy to eat. Anyway, I also intrigued with the fried pickle.
I would love to try the Pistachio Doughnuts. Happy to know that the filling is generous and it got a 10 out of 10 score. I love Pistachios and will make sure not to miss this during our next trip to Montreal.
You’ve got my mouth watering! I tried poutine once in Berlin, but I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan of the gravy. Still, I’d be totally up for giving it another shot in Montreal. And those bagels look absolutely delicious!
Being a foodie this was a treat without having any. The best part as I undestand is that in Montreal you don’t have to splurge to savor some great food. I would love to try out Bagels both at St-Viateur and Fairmount and give my opinion as well like the locals. Another go to for us would be for Ice Cream at Kem Coba.