The Dominican Food You Skip in Punta Cana Is Cooking in Villeray

As a popular Caribbean vacation destination, the Dominican Republic holds a special place in the hearts of Quebecers escaping their province’s brutal winters. On the other hand, ask a Montrealer to name their favourite Dominican dish, or point you to the nearest Dominican restaurant, they would likely draw a blank.

Chef Juan Silverio of Orégano, one of the city’s three Dominican restaurants, notes the discrepancy between the country’s popularity as a tourist spot and the little visibility its cuisine has internationally: “Many have told me, ‘[...] even though I’ve been to Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Samaná, I’d never actually stopped to eat [the local food]; I had no idea it was so delicious.’”

Orégano is an unpretentious space with merengue and salsa music creating a laidback atmosphere. Its bright yellow walls are covered in images paying homage to the Dominican Republic, from palm trees and Presidente beer to Vladimir Guerrero of the Montreal Expos. A neon sign reads “Un rincón de RD en Montreal” (“A corner of DR in Montreal”). The cheery restaurant delivers on its promise: using food to transport diners to the tropics.

In the boroughs of Villeray–Saint-Michel and Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie, Orégano, Santiago Café, and Melo Poulet are gems hiding in plain sight. Orégano and Santiago’s culinary offerings represent their unique take on traditional “cocina criolla” (Creole cuisine influenced by African, Spanish, and Taíno food cultures). Orégano pairs a tropical aesthetic with Silverio’s own culinary twists, while Santiago leans into a cozy atmosphere and home-style cooking. In contrast, Melo Poulet specializes in street food staples, like “pica pollo” (zesty fried chicken) and other finger foods.

The Greater Montreal Area has the largest population of people of Dominican origin in all of Canada, which means that these establishments serve as a gathering place for the city’s Dominicans. The connection between these three restaurants is their emphasis on serving a taste of home.

Nevertheless, as Silverio states, this community is much too small to sustain a business. All three help introduce Dominican cuisine to a larger audience while at the same time steadily carving a space for themselves in the city’s vibrant food scene.