It’s been a busy summer for Montreal’s undeterred food scene, with the arrival of a sleek French brasserie, Laotian eatery, iconic rotisserie chicken revival, and a handful of new pizza spots, to name just a few. And now that it’s fall, the promise of ambitious new restaurant projects keep on trickling in.

Montrealers, get ready for a new checkered-floor steakhouse in Little Burgundy, a vegan burger joint in Old Montreal, and an altar to all that is fermented at a long-awaited Plateau haunt. But remember: even in the best of times, an opening date for a restaurant is a moving target — and that’s only been exacerbated by increasing construction, shipping, permit delays, and the unrelenting delta variant.

Read on for a guide to some of the most exciting restaurants set to debut in Montreal this fall.

Bvrger

What: A vegan burger joint slinging everything from smashed diner-style patties to ones stacked with shishito peppers and kimchi slaw, plus oat milk and coconut ice cream milkshakes.

Who: Chef and restaurateur Christian Manuel Ventura Alatorre (Sushi Momo, Casa Kaizen, Nopalito)

Where: 401 Notre-Dame Street West

When: October 2021

Cabaret L’Enfer

What: A two-storey Plateau restaurant hyper-focused on fermentation, house-made cheese, charcuterie, and pasta. It’ll be a French-Italian cross-over — a nod to its chef-owner’s culinary training and family ties.

Who: Chef-owner Massimo Piedimonte (formerly Le Mousso)

Where: 4094 rue Saint-Denis

When: December 2021

Chabanel Brasserie (Name TBD)

What: A Garment District coffeeshop and lunchtime brasserie serving up pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and natural wines from the team that brought us Pastaga.

Who: Chef Martin Juneau, Alexandre Loiseau, and Louis-Philippe Breton

Where: 315 Chabanel

When: In two to three weeks.

Comptoir Damas

What: A more casual nook from the team behind Montreal fine dining star Damas, their forthcoming comptoir is set to offer its iconic Syrian flavours in the form of sandwiches, snacks, and grocery staples.

Who: Fuad Nirabie, chef-owner of Damas

Where: 1208 Ave Van Horne

When: November 2021

Mignon

What: A petite, “mignon” (“cute” in French) 30-seat neighbourhood steakhouse in Little Burgundy that pays homage to long-time downtown restaurant L’Entrecôte Saint-Jean, which closed after 29 years last September.

Who: Restaurateur Thomas Vernis and executive chef Devon Skeaff, who recently debuted Pastek together

Where: 2523 Notre-Dame Street West

When: October 2021

Nita Tout Garni

What: A neighbourhood sandwich spot open for breakfast and lunch, serving filtered coffee, house-made sodas, and bottles of privately imported wines to go.

Who: A group of seven friends, including Etienne Sirois, Charles Bouchard, Gab Monnin (DuttyWine), Jesse MacDonald, François Letendre-Joachim (Shaughnessy Café), Marc Bungarten (Bar Henrietta, DuttyWine), and Nicolas Despeyroux (Vins Nomad)

Where: 5687 Avenue Du Parc

When: In a couple of weeks

Pubjelly

What: Billed as the “little brother” to upscale Old Montreal spot Jellyfish, Pubjelly leans more casual — it’s a wine bar serving up pizza al taglio, oysters, and plenty of avocados.

Who: Francis Rodrigue, chef Mathieu Masson Duceppe, Roberto Pesut, and Charles Mary — all from Jellyfish

Where: 600 Rue Marguerite-D’Youville

When: October 2021

Stellina

What: A swanky Italian restaurant churning out pasta hand-rolled on the daily. Montreal design firm the Gauley Brothers (responsible for 212, BarBara, Ryu’s Griffintown) is behind the look.

Who: Massimo Lecas (Fiorellino) and chef Jonathan Agnello (Porchetta)

Where: 410 St-Jacques

When: Fall 2021

Tiramisu

What: Tiramisu is taking over the lobby of Chinatown’s forthcoming Hampton Inn hotel with a menu featuring Italian classics — think lots of pizza, pasta, and desserts — tweaked with Japanese flavours. (Note: Tiramisu’s sibling restaurant, French-Vietnamese eatery Carla, will open in summer 2022.)

Who: The Lucky Belly Group (Le Red Tiger, Thip Thip, Le Blossom, etc.), with Chanthy Yen (Touk, Parliament Pub & Parlour) as executive chef

Where: 989 Boulevard St-Laurent

When: November 2021

Looking forward to another restaurant opening soon in Montreal? Let us know on the tipline.