The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [January 2026]

Yakitori Hibahihi approaches the izakaya format with focus and restraint. Led by Hiroshi Kitano and Hideyuki Imaizumi alongside David Schmidt and director of service Mael Bourbonnais, the kitchen centres on binchotan-grilled skewers that privilege cut, temperature, and timing over excess. Chicken runs the full spectrum—thigh, heart, liver, tsukune—joined by pork belly, Angus beef, duck, and a tight rotation of vegetables, all served in small, deliberate portions meant for pacing rather than spectacle.

The menu branches into sashimi, cold plates, and a short list of mains, including rice and noodle dishes that feel essential rather than optional. A notably quiet ventilation system makes counter seating comfortable, even directly in front of the grill. Drinks lean deep into sake and shochu, with thoughtful pours and knowledgeable guidance. On Plaza St-Hubert, it reads as a serious, well-executed addition that's confident in craft, calm in delivery.

Hana is Hanhak Kim and David McMillan’s long-gestating Old Montreal swing at a Korean steakhouse that borrows more from classic service culture than DIY KBBQ. The room is intimate—about a dozen tables plus an eight-seat bar—and the cooking by chef Wongoo Jeon is built around in-house dry-aged, prime-grade beef (aged 31 days or more) finished tableside on Japanese downdraft grills designed to keep smoke out of the equation. Guests can go à la carte (think beef tartare with Asian pear and gim crostini, crispy shrimp toast, or octopus gnocchi with tteokbokki heat) or commit to a chef-led progression, including a nine-course grilled omakase. Zébulon Perron’s design leans on Korean historical painting references, while the drinks list skews just as natural as it does serious Champagne options.

Cococina is built around the idea of time spent well at the table. The kitchen works within a Mediterranean spectrum that leans Iberian, layered with North African and Eastern influences—think chermoula, preserved lemon, Espelette pepper, and garlic-driven sauces used with confidence rather than excess. The menu favours seafood, aged meats, and vegetable dishes treated with care, often arriving in formats meant for sharing and slow pacing rather than individual plates. It’s celebratory food without being showy, rooted in familiar traditions and sharpened by seasoning and technique. The room, designed by Anonymus Concepts, mirrors that approach: curved lines, mineral textures, warm woods, and an enveloping sense of flow that encourages lingering.

Au Coin is as much wine bar as it is a café, and the menus reflect that balance. The food offering stays compact and deliberate—pantry plates, pizzas, and a rotating set of warm dishes—but it’s built to support drinking, not distract from it. Salads, charcuterie, anchovies, stracciatella, and focaccia are sized for the table, while dishes like lasagna al flame, pastina in brodo, and roast chicken keep things anchored once the night stretches on.

Pizza plays a central role. Julien Navarro’s sourdough base supports restrained combinations, from margherita to blue cheese and sausage, designed to pair easily with what’s in the glass.

The wine list leans heavily toward fresh, low-intervention bottles chosen for drinkability rather than rarity, with enough range to move from aperitif to late evening. Cocktails follow the same logic: classic structures, minimal ingredients, clean execution. Nothing ornamental, nothing overworked, but the beauty of this bar is undeniable.

In many ways, Grille-Nature is what happens when two of Montreal’s most celebrated chefs decide to cook like they’ve got nothing left to prove.

Opening in fall 2025 at Marché de l’Ouest, the West Island restaurant marks a return to roots for David McMillan and Derek Dammann. Both known for helping shape the city’s fine dining scene, tney're now opting for something looser, warmer, and more inclusive. The setup is simple: no booths, no white tablecloths, just four-tops, continuous service from 11 to 11, and a promise to feed everyone—from steak frites to soup and bread.

Both chefs now farm in Oka and St-Armand, and the kitchen’s built for grilled meats, rotisserie birds, and whatever’s good that week in addition to what they're growing and raising. It’s a restaurant by and for regulars, where a kid’s welcome, and a boomer can still afford a glass of wine.

