Call it the shapeshifter extraordinaire of Montreal's food scene: brunch, one can reasonably posit, has undergone a sea change over the last decade. In a city that was once diner or bust, brunch is now less of a black sheep and more a regular, and important, part of a restaurant's repertoire. While still far from Portland or Brooklyn territory, Montreal feels more and more like a brunch town these days. With that, we present the inaugural Montreal brunch heatmap— in no particular order.
H4C lacks the weathered nookishness that makes a lot of brunch spots so alluring but, rest assured, the comfort factor is all there on the menu. And it's all very precisely executed, from your sweet (a doughnut, say) to your savoury (a melting flanc de porcelet).
Oh so classic Leméac is abuzz, inevitably, on weekends between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., when items like beignets, omelettes aux fines herbes and rillettes à l’ancienne star.
Brunch gets a Levantine, Ottoman twist at BarBounya with the likes of lamb sausage, chick peas in tomato sauce, poached egg and yogurt and brioche French toast with tahini and chocolate.
Everything feels like it's done with care at Lawrence. You'll likely have to queue to enjoy brunch here but it's totally worth it, even in subzero temperatures. A Black Velvet, a scone, some scrapple, kedgeree and devilled kidneys on toast ought to warm you up.
Sparrow deserves credit as the de facto pioneer of Montreal's brunch new wave. While it feels less "in" than in times past, this has more to do with the crop of newcomers and less with the quality of the bénédictines and cocktails.
New Palace's irreverent (and correct) ways with brunch diner fare includes fried chicken and waffles, cheddar cheese grits and a killer lumberjack sandwich.
This diminutive gem is truly micro and some may balk at the wait and inevitable need to jostle for position. Whatever. From quiches to canelés, the food is terrific.
Tops in the charm department, Stéphanie Labelle's Pâtisserie Rhubarbe prepares twee little plates like eggs with herb cake, pear, and bergamot gremolata and crêpes with cream, blood orange and hazelnut crumble. Not a hangover brunch perhaps but effective, nonetheless.
Ever the cook's cook, Derek Dammann and his crew at Maison Publique make food that industry folks crave. Fine libations abound, for one, and masculine plates of pancakes and bacon and boudin and eggs quell hunger pangs fast.
Long lineups seem to indicate that up-and-comer Régine Café was just the tonic for brunch-hungry Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie residents. The menu has a few surprises, despite the usual "grano" and "mish mash." Bonus: one of the few places to serve brunch seven days a week.
"Éco-responsable" La Récolte offers a small yet playful brunch menu that alters from week to week. The caterer-culinary school-restaurant likes to underscore the local angle but the bottom line is that the food is just good.
Chef Marc-André Royal may put in more time and effort on his weekly brunch menus at La Bête à Pain than anyone in the city. No two look the same at the Ahuntsic bakery, caterer, pastry shop - but all resemble thematic, multi-course flights of fancy.
H4C lacks the weathered nookishness that makes a lot of brunch spots so alluring but, rest assured, the comfort factor is all there on the menu. And it's all very precisely executed, from your sweet (a doughnut, say) to your savoury (a melting flanc de porcelet).
Oh so classic Leméac is abuzz, inevitably, on weekends between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., when items like beignets, omelettes aux fines herbes and rillettes à l’ancienne star.
Brunch gets a Levantine, Ottoman twist at BarBounya with the likes of lamb sausage, chick peas in tomato sauce, poached egg and yogurt and brioche French toast with tahini and chocolate.
Everything feels like it's done with care at Lawrence. You'll likely have to queue to enjoy brunch here but it's totally worth it, even in subzero temperatures. A Black Velvet, a scone, some scrapple, kedgeree and devilled kidneys on toast ought to warm you up.
Sparrow deserves credit as the de facto pioneer of Montreal's brunch new wave. While it feels less "in" than in times past, this has more to do with the crop of newcomers and less with the quality of the bénédictines and cocktails.
New Palace's irreverent (and correct) ways with brunch diner fare includes fried chicken and waffles, cheddar cheese grits and a killer lumberjack sandwich.
This diminutive gem is truly micro and some may balk at the wait and inevitable need to jostle for position. Whatever. From quiches to canelés, the food is terrific.
Tops in the charm department, Stéphanie Labelle's Pâtisserie Rhubarbe prepares twee little plates like eggs with herb cake, pear, and bergamot gremolata and crêpes with cream, blood orange and hazelnut crumble. Not a hangover brunch perhaps but effective, nonetheless.
Ever the cook's cook, Derek Dammann and his crew at Maison Publique make food that industry folks crave. Fine libations abound, for one, and masculine plates of pancakes and bacon and boudin and eggs quell hunger pangs fast.
Long lineups seem to indicate that up-and-comer Régine Café was just the tonic for brunch-hungry Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie residents. The menu has a few surprises, despite the usual "grano" and "mish mash." Bonus: one of the few places to serve brunch seven days a week.
"Éco-responsable" La Récolte offers a small yet playful brunch menu that alters from week to week. The caterer-culinary school-restaurant likes to underscore the local angle but the bottom line is that the food is just good.
Chef Marc-André Royal may put in more time and effort on his weekly brunch menus at La Bête à Pain than anyone in the city. No two look the same at the Ahuntsic bakery, caterer, pastry shop - but all resemble thematic, multi-course flights of fancy.
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