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Downtown Montreal: Where to Lunch This Winter

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dtmtllunch.jpg[Photo: Wikipedia]

Downtown Montreal has never been a food destination per se, certainly not in the mold of a Mile End or Little Burgundy. The bridge and tunnel crowds rarely make a specific, purposeful trip to dine in the core of the city - Downtown beckons with other business and diversions after all - but, in many respects, that reputation is now under threat.

This new reality is about to collide with the busy holiday season, as Ste-Catherine street clogs up, the Underground City's hours extend and parents bundle kids up to go see Casse-Noisette and Ogilvy's festive window display. And while the likes of Al-Taib, Boustan, Bangkok and Mister Steer will do in a pinch, the emphasis of this map, with one possible exception, is on Downtown Montreal restaurants that offer a more cultivated brand of service and cuisine. And alcohol. The importance of alcohol, especially in December, cannot be overstated.


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Bouillon Bilk

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Open weekdays for lunch, Bouillon Bilk is a haven from downtown's bustle. Chef François Nadon's upscale takes on poutine, Waldorf salad and tartares impress.

Brasserie T!

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Normand Laprise's Quartier des Spectacles restaurant is so much more than a casual sister to Toqué! The food at Brasserie T! is razor sharp. Lesley Chesterman: "With the holiday season soon upon us, this modern brasserie would be a terrific choice for a pre- or post-spectacle meal."

Café Bistro McCord

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The McCord Museum's restaurant revamp includes a new menu from chef Joanna Galanomatis and Julien-Leblanc Traiteur, with a $30 table d'hôte. Now to persuade the museum brass to consider a name change ...

Laurie Raphaël

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Big time Quebec chef Daniel Vézina helms The Germain hotel's restaurant, if from afar. The luxe lunch menu is just what you want in Montreal in December too, from foie gras terrine to risotto.

Dominion Square Tavern

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Just off the Ste-Catherine retail drag, Dominion Square Tavern probably the best lunch draw in the downtown core. This is classic hearty fare done well, from the Ploughman's to the Bangers and Mash. The temptation to stay inside and pore over the excellent cocktail list is difficult to deny.

Maison Boulud

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Ambiance-wise the Ritz-Carlton's restaurant is a stunner for mid-spree respites. Maison Boulud's lunch menu is a hefty one - to wit, the killer burger, crispy ris de veau and $40 entrecôte. Strong wine list too.
Sakura humbly celebrates four decades in business in 2013. Montreal's doyen Japanese restaurant still serves lunch five days a week.

Café des Beaux-Arts

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Chef Richard Bastien still works the line at Café des Beaux-Arts from time to time but regardless, the Museum of Fine Arts restaurant is a branché lunch spot.

Il Cortile

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There may be better Italian food in the city but Il Cortile's inner cobblestone courtyard is stellar. The veteran Montreal restaurant's cellar is not half-bad either.

Europea

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Many consider Europea the best restaurant in Montreal. Relais & Châteaux grand chef Jérôme Ferrer's lunch menu, most notably the $60 prix fixe with forfait sommlier, caters to a business executive crowd but is worth a holiday splurge.

Le Mas des Oliviers

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Jacques Muller is not a romantic sort of Francophile. The man just lives the life - the full expression of which is his longtime restaurant Le Mas des Oliviers. With lunch items like boudin à la Lyonnaise, steak tartare and soufflé au Grand Marnier, the place is a total nostalgia trip.
About as casual as it gets on this list, Kazu makes the grade thanks to shrimp burger, beef kalbi and ramen goodness. Those Kirin tallboys do the job nicely as well. No reservations - sit at the bar if you can.

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Bouillon Bilk

Open weekdays for lunch, Bouillon Bilk is a haven from downtown's bustle. Chef François Nadon's upscale takes on poutine, Waldorf salad and tartares impress.

Brasserie T!

Normand Laprise's Quartier des Spectacles restaurant is so much more than a casual sister to Toqué! The food at Brasserie T! is razor sharp. Lesley Chesterman: "With the holiday season soon upon us, this modern brasserie would be a terrific choice for a pre- or post-spectacle meal."

Café Bistro McCord

The McCord Museum's restaurant revamp includes a new menu from chef Joanna Galanomatis and Julien-Leblanc Traiteur, with a $30 table d'hôte. Now to persuade the museum brass to consider a name change ...

Laurie Raphaël

Big time Quebec chef Daniel Vézina helms The Germain hotel's restaurant, if from afar. The luxe lunch menu is just what you want in Montreal in December too, from foie gras terrine to risotto.

Dominion Square Tavern

Just off the Ste-Catherine retail drag, Dominion Square Tavern probably the best lunch draw in the downtown core. This is classic hearty fare done well, from the Ploughman's to the Bangers and Mash. The temptation to stay inside and pore over the excellent cocktail list is difficult to deny.

Maison Boulud

Ambiance-wise the Ritz-Carlton's restaurant is a stunner for mid-spree respites. Maison Boulud's lunch menu is a hefty one - to wit, the killer burger, crispy ris de veau and $40 entrecôte. Strong wine list too.

Sakura

Sakura humbly celebrates four decades in business in 2013. Montreal's doyen Japanese restaurant still serves lunch five days a week.

Café des Beaux-Arts

Chef Richard Bastien still works the line at Café des Beaux-Arts from time to time but regardless, the Museum of Fine Arts restaurant is a branché lunch spot.

Il Cortile

There may be better Italian food in the city but Il Cortile's inner cobblestone courtyard is stellar. The veteran Montreal restaurant's cellar is not half-bad either.

Europea

Many consider Europea the best restaurant in Montreal. Relais & Châteaux grand chef Jérôme Ferrer's lunch menu, most notably the $60 prix fixe with forfait sommlier, caters to a business executive crowd but is worth a holiday splurge.

Le Mas des Oliviers

Jacques Muller is not a romantic sort of Francophile. The man just lives the life - the full expression of which is his longtime restaurant Le Mas des Oliviers. With lunch items like boudin à la Lyonnaise, steak tartare and soufflé au Grand Marnier, the place is a total nostalgia trip.

Kazu

About as casual as it gets on this list, Kazu makes the grade thanks to shrimp burger, beef kalbi and ramen goodness. Those Kirin tallboys do the job nicely as well. No reservations - sit at the bar if you can.