The best steakhouses in Montreal

After laying into one of their juicy steaks, you’re unlikely to want to leave this almost foolishly cozy institution set in a converted 18th-century stable sporting original exposed beams, stone walls and multiple fireplaces. Gibbys takes the classics very seriously and—while other restaurants might shy away from them due to the difficulty and labour involved in their production—confidently proffers old-school dishes like chicken kiev and beef wellington that have become nearly extinct in the restaurant industry at large. For lovers of tradition and for the new school to get educated at an old school steakhouse, you come to this institution.

Located in Marché de la Villette’s former location, Le Butterly has transformed the iconic space into a chic, elegant eatery.  The menu is the work of chef Yassine Baghdad, who is inspired by traditional French classics, using as many local products as possible. The calibre of the beef is thanks to the consistency (and quality) of the Sterling Silver beef from the United States. Each cut (there’s a choice of 7) is served in its simplest form: grilled, with fleur de sel and peppercorns alongside.

Grinder staked its claim in Griffintown and is known for its fabled treatment of meat both raw and cooked alike. Grinder propounds an array of classics in addition to a few lesser-known cuts such as the much-coveted onglet and hugely underrated chateaubriand. What sets Grinder apart from the pack though is a lush, energetic restaurant interior designed by local interior décor luminary Zébulon Perron, providing patrons with the perfect setting to absolutely demolish hunks of expertly grilled meat.

The Rib ‘N Reef is seriously dedicated to the spectacle that is so integral to the steakhouse experience. The pageantry includes valets, at-the-table flambés and a fully-equipped cigar lounge. If a cigar lounge isn’t novel enough for you, you can dine on the covered rooftop terrace during the summer months or—for the spelunkers and subterranean diners—you can even book a private table in the well-stocked wine cellar below.

While not a traditional steakhouse per se, their reverence for red meat continues to reign supreme and you’re guaranteed both an exceptional cut of beef and experience. Opened in 2005 by chefs David McMillan and Fred Morin, Joe Beef is a sensation that has spread well beyond the borders of Montreal. The restaurant is a staple on countless best restaurant lists—our own notwithstanding—both nationally and internationally and has amassed an empire of neighboring restaurants, cookbooks and even a retail spice line. Yeah. They’re so on top of their game that they’re selling their own Montreal steak spice. 

This spot swears by its aged 1885 black angus USDA choice beef and legions of satisfied steak-lovers swear by it. Firegrill serves up the classic New York strip, filet mignon and rib steak in addition to a legendary prime roast beef au jus. Notably, it is impossibly wedged into the hustle and bustle of the downtown core and happily provides a dark den to decadently tuck into a steak after a show at the Bell Centre, or enjoy an elegant and civilized dinner before devolving into a dancing fool in the bars on Crescent Street.

Steakhouses by their very nature tend to flirt with decadence. La Queue de Cheval seemed dissatisfied to simply flirt with decadence, opting to round the bases a few times before eloping with it to Vegas. If your ideal steak dinner involves a double magnum of champagne, a 36-ounce Tomahawk steak, Beluga Caviar, a trio of Canadian, Australian and Japanese Wagyu beef and the whole thing just has to be crowned with foie gras and spring truffles? Only La Queue de Cheval can help you.

This venerable institution bristles with a raw bar, full cellar, live jazz band and an impressive in-house butcher shop; that’s where every atom of beef to come through the restaurant is lovingly dry-aged for 28-32 days before daring to make an appearance on your plate. Its location—just minutes from the airport—ensures that if you’ve just come into Montreal with an urgent need of a porterhouse or celebrating skipping town with a 32-ounce tomahawk, 40 Westt is the magical caravanserai for you.

A compact, industrial-chic restaurant with a focus on good wine and good meat tucked smack in the heart of the Plateau, this restaurant has deftly taken the staider aspects of the traditional steakhouse and brought them up to speed with a few modern touches. Le Hachoir isknown to serve up quintessential cuts of 1885 Black Angus beef but really shines by folding a bevy of Québécois elements into their menu, including but not limited to a range of Quebec cheeses, the frequent appearance of local bison, duck and of course, poutine.

