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Parc Lafontaine on the Plateau
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16 Picnic-Friendly Places in Montreal

Because 2021 is undoubtedly the summer of the picnic

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Parc Lafontaine on the Plateau
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Montrealers have always been proponents of the park hang, and more so this year than ever before. Now that the we’re safely in warm weather territory, everyone is ready to roll out their best blanket, procure some great snacks and flock to the city’s prettiest green spaces.

There’s no shortage of park-adjacent spots where you can pull together a superior outdoor meal – and every place listed here is either directly next to or a short walk from its suggested park pairing. Save the hummus and chips for another time, and support these picnic-ready restaurants instead.

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Dinette Triple Crown (Parc de la Petite Italie)

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Dinette Triple Crown is best-known for its picnic baskets. Order what you like, and they’ll put all your food into a little carry-away basket for you to enjoy in Park de la Petite Italie. It’s a pretty ideal way to spend a long lunch on a weekend. It’s a pretty ideal way to spend a long lunch on a weekend. Their meat-and-threes deal is a go-to: pick a meat (brisket, fried chicken, or pulled pork), and three sides, like hush puppies, mac and cheese, cornbread, or pinto beans.

Restaurant Chez Claudette (Parc Laurier)

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Just a stone’s throw from beautiful Parc Laurier sits one of Montreal’s best-loved poutineries. At Chez Claudette, poutines can be topped with everything from veggies to smoked meat and pogos. Alternatively, try the hot chicken sandwich, with rotisserie chicken, peas, and bread drowned in gravy and served with fries. Just make sure you leave time to follow up your picnic with a nap in the grass.

Ma Poule Mouillée (Parc Lafontaine)

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Portuguese chicken and poutine aren’t hard to find in the Plateau, but if you’re on your way to Park Lafontaine, your best bet for a decadent combination of both is at Ma Poule Mouillee, right across the street. The poutine here is piled high with roasted chicken and Portuguese chorizo, in case the fries, cheese curds, and gravy weren’t hearty enough for you.

Lester's Deli (Parc St-Viateur)

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Lester’s has been slicing up some of the city’s best smoked meat for 65 years, and also does Jewish deli classics like chopped liver, or bagels with cream cheese and lox. Grab a sandwich, some fries and a pickle and travel the half-block to Parc St-Viateur for a picnic by the pond.

Aux Vivres (Parc Lahaie)

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A few blocks from this charming park complete with historic church and fountain is one of the city’s best known vegan restaurants. Aux Vivres’s takeout counter makes picnicking an easy (and health-conscious) affair, with signature items like the dragon bowl and vegepaté sandwich (on house-made chapati) in grab-and-go formats.

Patati Patata (Parc des Amériques)

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This quaint little park may not be Montreal’s greenest, but it’s the perfect place to enjoy a burger and poutine Patati Patata. If you’re looking for a tad more space, Parc Jeanne-Mance is just a few minutes away by foot.

Boucherie Slovenia (Square St-Louis)

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Eastern-European butcher shops are the place to go for delicious and affordable sandwiches. Pick from many different types of cured meats, top with your choice of mustard, and grab a chocolate bar or a Cherry Coke for something sweet to bring along to the positively beautiful Square St-Louis.

Pizza Mia (Parc du Canal-de-Lachine)

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If by-the-slice pizza, calzones, panzerottis, or paninis sounds good to go with your afternoon of lazing on the grass by the Lachine Canal, Pizza Mia inside the Atwater Market is the place to go. In fact, you can hardly go wrong with the food options at the market, which range from barbecue to Singaporean noodles.

La Foumagerie (Parc Westmount)

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This Victoria Village institution has all the makings of a perfect picnic: Cheeses, preserves, crackers and caviar (if that’s the vibe you’re going for.) For a less DIY option, they also make some of the best sandwiches and salads in the area. Try the Mexican or the Turkey Blues.

Patisserie de Nancy (Parc Girouard)

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Nancy may look like any other bakery from the outside, but in the back, you can order sandwiches made fresh on the baguettes they’re best known for. The underdog of the sandwich list—the Vegetarian—has avocado, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, cheese, mustard, mayo, and little else, but it’s much more than the sum of its parts.

