Clayton Sandhu

The casse-croûte or "snack bar" is an indispensable part of what makes up Québécois culture, and they’re known for serving up—besides some of the best poutine and smoked meat in town—the Montreal hot dog. Every good local knows that some of the best cheap eats in Montreal are only as good as their hot dog offerings: Served as toasties (bun and meat fried on the flattop) or steamies with the typical toppings of mustard, relish, onions and cabbage, it’s a snack that holds a firm foothold among the most iconic Montreal food you can get your hands on. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in MontrealBest burgers in Montreal

Le casse-croute est une partie indispensable de la culture québécoise. Ces endroits servent des excellentes poutines, mais aussi le fameux hotdog montréalais. Les Montréalais de longue date savent qu’on peut juger un diner par la qualité de leurs hotdogs. Servis en version toastée (où le pain et le hotdog sont cuits sur la plaque) ou steamé, garni de moutarde, relish, ognons et salade de chou. C’est un des plats typiques de Montréal et une des meilleures options pas chères en ville. RECOMMANDÉ : Guide complet des meilleurs restaurants de Montréal

When it comes to the best brunch in Montreal, dim sum is essential. If you're tired of eating salty bacon and hollandaise-soaked Eggs Benedict, why not look to Chinatown for some inspiration? Montreal is home to some wonderful Chinese food, including the classic cart service method of dim sum. Staff push trolleys piled high with steamer baskets full of dumplings, plates of fried noodles and flaky, golden-yellow custard tarts for you to pick as they pass by. Here’s where you’ll find the best dim sum spots in Montreal. RECOMMENDED: Find more of the best restaurants in Montreal

Après les Français et les Anglais, les Italiens représentent le troisième groupe ethnique en importance à Montréal, et avec eux (et les inspirations qui en découlent) viennent les meilleurs restaurants italiens de Montréal. Avec la réputation de la ville en tant que capitale culinaire du Canada et la culture alimentaire italienne de renommée mondiale, ce n'est pas une coïncidence si beaucoup des meilleurs restaurants de Montréal sont italiens. Que vous soyez à la recherche de la meilleure pizza, d'un café exceptionnel, d'un repas bon marché, d'un bar à vin ou d'un restaurant raffiné à Montréal, il y a un restaurant italien pour vous. RECOMMANDÉ : Guide complet des meilleurs restaurants de MontréalVotre guide ultime de la meilleure pizza à Montréal

After the French and English, Italians represent the third largest ethnic group in Montreal, and with them (and the inspirations that follow) comes the best Italian restaurants in Montreal. With the city's noted reputation as the culinary capital of Canada and Italy’s world-renown food culture, it’s no coincidence that many of the Montreal’s best restaurants are Italian. Whether you’re after the best pizza, exceptional coffee, amazing cheap eats, great wine bars or the finest of fine dining in Montreal, there’s an Italian restaurant for you. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in MontrealThe best pizza in Montreal right now

UPDATE, winter 2022: There’s no doubt that some of best places to eat in town are in Old Montreal. A neighbourhood south of downtown that’s one half a tourist attraction and the other pricey condos and offices might not seem like it’d reach the top of anyone’s list, but it’s hard to deny the quality of food this area’s wallet-gouging eateries, game-changing brunches and creative fine dining—so fine in fact that we’d deem some of them Michelin star-worthy. There’s so many good places to tuck into that it might seem like there’s too many to count, so we did the work for you. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in MontrealBest new restaurants in Montreal25 restaurants serving the best and freshest sushi in Montreal21 best Chinese restaurants in Montreal

Many restaurants, bars, and cafés pouring out the best coffee have been either flipping into or upping their game as the best delivery and best takeout in Montreal, and we're all for spreading some of our Love Local spirit by sharing our research. Montrealers are in part defined by our enjoyment of going out and eating; our relationship with eating exceptional food means that while we can’t enjoy one another’s company in a sit-down setting right now, we’ll still stay hungry for the best. Fortunately, many of the city’s top names for stuff like the best pizza, best ramen and more (including access to some of the best wine cellars in town) are still serving to make our time spent behind closed doors feel a bit more civilized. If you really want to mix things up, try any one of the restaurants with the best new delivery and takeout in Montreal. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in Montreal

