clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
person cutting into a plate of burrata with tomatoes, on top of a purple-ish marble table
Burrata with roasted carrots, sun-dried tomato pesto, mint, pickled grapes, and almonds from Caffe Un Po’ Di Piu
Caffe Un Po’ Di Piu

21 Superb Old Montreal Restaurants

Where to eat in the city’s historic hub — and nearby Cité du Multimédia

View as Map
Burrata with roasted carrots, sun-dried tomato pesto, mint, pickled grapes, and almonds from Caffe Un Po’ Di Piu
| Caffe Un Po’ Di Piu

Cobble-stoned Old Montreal is a prime destination for out-of-towners — and as a result, home to its share of disappointing touristy spots. But the neighbourhood’s centuries-old buildings are also the backdrop to some of the city’s top fine dining destinations, run by some of its most venerable chefs and popular young guns, too. Scattered among them are more casual options, mainly catering to the area’s office set. Together, the restaurants on this map make up a dining scene for which even the most hesitant locals should consider braving the crowds.

This map stretches the boundaries of Old Montreal to include Cité du Multimédia to the west.

For all the latest Montreal dining intel, subscribe to Eater Montreal’s newsletter.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Le Club Chasse et Pêche

Copy Link

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.

Bon Service

Copy Link

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.

Caffe Un Po' Di Piu

Copy Link

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.

With former Olive & Gourmando chef Michael Tozzi at the helm, this spot was bound to be great from the moment it came onto the scene in 2019. The chic, luminous space specializes in lunch and brunch, serving everything from buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches to ricotta pancakes, and stuffed pasta — with aplomb.

L'Orignal

Copy Link

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.

Le Garde-Manger

Copy Link

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.

Stash Café

Copy Link

Stash Café has been serving homey, hearty Polish fare for decades now, with a warm, cozy ambience animated with live piano playing and pink-hued lighting that’s unique in the neighbourhood. You can’t go wrong with Stash’s pierogi (stuffed with beef, cheese and potato, or cabbage and mushroom), cabbage rolls, or kielbasa. Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, once a server at the restaurant, agrees.

Monarque

Copy Link

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.

Barroco

Copy Link

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.

Olive & Gourmando

Copy Link

Dyan Solomon and Éric Girard’s essential Montreal restaurant draws line-ups out the door on St-Paul West almost without fail. Diners either pop in for a flaky pastry and coffee, nestle down for a sweet ricotta breakfast plate, or come lunch, pick from an array of delicious, seasonal soups, salads, or sandwiches.

Bloom Sushi

Copy Link

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.

Brit & Chips

Copy Link

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.

Portuguese cuisine hits a high point in Montreal at chef Helena Loureiro’s eponymous restaurant. For starters, feast on caldo verde soup or a Caesar-style sardine salad, and then dig into delicious plates of grilled meats and seafood for the main. Loureiro’s other Montreal restaurant, nearby Portus 360, offers one of the top panoramic views of the city from a revolving space on the 31st and 30th floors of the Evo tower.

Restaurant Pastel

Copy Link

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.

Graziella

Copy Link

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.

Dispensa

Copy Link

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.

Restaurant Mélisse

Copy Link

Cité du Multimedia’s condo tower-lined strip of William Street is home to several compelling food options, including this bright and airy all-day spot. Mélisse’s short but satisfying menu is Mediterranean-leaning, featuring tartines with salmon gravlax or ricotta pancakes with pistachios for weekend brunch and crudo, pasta, and falafels for weekday lunch and dinner.

Place Carmin

Copy Link

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.

Restaurant Da Emma

Copy Link

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.

Le Club Chasse et Pêche

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.

Bon Service

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.

Caffe Un Po' Di Piu

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.

Dandy

With former Olive & Gourmando chef Michael Tozzi at the helm, this spot was bound to be great from the moment it came onto the scene in 2019. The chic, luminous space specializes in lunch and brunch, serving everything from buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches to ricotta pancakes, and stuffed pasta — with aplomb.

L'Orignal

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.

Le Garde-Manger

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.

Stash Café

Stash Café has been serving homey, hearty Polish fare for decades now, with a warm, cozy ambience animated with live piano playing and pink-hued lighting that’s unique in the neighbourhood. You can’t go wrong with Stash’s pierogi (stuffed with beef, cheese and potato, or cabbage and mushroom), cabbage rolls, or kielbasa. Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, once a server at the restaurant, agrees.

Monarque

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.

Barroco

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.

Gibbys

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.

Olive & Gourmando

Dyan Solomon and Éric Girard’s essential Montreal restaurant draws line-ups out the door on St-Paul West almost without fail. Diners either pop in for a flaky pastry and coffee, nestle down for a sweet ricotta breakfast plate, or come lunch, pick from an array of delicious, seasonal soups, salads, or sandwiches.

Bloom Sushi

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.

Brit & Chips

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.

Holder

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.

Helena

Portuguese cuisine hits a high point in Montreal at chef Helena Loureiro’s eponymous restaurant. For starters, feast on caldo verde soup or a Caesar-style sardine salad, and then dig into delicious plates of grilled meats and seafood for the main. Loureiro’s other Montreal restaurant, nearby Portus 360, offers one of the top panoramic views of the city from a revolving space on the 31st and 30th floors of the Evo tower.

Restaurant Pastel

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.

Graziella

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.

Dispensa

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.

Restaurant Mélisse

Cité du Multimedia’s condo tower-lined strip of William Street is home to several compelling food options, including this bright and airy all-day spot. Mélisse’s short but satisfying menu is Mediterranean-leaning, featuring tartines with salmon gravlax or ricotta pancakes with pistachios for weekend brunch and crudo, pasta, and falafels for weekday lunch and dinner.

Place Carmin

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.

Restaurant Da Emma

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.