If pressed, this Old Montreal bastion could most likely withstand a siege without breaking a sweat. Entrenched in a magnificent century-old stone edifice, Vieux-Port Steakhouse has a jaw-dropping 1,000-person dining capacity and is the only place in town where you can get yourself a baseball cut top sirloin (pro-tip: baseball cuts share many of the characteristics people cherish in filet mignon while side-stepping the price). If you visit in the warmer months, be sure to reserve a seat on their popular courtyard terrace to experience the historic borough at its best.

Its location in Old Montreal on the ground floor of the opulent Hotel Nelligan might not lead you to believe this steakhouse could be much fun, but it becomes quickly apparent upon entering that it isn’t afraid to let its hair down. Rather than the occasional clink of silverware that comes as a stock soundtrack in the most modish of restaurants, you’re likely to be treated to a stream of thumping 90s anthems. Méchant Boeuf is notorious for its 5 à 7 happy hour and serves brunch for those Sunday mornings where only a steak will suffice.

If you’re a true steakhouse devotee but deep down have desperately wished that steakhouses also served authentic Kosher Japanese and Moroccan food? Well, that’s insane, but you’re somehow in luck: Your wild fantasy’s hiding in plain sight in the middle of Côte-Des-Neiges and is perhaps the neighbourhood’s best kept secret. They’ll gleefully serve you Gyoza to start with a Delmonico steak main, followed by halva ice cream for dessert. Best of both, or three, worlds.

Another neighbourhood gem, Marven’s presents as a Greek restaurant in the heart of residential Parc Extension, but is actually known on the grapevine as the best-value steakhouse in town. They’ve got one cut – the rib-eye – and serve it grilled on a open flame and smothered in sautéed mushrooms, unless you ask for it without. It’s the perfect, tender steak and it comes with a salad, rice and fries for at least $10 cheaper than any other place on this list.

The glassed dry-aging cabinet is enough to get your mouth watering at Maggy Oakes, set in the stylish surrounds of Old Montréal’s William Gray hotel. The AAA Canadian beef steaks are a main draw, along with the raw bar and the terrasse peering down onto Place Jacques Cartier—why not combine all three? Meat up with the contre-filet, aged for 55 days and served with veggies and a luscious Bordelaise sauce.

Regularly voted among the top steakhouses in Greater Montreal, this Laval joint earns its rep thanks to the charcoal fire pit that lends the meat its stunning grill flavour. The ambiance is typically big, bold and booth-y, but all the steaks are hand carved from USDA prime beef and aged 30 to 35 days. You’ll have three cuts to choose from—filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye or sirloin—and lots of surf 'n turf combos choose from for the full carnivore experience.

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This small chain has three locations in the outskirts of the city that are well worth the travel (even a possible car rental). The beef is top notch aged Black Angus and they have more or less every cut to choose from on the extensive menu, including a drop-dead gorgeous, 45-day aged Tomahawk that’ll make anyone feel like Fred Flinstone. Really go over the top with one of the sharing platters, or the Wagyu ribeye served with asparagus and ‘taters.

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It was a sad day when the Montréal institution L’Entrecôte Saint-Jean closed in 2020, so restauranteur Thomas Vernis opened Mignon Steak as an homage to his defunct favourite steakhouse. With the simplest of formulas—a perfect steak, thin crispy fries, a handful of appetizers and a French bistro vibe—this place is effortless charm on a plate. Order your AAA Angus steak with a dirty martini and settle in to your new favourite local.

Sushi meets steak in equal measure at Vargas, a Japanese flavoured steakhouse perfectly suited to the local business set. It’s right by the Fairmont Queen Elizabteh hotel and Place Ville-Marie, smack bang downtown. Blow your per diem in its perfect white-tableclothed ambiance, or bring a date and impress them with the shareable porterhouse—or the VIP Vargas platter, featuring Angus beef satays with peanut sauce, grilled shrimp, shrimp gyoza, calamari and veggies.

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There’s something immediately comforting about the smell of grilled meat paired with the thickness of the 19th century greystone walls at Old Montreal’s Gaspar. It dubs itself a tavern and it’s exactly that vibe: all leather and musk, cozy nooks and mood lighting. Order a quick bavette with Bearnaise, or go pinkies up and get the filet mignon with lashings of foie gras sauce, served over the creamiest of polentas.

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