With its offbeat blend of poutine, pikliz, natural wine, and piri-piri, Montreal is a food city hors pair. You’ll find Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Haitian, and, of course, meaty French-leaning restaurants side by side. Add to that our public markets, rooftop greenhouses, urban farms (Montreal is a world capital of urban agriculture), and a surplus of homegrown cooking talent and vibrant immigrant communities. Foodways coalesce, traditions get upheld and upended, and imported techniques are tailored to local flora and fauna. No single influence governs Montreal’s distinct, ever-evolving culinary terrain, and that’s what makes eating here so special.

I’m a life-long Montrealer with only growing excitement for all this city has to eat, and I’ve been curating this map for the past six years. Spanning cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points, it’s a shortlist of must-try spots right now, reflecting some of the newer openings driving conversation, the trends playing out across dining tables and award lists, and the generational icons that complete the city. It can also serve as a primer on local food-speak; lesson one: If you order an “entrée,” you’re getting a starter.

We update this list regularly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Montreal dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 USD (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars), to $$$$ for places where mains exceed $30.

New to the map in July 2026: Aylwin Deli & Barbecue, a smokin’ two-part operation currently crushing it at Atwater Market; Dobe & Andy, a Chinatown staple upholding generations of barbecue meat legacy; Pichai, my absolute favorite purveyor of Thai spice in the city; and a newer arrival to the scene, Bruce, which has garnered well-deserved attention for Scottish cuisine.

Valerie Silva is a Montreal writer and editor. From 2020 to 2022, she ran Eater’s Montreal site and remains a regular contributor for the publication. Her work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Air Canada’s enRoute, ELLE Canada, Maisonneuve Magazine, and elsewhere, spanning everything from the belugas and beer of the Saguenay Fjord to Hochelaga’s clown culture and the history and high notes of poutine in Montreal. Otherwise, you can find her developing concepts and telling stories for multimedia entertainment studio Moment Factory.