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Pho and Beyond: 10 Very Good Vietnamese Restaurants in Montreal

From banh mi to barbecue

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It’s easy to find a good Vietnamese soup in Montreal — most neighbourhoods have at least one or two solid options to curb a Tonkinese soup craving. If you’re looking for something outside of soup, the options are a little more slim — but not impossible to find.

Whether it’s a crispy banh mi and sweet cà phê sữa đá, or something more innovative and upmarket, these are all the best places for eating Vietnamese in Montreal, with an eye to the spots that go beyond the beefy soup favourite (but a few of those spots, too).

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Pho Hao

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Côte-Des-Neiges’ Pho Hao is open late and offers all of the best Vietnamese comfort foods -- from pho, of course, to the sauteed beef dish, bò lúc lắc. Pho Hao also offers a tasty iced coffee, which is brewed right at your table.

Pho Lien

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A veritable classic on Montreal’s Vietnamese food scene, Pho Lien continues to be a perennially bustling spot. While most come for efficiently dished-up pho, there’s a lengthy menu of grilled items, like lemongrass beef. —Tim Forster

Marché Hung Phat

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This Vietnamese deli just near the Jean-Talon Market offers quick bites like banh mi (possibly Montreal’s best)— which they make using fresh vegetables and homemade sauces. There’s also banh bao — a Vietnamese bun — and a huge selection of desserts.

Cafeden

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One of few fancier Vietnamese spots in town, boasting cocktails and a decent wine list, Little Italy’s Cafeden grills up barbecue beef and tosses green papaya salads with flair in a sleek, minimalist setting. —Tim Forster

Pho Tay Ho

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Another granddaddy of Montreal’s soup scene, Pho Tay Ho does pho, obviously, but also Vietnamese coffee and a list of vermicelli noodle dishes, all for low, low prices. —Tim Forster

Tran Cantine Vietnamienne

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The St-Henri newcomer offers upmarket versions of Vietnamese classics like pho and banh mi in a decidedly chic and minimal dining room. While it has only been open a little over a year, it’s already made a name for itself.

Pho Rachel

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Good news for vegetarians, Pho Rachel is one of the few pho restaurants in the city offering a completely vegetarian soup (pho broth is typically made with beef bones) and it’s just as good as the omnivorous variety.

Pho Bac

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This Chinatown mainstay offers an extremely satisfying bowl of pho, yes, but they also make an incredible cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee with milk). The sweetened condensed milk and powerful coffee beans come together to create something not quite as sweet as a mass market frappé, but more satisfying than a latte.

Restaurant Hà (multiple locations)

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Ideal for birthday dinners or work lunches, Hà is known for its supremely welcoming environment — particularly its newer Old Montreal location, which also boasts Nhậu Bar, a quasi-speakeasy in the basement of the restaurant. While it is decidedly more expensive than most Vietnamese restaurants in the city, it offer beautiful dishes such as red tuna steak, roasted bone marrow and beef tataki salad.

Pho MC Brossard

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The pancake-like banh xeo is arguably one of the most magical Vietnamese dishes available. It’s decadent and satisfying but consists of just rice flour, turmeric powder, and water cooked over a frying pan and served with a mountain of fresh lettuce and herbs. While it can be found in a few restaurants across the city, Pho MC Brossard does it best. It also offers banh knot, which is similar in taste but presented more like a mini tart (pictured).

Pho Hao

Côte-Des-Neiges’ Pho Hao is open late and offers all of the best Vietnamese comfort foods -- from pho, of course, to the sauteed beef dish, bò lúc lắc. Pho Hao also offers a tasty iced coffee, which is brewed right at your table.

Pho Lien

A veritable classic on Montreal’s Vietnamese food scene, Pho Lien continues to be a perennially bustling spot. While most come for efficiently dished-up pho, there’s a lengthy menu of grilled items, like lemongrass beef. —Tim Forster

Marché Hung Phat

This Vietnamese deli just near the Jean-Talon Market offers quick bites like banh mi (possibly Montreal’s best)— which they make using fresh vegetables and homemade sauces. There’s also banh bao — a Vietnamese bun — and a huge selection of desserts.

Cafeden

One of few fancier Vietnamese spots in town, boasting cocktails and a decent wine list, Little Italy’s Cafeden grills up barbecue beef and tosses green papaya salads with flair in a sleek, minimalist setting. —Tim Forster

Pho Tay Ho

Another granddaddy of Montreal’s soup scene, Pho Tay Ho does pho, obviously, but also Vietnamese coffee and a list of vermicelli noodle dishes, all for low, low prices. —Tim Forster

Tran Cantine Vietnamienne

The St-Henri newcomer offers upmarket versions of Vietnamese classics like pho and banh mi in a decidedly chic and minimal dining room. While it has only been open a little over a year, it’s already made a name for itself.

Pho Rachel

Good news for vegetarians, Pho Rachel is one of the few pho restaurants in the city offering a completely vegetarian soup (pho broth is typically made with beef bones) and it’s just as good as the omnivorous variety.

Pho Bac

This Chinatown mainstay offers an extremely satisfying bowl of pho, yes, but they also make an incredible cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee with milk). The sweetened condensed milk and powerful coffee beans come together to create something not quite as sweet as a mass market frappé, but more satisfying than a latte.

Restaurant Hà (multiple locations)

Ideal for birthday dinners or work lunches, Hà is known for its supremely welcoming environment — particularly its newer Old Montreal location, which also boasts Nhậu Bar, a quasi-speakeasy in the basement of the restaurant. While it is decidedly more expensive than most Vietnamese restaurants in the city, it offer beautiful dishes such as red tuna steak, roasted bone marrow and beef tataki salad.

Pho MC Brossard

The pancake-like banh xeo is arguably one of the most magical Vietnamese dishes available. It’s decadent and satisfying but consists of just rice flour, turmeric powder, and water cooked over a frying pan and served with a mountain of fresh lettuce and herbs. While it can be found in a few restaurants across the city, Pho MC Brossard does it best. It also offers banh knot, which is similar in taste but presented more like a mini tart (pictured).