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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
    • 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
    InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin

    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office
      --°C|Monday, May 4, 2026|
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      --°C|Monday, May 4, 2026|
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      Food + drink

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.

      As Quebec’s second Michelin Guide approaches, longtime critic Lesley Chesterman questions whether the city’s restaurants are built for what the guide rewards—and what chasing stars really costs.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      May 4, 2026 · 7 min read

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.
      Normand Laprise’s restaurant Toqué! | Photograph: Hugo B. Cardinal

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Toqué!Au Pied de CochonSabayonMastardEuropea

      Lesley Chesterman spent nearly three decades as the Montreal Gazette's restaurant critic, eating her way through the city's dining rooms with a rigour few could match. These days she writes on Substack, travels widely, and remains a sharp observer of restaurant culture in the country.

      Earlier this year she watched the Michelin ceremony in Portugal live on YouTube, saw Belcanto get passed over for its third star despite what she considered a flawless meal, and came home with some hard questions about where the pursuit of culinary excellence is heading.

      With Michelin's second Quebec guide dropping in days—and Montreal’s restaurant scene no doubt quietly holding its breath—I connected with Chesterman to get her read on the guide, the city, and whether we're asking the right questions about both.

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      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Follow on Google
      Food + drink

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.

      As Quebec’s second Michelin Guide approaches, longtime critic Lesley Chesterman questions whether the city’s restaurants are built for what the guide rewards—and what chasing stars really costs.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      May 4, 2026 · 7 min read

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.
      Normand Laprise’s restaurant Toqué! | Photograph: Hugo B. Cardinal

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Toqué!Au Pied de CochonSabayonMastardEuropea

      Lesley Chesterman spent nearly three decades as the Montreal Gazette's restaurant critic, eating her way through the city's dining rooms with a rigour few could match. These days she writes on Substack, travels widely, and remains a sharp observer of restaurant culture in the country.

      Earlier this year she watched the Michelin ceremony in Portugal live on YouTube, saw Belcanto get passed over for its third star despite what she considered a flawless meal, and came home with some hard questions about where the pursuit of culinary excellence is heading.

      With Michelin's second Quebec guide dropping in days—and Montreal’s restaurant scene no doubt quietly holding its breath—I connected with Chesterman to get her read on the guide, the city, and whether we're asking the right questions about both.

      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

      Comments

      Welcome to The Main's comments section!

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

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Follow on Google
      La Tratt Is the West Island’s Defining Deli

      Previous

      La Tratt Is the West Island’s Defining Deli

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      La Tratt Is the West Island’s Defining Deli

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      La Tratt Is the West Island’s Defining Deli

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      Eight Montreal bars cracked the top 50. One took the whole thing.

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      Turns out the former Kansas City Chief already had a thing for good bread.

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      Hanhak Kim and David McMillan's new project brings dry-aged prime cuts, tableside grills, and a nine-course steakhouse omakase to town.

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      A global ranking places Café Pista, Café Saint-Henri, Micro Espresso, and Café Eclair among the continent’s top 100, judged on quality, experience, and community impact.

      Where Montreal's food writers and photographers loved to drink in 2025 (and what they ordered)
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      From cocktails 45 floors above the city streets to neighbourhood wine bars and timeless martinis, here's where the city's insiders raised a glass in 2025.

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      J.P. Karwacki

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      The chefs behind Dobe & Andy and Buboy decided all the neighbourhood needs is a solid source of steamies and poutine.