Café Gentile’s West Island outpost extends a Montreal institution out to the old stomping grounds of its leadership. The menu follows the family’s long-standing formula: Italian comfort cooking delivered at scale, with consistency and generosity as the guiding principles. Mornings revolve around espresso, brioche, and Italian-leaning breakfasts—frittatas, grilled cheeses with fontina, smoked salmon bagels—while lunch and dinner move confidently into Gentile territory: chicken cutlets, eggplant parmigiana, polpette, and a deep bench of sandwiches. Pizza and pasta anchor the operation, from margherita and pepperoni pies to cavatelli with sausage and rapini, rigatoni bolognese, and baked lasagna. The room mirrors the food—spacious, warm, and unfussy—designed to handle quick coffees, long lunches, family dinners, and takeout with equal ease. It’s a restaurant built to serve a neighbourhood.

Mezcla has reappeared in Old Montreal with a very different playbook from its first life. Hidden behind Marcel Larrea’s Peruvian-Italian restaurant Capisco, the 24-seat tasting room works as a small, tightly controlled project where the chef can finally set the terms himself. The format is a blind, ten-course menu—around $129 before wine—built on Peruvian technique, French discipline, and whatever else the kitchen feels like exploring that week. Expect one-bite ideas alongside more elaborate plates, with ingredients ranging from razor clams to foie gras to alpaca. The space, designed by David Schmidt, keeps things intimate with a chef’s counter and dim, wood-heavy details. Open only a few nights a week, Mezcla is less a comeback than a reset: a chef reclaiming a name and shaping it into something leaner, stranger, and entirely his.

This contemporary Montreal take on the Scottish tavern opened on Notre-Dame West, named after Barbara Bruce—an Ontario Scot who moved to the city in 1981 to build her own interior design firm. Her son William Charbonneau, his wife Camille Desmarais, chef Scott Love from Glasgow, and beverage director Jean-Philippe Faille created this homage to Scottish craft and hospitality.

The menu features haggis with neeps and tatties, Cullen Skink reimagined as a cod sauce, black pudding with white beans, rumbledethump with potatoes and cabbage. Scotch represents all six Scottish regions. IRN BRU appears in cocktails. Quebec wines from Polisson and Jocamart sit alongside organic beers brewed specifically for Bruce. Unpretentious, welcoming, built to last.

Pisa Panino brings Italian goods to St-Viateur Street in the form of a humble sandwich shop. Created by Gianni Matera and Nicolas Chechile of Mattiniero, along with Café Olimpico co-owner Jonathan Vannelli, the counter channels the easy rhythm of a neighbourhood lunch spot with damn good bread.

That bread—developed by Manchester-born baker Edward Stanford Davis—is at the heart of it all: crisp on the outside, tender inside, and built for porchetta, cold cuts, or burrata.

The space feels lived-in, lined with wood accents and Italian memorabilia, the kind of place where soccer plays in the background. No coffee here—Olimpico’s got that covered.

A Levantine snack bar in Mile End honouring the cuisine of the Armenian diaspora. The menu reads like a greatest hits of Mediterranean comfort: chicken burger with tahini and sumac, kafta burger with lamb meatball and beef, manakeesh sandwich with za'atar and cheese, macarona béchamel with lightly spiced ground beef. Sides include beurek with phyllo and cheese blend, batata harra, tabbouleh with parsley and bulgur, toum.

Desserts lean into the sweet stuff: baklava cheesecake, biscuit du moment with chocolate shavings and pistachio cream.

Celeste is an Italian-Mediterranean project from the team behind Ristorante Beatrice inside the historic Maison Alcan complex downtown. The airy, polished dining room sets the stage for the kitchen where longtime Beatrice collaborators Michael Coppa, Jeffrey Capuano, and Frank Gioffre shape a menu built around seasonal restraint.

Expect precise pastas, crudo and carpaccio treatments, grilled seafood, and meat dishes that favour balance over bravado. The through-line is a classical Mediterranean pantry, handled with a light contemporary touch. Service runs smooth and informed, aiming for rhythm rather than theatre. Celeste fits comfortably into Montreal’s lineage of destination dining rooms that prioritise craft, consistency, and atmosphere.

The Gray Collection opened this Parisian steakhouse downtown, bringing classic French bistro fare to a polished space with burgundy banquettes, cascading pendant lights, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu has all the greatest hits: oysters, shrimp cocktail, beef tartare, foie gras au cognac, Caesar salad, onion soup.

Mains lean heavily into beef: bar steak, wagyu burger, côte de boeuf, beef filet au poivre. A table d'hôte midi runs Monday through Friday with two services. Desserts include Paris-Brest, soufflé glacé au Cointreau, Norwegian vanilla omelette flambéed with Grand Marnier.

