Eating local: A locavore’s guide to Montreal restaurants

It comes as no surprise that Montreal’s local food movement is a force to be reckoned with. As a result, scores of chefs have jumped on the bandwagon; some do it out of an ideological drive, others to satisfy an increasingly demanding and scrutinizing clientele. The following list of restaurants place an emphasis on sourcing locally, relying heavily on nearby farms, game and fishing. [Image credit: iStock]

Eating local: A locavore’s guide to Montreal restaurants
514eats By

Restaurant Barroco

1
312, rue Saint-Paul O, Montréal, QC H2Y 2A3

Can a place be both intimate and trendy? Barroco manages to do just that. This fabulous Spanish restaurant prides itself on sourcing directly from farmers. Drop by for date night or party night and be sure to check out Quebec ingredients such as red cabbage, watercress and Cornish hen; you won’t regret it.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Restaurant Burger Royal

2
3820, boul Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1X6

If freshly ground, beefy, juicy burger patties are up your alley (why wouldn’t they be?), be sure to hit up The Main’s Burger Royal; without a doubt one of the best burger joints in town. Complement your order with a long list of sides such as fried chicken, chili or mac n’ cheese. And yeah, farm-to-table is a way of life here.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Pizzeria Gema

3
6827, rue Saint-Dominique, Montréal, QC H2S 3B1

The year 2013 saw the founding of a restaurant empire when seasoned chef Michele Forgione joined forced with TV’s Stefano Faita. The duo’s flagship Little Italy ristorante, Impasto, was shortly followed by GEMA across the street, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria suggesting a seasonal, local-driven menu mostly sourced from nearby Jean-Talon Market. Be sure to check out the ever-changing featured pizza of the month, paying tribute to local culinary influencers.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Lawrence

4
5201, boul Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2T 1S4

This five-year-old Mile-End eatery is often heralded as a top brunch destination in town. The weekend menu strikes a nice balance of sucré/salé with crowd-pleasers such as scones, French toast and smoked salmon, in addition to lesser-known items including kedgeree, scrapple and bubble & squeak – say what now? Chef/owner Marc Cohen makes it a point of sourcing from local, responsible producers as much as possible.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Les 400 Coups

5
400, rue Notre-Dame E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1C8

Following several shake-ups in the kitchen, Les 400 Coups is still dishing out sophisticated dishes made of 100% local terroir ingredients. Discover a plethora of Quebec produce, seafood and game ranging from juniper and kohlrabi to arctic char, snow crab and venison.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Restaurant Mezcla

6
1251, rue de Champlain, Montréal, QC H2L 2R9

Opening to critical acclaim in 2012, Mezcla suggests a nuevo latino cuisine using produits du terroir. While the menu is very seasonal and changes often, their signature ceviche mixto is a mainstay; and aren’t we glad for that! Otherwise you are likely to run into Cornish hen, bison or Gaspor farm porcelet, all from la belle province naturally.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Pastaga

7
6389, boul Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2S 3C3

Chef Martin Juneau’s magnum opus made enRoute Canada’s Best New Restaurants list of 2012. Check out the made-to-share plates showcasing Quebec’s best produce and complement your dinner with a natural wine. Finish off with one of the very “local” desserts showcasing Quebec ingredients such as the deconstructed apple pie.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:
More from 514eats 514eats
514eats is two childhood friends turned opinionated restaurant bloggers that like to go out and talk about it. We are not self-proclaimed "foodies"; we simply love eating and drinking, and we thought we would share our findings, good or bad, with the hopes that somebody out there gets something useful out of them. We will go anywhere and we will say it like it is.
Montreal’s best new restaurants to try in 2017

Montreal’s best new restaurants to try

Every passing year confirms the death of fine dining as we once knew it.  Small, affordable, made-to-share plates have cut across all cuisines and eased their way into the upper echelon of Montreal’s newcomers for 2017.  Fall may be creeping in on us soon, but there’s still plenty of time to try one of our suggestions below – the places that caught our attention, for better or for worse. (Added suggestions by Kelsey Rolfe)
Tuck into the best tacos in town

Tuck into the best tacos in town

Montreal’s rich and complex dining scene goes through its fair share of fads and trends every couple years. Of late, we’ve witnessed an explosion in Japanese izakayas, which were followed by Neapolitan pizzerias and more recently taquerias. The following list showcases our city’s various takes on the Mexican staple, from its most traditional form to experimental renditions that are bound to amaze. [Image credit: iStock]
A raw deal: The best uncooked dishes in town

A raw deal: The best uncooked dishes in town

Setting aside the purported health benefits of consuming animal flesh in its pure, unadulterated form, it can actually taste absolutely fabulous! Far from pushing restaurants that suggest a chiefly raw menu, the following list is simply a roundup of spots serving standout raw dishes – excluding sushi – from tartares and crudos to tatakis and ceviches. [image credit: iStock/MiguelMalo]
Close menu