A noted gastropub that favours flavours and ingredients from across Canada, Derek Dammann’s establishment has a deliciously heavyset menu filled with starches, carbs, and proteins.

Billed as a neighbourhood bistro, chef Alexandre Gosselin’s French and nouveau cuisine sensibilities in the kitchen culminate in creative, lavish meals on a largely seasonal menu.

A cozy bistro-style terrasse on Gilford Street and longstanding BYOW mandate make this Swiss eatery a primo pick for a summer night spent in the Plateau. A pot of piping hot cheese fondue can only make it better.

Picnic crowds wanting to eat in La Fontaine Park head to Ma Poule Mouillée for a simple sandwich: piri piri-slathered chicken in a powdery bun. Their poutine, piled high with sliced bird and chorizo, is also more than a safe bet and offers sturdy competition to La Banquise across the street.

This cozy Korean BYOB has been filling the need for quality Korean food in the neighbourhood since it opened in 2018, offering up classic dishes like bibimbap, bulgogi and jeyuk.

The Plateau has seen many newcomers in the last decade, but no one could forget when Martin Picard began elevating Québécois cuisine on Duluth in 2001, taking hearty dishes like poutine and pouding chômeur and inserting them into the fine dining arena. Au Pied de Cochon’s seasonal sugar shack isn’t set to return until 2022, but its summer picnics hosted in the nearby orchards promise to be a fun and filling affair.

If you’re looking for anything less than a feast, steer clear of this Duluth BYOB, which serves up hefty, flavourful platters of Afghan food. Despite an issue a couple years back that resulted in the Duluth Afghan restaurant having to take down its famously odd facade, Khyber Pass remains — as strong as ever.

One part izakaya and one par ramen bar (the ramen side is officially named Yokato Yokabai), this two-punch combo of Japanese fare from Kevin Fung is a knockout. 2015 was a particularly good year for Japanese openings in Montreal, and Ichigo Ichie still remains head and shoulders above most.

A pandemic newcomer, this café named in honour of the founder’s “téta,” which means grandmother in Lebanese, is routinely faces lineups on nice-weather days. A simple formula of piping hot manouché flatbreads with spiced meat, za’atar and/or cheese has proven to do the trick, especially when accompanied with a hot latte and sfouf (vegan curcuma cake).

This Lebanese restaurant from Charbel Yazbeck and Akram Sleiman is regarded as a Plateau mainstay for Middle Eastern fare. The charcoal-grilled kafta is the specialty here, wrapped in pita and made tangy with sumac, tahini, and cucumbers.

It might have been open for a quarter century already, but the pandemic has helped prove this iconic Duluth breakfast and lunch place’s worth. Saucy sandwiches stuffed with an omelette or Portuguese chicken are perfect to go — or to eat on-site. And the vegan options, smoothies, and chai lattes are great, too.

From their palm-sized hamburgers to string-cut fries, this miniaturized casse-croûte is visited year-round. While burgers and poutine are fan favourites here, consider exploring their sandwich menu, which includes ample vegetarian options.

Specializing in seafood and small plates, Boca Iberica offers a change of pace to the more casual Portuguese chicken joints in the neighbourhood. Try the octopus salad, bacalhau com natas (salted cod in cream sauce), or carne de porco à Alentejana (paprika-marinated pork cubes with clams).

Long looked to as a craft beer haunt, Le Réservoir has seen more culinary traction since the owners of the now-closed (but not forgotten) Hôtel Herman came on board as owners five years ago. Dominic Goyet, Ariane Lacombe, and chef Marc-Alexandre Mercier’s transplantation and efforts have yielded fantastic results in a much more casual setting than their previous venture.

Another 2020 newcomer, this takeout pizza joint on the corner of Duluth and St-Laurent bakes its thin-crust ‘zas in a stone oven. And as of this summer, they are all vegan, featuring some surprising yet satisfying flavours.

With an original smoked meat spice recipe and delicatessen that goes back to 1928, Reuban Schwartz’s legacy lives on in one of the most famous restaurants in Montreal. If endorsements from celebrities and long lines outside their doors aren’t convincing enough, a “fatty” with a side pickle will be. Now proudly owned by superstar singer Céline Dion.

There’s plenty on offer at this Main landmark, which is part butcher, part deli, and part purveyor of Eastern European grocery staples. Just make sure to not leave without a sandwich — preferably one filled with sausage, sauerkraut, and a generous slathering of hot mustard — in hand.

A Plateau and McGill University classic since 1976, Café Santropol is still going strong largely thanks to its super satisfying chili and famous thick-sliced sandwiches, like the Duluth (caramelized onion, pear, cheddar, and arugula).

Arepera stands out amongst the many eateries of Prince Arthur thanks to its fresh, colourful Venezuelan dishes, including the signature arepas, corn cakes stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies. And fans of (genuinely delicious) gluten-free food rejoice; thanks to the use of corn flour, nothing at Arepera contains any gluten.