Food Writers Name Montreal's Top New Restaurants of 2015

As is tradition at Eater, we close the year with a survey of food critics, writers, and bloggers. This year we posed eight questions, from meal of the year, to top restaurant newcomers. All will be answered by the time we turn off the lights at the end of 2015. Responses have been cut, pasted, and unedited, for the most part. Readers, please do add your survey answers in the comments.

Q: What were the top restaurant newcomers of 2015?

Lesley Chesterman, Montreal Gazette:
I named 14 in my best of 2015 column, the highest number since I started reviewing in 1998. The ones I loved most were the restaurants that threw me for a loop, serving food unlike any other restaurant. So Le Mousso and Le Fantôme were standouts for that reason. Damas is exactly the kind of upscale ethnic restaurant Montreal needs more of, and a restaurant like Soubois impressed because it surpassed all expectations.

Marie-Claude Lortie, La Presse:
I still have not tried Foxy but I am dying to go there. I really liked Montréal Plaza but I went only once. I loved the new Damas on Van Horne. My favourite discovery of 2015 is not a new restaurant it's an old restaurant with a new chef: Accords in Old Montreal. Simon Mathys finally brought the food to the same excellent level as the wines. It's really a great place now.

Jean-Philippe Tastet, Le Devoir:
Albert Bistro, Montréal Plaza, Candide, Le Fantôme.

Iris Paradis-Gagnon, La Presse:
I would say that Montréal Plaza is a must, as well as Lili Co.

Joanna Fox, Ricardo magazine, Eater Montreal contributor:
Montréal Plaza, Foxy, Fantôme, Harbin, Chak Wow/Sparrow pop-up.

Élise Tastet, Tastet blog:
Trilogie for cheap and Le Mousso for fancy.

Mélanie Boudreau, La Pique-Assiette blog:
Quatre restaurants ont retenu mon attention cette année, à savoir Provisions, Le Fantôme, Le Mousso, et Montréal Plaza. Je les aime tous pour leur côté convivial et simple, et pour les produits locaux qu'ils mettent de l'avant. John Winter Russell et son nouveau restaurant Candide sont également très prometteurs.