French Restaurants in Montreal

In Montreal, much like everywhere else, French restaurants tend to fall into one of the three main categories: first, there are Escoffier-codified species of haute cuisine (which in its modern form is mostly referred to as cuisine classique or "Classic French"); then there are somewhat simpler places like bistros and brasseries serving cuisine bourgeoise; and finally, there are those belonging to the nouvelle cuisine category which allows for (and encourages) more liberal experimentation with ingredients and culinary accents.

French restaurants can be found all over the city.

Selected French Restaurants

• Au Pied de Cochon
  536 rue Duluth Est (Plateau Mont Royal), (514) 281-1114
  Chef-owner Martin Picard has basically built his restaurant around the concept of over-indulgence. Foie gras is all over the menu, not only in the section devoted to it.


• Bistro L'Entrepont
  4622 Hotel de Ville (Plateau Mont Royal), (514) 845-1369
  Small restaurant serving delicious French bistro cuisine dishes. Remarkably, this restaurant is open Mondays when most other quality restaurants are closed. Quiet side street location. Reservations essential.


• Bonaparte
  443 rue St-François-Xavier (Old Montreal), (514) 884-4368
  A romantic Classic French restaurant. Three meticulously appointed dining rooms. The service is good, although somewhat formal. Although many patrons are tourists (the restaurant is located downstairs from a small hotel), Le Bonaparte is definitely not a tourist trap - it is well-known and respected in the city.


• Café des Beaux Arts
  1380 rue Sherbrooke Ouest (Downtown Montreal), (514) 843-3233
  Café des Beaux Arts is not your typical museum restaurant - with a bona fide chef (Richard Bastien), quality food and attractive decor it qualifies as a dining destination onto its own. 70 seats in the main room and a 55-seat private dining room.


• Chez la Mère Michel
  1209 rue Guy (Downtown Montreal), (514) 934-0473
  Classic French restaurant established in 1965. Elegant, old-fashioned, with award-winning menu.


• Chez Queux
  158 rue St-Paul Est (Old Montreal)
  Traditional French cuisine.


• Holt Renfrew Café
  1300 rue Sherbrooke Ouest (Downtown Montreal), (514) 282-3749
  Hungry shoppers enjoying the famous sandwiches in a minimalist décor.


• La Gargote
  351 Place d'Youville (Old Montreal), (514) 844-1428
  Although the word “Gargote” means “cheap restaurant” or “diner” in French slang, this bistro actually offers fairly upscale versions of classic French dishes (with some North African influences). The restaurant’s dining room, decorated in a classic yet stylish way and the quaint surroundings of the Old Port make for a romantic atmosphere. In the warm months (April through September), an outdoor terrace is open.


• Laloux
  250, avenue des Pins Est (Plateau Mont Royal), (514) 287-9127
  Nouvelle Cuisine "with a twist". Romantic atmosphere, despite somewhat barren location.


• L'Entrecôte St-Jean
  2022 rue Peel (Downtown Montreal), (514) 281-6492
  L'Entrecôte St-Jean's menu may be short (essentially containing just one main dish - its signature steak) but the execution is flawless and the restaurant's success is a proof that the strategy worked. "Aucune surprise" indeed.


• L'Express
  3927 rue St-Denis (Plateau Mont Royal), (514) 845-5333
  L'Express is simultaneously the coolest bistro in Montreal and its relatively well-kept secret. There is no sign on the door and they don't need one - everybody who is anybody in Montreal knows exactly where it is. Reservations are recommended (especially during the "regular" dinner hours), but the wait is probably going to be acceptable if you come come after 10:30 pm. The restaurant is open late (until 2 am).


• Narcisse
  95 rue de la Commune Est (Old Montreal), (514) 392-1649
  The wine bar boasts more than 40 wines by the glass.


• Toqué!
  900 place Jean-Paul Riopelle (Quartier International), (514) 499-2084
  One of the quintessential Montreal restaurants, popular with moneyed out-of-town foodies eager to get a taste of Québec cooking. Not everyone was happy when the restaurant moved to its current location, but apparently the move didn't diminish the restaurant's qualities - Toqué! is still considered one of the best restaurants in Montreal.