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Food Writers Name the Top Montreal Restaurant Standbys of 2016

The go-to restaurants for when you’re not sure where to go

Enjoy Your First Look at Joe Beef's New and Improved Le Vin Papillon Wine Bar
Inside Vin Papillon, a top standby for multiple Montreal food writers
Randall Brodeur

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 revealed by the time we turn off the lights at the end of 2016. Responses are unedited, for the most part. Readers, please do add your survey answers in the comments.

Q: What were your top restaurant standbys of 2016?

Lesley Chesterman, The Gazette fine dining critic:

I ended up going to Leméac and L’Express more than any other restaurants this year on my own dime, and every time I went it was a treat. Both are at an all-time high food-wise and as I love good wine, I always drank well there too.

Marie-Claude Lortie, La Presse restaurant critic:

Foxy, Vin Papillon, Bouillon Bilk, Hôtel Herman

Ian Harrison, Ricardo magazine; Eater Montreal founding editor:

I hit up Agrikol and Otto four times each in 2016, so that should tell you something. I live in Mile End and Larrys has become like a second home-slash-office. I’m there a lot. Other go-tos close to home: Dinette Triple Crown, Dépanneur Le Pick-Up, Lawrence, Leméac, La Matraca, Magpie, Maïs, Hof Kelsten, Pho Tay Ho, Ta Chido, La Tamalera, Wilensky’s and wherever Jesse “Chak Wow” Mulder pops up (Jesse, if you can hear me, pretty please open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2017). I love the Joe Beef three, Maison Publique, Nora Gray and L’Express, even if I don’t get to them as often as I’d like. And, drumroll, my favourite restaurant in Montreal remains Hôtel Herman. There’s nothing I don’t like about that place.

Iris Paradis-Gagnon, La Presse restaurant reporter:

Tiradito: the perfect casual place to grab a drink apero style or to eat with friends or both. The space is amazing, the overall concept — only one giant bar, and staff that cook and serve at the same time — is a big win. The cocktails are just dope and the péruvian inspired dishes (the ceviche is just perfect) are the kind of food that everybody loves at first bite.

In 2016, I also liked to go to: Bon Vivant, Cul-Sec, Jatoba, Escondite, Venice MTL, Butterblume, Arthurs, Ma'tine [closed this year], Santa Barbara.

Joanna Fox, Ricardo magazine associate editor:

Vin Papillon, Nora Gray, Montreal Plaza, L’Express, Le Filet.

Élise Tastet, Tastet blog:

For date nights or nights with friends: Le Serpent, Vin Papillon, Maison Publique, Mile-Ex, Montreal Plaza, and L'Express

Everyday restos: Restaurant Hà, Chez Tousignant, Kazu, Cafeden, and Sumac

And Loïc, Brasserie Harricana and Bar Henrietta for drinks.

Mélanie Boudreau, La Pique-Assiette blog:

Satay Brothers, Pastaga, Garde-Manger, Magpie, and brunch at Bishop & Bagg.

Wilensky's Light Lunch

34 ave. Fairmount Ouest, Montréal, QC H2T 2M1 514-271-0247

BOUILLON BILK

1595 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Ville-Marie, QC H2X 2S9 (514) 845-1595 Visit Website

Leméac

1045 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Outremont, QC H2V 2L1 (514) 270-0999 Visit Website

Garde Manger

408 Rue Saint François Xavier, Ville-Marie, QC H2Y 2S9 (514) 678-5044 Visit Website

Liverpool House

2501 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 1N6 (514) 313-6049 Visit Website

MAÏS

5439 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 1S5 (514) 507-7740 Visit Website

Bishop & Bagg

52 Saint-Viateur, Montreal, Quebec H2T 2K8 (514) 277-4400 Visit Website

Ma'tine

1310 Maisonneuve East, Montreal, Quebec H2L 2A5 (514) 439-9969 Visit Website

Le Bon Vivant

2705 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 1N9 (514) 316-4585 Visit Website

Bar Henrietta

115 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 2N6 (514) 276-4282 Visit Website

Larrys

5201 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 1S4 (514) 503-1070 Visit Website

Le Butterblume

5836 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 1T3 (514) 903-9115 Visit Website

Kazu

1844 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Ville-Marie, QC H3H 1M1 (514) 937-2333 Visit Website

Hôtel Herman

5171 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2T 1R9 514-278-7000

Lawrence

5201 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 1S4 (514) 503-1070 Visit Website

Dinette Triple Crown

6704 Rue Clark, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 3E9 (514) 272-2617 Visit Website

Pastaga

6389 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 3C3 (438) 381-6389 Visit Website

Mile-Ex

, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, QC

CAFEDEN

6576 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 3C6 (514) 419-1589 Visit Website

Santa Barbara

6696 Rue de Saint-Vallier, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 2P7 (514) 273-4555 Visit Website

Escondite

2119 Boulevard le Carrefour, , QC H7S 1Z4 (579) 640-3171 Visit Website

Montréal Plaza

6230 Rue Saint-Hubert, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 2M2 (514) 903-6230 Visit Website

Chez Tousignant

6956 Rue Drolet, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC H2S 2T3 (438) 386-6368 Visit Website

Foxy

1638 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 1M1 (514) 925-7007 Visit Website

Otto Japanese Yakitori

Maisonneuve ouest, Montréal, QC (514) 507-8886

Le Filet

219 Avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2T 2T2 (514) 360-6060 Visit Website

Dépanneur Le Pick-Up

7032 rue Waverly, Montréal, QC H2S 3J2 514-271-8011 Visit Website

Maison Publique

4720 Rue Marquette, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2J 3Y6 (514) 507-0555 Visit Website

Satay Brothers

3721 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H4C 1P8 (514) 933-3507 Visit Website

Sumac

3618 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H4C 1P5 (514) 935-1444 Visit Website

Brasserie Harricana

95 Rue Jean-Talon Ouest, Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension, QC H2R 2W8 (514) 303-3039 Visit Website

CUL-SEC, cave et cantine

29 rue Beaubien Est, Montreal, QC H2S 1P7 (514) 439-8747

Agrikol

1844 Rue Atateken, Ville-Marie, QC H2L 3L6 (514) 903-6707 Visit Website

Venice

440 St-Francois-Xavier, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2Y3 (514) 803-1981 Visit Website

L'Express

3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2W 2M4 (514) 845-5333 Visit Website

Le Serpent

257 Prince, Montreal, Quebec H3C 2N4 (514) 316-4666 Visit Website

Nora Gray

1391 Rue Saint-Jacques, , QC H3C 1H2 (514) 419-6672 Visit Website

Ta Chido

5611 ave du Parc, Montreal, QC H2V 4H2 (514) 439-0935

Loïc

5001 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H4C 1T2 (438) 372-2188 Visit Website

Joe Beef

2491 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 1N6 (514) 935-6504 Visit Website

Le Vin Papillon

2519 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 1N4 (514) 439-6494 Visit Website

Pizzeria Magpie

16 rue Maguire, Montreal, QC (514) 507-2900

Restaurant Hà

243 Mont-Royal Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H2T 2T2 514 848 0336 Visit Website

Jatoba

1184 Rue du Square-Phillips, Ville-Marie, QC H3B 3C8 (514) 871-1184 Visit Website

Arthurs

4621 Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H4C 1S5

Tiradito

1076 Rue de Bleury, Ville-Marie, QC H2Z 1N2 (514) 866-6776 Visit Website