When Omar Zabuair and Vanessa Beeching (formerly of Joe Beef and Au Pied de Cochon, respectively) decided to take over a spot previously occupied by a restaurant known for its “serveuses sexy,” way out in Tétreaultville, it was, needless to say, a risky move. Six years later, and having just completed a move to a new, though nearby location, many continue to make the trek beyond Honoré-Beaugrand metro to pick up the pink-hued, Pakistani-spiced rotisserie chicken.

Susan Lo operates what might just be the best sandwich shop in town. Strictly speaking, it’s not a banh mi shop but is certainly adjacent to one. The “traditional” option certainly isn’t far off, with pâté, Vietnamese sausage, and barbecue ham; otherwise, the small-but-mighty menu fuses southeast Asian and Chinese flavours at turns, with a Szechuan-style eggplant option, or lemongrass pork, freshly grilled — and bonus, they all come in at under $10.

Tucked over in the still-developing Technopole Angus, Hoogan & Beaufort brings a distinctly earthy feel to its offering. Under chef-owner Marc-Andre Jetté’s watch, mushrooms (chanterelles and beyond), beets, turnips, and more all make appearances, often helping to showcase Quebec catches from the province’s seas and lakes.

Though among the city’s younger Haitian addresses, Kwizinn has won the hearts of many with its griot (fried pork cubes), tassot cabrit (goat marinated with herbs and spices), and créole lambi (spicy conch meat), in the four years since opening on the St. Hubert Plaza. Last September, partners chef Michael Lafaille and Claudia Fiorilli opened a second, less grab-and-go location in Verdun.

Garlicky dips and succulent kebabs are the staples at the little sibling of this longtime Villeray Syrian-Armenian restaurant. Prepare yourself for flavour bombs from the rich, tangy shanklish salad, pomegranate molasses-infused muhammara, and za’atar-seasoned swordfish.

Derek Dammann, prominent chef ambassador for Montreal that he is, is an ardent advocate of a Canada-wide culinary identity (his cookbook, True North, is all about it). His popular Plateau gastropub is known to bring it all home, with hearty flesh and root dishes from Canadian terroirs.

It’s just over six years since Little Italy’s most celebrated restaurateurs Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione opened Gema, and yet the pizzeria remains one of the best around town. It’s also the most likely to convert even the most unyielding of Hawaiian pizza skeptics with its winning pairing of smoked maple ham, oven-roasted pineapple, and mozzarella di bufala.

A fire at the beginning of 2019 may have made many panic for this rotisserie’s future, but Portuguese grill Ma Poule Mouillée is here to stay, complete with line-ups out the door. The quarter or half chicken plates are the standard play — doused in a spicy piri-piri sauce, and served with a delicious mountain of fries and token salad. Yet the poutine — bulked up with chicken, chorizo, and Sao Jorge cheese — is much-loved, with a size large enough for three.

It’s difficult to remember where Montreal’s restaurant scene was before Martin Picard wrote his love letter to Quebec cuisine in the form of Au Pied de Cochon, twenty years ago now. He’s since been credited with elevating poutine from a maligned, greasy snack to a Québécois culinary icon with his foie gras-laden take on it, and continues to find ways to innovate at this Duluth Street staple.

Chef-owner Atigh Ould has been serving hearty veggie and meat tagines with coucous at La Khaïma since opening up his restaurant on Fairmont over 15 years ago. Expect a tent-like space, with cushion seating, and the Mauritania native at the helm of it all to come around and personally introduce diners to the cuisine.

This three-year-old Outremont hideaway wields coastal Catalan flavours with such aplomb that diners may momentarily forget where they are. Expect sharing plates dotted with conservas, including an ostensibly simple, yet flavourfully so-sophisticated dish of white anchovies and tomatoes on crusty bread, and a transportive wine list, all from partners (in business and life) Lindsay Brennan and Juan Lopez Luna.

With Casa Kaizen, Nopalito, and the forthcoming Bvrger, chef-owner Christian Manuel Ventura Alattore is on a serious roll, but it’s his first vegan venture, the pioneering Sushi Momo, that remains most at the forefront of Montreal’s dining scene. Its colourful vegan rolls are so beloved by locals that they’re often cited as among the city’s best sushi — despite the notable absence of, well, real fish.

There’s nothing quite like sitting counter-side at this diminutive corner diner as staff execute the careful choreography needed to attend to its steady stream of diners. Get a poutine — theirs is composed of string fries loaded with cheese curds and piping hot veggie gravy, topped with the requisite olive — and a burger for good measure.

