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The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office
    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
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    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office
      --°C|Saturday, April 4, 2026|
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      --°C|Saturday, April 4, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.ROYALMOUNT Wants to Be Your Dining Destination for a Whole MonthGet 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      Magazine
      Categories
      • Arts & Culture

        Creativity, heritage, and expression.

      • Beyond Montreal

        Travel, adventure, and global perspectives.

      • Design

        The best of Montreal design.

      • Food & Drink

        La bonne bouffe.

      • History

        Stories, lessons, and context.

      • Newsletter

        Our weekly newsletter.

      • See all original stories
      Explore Montreal
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
      • Place-Saint-Henri
      • Place-d'Armes
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      Food & Drink

      Looking Back on 2023 and Forward to 2024 in Montreal's Dining Scene

      How the city's writers and photographers viewed the past year, and what they think is coming next for Montreal's dining scene.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      December 31, 2023 · 4 min read

      Looking back on 2023 and forward to 2024 in Montreal's dining scene
      Photograph: Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

      The dining scene in Montreal's always evolving, with new developments and transformations on the horizon with each and every passing year. That's why we've asked local writers, bloggers, and photographers who are eating and drinking their way across the city about where they see restaurants and dining trends headed in 2024.

      What's more, the only way to know where you're going is to know where you've been, so we've also asked how they'd summarize the last year.


      Photograph: Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

      If you could sum the past year's food and drink scene in a word or sentence, what would it be?

      Alison Slattery, photographer, @twofoodphotographers: It would be more like a thank you to the staff and chefs who made so many delicious meals for me to enjoy with family and friends.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Advertisement

      Follow on Google
      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today

      The Cloakroom founder on value over flash, the scene's missing middle, and what Montreal's bar culture still needs to figure out.

      A Day in the Life of a Montreal Wine Importer
      Food & Drink
      Rachel Cheng

      A Day in the Life of a Montreal Wine Importer

      Keaton Ritchie of Flor Vin was on the banks of the Loire last week. Today he's hauling bottles through the slush.

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing

      Chef Chouchou Jia spent years cooking in French and Italian kitchens before opening their first restaurant, and the result is unlike anything else in town.

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner

      Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg are combining dinners with breakfast classics to the 48-seat Arthus Dinette in Monkland Village.

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back

      Eight months after closing, the downtown institution has new owners, a renovation, and a reopening before St. Patrick's Day.

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution
      Food & Drink
      Anick Jasmin

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution

      Owner Jermaine learned to cook from his grandmother in Jamaica at six years old. Everything at Boom J's still carries those teachings.

      Food & Drink

      Looking Back on 2023 and Forward to 2024 in Montreal's Dining Scene

      How the city's writers and photographers viewed the past year, and what they think is coming next for Montreal's dining scene.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      December 31, 2023 · 4 min read

      Looking back on 2023 and forward to 2024 in Montreal's dining scene
      Photograph: Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

      The dining scene in Montreal's always evolving, with new developments and transformations on the horizon with each and every passing year. That's why we've asked local writers, bloggers, and photographers who are eating and drinking their way across the city about where they see restaurants and dining trends headed in 2024.

      What's more, the only way to know where you're going is to know where you've been, so we've also asked how they'd summarize the last year.


      Photograph: Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

      If you could sum the past year's food and drink scene in a word or sentence, what would it be?

      Alison Slattery, photographer, @twofoodphotographers: It would be more like a thank you to the staff and chefs who made so many delicious meals for me to enjoy with family and friends.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Advertisement

      Follow on Google
      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today

      The Cloakroom founder on value over flash, the scene's missing middle, and what Montreal's bar culture still needs to figure out.

      A Day in the Life of a Montreal Wine Importer
      Food & Drink
      Rachel Cheng

      A Day in the Life of a Montreal Wine Importer

      Keaton Ritchie of Flor Vin was on the banks of the Loire last week. Today he's hauling bottles through the slush.

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Chouchou Is the Modern Chinese Bistro Our City's Been Missing

      Chef Chouchou Jia spent years cooking in French and Italian kitchens before opening their first restaurant, and the result is unlike anything else in town.

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Arthurs Nosh Bar Is Coming to NDG, and This Time, They're Bringing Dinner

      Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg are combining dinners with breakfast classics to the 48-seat Arthus Dinette in Monkland Village.

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back
      Food & Drink
      The Main

      Peel Pub Is Coming Back

      Eight months after closing, the downtown institution has new owners, a renovation, and a reopening before St. Patrick's Day.

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution
      Food & Drink
      Anick Jasmin

      How Boom J's Went From a Home Kitchen to a Jamaican Institution

      Owner Jermaine learned to cook from his grandmother in Jamaica at six years old. Everything at Boom J's still carries those teachings.

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      Three cafés, three generations, and one new wave of Vietnamese coffee
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      Olive Zeynep Kartal

      Three Cafés, Three Generations, and One New Wave of Vietnamese Coffee

      Three cafés redefining specialty Vietnamese coffee through heritage, fusion, and first-gen identity.