Ce quartier prisé est peut-être mieux connu pour rassembler certains des meilleurs restaurants à Montréal, mais les bars de la Petite Italie méritent notre attention. On y retrouve une collection solide de bars qui attirent une clientèle des quatre coins de la ville avec certains des meilleurs bars à vin et de la meilleure bière en ville. Que votre visite précède ou suive vos plans nocturnes ou que vous cherchiez à simplement prendre un verre rapide entre deux festivals, ce quartier a une multitude d’endroits où se désaltérer de façon décontractée comme sophistiquée. Bonne sélection! RECOMMANDÉ : Le guide complet des meilleurs bars à Montréal

While this popular neighbourhood gets its fair share of attention for having some of Montreal’s best restaurants, Little Italy bars are equally deserving of some attention. It’s a sturdy collection of spots that folks flock to from all corners of the city, one that includes some of the best wine bars and best beer in town. Whether you want to drop in for a pre- or post-drink to compliment your nightlife plans, or just to quickly duck in for a liquid nosh in between checking out some festivals, this area’s got a full spectrum of watering holes that ranges from casual to swanky. Enjoy picking your poison! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in Montreal

Pour chaque galerie d'art, restaurant gastronomique et bar à cocktails haut de gamme qui fait la réputation de la ville, Montréal demeure une ville abrasive alimentée par la poutine, les cigarettes et la bière bon marché des meilleurs petits bars miteux, ou dive bars. Laissez votre façon de siroter dans les bars à vin et vos belles charcuteries pour une autre fois : Il s'agit ici de vos établissements essentiels pour monter sur un tabouret et profiter du combo de grosses bouteilles de bière de base avec des shots provenant des étagères du fond. Vous pouvez peut-être déposer un billet dans une machine à jouer ou un dollar sur la table de billard pendant que vous y êtes, mais vous savez ce qui n'est pas un pari? Prendre une tournée à n'importe lequel de ces endroits. RECOMMANDÉ : le guide complet des meilleurs bars à Montréal

For all of the art galleries, fine dining restaurants and upscale cocktail bars this city is known for, Montreal remains a gritty town fueled by poutine, cigarettes, and cheap beer from the best dive bars. Save your sipping at wine bars and snacking on charcuterie for another time: These are your essential bare-bones establishments to pull up a stool and enjoy boilermaker combos of grosse bottles of basic beer with bottom shelf shots. Maybe you can drop a bill in a VLT or a dollar in the pool table while you’re at it, but you know what isn’t a gamble? Grabbing a round at any one of these spots. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in Montreal

Nul doute que ces restaurants du Vieux-Montréal sont ancrés solidement dans le panthéon des meilleurs endroits où manger en ville. Le quartier, d’une part attraction touristique et d’autre part, des condos et bureaux dispendieux, semble loin de l’idée qu’on se fait d’une tête de liste, mais la qualité de la nourriture servie dans ces steakhouse coûteux, ces restos italiens qui changent la donne ou encore ces restos raffinés dotés de chefs créatifs, est indéniable, si bien qu’on leur décernerait une étoile Michelin nous-même si on le pouvait. Même les déjeuners et les brunchs décontractés exigent qu’on y goûte. Il serait facile de croire que les bonnes adresses où se poser sont innombrables mais voilà : nous avons trouvé, testé et compilé les 27 meilleurs restaurants pour vous. RECOMMANDÉ : Le guide complet des meilleurs restaurants de Montréal

Amidst the growing uncertainties piling up surrounding the global ramifications of coronavirus in Montreal, some restaurateurs took a bold stand in the face of a looming crisis involving tons of cancellations, closures and postponements in Montreal. One such restaurateur is Ryan Gray, co-owner of Montreal’s Elena and Nora Gray, who decided to close his restaurants to the public preceding the announcement from the Federal and Provincial governments a week ago. Gray, along with restaurant owners across the city, stood in solidarity, refusing to keep their doors open in fear of serving as a hub for community transference of the virus. These actions, however, come at a time where much is unknown, not the least of which is the duration these businesses will need to remain closed and the economic impact these prolonged closures will have on these small businesses and their employees. We spoke with Ryan Gray about the economic impact of his decision on his business, and his responsibility as a restaurateur to his community. Photograph: Clayton Sandhu How are you guys holding up? Yeah, we’re good. Just really enjoying all being home together. It’s amazing how busy you can keep when you have a 1 year old and you’re running restaurants remotely. Speaking of which, you have two businesses that are closed due to the response to COVID-19. How will this impact you financially and why did you decide to close before being required to? We all, myself and my peers, like to think of ourselves