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The 22 Best Places to Get a Salad in Montreal

Leafy greens galore

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With warm weather finally at our doors, it’s time to take a look at some light and leafy options around Montreal. Mandy's, which has expanded to an impressive seven locations out of its Westmount base, is the city’s ultimate go-to for customizable salads. But plenty of vegan and vegetarian spots are getting well beyond plain old mixed greens with balsamic dressing, throwing in smoked tempeh, grains, and more.

Move up the price scale and menus aren’t as full of salad choices — instead, you'll get one or two options, exquisitely executed. And across those categories, here are some of the best, organized in geographical order.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Santa Barbara

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Many salads come and go from the menu seasonally at vegetarian-yet-carnivore-friendly Santa Barbara, but the evergreen kale salad, with leaves massaged in a tamari dressing and served with avocado, shiitake mushrooms and pumpkin seeds, is too popular for this fusion spot to stop serving.

Pho Tay Ho

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Vietnamese food may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of salad, but maybe it should be. The offerings at Pho Tay Ho are unskippable: try the raw beef salad, which comes dressed with plenty of lime juice, fish sauce, raw onion and copious crushed peanuts, encircled by shrimp chips (essential conduits for all that salty, crunchy goodness).

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Raw beef salad with shrimp (I guess) crackers.

A post shared by W.T. (@ivivvi) on

Cafeden

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This casual Vietnamese eatery in the heart of Little Italy isn't overly salad-focused, but their spicy green papaya and calamari salad has won rave reviews, with some calling it the best in town.

With foie gras nachos as their flagship dish, it might seem odd to place tiny Gus on a list for salads, but chef David Ferguson's Caesar earns it with dressings made to order, crispy pancetta and marinated peppers to spice it up.

Liv Salades

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Possibly drawing some inspiration from salad royalty Mandy’s, Liv dishes up lunchtime salads to the Mile End crowd, getting playful with items like the Big C (a “Caesar” but with Montreal bagel chips and a black truffle dressing) or for the adventurous, a smoked meat salad with carrot and purple cabbage slaw.

Résonance

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Yet another vegan-vegetarian resto, Résonance is also part jazz lounge, featuring regular live music. Check out their ultra-healthy quinoa bowl or, if you're happy to stretch the definition of "salad", the rice bowls are a hit, too — especially anything served with the cashew sour cream.

Beautys Luncheonette

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Salad might not be the obvious choice when visiting this famed Plateau diner but they have rib-sticking bowls that you won't be able to find elsewhere in the city: from the St-Urbain, with chopped liver, to the turkey burger salad.

Omnivore

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This sandwich-and-salad joint offers a host of tangy Lebanese-leaning green options, from classic tabbouleh or fattoush to crunchy okra. They even have their own grocery store a block away in case you're inclined to recreate the experience at home.

Kamehameha Snack-Bar

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At the intersection of healthy and indulgent, poke bowls have quickly taken over the city — and while they’re not exactly salad, many people looking for that kind of meal wouldn’t say no to one of these bowls done right. And bright pink snack bar Kamehameha is one of the best, with everything from organic salmon and tuna tartar to smoked tofu and avocado. Tip: opt for the spicy mayo.

Lola Rosa

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Billed as the vegetarian restaurant for non-vegetarians, rustic Lola Rosa does French or Italian inspired meal-size salads — most notable is one centred around orange and confit beet.

Foodchain

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Given that it counts owners of borderline-wacky dining destination Montréal Plaza as some of its key players, Foodchain isn’t your garden-variety salad spot — but options like fennel-daikon and cucumber-pickle (featuring both cucumbers and their pickled counterparts) are innovative, and hit the spot with sharp dressings.

Olive et Gourmando

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The Old Montreal lunch spot of record may be praised for its meaty sandwiches but its salads deserve as much credit, despite taking a different approach. The Asian inspired #24 brings zing to the menu permanently, and other salads rotate weekly.

Frais & Fresh

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A relative newcomer to Old Montreal, Frais & Fresh offers an affordable take on the classic takeout salad. With unconventional combinations like fresh grapefruit and lentil or cauliflower couscous and edamame, this prêt-à-manger spot is anything but traditional.

If you can see past the tasty okonomiyaki and onigiri at this Japanese standby for just a minute, there are some very flavourful salads to be discovered: the tuna salmon salad rice bowl is a crowd favourite.