The wine list skews French with Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne. Signature cocktails feature Hennessy and elaborate specs.

This Greek restaurant in Old Montreal brings Aegean dining to rue Saint-Nicolas with an emphasis on the grill and whole grilled fish. The menu reads like a tour of traditional mezze: fried zucchini and eggplant with tzatziki, Greek spreads with grilled pita, saganaki flambéed with ouzo, moussaka croquettes, grilled octopus with fava purée.

Mains focus on seafood at market price—fresh oysters, Mediterranean sea bream, sea bass, red snapper—plus lamb chops with Greek herbs, kleftiko with roasted lamb and vegetables, Ora King salmon, giant shrimp with garlic and Metaxa. Desserts include baklava, loukoumades with honey and Nutella, Greek yogurt trio. The tagline promises refined Mediterranean gastronomy capturing the essence of Greece.

The team behind Ristorante Donato opened this Italian café-cocktail bar in Westmount where espresso mornings slide into spritz-filled nights. The name means "snack" in Italian, and the menu delivers on that promise: handmade pastas, Roman-style pizzas, sandwiches running from breakfast through dinner.

Highlights include prosciutto with whipped ricotta and truffle honey, ravioli di ricotta with tomato sauce, eggplant parmigiana, chicken piccata, seared calamari with lemon and chili. Pizzas feature mortadella with pistachio pesto, speck with marinated artichokes, funghi with pecorino.

Cocktails lean Italian: limoncello martini, Aperol spritz with blood orange, affogato martini with Kahlúa and ice cream. The vibe is spontaneous, unhurried, designed for lingering. No reservations needed—just pull up a chair.

La Cave du Parapluie is the relaxed counterpart to Parapluie, conceived by the same trio — Robin Filteau Boucher, Karelle Voyer, and Simon Chevalier. With chef Samuel Lamontagne at the helm, the kitchen explores the finer side of seafood and seasonal produce through small, precise plates meant for sharing. Oysters, trout mi-cuit, and an oyster-poached ranch salad showcase a refined yet unpretentious sensibility rooted in fresh, local sourcing. The wine list, curated by Voyer, leans honest and elegant, complemented by a few well-chosen cocktails. No reservations, by the way.

Kif Kif draws from the breadth of Mediterranean cooking, translating its coastal sensibility into its own modern take. This Westmount address serves bright, unfussy plates that hit somewhere between Tel Aviv and the Ionian coast: Grilled halloumi with pomegranate molasses, hummus and muhammara served with warm pita, and mains like harissa-marinated flank steak or citrusy salmon skewers.

Seasonal ingredients and sustainable sourcing guide the kitchen’s rhythm, while the wine list spans France, Italy, and Greece with natural-leaning bottles that favour brightness over weight.

Báyrūt brings Lebanese heritage to Old Montreal with family legacy in tow. Created by siblings inspired by their mother Nunu’s recipes from Mount Lebanon, the restaurant bridges past and present through a menu rooted in memory and craft. Traditional dishes like mleheyee—lamb shank over warm bulgur with yogurt-ghee sauce—share the table with refined mezze such as truffled hummus, shish barak dumplings, and smoky freekeh. Each plate is built on unprocessed, natural ingredients, served in a space that balances elegance and warmth. Less like a concept and more like a return, this one's a contemporary homage to the kitchens that shaped generations.

Deli d’Occasion brings old-world charm to Saint-Henri with a space that bridges butcher shop, sandwich counter, and fine grocer. Founded by chef and co-owner Eric Carpanzano alongside the Bonheur d’Occasion team, the deli channels his lifelong dream of opening a sandwich shop inspired by Italy’s traditional salumerie.

Designed by David Schmidt, the space evokes a small European market—warm, precise, and unpretentious. The house-made charcuterie lineup runs from porchetta to duck prosciutto, all sliced to order, while sandwiches—stacked on Hof Kelsten bread—show off that same craftsmanship in every bite.

Dutty Yea brings blends Caribbean and Japanese eats in a rare fusion. Founded by four childhood friends and led by a Trinidadian chef, the Hochelaga spot reimagines island flavours through a modern, umami-driven lens: Signature dishes include jerk chicken marinated in ponzu or yuzu BBQ, served over coconut rice with bright, spicy Scotch-bonnet vinaigrette. The menu balances hearty and light—think wakame salads, crispy potatoes, and tropical slushes made from hibiscus sorrel. Halal and affordable.

