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    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
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    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
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    • Best Brunch
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    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores
    • Leaderboard
    • Editor's Picks
    • New Places

    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

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      Food & Drink

      Montreal Brasserie Molenne is an Institution in the Making

      The future of Montreal dining looks a lot like its past.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      February 24, 2025 · 5 min read

      Montreal brasserie Molenne is an institution in the making
      Photography: Phil Tabah & JP Karwacki

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      MolenneSushi NishinokazeLeilaMenu Extra

      Up in the Mile End, there’s a 32-year-old refrigerator that’s been newly reupholstered and ready for its second life—it’s not much to some, but it feels like a fitting metaphor for what’s going on at Molenne. Their new brasserie is taking pieces of Montreal restaurant history and rebuilding them into something that feels both timeless and completely new.

      The space tells that story: Banquettes salvaged from the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde’s in-house restaurant line the walls. Old chimney plaques find new purpose. Even the building's bones speak to history—once a horse hay depot, it was part of Montreal's first racetrack, from which the Mile End neighbourhood (colloquially pronounced "Molenne") was through to have drawn its name (that's not necessarily the case, however).

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      Follow on Google
      Food & Drink

      Montreal Brasserie Molenne is an Institution in the Making

      The future of Montreal dining looks a lot like its past.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      February 24, 2025 · 5 min read

      Montreal brasserie Molenne is an institution in the making
      Photography: Phil Tabah & JP Karwacki

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      MolenneSushi NishinokazeLeilaMenu Extra

      Up in the Mile End, there’s a 32-year-old refrigerator that’s been newly reupholstered and ready for its second life—it’s not much to some, but it feels like a fitting metaphor for what’s going on at Molenne. Their new brasserie is taking pieces of Montreal restaurant history and rebuilding them into something that feels both timeless and completely new.

      The space tells that story: Banquettes salvaged from the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde’s in-house restaurant line the walls. Old chimney plaques find new purpose. Even the building's bones speak to history—once a horse hay depot, it was part of Montreal's first racetrack, from which the Mile End neighbourhood (colloquially pronounced "Molenne") was through to have drawn its name (that's not necessarily the case, however).

      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

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      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

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