Hubert Marsolais and Claude Pelletier’s original restaurant has been the training ground for many of Montreal’s most reputable chefs. While Chasse et Pêche has since grandfathered several inventive places to eat (see: nearby Italian restaurant Le Serpent and Le Filet in the Plateau), this one remains both a testament to hunting and fishing and a true Montreal institution.

Americana meets Montreal at this fresh new addition on St-Paul Street East, replacing the former Tiers Paysage. Bon Service’s menu conjures the American South while spotlighting local ingredients, resulting in dishes like cherrystone clams done casino style with aged cheddar and Old Bay seasoning, butterflied Cornish hen with gravy and grits, and beef tartare with heirloom tomatoes and a cherry bomb aioli. It’s also got a snappy offering of natural wines and cocktails, including a chocolate-mint julep and nutmeg gin fizz.

Olive & Gourmando’s Dyan Solomon and Eric Girard brought us easygoing Italian eatery Caffè Un Po’ Di Piu in 2018, and it continues to stand out from the pack. Located right along the Old Port promenade, it’s one of the best places in the neighbourhood to stop for a bite of homemade pasta, seasonal burrata dishes, and an exceptionally well-executed Negroni.

When it comes to restaurants that embrace Canadian identity through their menu, L’Orignal tops the list, going beyond decorative kitsch, plaid fabric, and wood panelling — though it’s got that, too. Game meats are a pride and joy here, and while the menu changes frequently, deer, bison, and rabbit are a safe bet on any given night.

Canadian celebrity chef Chuck Hughes and chef de cuisine Chris Merrick run the ship at this seafood spot, dishing out oysters, Nordic shrimp, razor clams, and octopus, plus a decadent range of desserts. With the demise of Le Bremner, Hughes’s other restaurant in the area, snagging a table at Le Garde-Manger has become all the more special.

When this project came to life in 2018, critics and diners welcomed its sleek design, stellar service, and classically French vibe with open arms. Inspired by New York’s acclaimed Gramercy Tavern, the restaurant features a casual brasserie section and a finer dining area, with menus creatively fine-tuned for each.

The Barroco Group’s first — and only namesake — restaurant is undeniably its most romantic, offering up French, Spanish, and Italian flavours with plenty of old-world charm. Its dimly lit location in a rustic Old Montreal bicentennial building only adds to its allure.

It was a sad day for Montreal restaurateurs and diners alike when Gibbys founder Gilbert Rosenberg passed away in 2018. Still, the restaurant’s legacy of serving choice steaks (and accommodating vegetarians) lives on. Built out of a reclaimed barn, Gibbys remains one of the finest steakhouses in the city.

Three years since its opening in the historic quarter, Bloom Sushi is well-known as one of the best vegan sushi spots in town. The menu appears at first glance like that of any traditional Japanese restaurant (think: maki, nigiri, tempura), but its creative ingredients make it stand out from the rest. Also on offer are a range of sake- and kombucha-based cocktails.

The folks behind Old Montreal lunch staple Brit & Chips are responsible for several of the city’s top British food purveyors, including nearby Wolf & Workman, on St-Paul Street West. Here, the focus is on all sorts of fish and chips, including ale-battered cod and, for a locally inflected option, haddock encased in a maple syrup coating. Scotch eggs, mushy peas, and deep-fried Oreos complete the experience.

Busy day and night, this high-ceilinged brasserie has been a longstanding favourite in Old Montreal for nearly 20 years. Opened by three brothers (Paul, Richard and Maurice Holder), it offers a French-leaning menu, with artsy takes on tartare, chicken liver pâté, and French onion soup — in addition to an extensive list of wines and cocktails.

Founding chef Jason Morris may have a new vocation at Four Season’s restaurant Marcus, but Pastel remains the spot for forward-looking fine dining in Montreal’s historic quarters. The restaurant’s tasting menus are ever-changing, but diners can expect a carefully orchestrated stream of small, seasonal dishes with picture-worthy plating.

More than a decade old, this McGill Street restaurant from chef Graziella Batista is regarded as one of the finest for Italian fare in the city. Its elegance is paired with a menu inspired by the local seasons and Italian regions — with wine selections from sommelier and co-owner Pierre Jullien. Check out the team’s new café, pinseria, and grocery store Mercato Communale when in the area.

Easily the most thrifty bet on this list, Dispensa is a popular pick among the area’s lunchtime crowd for its pared-down, takeout menu of classic panini. They’re all delicious, but the chicken cutlet and eggplant parmigiana options — with some added rapini — are especially perfetto. Complete the meal with an iced espresso and Italian sweet.

The team behind highly regarded Quartier des Spectacles restaurants Bouillon Bilk and Cadet made their way west, to Cité du Multimédia, last summer. Place Carmin is a stunning French brasserie serving luxe seafood platters, foie gras terrines, and sweet potato schnitzel. Make sure to save room for dessert: They’ve got a bevy of classic confections, including Paris Brest, crème brûlée, and a platter of chocolate and caramel doughnuts.

Located in the stone-walled basement of a former 19th-century women’s prison in Old Montreal, this Italian restaurant serves up all the Roman classics. Celebrated chef Emma Risa is no longer helming the kitchen at the decades-old institution. Still, her namesake restaurant remains in the family, with her daughter Olga Aureli picking up where she’s left off.