Bei Roots brings a piece of Lebanon’s culinary heritage to downtown Montreal. Located steps from Concordia University, the two-storey space serves shawarma the old-fashioned way—carved straight from the spit and wrapped in freshly baked pita or saj bread. The menu spans classic Lebanese comfort: labneh and halloumi sandwiches, falafel, mezze, and rice bowls layered with grilled meats and bright pickles. Fresh juices round out the experience at this casual counter that's targeted at students but welcoming to all.

Elena Pizzeria brings a New York slice sensibility to Griffintown, courtesy of the same team behind Elena, Nora Gray, and Gia. What started as a backstage catering experiment at Montreal’s summer festivals has become a permanent counter, serving 18-inch sourdough pies with crisp edges and generous toppings. Classics like cheese and pepperoni share the menu with Elena favourites such as the sesame-and-honey “Dany,” alongside sandwiches, salads, and soft-serve gelato. The setup is pared down—limited seating, a striking quartz counter, and plenty of room to stand with a slice in hand—but the details reflect the group’s usual precision. Natural wines and a small beer list round things out, making this corner spot equal parts neighbourhood slice shop and downtown destination.

Locali is the neighbourhood pizzeria from Alexandre Brunet and Mélanie Mailhiot, the duo who first launched NO.900. Located on Saint-Zotique in the former Morso space, the restaurant takes a New York–inspired format—big 16-inch pies, available whole or by the slice—but filters it through a distinctly Québécois lens. The menu draws heavily on nostalgia: Stromboli’s long-loved fried zucchini returns, alongside lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and pizza dough developed by Fiodar Huminski, a World Pizza Championship medalist. Sourcing largely from local producers, Locali keeps prices deliberately affordable, with a family-friendly atmosphere and even a kids’ menu.

With an open kitchen, a close-knit family team, and a menu rooted in Syrian tradition, Brocard makes a strong case for slowing down on Saint-Laurent. The format is familiar — mezze, grilled meats, slow-simmered dishes — but the execution is sharp and unpretentious. Classics like kibbeh and shish barak sit alongside regional specialties like fattet mozat, a layered lamb dish rarely seen outside of Hama. The team includes multiple generations, with parents Nahla and Majd guiding the kitchen alongside their children. It’s the kind of place where the bread is made in-house, the portions are generous, and someone always makes sure you’re well-fed. There’s no liquor licence yet, but the focus here is clearly on the food — fragrant, comforting, and made with care.

Temaki may be the focus, but the experience at Motto is about precision in every detail. Tucked into Saint-François-Xavier Street in Old Montreal, this Japanese handroll bar works like a well-oiled machine: fish sourced with care, nori imported directly, rice prepared just so. At the centre of it all is chef Daniel Ken, whose training and technique play out like choreography behind the bar. The format is simple — handrolls served one at a time to preserve texture — but the execution is uncompromising. There’s a full menu of sashimi and small plates, thoughtful cocktails, and a sake list that’s short but dialled-in. Designed with Sangare Studio, the glowing magenta room leans elegant but unfussy. No reservations. No overreach. Just a place that knows exactly what it’s doing — and does it well.

Located on the 44th floor of Place Ville-Marie, Cappello brings a steady hand to the downtown Italian brasserie format. The menu leans classic—polpette, vitello tonnato, branzino, profiteroles—but it’s not stuck in nostalgia. Instead, it’s about doing the hits properly: crisp pinsa, well-dressed chicory, mains with restraint, and desserts that don’t overreach. The room balances business lunch and date night without leaning too hard in either direction, and the energy skews warm rather than buttoned-up. It’s a downtown spot that knows its audience, and respects the appetite.

In a neighbourhood already spoiled for choice, Patom stands out by keeping things simple and doing them right. This Rosemont ice cream shop churns small batches of housemade sorbets and classic dairy-based flavours using whole ingredients—no artificial shortcuts, no gimmicks. Their pistachio ice cream, made from scratch with roasted nuts ground into paste, is as smooth as it is understated. Sorbets are fruit-forward and bright, with a minimum 40% fruit content, and the cookie program pulls its weight too (see: chewy milk chocolate with hazelnut praline). The menu rotates monthly, but the approach stays the same: thoughtful, honest, and never overly sweet. No flash, just flavour.