Le Kitchen

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Le Kitchen can be found at the Atwater Market during the summer months and at their Griffintown HQ in the winter. With year-round vegan offerings, including the Atwater Market Salad (with sumac, homemade veggie pâté and seasonal vegetables) or the raw zucchini and kimchi “Gio Bowl”, Le Kitchen is a worthwhile excuse in and of itself to peruse the market.

A post shared by Le Kitchen (@lekitchenmtl) on

Snowdon Déli

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When it’s a classic scoop tuna salad you crave, no one does it better than Snowdon Deli. Equally popular are the salad plates, which come complete with sliced tomato and cucumber, potato salad, coleslaw, and the smoked fish or scoop of your choosing.

La Foumagerie

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Hands down one of the best things you can find to eat in Westmount is the warm goat cheese salad at cheese-slash-sandwich shop La Foumagerie. Other worthy options include the Foumagerie Salad (basically a chef’s salad, with generous servings of sliced ham and cheese) or the Greek Salad.

Mandy's

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Mandy's churns out a rainbow-like range of salad options, from classic Cobbs to tangy Asian-style bowls with crunchy noodles to add some bulk. Beware of the line-up at lunchtime, but note that there are seven locations scattered around the city.

Frisette

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Owner of now-closed NDG restaurant Prohibition Steph Russell has long had a salad counter in the works, and it’s finally here: every bowl has its own special dressing, and the flavour-matching is on point, from a romaine, chicken, egg, and avocado option with creamy herb dressing, to a Niçoise-esque tuna salad.

Arthurs Nosh Bar

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From the Cali-Cobb to the gluten-free KGMTL bowl — named for the local influencer of the same name — Arthurs comes through on the greens and veggies front. In true deli style, any of their salads can be topped off with roast chicken or turkey, or a scoop of tuna, egg or chicken salad.

Tejano BBQ Burrito

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In a city starved for Tex-Mex, Tejano goes well beyond expectations — and while known for burritos, their hyper-fresh ingredients, house-made salsas and tender meat are all available in salad form. Now with a location near Old Montreal.

While best known for their naturally leavened pizza, it would be a mistake to dismiss Elena’s salads in favour of those pies (or the just as good pasta) each and every time. Run by two owners of Italian jewel Nora Gray, Emma Cardarelli and Ryan Gray, it should come as no surprise that the kale caesar pairs with a glass of wine just as well as pizza.

A post shared by Elena (@elenamontreal) on

Santa Barbara

Many salads come and go from the menu seasonally at vegetarian-yet-carnivore-friendly Santa Barbara, but the evergreen kale salad, with leaves massaged in a tamari dressing and served with avocado, shiitake mushrooms and pumpkin seeds, is too popular for this fusion spot to stop serving.

Pho Tay Ho

Vietnamese food may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of salad, but maybe it should be. The offerings at Pho Tay Ho are unskippable: try the raw beef salad, which comes dressed with plenty of lime juice, fish sauce, raw onion and copious crushed peanuts, encircled by shrimp chips (essential conduits for all that salty, crunchy goodness).

View this post on Instagram

Raw beef salad with shrimp (I guess) crackers.

A post shared by W.T. (@ivivvi) on

Cafeden

This casual Vietnamese eatery in the heart of Little Italy isn't overly salad-focused, but their spicy green papaya and calamari salad has won rave reviews, with some calling it the best in town.

Gus

With foie gras nachos as their flagship dish, it might seem odd to place tiny Gus on a list for salads, but chef David Ferguson's Caesar earns it with dressings made to order, crispy pancetta and marinated peppers to spice it up.

Liv Salades

Possibly drawing some inspiration from salad royalty Mandy’s, Liv dishes up lunchtime salads to the Mile End crowd, getting playful with items like the Big C (a “Caesar” but with Montreal bagel chips and a black truffle dressing) or for the adventurous, a smoked meat salad with carrot and purple cabbage slaw.

Résonance

Yet another vegan-vegetarian resto, Résonance is also part jazz lounge, featuring regular live music. Check out their ultra-healthy quinoa bowl or, if you're happy to stretch the definition of "salad", the rice bowls are a hit, too — especially anything served with the cashew sour cream.

Beautys Luncheonette

Salad might not be the obvious choice when visiting this famed Plateau diner but they have rib-sticking bowls that you won't be able to find elsewhere in the city: from the St-Urbain, with chopped liver, to the turkey burger salad.

