3 Must-Try Montreal Foods the Locals Love

A Foodie’s Paradise

It’s no secret that Montreal is home to some of the world’s best chefs. Cuisine in the city is never boring and there’s always something fun and new to try around every corner. The same holds true for snacking. Just like fine dining, the city is full of great choices for hungry people looking for a snack, or lunch. So how do you take in the best of what Montreal has to offer? Take a quick read through this article and discover some of Montreal’s must-try foods.

1: Try Montreal Bagels.

New York has nothing on us! Montreal has several world-class bagel shops. From traditional to funky flavours, our bagels are on a roll. Made from scratch, hand rolled; boiled then baked…these bagels are scrumptious! If you’re staying in one of our downtown Montreal hotel suites, be sure to try one of these shops:

• St-Viateur Bagels. Since 1957 these bagels have been a popular choice in Montreal. You can even purchase bagels online and have them shipped throughout North America! Another plus is that the shop is open 24-7, meaning you can drop by for a midnight bagel fix, should you be out and about the city at that hour. Two locations to access via downtown are: 263 St-Viateur Ouest and 1127 Mont-Royal Est.
• Fairmount Bagels. This place has been rolling out bagels since 1919! Known locally as the original Montreal bagel shop and open 24-7 as well, this shop is located at 74 Fairmount Ouest.
• Mount Royal Bakery. More bagels! From regular to Kosher, or specialty bagels like Meznos; you’ll find more delicious bagels right here. Check out their shop at 709 Chemin Lucerne.

2: Try Montreal's Best Poutines.

As good as the local bagels, poutine is a true Montreal dish. We are in fact, the poutine capital of the world! So head out from your downtown Montreal hotel suite and find a poutine packed with home-style fries, gravy and the trademark cheese curds. We bet you’ll be unable to say you don’t like poutine! As rated by CTV, here are three of the top poutine shops in Montreal:

• #1. La Banquise at 994 Rachel Est. Over 30 kinds of poutine to choose from and open 24 hours a day! Perfect for poutine cravings of all types.
• #2. Restaurant Lafayette at 1870 Ste. Catherine Est. Go for well-chosen potatoes topped with their house mix of meat, mushrooms and onion. A fine poutine indeed!
• #3. Paul Patates at 760 Charlevoix. Awesome poutine and original spruce beer sodas. A cozy place locals love.

3: Try the Best Smoked Meat.

Schwartz’s Deli has been ranked the #1 Deli in all of North America! That’s some serious credit. It’s also really easy to get to from your hotel near the gay village, so be sure to head down (be prepared for a line-up during peak hours) to their shop at 3895 St. Laurent Boulevard. Another great place for smoked meat is Lester’s Deli at 1057 Bernard in Outremont (other side of Mont Royal).

There are plenty of other delicious things to try in Montreal. Want to try a delicious wine gelato? You can find them in the Gelaterie Pierino Ice Cream Parlour on 1880 Jean-Talon. Or how about beaver tails? Try one of the two shops on de la Commune Street, in the Old Port (easy to get to from our downtown Montreal hotel suites) one in the east and one in the west…delicious!