      My restaurant got busy before it was ready. Now I can finally take a step back.
      Food & Drink
      Scott Usheroff

      My Restaurant Got Busy Before it Was Ready. Now I Can Finally Take a Step Back.

      It's the unspoken problem of early popularity in restaurants: Nineteen months in, La Spada's owner reflects on the chaos, clarity, and learning to step away.

      Miracle's maximalist Christmas bar is back in Old Montreal after three years
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      J.P. Karwacki

      Miracle's Maximalist Christmas Bar is Back in Old Montreal After Three Years

      The tinsel-drenched holiday pop-up returns with floor-to-ceiling decor, seasonal cocktails, Christmas Karaoke, and collectible glassware.

      The steamie is an ugly and weird hot dog. It's also essential to Montreal food culture
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      Mason Persaud

      The Steamie is an Ugly and Weird Hot Dog. It's Also Essential to Montreal Food Culture

      We built this city's culinary history and fuelled its nights out with this soggy, unphotogenic icon.

      Montreal's most exciting openings and heartbreaking closures of 2025
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal's Most Exciting Openings and Heartbreaking Closures of 2025

      The restaurant and bar arrivals that thrilled Montreal writers, photographers, and influencers—and the beloved spots whose closures left lasting gaps.

      What defined Montreal's dining scene in 2025, and what's coming in 2026
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Defined Montreal's Dining Scene in 2025, and What's Coming in 2026

      From 2025's defining themes to predictions for 2026, here's what Montreal's food insiders are saying about the city's evolving dining culture (and its next Michelin hopefuls).

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      History LessonThe Little Store That Runs Montreal: A Complete History of the DepArts & CultureAngine de Poitrine Is Exactly What the Internet Was Waiting ForNewsletterThe Bulletin: Roman Sculpture and Italo Disco, Maple Xiao Long Bao, and an Easter Costume Party [Issue #175]Arts & CultureOur Picks of the Best Shows for this year's Jazz FestArts & CultureThe Action Comedy Hollywood Forgot How to Make

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      From our archive.

      Three cafés, three generations, and one new wave of Vietnamese coffee
      Food & Drink
      Olive Zeynep Kartal

      Three Cafés, Three Generations, and One New Wave of Vietnamese Coffee

      Three cafés redefining specialty Vietnamese coffee through heritage, fusion, and first-gen identity.

      My restaurant got busy before it was ready. Now I can finally take a step back.
      Food & Drink
      Scott Usheroff

      My Restaurant Got Busy Before it Was Ready. Now I Can Finally Take a Step Back.

      It's the unspoken problem of early popularity in restaurants: Nineteen months in, La Spada's owner reflects on the chaos, clarity, and learning to step away.

      Miracle's maximalist Christmas bar is back in Old Montreal after three years
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Miracle's Maximalist Christmas Bar is Back in Old Montreal After Three Years

      The tinsel-drenched holiday pop-up returns with floor-to-ceiling decor, seasonal cocktails, Christmas Karaoke, and collectible glassware.

      The steamie is an ugly and weird hot dog. It's also essential to Montreal food culture
      Food & Drink
      Mason Persaud

      The Steamie is an Ugly and Weird Hot Dog. It's Also Essential to Montreal Food Culture

      We built this city's culinary history and fuelled its nights out with this soggy, unphotogenic icon.

      Montreal's most exciting openings and heartbreaking closures of 2025
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal's Most Exciting Openings and Heartbreaking Closures of 2025

      The restaurant and bar arrivals that thrilled Montreal writers, photographers, and influencers—and the beloved spots whose closures left lasting gaps.

      What defined Montreal's dining scene in 2025, and what's coming in 2026
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Defined Montreal's Dining Scene in 2025, and What's Coming in 2026

      From 2025's defining themes to predictions for 2026, here's what Montreal's food insiders are saying about the city's evolving dining culture (and its next Michelin hopefuls).

      Latest from The Main

      History LessonThe Little Store That Runs Montreal: A Complete History of the DepArts & CultureAngine de Poitrine Is Exactly What the Internet Was Waiting ForNewsletterThe Bulletin: Roman Sculpture and Italo Disco, Maple Xiao Long Bao, and an Easter Costume Party [Issue #175]Arts & CultureOur Picks of the Best Shows for this year's Jazz FestArts & CultureThe Action Comedy Hollywood Forgot How to Make
      Where and what Montreal's writers and photographers loved to drink in 2023

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      Where and What Montreal's Writers and Photographers Loved to Drink in 2023

      Next

      These Were the Most Exciting Pop-ups of Montreal's Dining Scene in 2023

      These were the most exciting pop-ups of Montreal's dining scene in 2023
      Where and what Montreal's writers and photographers loved to drink in 2023

      Previous

      Where and What Montreal's Writers and Photographers Loved to Drink in 2023

      Next

      These Were the Most Exciting Pop-ups of Montreal's Dining Scene in 2023

      These were the most exciting pop-ups of Montreal's dining scene in 2023