clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

The Eater Montreal Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

by Ian Harrison
View as Map
by Ian Harrison

heatmapdec2013.jpg

mtlheat.jpgWhat is the most difficult reservation in town? Where is the buzz? Welcome to the ever in flux Eater Heatmap - where we take the pulse of Montreal's restaurant scene.

The December 2013 installment of this regular look at front-of-mind restaurants with diners in the 514 sees newcomers in Ahuntsic, Chinatown, the Plateau, Mile End and Old Montreal. All in all, a mish-mash of hot spots that best represents what Montreal's culinary landscape is about - at present.

So enjoy, and remember, this list is in geographic order.


12/05/13: Added: La Bête à Pain, Maïs, Lili Co., Hof Kelsten, Orange Rouge, Racines, Le Richmond Read More

La Bête à Pain

Copy Link
Ahuntsic champion Marc-André Royal and co. have a special sister spot for Le St-Urbain that comes strong on the boulangerie front and, most recently, private import wines as well.
114 Rue Fleury Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3L 2T6, Canada

Impasto

Copy Link
Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita have struck gold with their finely-tuned Little Italy collaborazione.
48 Dante, Montreal, Quebec, H2S 1J5, Canada

Maïs

Copy Link
Will Cody, Gil MacNutt and Dave Schmidt operate this spirited taco slash cocktail joint. The food is rock solid and bartender Lon Benattar pours a mean drink.
5435 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1S5, Canada
(514) 507-7740
(514) 507-7740

Lili Co.

Copy Link
Bistro Bienville had followers galore but Lili Co. has made converts of the old regulars and done well with Montreal's food critics too.
4650 rue Mentana, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 3B9, Canada
(514) 507-7278
(514) 507-7278

Micro Resto La Famille

Copy Link
The deft crew behind this pygmy café serves impeccable plates and provocative natural wines. Expect to queue.
418, rue Gilford, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 1N2, Canada
(514) 508-8700
(514) 508-8700

Iwashi

Copy Link
Café Sardine's Third Wave (and doughnut) bona fides have been widely disseminated but now that the Mile End spot has transformed into a ramen-dispensing izakaya by night, the stakes have been upped.
9 ave. Fairmount, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1C7, Canada
(514) 802-8899
(514) 802-8899

Hof Kelsten

Copy Link
Jeffrey Finkelstein's ways with flour and water have won him cult-like baker's status but Hof Kelsten's lunch menu may be the sleeper hit of the year. Soulful soups and sandwiches all score.
4524 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R4, Canada

SAT FoodLab

Copy Link
Laloux expats Michelle Marek and Seth Gabrielse run the most inventive, experimental restaurant in the city. The unlikely venue (the Société des Arts Technologiques) and neighbours (Café Cléopâtre and Montreal Pool Room) make it all the more alluring.
1201 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 2S6, Canada
(514) 844-2033
(514) 844-2033

Orange Rouge

Copy Link
After a memorable stint at Café Sardine, many were keen to discover chef Aaron Langille's next move. That it was to a kitchen in Chinatown, in historic digs adjacent to Wing's noodle factory no less, was a major surprise.
106 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H2Z 1C3, Canada
(514) 861-1116
(514) 861-1116

Racines

Copy Link
Racines is a stunner, no doubt. Much of the talk about the Old Montreal restaurant hinges on the room and the décor. The fact that it provides a platform for chef Simon Mathys' talents to shine, however, is the big story.
444 McGill, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2G5, Canada
(514) 544-0444
(514) 544-0444

Le Richmond

Copy Link
Space-wise, Luc Laroche and Paul Soucie have built one of the most impressive restaurants of 2013 and proven that Griffintown is a comer.
377 rue Richmond, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1T9, Canada
(514) 508-8749
(514) 508-8749

Le Vin Papillon

Copy Link
Dave McMillan, Fred Morin, Vanya Filipovic and Marc-Olivier Frappier's no reservations wine bar is an elegant companion to Joe Beef and Liverpool House.
2519 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1N4, Canada

Ludger

Copy Link
This buvette gourmande is yet another recent notch in Saint-Henri's belt. A menagerie of regulars love-tweet about the mindful cocktails and bar food on the regular.
4001 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 1R3, Canada
(438) 383-3229
(438) 383-3229

Le H4C

Copy Link
The architect owners of this shiny new Saint-Henri spot did a tidy refurb job on heritage post office digs. But chef Dany Bolduc's food (late of Réservoir) is the story here.
538 Place Saint-Henri, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 2R9, Canada

BlackStrap BBQ

Copy Link
One of the thrills of Blackstrap BBQ, besides Dylan Kier's champion brisket, pork, turkey and chicken, is placing bets on how early in the day his wife Clara Barron will tweet that the restaurant has run out of meat.
4436 rue Wellington, Verdun, Quebec, H4G 1W6, Canada
(514) 507-6772
(514) 507-6772
© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