Omnivore

This sandwich-and-salad joint offers a host of tangy Lebanese-leaning green options, from classic tabbouleh or fattoush to crunchy okra. They even have their own grocery store a block away in case you're inclined to recreate the experience at home.

Kamehameha Snack-Bar

At the intersection of healthy and indulgent, poke bowls have quickly taken over the city — and while they’re not exactly salad, many people looking for that kind of meal wouldn’t say no to one of these bowls done right. And bright pink snack bar Kamehameha is one of the best, with everything from organic salmon and tuna tartar to smoked tofu and avocado. Tip: opt for the spicy mayo.

Lola Rosa

Billed as the vegetarian restaurant for non-vegetarians, rustic Lola Rosa does French or Italian inspired meal-size salads — most notable is one centred around orange and confit beet.

Foodchain

Given that it counts owners of borderline-wacky dining destination Montréal Plaza as some of its key players, Foodchain isn’t your garden-variety salad spot — but options like fennel-daikon and cucumber-pickle (featuring both cucumbers and their pickled counterparts) are innovative, and hit the spot with sharp dressings.

Olive et Gourmando

The Old Montreal lunch spot of record may be praised for its meaty sandwiches but its salads deserve as much credit, despite taking a different approach. The Asian inspired #24 brings zing to the menu permanently, and other salads rotate weekly.

Frais & Fresh

A relative newcomer to Old Montreal, Frais & Fresh offers an affordable take on the classic takeout salad. With unconventional combinations like fresh grapefruit and lentil or cauliflower couscous and edamame, this prêt-à-manger spot is anything but traditional.

Kazu

If you can see past the tasty okonomiyaki and onigiri at this Japanese standby for just a minute, there are some very flavourful salads to be discovered: the tuna salmon salad rice bowl is a crowd favourite.

Le Kitchen

Le Kitchen can be found at the Atwater Market during the summer months and at their Griffintown HQ in the winter. With year-round vegan offerings, including the Atwater Market Salad (with sumac, homemade veggie pâté and seasonal vegetables) or the raw zucchini and kimchi “Gio Bowl”, Le Kitchen is a worthwhile excuse in and of itself to peruse the market.

A post shared by Le Kitchen (@lekitchenmtl) on

Snowdon Déli

When it’s a classic scoop tuna salad you crave, no one does it better than Snowdon Deli. Equally popular are the salad plates, which come complete with sliced tomato and cucumber, potato salad, coleslaw, and the smoked fish or scoop of your choosing.

La Foumagerie

Hands down one of the best things you can find to eat in Westmount is the warm goat cheese salad at cheese-slash-sandwich shop La Foumagerie. Other worthy options include the Foumagerie Salad (basically a chef’s salad, with generous servings of sliced ham and cheese) or the Greek Salad.

Mandy's

Mandy's churns out a rainbow-like range of salad options, from classic Cobbs to tangy Asian-style bowls with crunchy noodles to add some bulk. Beware of the line-up at lunchtime, but note that there are seven locations scattered around the city.

Frisette

Owner of now-closed NDG restaurant Prohibition Steph Russell has long had a salad counter in the works, and it’s finally here: every bowl has its own special dressing, and the flavour-matching is on point, from a romaine, chicken, egg, and avocado option with creamy herb dressing, to a Niçoise-esque tuna salad.

Arthurs Nosh Bar

From the Cali-Cobb to the gluten-free KGMTL bowl — named for the local influencer of the same name — Arthurs comes through on the greens and veggies front. In true deli style, any of their salads can be topped off with roast chicken or turkey, or a scoop of tuna, egg or chicken salad.

Tejano BBQ Burrito

In a city starved for Tex-Mex, Tejano goes well beyond expectations — and while known for burritos, their hyper-fresh ingredients, house-made salsas and tender meat are all available in salad form. Now with a location near Old Montreal.

Elena

While best known for their naturally leavened pizza, it would be a mistake to dismiss Elena’s salads in favour of those pies (or the just as good pasta) each and every time. Run by two owners of Italian jewel Nora Gray, Emma Cardarelli and Ryan Gray, it should come as no surprise that the kale caesar pairs with a glass of wine just as well as pizza.

A post shared by Elena (@elenamontreal) on