Chef Pamika Sukla has been in the Thai restaurant business for a while with her eponymous restaurant Pamika, but at newer, more casual eatery Mae Sri, she really hits the spot. It’s billed as a kuai tiao restaurant, so the rice noodle soup is the obvious choice — it comes in an array of tangy and spicy varieties, adorned with pork belly, shrimp, and more.

Don’t be dissuaded by Kamúy’s placement in the heart of the (historically) tourist-heavy Quartier des Spectacles — it has the makings of an indispensable local favourite. From chef-owner Paul Toussaint (ex-Agrikol) comes a menu stacked with juicy griot, jerk-spiced chicken, pillowy doumbrey (sweet potato dumplings), and a fritay basket served alongside a mayonnaise creatively lacedwith pikliz flavouring.

This Chinatown nook has been luring passersby with chefs skillfully pulling noodles in its front window for years. The Lanzhou-style noodles are the staple, with beef slices in a deeply-flavoured broth, and at $10 for a “medium” bowl, it is almost comically large. Other menu items like the Dandan noodles also fare very well.

There’s a reason why locals keep on coming back to Olive & Gourmando: It’s just that good. A small menu centres around sandwiches (the Cuban is a fave) and other lunch fare like a soba noodle salad, but their simple and tasty breakfast offering is also a good option. There’s really no wrong move here, but if you can’t decide, why not pick up the restaurant’s cookbook and keep feasting at home?

The question of where to get the best pho in town can be a polarizing one, but many have pledged their allegiance to this Côte-des-Neiges mainstay. Giant bowls of rice noodles and raw beef in spiced broth with mounds of basil and bean sprouts are the main draw.

What began as a small samosa and sweet shop in 1986 is now one of Montreal’s Indian eateries of choice — even though its vegetarian-only menu omits usual crowd-pleasing options like butter chicken. Pushap’s thalis are cheap and curry packed, and its stuffed pyramids of golden-fried dough are still a shoo-in.

Montreal’s oldest Caribbean restaurant continues to make soft, flaky roti every day at its Côte-des-Neiges location, filling them up with delectable and spicy chickpea, goat, and chicken curries. Simple, cheap, and oh so filling.

Chef Emma Cardarelli, Lisa McConnell, and Ryan Gray have run one of the most sought-after tables in town since opening on a once-quiet strip below the Bell Centre. The formula? A warm room, easygoing vibe, savvy wine service, and beautifully-executed seasonal Italian food that make it worth all the praise. So does its sister establishment, the quintessentially cool Elena.

Expect long lines prompted by a strict no-reservations policy and cramped (though cozy) quarters at this indispensable Japanese spot. From sashimi, tuna belly, and okonomiyaki (a savoury Japanese pancake), to barbecued beef short ribs and 48-hour stewed pork, the menu is long, and totally worth the multiple trips downtown needed to explore it.

One of very few places to offer Malaysian or Singaporean food in the city, Satay Brothers has over the years evolved from a seasonal market stall founded by two brothers and their mom to a bustling, destination-worthy restaurant on the Notre-Dame strip. Stellar peanut-sauced satays, steamed pork belly buns, shrimpy laksa, and coconut-topped rendang have propelled them to icon status on the city’s restaurant scene — with that early-days stand at the Atwater Market still very much in the picture.

Affable native of Argentina and Culinary Institute of Japan alum Antonio Park has risen from the ranks to become one of Canada’s most recognizable star chefs. At Park, he created what arguably became Montreal’s first destination sushi restaurant, and though one of the pricier options on this map, it’s well-attended by locals and tourists (when permitted) eager for some high-quality, special occasion-worthy plates.

Montreal’s taco scene might be small in comparison to many cities south of the border, but there’s still a solid Mexican population and some reliable establishments to show for it. Frida, founded by a Oaxacan family, is one of them. Taco making kits ranging from $40 to $50 for 15 tacos, in 10 different varieties — good bets include classic chorizo, carnitas, or nopales — are also available.

With over three-quarters of a century to its name, NDG landmark Chalet Bar-B-Q has won the hearts of multiple generations enamoured with its charcoal-broiled bird and its arguably unmatched gravy.

Named after the Louisiana city from which its cuisine hails, Bistro Nolah is among the few places to get the comforting Southern staples of jambalaya, grits, and gumbo, not only in the West Island, but across the entire city. Desserts, such as Mississippi mud pie or bread pudding with bourbon sauce, round out its offering.

This family-run Monkland Village spot is beloved for its array of vegetable and meat wats (the Ethiopian equivalent to stew or curry), served on injera, a thin, but spongy flatbread — ideal for absorbing the dishes’ interlacing flavours of garlic, cumin, ginger, and turmeric.