When Canada's 100 Best Restaurants released its 2026 list, it confirmed something most Montrealers already suspected: this city eats very well.
Of the 100 restaurants named to the annual ranking—compiled from the votes of 160 judges drawn from across the food industry—28 are in Montreal. That's more than any other city in the country, including Toronto, which placed 23 restaurants on the list, and Vancouver, which landed 14.
The top of the list belongs to Ontario's Restaurant Pearl Morissette, which claimed the number one spot. But Montreal makes its presence felt almost immediately. Mon Lapin, the natural wine-forward restaurant in Little Italy that has quietly become one of the most celebrated dining rooms in the country, lands at number two. Beba, the Argentine-influenced spot that's been drawing serious attention since it opened, comes in at six. Le Violon rounds out Montreal's top-ten presence at number eight.
From there, the city's footprint across the list is hard to ignore. Rôtisserie La Lune, Bar St-Denis, and Limbo all appear in the top 25. Sushi Nishinokaze, Alma, Pichai, Salle Climatisée, Sabayon, and Cabaret l'Enfer fill out the middle stretch. And the back half of the list is no consolation prize as Joe Beef, Lawrence, Toqué!, Au Pied de Cochon, and Elena are all there, representing the city's most enduring institutions alongside newer names still making their case.
Keep reading “Montreal Owns Canada's 100 Best Restaurants List This Year”
The Main is Montreal's city magazine. We write the stories about this city nobody else is telling.
We're independent and reader-supported. Your support keeps us going.
Your email costs you nothing and opens the rest of this story now. It also means the next one reaches you on a Thursday, instead of disappearing into a feed.
No password. No payment. Opens instantly.
Already a member? Sign in















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!