French restaurants in Québec
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Lémeac
A well-respected name among the well-heeled Laurier crowd, Lémeac has a light and airy setting with huge windows overlooking the street, a lively ambience and beautifully turned-out plates. Culinary standouts include salad of smoked salmon (made on-site), lobster ravioli, Angus beef filet mignon, duck leg confit and the veal liver with caramelized onions. It’s a popular brunch spot on weekends, and at night –the after-10pm three-course prix-fixe menu is an excellent value at $22.
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Robin des Bois
Montréal’s own Robin Hood, restaurateur Judy Servay donates all profits and tips from this St-Laurent hotspot to local charities. Ever-changing dishes scribbled on the chalkboard could include a succulent venison steak or a creamy wild mushroom risotto.
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Au Pied de Cochon
One of Montréal’s most respected restaurants (it’s so well known that there’s no sign) features extravagant pork, duck and steak dishes, along with its signature foie gras plates. Award-winning chef Martin Picard takes simple ingredients and transforms them into works of art. The famous and surprisingly magnificent canard en conserve (‘duck in a can’), for instance, is half a roasted duck magret served with foie gras, cabbage, bacon, venison and spices, sealed and cooked in a can – then opened tableside and dumped over celery root puree on toast. Dishes are rich and portions are large, so bring an appetite. Reservations essential.
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Chez l’Epicier
Helmed by chef Laurent Godbout, Chez L’Épicier remains a solid choice when eating in Old Montréal. Inside the bright and cozy dining room with big windows overlooking the street, you’ll find a menu that changes regularly, but features handsomely presented dishes like maple-syrup glazed pork, duo of lobster and scallops with sweet potato risotto, or seared filet mignon with smoked red wine sauce. For dessert, try the famous chocolate club sandwich with pineapple fries. The gourmet delicatessen attached is a fine spot for assembling a picnic.
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L’Utopie
L’Utopie is one of several critically acclaimed restaurants to open its doors in the last few years. Stylish yet refined, L’Utopie serves imaginative, artfully presented dishes by chef-owner Stéphane Modat. The menu changes regularly and features dishes like truffle risotto, scallops with warm foie gras, and grilled almond-crusted veal. The food-and-wine pairings are simply phenomenal. Everything is served in a bright, open dining room with an exposed wine cellar. Bunches of slender birch trees separate the tables and reach toward the ceiling.
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Le Lapin Sauté
This cozy, rustically set restaurant brings a breath of the French countryside into the Old Town. Naturally lapin (rabbit) plays a starring role on the menu, in dishes like rabbit cassoulet and rabbit pie, though you can also opt for bouillabaisse, marinated salmon cooked on cedar, filet mignon, smoked pork chops, or lighter fare like the croque monsieur, French onion soup and grilled vegetables with a goat cheese salad. In good weather, you can sit on the flowery patio overlooking tiny Félix Leclerc park.
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Toqué!
Chef Normand Laprise has earned rave reviews for his innovative recipes based on products sourced from local farms. Even his desserts excite, created around fresh fruit with surprises like basil highlights. The bright, wide-open dining room has high ceilings accented by playful splashes of color, with a glass-enclosed wine cave with suspended bottles looming front and center. The seven-course menu dégustation ($92) is the pinnacle of dining in Montréal – allow three hours for the feast.
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Le Local
On the western edge of Old Montréal, this captivating newcomer (opened in 2008) serves delectable fare in an architecturally stunning dining room. Well-moneyed 20- and 30-somethings feast on inventive (critics say overly complicated) dishes with rich, market-fresh ingredients to the backdrop of unobtrusive electronica. There’s an outdoor terrace and an extensive wine list (and an award-winning sommelier). Reservations recommended.
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Le Caveau
Nestled amid a forest of skyscrapers, this Victorian villa has been a Montréal institution since 1949. A few popular dishes include bison with wild berries, duck confit, grilled marinated salmon and rack of lamb, plus escargot to start things off. The upper dining floors are most atmospheric, stuffed as they are with paintings and antiques, though in the summer you can also dine alfresco on the front terrace. Reservations recommended.