Mr Patty (Parc Loyola)

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This family-owned Jamaican bakery and restaurant has been loved by NDG-ers since they first opened in 2004 — and Jamaican patties happen to make for a great park snack. Choose from beef, chicken, or vegetable, or get a jerk chicken or curry goat combo platter to go. It’s cash-only, so come prepared, and bring your blanket to eat on at nearby Loyola Park.

La Ruelle Épicerie et Café (Parc Jarry)

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If it’s arepas you crave, this Villeray Colombian restaurant has your picnic covered. Alternately, go for the brisket sandwich, served on a brioche bun with Oaxaca cheese and chili-spiked coleslaw. Located just in front of Jarry Park, you should have no trouble finding a shady spot to sprawl out. 

Resto-Bar Le Pick-Up (Parc Lalancette)

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The second location from this Mile-Ex favourite is located just a few blocks distance from Parc Lalancette — or a bit of a longer trek over to sprawling Parc Maisonneuve if you’re willing to go the distance. Whatever setting, there’s a lot of good stuff to choose from at Le Pickup, including top-notch sandwiches (the vegan pulled “pork” is a beloved standby), burgers, and fried chicken (or cauliflower) picnic boxes.

Les Street Monkeys (Parc Arthur-Therrien)

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There are few better picnic spots than this waterfront park in Verdun, and it happens to be located just five minutes walking distance from some of the city’s best Cambodian food. Grab some salads, skewers and snacks from Les Street Monkeys and make an afternoon of it. 

Arthurs Nosh Bar (Sir George-Étienne Cartier Square)

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Missing weekend brunches most? Head here for all the favourites: cottage cheese pancakes, salami and eggs, lox and bagels, salads, and excellent sandwiches. Call ahead to order, and don’t skip the highly addictive sprinkle and icing cookies, lest you risk deeply disappointing your fellow picnickers. 

Falafel St. Jacques (Promenade Père-Marquette)

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The second location from much-loved Falafel St. Jacques is located just a couple blocks up from one of the city’s most picturesque waterfront green spaces. Pick up a a pita sandwich, or some mock shawarma (made from shitake mushrooms) and head across the Lachine Canal Foot Bridge for a picnic overlooking Lac Saint-Louis.

Dinette Triple Crown (Parc de la Petite Italie)

Dinette Triple Crown is best-known for its picnic baskets. Order what you like, and they’ll put all your food into a little carry-away basket for you to enjoy in Park de la Petite Italie. It’s a pretty ideal way to spend a long lunch on a weekend. It’s a pretty ideal way to spend a long lunch on a weekend. Their meat-and-threes deal is a go-to: pick a meat (brisket, fried chicken, or pulled pork), and three sides, like hush puppies, mac and cheese, cornbread, or pinto beans.

Restaurant Chez Claudette (Parc Laurier)

Just a stone’s throw from beautiful Parc Laurier sits one of Montreal’s best-loved poutineries. At Chez Claudette, poutines can be topped with everything from veggies to smoked meat and pogos. Alternatively, try the hot chicken sandwich, with rotisserie chicken, peas, and bread drowned in gravy and served with fries. Just make sure you leave time to follow up your picnic with a nap in the grass.

Ma Poule Mouillée (Parc Lafontaine)

Portuguese chicken and poutine aren’t hard to find in the Plateau, but if you’re on your way to Park Lafontaine, your best bet for a decadent combination of both is at Ma Poule Mouillee, right across the street. The poutine here is piled high with roasted chicken and Portuguese chorizo, in case the fries, cheese curds, and gravy weren’t hearty enough for you.

Lester's Deli (Parc St-Viateur)

Lester’s has been slicing up some of the city’s best smoked meat for 65 years, and also does Jewish deli classics like chopped liver, or bagels with cream cheese and lox. Grab a sandwich, some fries and a pickle and travel the half-block to Parc St-Viateur for a picnic by the pond.

