The beautiful city of Montreal, Quebec, boasts a gastronomic tradition heir to French influences that make it light, tasty and varied.
However, being a cosmopolitan place, the dishes you can taste are multi-ethnic with Japanese, Italian and American touches.
Moreover, the city is the home of the famous maple syrup, a real treat for lovers of aromatic and strong flavours.
Here's what to taste during your stay in Montreal, Canada!
1 - Poutine
Photo by Yuri Long. A traditional Canadian dish of Chips cooked in plenty of olive oil and topped with a dark sauce made from roasted meat gravy and served with cheese bites.
The name comes from the mispronunciation of the English word'pudding' with the cook's nickname, Ti-Pout.
In Montreal and Quebec, Poutine can be found in almost every fast food restaurant and there are more than 30 variations.
Recommended for: lunch and as a snack
Average cost: $7 / €4.00
Main ingredients: French fries, roast sauce, cheese
2 - Smoked meat sandwich
Photo by chensiyuan. A sandwich made with rye bread that is then stuffed with smoked beef or goose breast and decorated with different spices.
Customers can ask for the cut of meat they prefer: more or less fat and thickness.
Although it is a dish of Jewish origin, it can rarely be said that the meat used is kosher.
Recommended at: lunch
Average cost: $9 / €6.14
Main ingredients: bread, meat
3 - Tourtiere
Photo by Mack Male. Delicious savoury pie made with cubes of beef, veal or pork to which game and potatoes can be added.
Some people also season it with plenty of maple syrup.
The Montreal version is stuffed with minced pork mixed with cinnamon and cloves.
This dish was once served at festivals and especially at Christmas but today you can find it in various bakeries or delis all year round.
Recommended for: snack, lunch
Average cost: $6 / €4.50 per slice
Main ingredients: brisee pastry, various types of meat, spices, potatoes
4 - Viande fumee
A dish introduced to Montreal in the early 1900s by a Jewish immigrant, this smoked beef speciality tastes very similar to New York pastrami.
The brisket is covered with spices and salt that make the meat ooze and then left to marinate in a kind of brine for 14 days.
It is served with rye bread, mustard and a side of pickles, or pickled gherkins.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: $8.82 / €6.00
Main ingredients: smoked meat, bread, mustard
5 - Bagel
This isthe typical bagel-shaped bread.
Different from those in other places because the dough is boiled in water flavoured with honey and then they are baked in the oven to make them crispier.
Embellished with poppy or sesame seeds, they are eaten on their own or to accompany hummus or other sauces.
Recommended for: snacking
Average cost: $1 each / €0.50
Main ingredients: flour, water, yeast, honey
6 - Canadian Bacon
Canadian bacon known as'peameal bacon' is used in many Montreal dishes such as eggs, sandwiches and burgers.
The less fatty variety differs from classic bacon because it is produced from boneless pork loins and is left to marinate in brine with maple syrup for a few days and then smoked.
The result is very tasty!
Recommended for: always
Average cost: $3 / €2.00
Main ingredients: smoked pork
7 - Pate chinois
Photo by TheSpooler. It is the Canadian version of the English Shepherd 's pie and is a savoury pie with minced meat covered with creamed corn and mashed potatoes, all assembled in three horizontal layers.
Some variants add onions, peppers, mushrooms and other vegetables.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: $9 / €6.14
Main ingredients: meat, corn, potatoes
8 - Canadian Cheese Soup
Photo by stu_spivack. A tasty and very originalcheddar cheese soup as a little beer is added!
It is cooked by boiling some chicken stock to which chunks of cheese are added, which slowly melt to create a thick, tasty cream.
Some versions also put in vegetables, such as broccoli, potatoes, carrots and other ingredients.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: $5 / €3.40
Main ingredients: cheese, chicken broth
9 - Beaver Tails
Photo by BeaverTails. Cake made with the same dough as donuts but shaped like a beaver tail.
They are basically pancakes on which Canadians put every good thing, including chocolate cream, sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup, sliced bananas, smarties.
It is easy to find several stalls on street corners selling them, or you can buy them at the bakery.
Recommended for: breakfast, snack
Average cost: $4.40 / €3.00
Main ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, frying oil, chocolate, maple syrup
10 - Pouding-chômeur
The'unemployed man's pudding' was born during the economic crisis when few ingredients were available and working-class women invented this sweet recipe.
It is nothing more than a simple butter cake covered in maple syrup.
Today, restaurants offer it as a dessert combined with a scoop of ice cream, cream or strawberries.
Recommended for: breakfast, dessert
Average cost: $4.40 / €3.00
Main ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, maple syrup
Where to eat: best restaurants, typical places and street food
Montreal is a very Europeanised big city and after New York, it is the place with more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America.
You can find establishments of all types and prices, but if you want to behave like a true Canadian, you will have to have quick lunches in simple places.
The average cost for a dinner is around €25.00 while for a quick snack you will not spend more than €7.00.
Here are the places to eat:
1 - La Banquise
Description: this young place is perfect for a snack, lunch or a snack. Here they serve over 30 varieties of poutines
Speciality: poutines
Average price: from $9 / €6.00 per person
Address: 994 Rue Rachel E , Tel +1 514-525-2415, Get directions
2 - Chez Schwartz's
Description: a quaint and unpretentious place open 24 hours a day is the ideal place to taste the viande fumé. You can sit at a table or ask for a takeaway service.
Speciality: viande fumè
Average price: from $15 / €10.00 per person
Address: 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Tel +1 514-842-4813, Get directions
3 - Maison du Bagel
Description: historic restaurant founded by a Polish family who imported a secret recipe for the famous bagels. To be eaten freshly baked with cream cheese right at the counter.
Speciality: bagels
Average price: from $1 / €0.70 per bagel
Address: 263, rue St-Viateur O , Tel +1 514-344-8540, Get directions
4 - Moishes
Description: refined restaurant in the heart of Montreal serving excellent meat and fish dishes from the French tradition.
Speciality: wood-fired meat, raw meat, fish salads
Average price: from $44 / €30.00 per person
Address: 3961 St Laurent Blvd , Tel +1 514-845-3509, Get directions
5 - Robin Square
Description: small, charming and well-decorated restaurant offers a varied menu with Canadian and French dishes.
Speciality: mac & cheese
Average price: from $36 / €25.00 per person
Address: 300 Notre-Dame St. East Tel +1 514-508-5770, Get directions - Fb page
6 - Le Filet
Description: charming restaurant that focuses almost entirely on a local fish menu, without disdaining the Asian influences proposed by the Japanese chef.
Specialities: Fennel and roe, Filet mignon and Cardeau
Average price: from $44 / €30 per person
Address: 219 Mont-Royal Ave W, Tel +1 514-360-6060, Get directions
7 - Mangia Café
Description: café and restaurant where you can have breakfast, a snack or a quick lunch of salads and sandwiches.
Speciality: smoked meat sandwich
Average price: from $8 / €5.00 per person
Address: 1101 Boulevard de Maisonneuve, Tel +1 514-848-7001, Get directions