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Le Club Chasse et Pêche
One of the pillars of Old Montréal’s grand dining scene, this elegant restaurant serves fantastic new-wave French fare, including grilled Wagyu beef, sautéed scallops with fennel and a succulent lamb. Given the prices, it’s a favorite among lunching execs, and Montrealers celebrating a special occasion. In the summer at lunchtime, dine alfresco in the historical Château Ramezay garden across the street.
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Chez Lévêque
This classic bistro attracts the beautiful people of Mile End and Outremont to chat about fashion, movies and business under irreverent religious art. Paris-born owner Pierre Lévêque presents a superb choice of traditional French cuisine with grilled meats (rack of lamb or caribou) and fresh seafood (red snapper, Atlantic salmon or bouillabaisse). Many of the fine wines are sold by the glass.
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Les Chenêts
Magnificent French food is served here by chef and owner Michel Gillet in an intimate, ornate dining room. Gillet is also owner of the world’s largest cognac collection (830 different labels). The menu is written out on the chalkboard with classics like herring appetizers and mains like steak frites (steak and French fries). For dessert try the highly addictive chocolate profiteroles.
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Nuances
Just past the roulette tables and slot machines inside the Casino de Montréal, lies one of the town's classiest restaurants. One highlight is the roasted pigeon, succulent with crispy skin, served with gratinéed potatoes and a stew of giblets and chanterelles, all bathed in a delectable sauce of veal and chicken stock. Reservations and business attire are essential for both men and women.
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Chez Queux
Housed in an historic warehouse from 1862, with stone walls, polished paneling and Third Empire furnishings, this gem offers the epitome of old-fashioned French cuisine. Settle into a thronelike chair, order the delicious chateaubriand and prepare for a pampering. The little-known rear terrace overlooking the Old Port is a lovely dining spot in summer. The wine list features 300-plus varieties.
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Au Petit Extra
This sweet little place serves traditional bistro fare to a garrulous local crowd. The blackboard menu changes frequently but features simple, flavorful dishes ( steak frites, foie gras, duck confit, mahimahi), and staff can expertly pair wines with food. Reservations are advised, but you can linger over a glass of wine at the handsome wooden bar if you have to wait.
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Le Paris
It’s the quintessential neighborhood bistro and, refreshingly, there’s nothing particularly trendy about this place. The old-fashioned decor and core of loyal customers give it a casual, family, community feel. The menu showcases no-frills French food, with classics like duck confit and flétan menieur (halibut dusted in flour and cooked in butter).
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Le Baccara
How do you say ‘shmancy’ in French? The answer is ‘Baccara.’ This world-class dining experience in the Casino du Lac Leamy features an open-concept dining room where patrons can watch the master chefs prepare their meal. Tours are available of the cavernous wine cellar, which contains over 13,000 bottles of wine. All customers must be at least 18 years of age.
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Restaurant Globe
This stylish see-and-be-seen place features an imaginative menu combining high- and low-brow ingredients to create a decadent kind of comfort food. Recent standouts include lobster mac’n’cheese, calamari stuffed with goat cheese and chorizo, and mashed potatoes alongside slow-cooked rabbit with crispy fried pancetta. Reservations are essential.
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O’thym
O’Thym is a delightful new addition to the neighborhood, with an elegant but understated dining room (exposed brick walls, floodlit windows, oversized mirrors), and beautifully presented plates of fresh seafood and grilled game. A well-heeled neighborhood crowd frequents the spot. Bring your own wine.
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La Gargote des Antiquaires
In the heart of Montréal’s antique district, this warm and inviting bistro prepares tasty galettes, chalkboard specials and flavorful desserts (sweet crepes). In addition to the antique-filled dining room, there’s a plant-filled outdoor terrace for soaking up this peaceful little stretch of Rue Notre-Dame.
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Restaurant Hélène de Champlain
Right by the Biosphère, with a relaxed, old-fashioned ambience, this place is a wonderful place to take a relaxing break from exploring the park. Service is warm and friendly and there's a range of 'just-right' French dishes like scallop and shrimp brochette or duck confit.
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La Gargote
An Old Montréal standard, this bistro pumps along with quality bistro fare served in a cozy dining room with stone walls and beamed ceilings. There’s nothing particularly inventive about the menu, but the fresh salads, grilled meats and crème brûlée are hard to fault. Good people-watching from the outdoor tables in summer.
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