Aux Vivres (Parc Lahaie)

A few blocks from this charming park complete with historic church and fountain is one of the city’s best known vegan restaurants. Aux Vivres’s takeout counter makes picnicking an easy (and health-conscious) affair, with signature items like the dragon bowl and vegepaté sandwich (on house-made chapati) in grab-and-go formats.

Patati Patata (Parc des Amériques)

This quaint little park may not be Montreal’s greenest, but it’s the perfect place to enjoy a burger and poutine Patati Patata. If you’re looking for a tad more space, Parc Jeanne-Mance is just a few minutes away by foot.

Boucherie Slovenia (Square St-Louis)

Eastern-European butcher shops are the place to go for delicious and affordable sandwiches. Pick from many different types of cured meats, top with your choice of mustard, and grab a chocolate bar or a Cherry Coke for something sweet to bring along to the positively beautiful Square St-Louis.

Pizza Mia (Parc du Canal-de-Lachine)

If by-the-slice pizza, calzones, panzerottis, or paninis sounds good to go with your afternoon of lazing on the grass by the Lachine Canal, Pizza Mia inside the Atwater Market is the place to go. In fact, you can hardly go wrong with the food options at the market, which range from barbecue to Singaporean noodles.

La Foumagerie (Parc Westmount)

This Victoria Village institution has all the makings of a perfect picnic: Cheeses, preserves, crackers and caviar (if that’s the vibe you’re going for.) For a less DIY option, they also make some of the best sandwiches and salads in the area. Try the Mexican or the Turkey Blues.

Patisserie de Nancy (Parc Girouard)

Nancy may look like any other bakery from the outside, but in the back, you can order sandwiches made fresh on the baguettes they’re best known for. The underdog of the sandwich list—the Vegetarian—has avocado, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, cheese, mustard, mayo, and little else, but it’s much more than the sum of its parts.

Mr Patty (Parc Loyola)

This family-owned Jamaican bakery and restaurant has been loved by NDG-ers since they first opened in 2004 — and Jamaican patties happen to make for a great park snack. Choose from beef, chicken, or vegetable, or get a jerk chicken or curry goat combo platter to go. It’s cash-only, so come prepared, and bring your blanket to eat on at nearby Loyola Park.

La Ruelle Épicerie et Café (Parc Jarry)

If it’s arepas you crave, this Villeray Colombian restaurant has your picnic covered. Alternately, go for the brisket sandwich, served on a brioche bun with Oaxaca cheese and chili-spiked coleslaw. Located just in front of Jarry Park, you should have no trouble finding a shady spot to sprawl out. 

Resto-Bar Le Pick-Up (Parc Lalancette)

The second location from this Mile-Ex favourite is located just a few blocks distance from Parc Lalancette — or a bit of a longer trek over to sprawling Parc Maisonneuve if you’re willing to go the distance. Whatever setting, there’s a lot of good stuff to choose from at Le Pickup, including top-notch sandwiches (the vegan pulled “pork” is a beloved standby), burgers, and fried chicken (or cauliflower) picnic boxes.

Les Street Monkeys (Parc Arthur-Therrien)

There are few better picnic spots than this waterfront park in Verdun, and it happens to be located just five minutes walking distance from some of the city’s best Cambodian food. Grab some salads, skewers and snacks from Les Street Monkeys and make an afternoon of it. 

Arthurs Nosh Bar (Sir George-Étienne Cartier Square)

Missing weekend brunches most? Head here for all the favourites: cottage cheese pancakes, salami and eggs, lox and bagels, salads, and excellent sandwiches. Call ahead to order, and don’t skip the highly addictive sprinkle and icing cookies, lest you risk deeply disappointing your fellow picnickers. 

Falafel St. Jacques (Promenade Père-Marquette)

The second location from much-loved Falafel St. Jacques is located just a couple blocks up from one of the city’s most picturesque waterfront green spaces. Pick up a a pita sandwich, or some mock shawarma (made from shitake mushrooms) and head across the Lachine Canal Foot Bridge for a picnic overlooking Lac Saint-Louis.