Restaurants and Bars

Montreal is the second biggest French-speaking city in the world, but you wouldn't necessarily know it based on its restaurants. Its incredible assortment of ethnic cuisines gives an accurate reflection of the myriad of cultures that contribute to the city's vibrancy, although unlike some other large North American centers, eateries here tend not to cluster according to cuisine type.

Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal)

Old Montreal is home to one of the city's most popular French restaurants,Toque!. Normand Laprise's fusion masterpiece has garnered international attention while draining the coffers of the gastronomic elite. Eggspectation, a popular brunch spot, is a modern operation that boasts massive portions and glitzy decor. Unfortunately, this establishments sports ponderous lines on Sunday starting at around 10a. On the bright side, this good-natured eatery serves as a great place to soak up local atmosphere and gossip.

Plateau Mont-Royal

The Plateau Mont-Royal is an area of older residential buildings and is home to thousands of students, artists and young professionals. The Boulevard Saint-Laurent's trendy clubs and pubs mingle with dozens of restaurants that run the gamut from upscale, decor-first hotspots (Buona Notte) to innovative sandwich shops (Grano), and from the cheap Italian fare at Euro-Deli to the steaks and buckets of coleslaw at Moishe's. If you are unsure where to go, following the crowds on Saint-Laurent is a safe bet.

A 10-minute walk east from Saint-Laurent will bring you to charming and bustling rue Saint-Denis, which is not to be missed especially during the summer. This is perhaps Montreal's most Parisian thoroughfare, offering restaurants, bars and cafes, most with cozy patios shoe-horned in wherever they can possibly fit. You could easily spend hours watching the world go by over a cafe au lait, a beer or a meal.

Despite a number of ethnic restaurants, Plateau Mont-Royal is home to several traditional French eateries such as Les Halles where one can find traditional, buttery fare and old-guard opulence, and L'Express, which lays claim to the best steak-and-frites. These restaurants can be found in the restaurant-rich strip between rue Sherbrooke and Mont-Royal Avenue, along with scores of smaller establishments of every conceivable ethnicity.

Brunches or late breakfasts are extremely popular ways to start the day, though whether this is a wholesome tradition or the result of a weekend's heroic consumption of cocktails is up for debate. Mont-Royal Avenue is home to Beauty's, the oldest and best-known brunch spot. If you'd rather grab a quick breakfast bite on your way to work, then try these two bakeries in the Mile-End part of Plateau Mont-Royal: the Fairmount or the Saint-Viateur. These two bakeries are known for their bagels. The Montreal bagel, a skinnier and less polished version of the New York variety, is an economical staple.

For a reasonable priced lunch, try Schwartz's Delicatessen. The city's large Jewish community has also contributed heavily to the local cuisine. While comparing Montreal Smoked Meat to pastrami is sure to raise the hackles of any traditionalist, no visitor should neglect to visit these cramped, dingy quarters.

The narrow, residential streets of the Plateau also conceal some gems, most notably a tight-knit community of French bistros where patrons are invited to bring their own wine. Exemplified by Le P'tit Plateau, Bistro l'Entrepont and Au Petit Resto, these intimate, romantic spots serve some of the best food in the city at table d'hôte prices rarely exceeding CAD20. They are great places at which to appreciate local life and practice your French. Prince Arthur Street, located between Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Avenue Laval, also offers many BYOW (bring your own wine) options; however, with a few exceptions (notably the stick-to-your-ribs Polish fare at Mazurka), the food at these heavily tourist-oriented establishments is fairly middle-of-the-road.

Downtown

Downtown, many bars and restaurants are found on rue Crescent and rue Bishop. In the past, this was where the Anglophones came to eat, drink and be merry. This area overflows with tourists in summer, so it is best to know where you are going before you go; mediocre food is an unfortunate but avoidable fact of life here, as are high prices. Other downtown hotspots include the Old Dublin, which whips up great pub grub and fiddles each night away with live music.

And no trip Downtown is complete without a visit to the chic Golden Square Mile section where you will find the fancy Ritz Carlton hotel which houses the popular bistro, Cafe de Paris.

Though hardly comparable to the Spanish or Italian, Montrealers do eat late, especially on weekends. Most restaurants will be open to diners by 6:30p, but it's best to make reservations for 8p or later if you want company. Downtown hotels tend to direct their guests toward downtown restaurants and nightlife, not out of any animosity or collusion but simply because many tourists are reluctant to venture farther afield. The key to enjoying the hundreds of restaurants and bars that the city has to offer is to be adventurous; you are unlikely to be disappointed.