La Bête à Pain

114 Rue Fleury Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3L 2T6, Canada
Ahuntsic champion Marc-André Royal and co. have a special sister spot for Le St-Urbain that comes strong on the boulangerie front and, most recently, private import wines as well.
114 Rue Fleury Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3L 2T6, Canada

Impasto

48 Dante, Montreal, Quebec, H2S 1J5, Canada
Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita have struck gold with their finely-tuned Little Italy collaborazione.
48 Dante, Montreal, Quebec, H2S 1J5, Canada

Maïs

5435 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1S5, Canada
Will Cody, Gil MacNutt and Dave Schmidt operate this spirited taco slash cocktail joint. The food is rock solid and bartender Lon Benattar pours a mean drink.
5435 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1S5, Canada
(514) 507-7740
(514) 507-7740

Lili Co.

4650 rue Mentana, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 3B9, Canada
Bistro Bienville had followers galore but Lili Co. has made converts of the old regulars and done well with Montreal's food critics too.
4650 rue Mentana, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 3B9, Canada
(514) 507-7278
(514) 507-7278

Micro Resto La Famille

418, rue Gilford, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 1N2, Canada
The deft crew behind this pygmy café serves impeccable plates and provocative natural wines. Expect to queue.
418, rue Gilford, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 1N2, Canada
(514) 508-8700
(514) 508-8700

Iwashi

9 ave. Fairmount, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1C7, Canada
Café Sardine's Third Wave (and doughnut) bona fides have been widely disseminated but now that the Mile End spot has transformed into a ramen-dispensing izakaya by night, the stakes have been upped.
9 ave. Fairmount, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1C7, Canada
(514) 802-8899
(514) 802-8899

Hof Kelsten

4524 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R4, Canada
Jeffrey Finkelstein's ways with flour and water have won him cult-like baker's status but Hof Kelsten's lunch menu may be the sleeper hit of the year. Soulful soups and sandwiches all score.
4524 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R4, Canada

SAT FoodLab

1201 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 2S6, Canada
Laloux expats Michelle Marek and Seth Gabrielse run the most inventive, experimental restaurant in the city. The unlikely venue (the Société des Arts Technologiques) and neighbours (Café Cléopâtre and Montreal Pool Room) make it all the more alluring.
1201 boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 2S6, Canada
(514) 844-2033
(514) 844-2033

Orange Rouge

106 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H2Z 1C3, Canada
After a memorable stint at Café Sardine, many were keen to discover chef Aaron Langille's next move. That it was to a kitchen in Chinatown, in historic digs adjacent to Wing's noodle factory no less, was a major surprise.
106 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H2Z 1C3, Canada
(514) 861-1116
(514) 861-1116

Racines

444 McGill, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2G5, Canada
Racines is a stunner, no doubt. Much of the talk about the Old Montreal restaurant hinges on the room and the décor. The fact that it provides a platform for chef Simon Mathys' talents to shine, however, is the big story.
444 McGill, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2G5, Canada
(514) 544-0444
(514) 544-0444

Le Richmond

377 rue Richmond, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1T9, Canada
Space-wise, Luc Laroche and Paul Soucie have built one of the most impressive restaurants of 2013 and proven that Griffintown is a comer.
377 rue Richmond, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1T9, Canada
(514) 508-8749
(514) 508-8749

Le Vin Papillon

2519 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1N4, Canada
Dave McMillan, Fred Morin, Vanya Filipovic and Marc-Olivier Frappier's no reservations wine bar is an elegant companion to Joe Beef and Liverpool House.
2519 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 1N4, Canada

Ludger

4001 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 1R3, Canada
This buvette gourmande is yet another recent notch in Saint-Henri's belt. A menagerie of regulars love-tweet about the mindful cocktails and bar food on the regular.
4001 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 1R3, Canada
(438) 383-3229
(438) 383-3229

Le H4C

538 Place Saint-Henri, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 2R9, Canada
The architect owners of this shiny new Saint-Henri spot did a tidy refurb job on heritage post office digs. But chef Dany Bolduc's food (late of Réservoir) is the story here.
538 Place Saint-Henri, Montreal, Quebec, H4C 2R9, Canada

BlackStrap BBQ

4436 rue Wellington, Verdun, Quebec, H4G 1W6, Canada
One of the thrills of Blackstrap BBQ, besides Dylan Kier's champion brisket, pork, turkey and chicken, is placing bets on how early in the day his wife Clara Barron will tweet that the restaurant has run out of meat.
4436 rue Wellington, Verdun, Quebec, H4G 1W6, Canada
(514) 507-6772
(514) 507-6772