Best foodie neighbourhoods across Canada: Montreal

By Taylor Stinson
July 28, 2015

Montreal is a city with a distinct culture of its own, and you know what they say about French food! Montreal is known as an award-winning food destination due to its diverse cuisine. With its own MTL à TABLE food week each year in October (similar to Toronto's Summer- and Winterlicious programs), Montreal is definitely a city you will want to visit for the food, and a part of the top foodie neighbourhoods across Canada!

Little Italy

Eating is central to life in this neighbourhood – that means dining out and grabbing fresh, seasonal produce at the Jean-Talon Market. Little Italy has a nice mix of affordable and high end dining options.

Popular hotspots:

  • Caffe Italia: This small cafe has been open since 1956, serving a crowd of regulars and attracting tourists to the area. It's got an old school vibe and plenty of delicious cappuccino on hand!
  • Impasto: Impasto has been popular with Montreal's food critics and neighbourhood residents, offering expertly executed traditional Italian food and affordable wines, in an unpretentious yet hip atmosphere.
  • Restaurant Inferno: Inferno opened in 2013, serving homemade Italian market food – think modern plates and comfort food classics. Everything is made in-house, including the large portions of braised meat and pasta.
  • Jean-Talon Market: This is one of the best outdoor/indoor farmers' markets in the city providing seasonal fruit, vegetables and a variety of handmade smoked meats. Many of the city's chefs buy their produce here.

Old Montreal

Top right: St Viateur Bagel Facebook; Bottom left: Kem Coba

Le Plateau is home to a variety of restaurants, supper clubs, lounges and nightlife. Some of the best cheap eats in Montreal can be found in this neighbourhood.

Popular hotspots:

  • Shwartz's Deli: Montreal is famous for its smoked meat, and this hotspot often has a line down the street filled with people waiting for a smoked meat sandwich with coleslaw and a kosher pickle.
  • Aux Vivres: This vegan restaurant is a great spot for rice and tofu bowls, but are also known for their veggie burgers.
  • Kem CoBa: This ice cream shop is cheap and delicious – just look at its 4.9/5 star rating on Zomato! Known for long lineups and wacky flavours, this is a must-see.
  • St-Viateur Bagel: This spot has been a part of Montreal foodie history since 1957, known for smoked meat, poutine and bagels of course! It's also open 24/7, believe it or not!

About Taylor Stinson

Taylor Stinson is a freelance writer, aspiring photographer and Master of Journalism student at Ryerson University. Her areas of expertise involve anything lifestyle--including food styling and home decor--and she loves to dabble in all things social media. Follow her here.

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