After decades of running Lachine’s beloved Pasta Andrea, restaurateur André Martin handed the reins to chef Michele Mercuri (Le Serpent) and his team, who kept the spirit intact while quietly raising the bar. The result is La Table d’André: part homage, part reinvention.

The menu balances elegance with familiarity—grilled shrimp over potato purée, ravioli with squash and sage, mafaldine tangled with braised boar. There’s porchetta one night, trout with salicornia the next. Nothing feels overworked, but everything feels considered. The wine list leans European with a few smart Canadian picks, and the room hums with the kind of relaxed hospitality that never tries too hard. It’s a place that respects what came before while making a case for what comes next.

Bar Luz is the latest chapter in the ongoing story of Alma and its founders, chef Juan Lopez Luna and sommelier Lindsay Brennan. If Alma is a choreographed tasting menu and Terraza Luz a casual taco stand, Bar Luz lands somewhere in between: a 20-seat fonda fina where heirloom Mexican corn meets Quebec’s seasonal pantry. Tortillas—nixtamalized and pressed daily, some on Lopez Luna’s grandmother’s tortilla press—anchor a menu that moves from homestyle stews and tacos to shareable plates like grilled fish, pork Milanese, or beans and rice. The space itself, designed with local and Latin collaborators, is compact and textured: off-black walls, Oaxacan clay plates, custom La Metropolitana stools, and lighting that shifts with the day. Drinks range from Brennan’s Vin i Vida imports to mezcals, sotol, tepache, and Micheladas with house clamato. Together, the couple has built not just a bar but a philosophy—illuminating heritage, craft, and the pursuit of light.

Coco Disco Club began as a running joke between partners Loïc Fortin and Manu Jonik—until they turned it into a full-scale neighbourhood restaurant. Set on Duluth Street, the space is as much a gathering place as it is a dining room, where disco balls hang over tables framed by family photos and guests are invited to harvest their own herbs from the terrace. The menu shifts between nostalgia and invention: cordon bleu, arancini alla carbonara, deep-fried lasagna, and a clarified butter coffee program built with local roaster Zab. Fortin, known from Montreal cocktail bars like Tittle Tattle, brings technical flair to a drinks list that gives equal weight to non-alcoholic options. The kitchen runs without a head chef, favouring a collaborative structure that reflects the venue’s broader goal: to offer a third place for Plateau locals—a casual, community-driven spot that feels serious about food without taking itself too seriously.

Miette began with one baker, a sourdough starter, and a van. Founder Thea Bryson set out in 2019 to undo bread’s bad reputation by returning to the fundamentals: organic, locally milled flours, slow fermentation, and low-intervention techniques that highlight grain at its best. What started as a small-scale project has grown into one of Montreal’s most respected bakeries, with loaves that balance restraint and character. Thea’s philosophy of “conscious simplicity” extends beyond the bread itself—Miette works sustainably, sources with care, and treats bread as everyday nourishment rather than indulgence.

That vision expanded with this sandwich counter in Saint-Henri, housed in the former Rustique Pie Kitchen, where Miette’s bread finds new form in seasonal creations like beet-cured salmon gravlax on a sourdough English muffin or peach-topped focaccia. Whether sweet, savoury, or simply a boule pulled warm from the oven, Miette’s work proves that real bread still carries weight.

Janine is one of the newest addition to Little Burgundy’s food landscape, a back-alley gelato bar with a cult feel from the moment it opened. With an interior design by pencilzlabs, the project takes the familiar form of soft-serve and pushes it into more unexpected territory, reworking it as “Mediterranean gelato.” Each week brings a new flavour—think strawberry infused with thyme, or Madagascar vanilla brightened with olive oil and sea salt—served on the terrace until the interior space is ready for guests.

Everything is made in-house with fresh, carefully sourced ingredients, resulting in a texture closer to traditional gelato than classic soft-serve. Named after one of the owners’ grandmothers, Janine is designed with a sense of intimacy: a hidden entrance off Notre-Dame, a small back terrace, and a menu that rewards return visits. It’s an ice cream shop where curiosity pays off, and no two weekends taste the same.