The hottest Laval opening in 2017 was this wine bar from five restaurateurs who call the suburb home. Located in a strip mall, the restaurant’s menu features local, seasonal small plates courtesy of Chef Paul Couture (formerly of Cabane Au Pied de Cochon), whose deer tartare with chanterelles and sumac and grilled octopus with confit potatoes alone are worth a trip to the end of the metro line. Sommelier Simon Boudreault’s wine list leans just as natural and biodynamic as any downtown spot worth its fleur de sel. 

This family-run restaurant — open since 2002 — bills itself as a healthy locale for fresh Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese specialties. Dishes worth leaving Montreal for include the steamed savoury rice cakes with shrimp and the flank steak served on a sizzling platter with sweet potato fries and a sunny-side-up egg. Many of Vien Dong’s dishes are also gluten-free or vegetarian (cooked without the use of fish sauce or meat broth).

Sometimes all you need is a solid bistro. Au Biniou has been just that in Laval since 1976 — changing hands only twice in that period, most recently in 1986. Lunch and dinner table d’hôtes and evening-only “gastronomique” tasting menus feature classics including boudin noir, lamb shank, and foie gras torchon with homemade brioche. The restaurant is also known for its professional team of career servers and for selling a selection of its wines at SAQ prices, including a Quebec Vidal. 

This NDG oyster bar and seafood restaurant is now the best bet in Laval for seafood towers, lobster rolls, surf and turf and New England-style chowder. The main difference from the original Monkland location is the addition of a kids’ menu and couple more seats (thanks to a covered seasonal terrasse.) There’s also a separate outdoor ordering and pickup area reminiscent of the company’s catering food truck — perfect for Laval parking lot tailgating. 

With three locations across Montreal, it seemed only natural for this Vietnamese pho restaurant to eventually cross into Laval, bringing its extensive menu of beef-based noodle soups with it. In addition to various combinations of rare beef, meatballs, and tripe, the menu also includes a specialty sprimp and vegetable pho and giant bowls of comforting, pork-based bún bò huế.

Fabrizio Covone’s Neopolitan pizzeria in Little Italy is credited with starting the 90-second wood-burning pizza oven craze in Montreal when it opened back in 2006. The equivalent upscale-casual Laval outlet is an equally smart business venture, catering to the area’s large Italian community and its many Italophiles. The “supple yet resistant” pizza dough comes topped with Neopolitan-sanctioned toppings, including San Marzano tomatoes and Italian mozzarella for its menu of red and white pies. 

This downtown chain brings upscale vegetarian cuisine to the Centropolis with vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, beet tartare, vegan cheese plates, burgers and poke bowls. The restaurant features the same organic wine and beer list, smoothies, cocktails, brunch options and Instagrammable blue lavender lattes with pea flower powder — just with better parking. 

The second location of the St-Lambert daytime-only café brings Quebecois celebrity chef Ricardo Larrivée’s crowd-pleasing recipes to Laval. From muffins and banana bread to quiche, general tao chicken meatballs, avocado toast, veggie chili, and eggplant parmigiana, the café serves up well-styled plates of the latest comfort food trends. The menu is rounded out with double-decker cakes, local beers and ciders, and cocktails mixed with Quebec spirits. 

A5 Hospitality, Groupe Midway, and Groupe Harden are behind this California-inspired restaurant in Place Bell. Designed by Zebulon Perrón, Westwood is one of the sleekest spots north of the Prairies River — think potted plants, wood, and leopard print on wave-inspired banquettes. Executive Chef Olivier Vignault’s Asian-French menu includes filet mignon carpaccio with salt-cured egg yolk; tempura shrimp maki; black cod with grilled carrots; and roast pork with star anise-infused sweet soy sauce (as prepared by Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Fournier and Sushi Chef Pinou Thong). There’s indoor valet parking, which is equally important for many in this traffic-crunched area of Laval.

Don’t let the strip mall location fool you: Restaurant Rouby is well-worth a visit. In an already shawarma-heavy area, the menu at this family-owned Lebanese and Armenian restaurant stands out. On offer are classics like hummus, fattoush, and stuffed grape leaves, alongside a not-to-be-missed Armenian Aleppi Mortadella with wine and lean ground beef and a pressed beef basturma. 

At this old-school Greek counter restaurant, the daily specials are plated and on display when you enter, which makes choosing between deer stifado, moussaka, drunken lamb, or pasticcio more visual. Best to bring friends and order it all — prices are low and servings are generous. 

Joseph and Steve Eliopoulos’ Greek restaurant might not get points for presentation, but you don’t come to Tripolis for the garnishes. You come for giant portions of fried zucchini, grilled octopus, avgolemono lemon and egg soup and lamb chops (which you can order by the kilo and come with just the right amount of char).