Bar Otto, a chic addition to Notre-Dame Street West, offers a blend of conviviality and elegance in Japanese dining. A project by Hanhak Kim, this venture builds on the success of Otto Yakitori and Bistro Otto (now known as Kitano Shokudo). The menu features grilled skewers, ramen, mazemen, and exceptional sashimi. Bar Otto’s curated drink menu highlights natural and biodynamic wines alongside a fine selection of sakes. Designed by Israël Noël, the decor merges traditional Japanese elements with modern aesthetics, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere perfect for any occasion.

At the crossroads of Mile End and Little Italy, Le Butterblume is versatile, just as good for settling into their cozy dining room for a weekend brunch or grabbing something quick at their adjacent grocery.

The food here is thoughtful without being fussy, a reflection of the seasoned talent in the kitchen. Since 2016, Butterblume has been turning out refined comfort food that draws crowds from across the city. Think fresh, seasonal ingredients elevated into dishes that surprise without overwhelming. Take their signature eggplant toast, served with roasted peppers, poached egg, creamy tonnato, and thin slices of coppa. Or the maultaschen ravioli, making even a simple lunchtime stop feel like an adventure.

And then there’s the brunch. The menu takes all those familiar breakfast staples you know and love and cranks them up: The lemon brioche with sour cream and dill is an excellent example, as is the puff pastry with confit salmon, where buttery layers hold a mess of poached egg, creamy goat cheese, and pickled beets together.

Polari is a garage-turned-wine-bar that ditches the pretense. Located in Villeray, this eight-seat counter and handful of communal tables serve as both an intimate hideaway and an unplanned meeting spot for whoever happens to be passing through. Behind the project are three friends—wine industry vet Keaton Ritchie, designer Asa Perlman, and artist Émile Foucher—who built the place themselves, scouring yard sales and Facebook Marketplace for furniture and repurposing a bowling lane into a bar. The wine list leans natural, the snacks are pared-down but thoughtful (think: good tinned fish, Quebec charcuterie, Hof Kelsten bread), and the setup is as casual as it gets—order at the bar, open a tab, and let the night unfold. No over-explaining, no fluff. Just a solid bottle, a bit of food, and a space that feels like yours.

Denise has worn a few hats since opening in 2018, but one thing hasn’t changed—it remains one of the most dependable, unpretentious wine bars in the city. A true buvette in Parc-Ex, it’s intimate without being insular: 30 or so seats around a lively bar, a few more on the terrasse when the sun’s out, and a regular crowd that clearly treats this place like a second home.

The kitchen changed hands in 2024, but the new team—Korlin Kaetzel and Julia Mallette—has kept the magic intact, just with a more personal twist. Their plates pull from Japan, Southeast Asia, and North Africa, guided by market finds and whatever they’re craving. It’s quietly ambitious cooking: crushed potatoes with seaweed hollandaise, raw beef with kefir and lemongrass, halibut dressed with elderflower capers and olives. Lydia Roussel runs the floor and the wine list with care and charm, spotlighting the Americas, Iberia, and a rotating board of low-intervention finds. Denise is still Denise—just a little sharper around the edges.

Supernat is the kind of spot that Hochelaga didn’t know it needed until it arrived. A café by day, a natural wine bar by night, and a neighbourhood hangout all the time, this Sainte-Catherine East joint is the brainchild of Paul Tran and Olivier Trudeau—two industry outsiders who decided to create the kind of place they wanted to spend time in. With its wabi-sabi aesthetic, communal vibe, and a prime perch next to Morgan Park, they’ve nailed it.

The menu revolves around Japanese sandos—soft Hokkaidō milk bread stacked with fillings like Peking duck and raclette or salmon sashimi with wasabi mayo—alongside a lineup of snacks that lean into Tran’s Vietnamese roots. The coffee program is serious, featuring a house blend from Zab Café and pour-overs showcasing rare beans. But it’s the seven lines of wine on tap that set Supernat apart, pouring natural whites, frizzantes, and ciders in glasses, magnums, and jeroboams for the truly committed.

Between the Drag & Bellinis brunches, alleyway performances, and a terrace built for slow afternoons, Supernat has carved out a space where great drinks, good food, and a little chaos mix perfectly.

Fleurs & Cadeaux, a new Japanese-inspired snack bar in Chinatown, quickly captivated guests with its unique charm before closing two weeks after its September opening due to COVID-19. Situated in a pink, century-old building on Saint-Urbain Street, this venue honors its past as a florist and gift shop by retaining its name and exterior. The space is thoughtfully designed, from its vinyl selection to its retro décor.

Co-owned by ten partners, including David Schmidt and chef Tetsuya Shimizu, the restaurant features a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. The open kitchen showcases Shimizu’s culinary skills, offering dishes like temakis, Japanese curries, sashimi on rice, and bento boxes, all beautifully presented.

The drink menu includes innovative cocktails and a diverse selection of natural wines and artisan sakes. The basement speakeasy, Sans Soleil, features a hidden entrance, DJ-spun vinyl, and a top-notch sound system.

The standalone wood-fired restaurant Hoogan & Beaufort has already made Angus Technopole a destination in Montreal, but with Annette, there’s a cherry on top when heading out east. It’s a plant-filled, wine-forward spot with live entertainment and a finessed menu where chef Marc-André Jetté can really shine, full of comparably smaller plates fed by the chef’s own butcher shop. That means you can expect dishes like boudin croquettes, beef tartare, sweetbreads, and lamb chops alongside lighter vegetarian dishes to round it all out.

BarBara in Saint-Henri is a multipurpose spot that doesn’t miss a beat. Opened in 2021, this Italian-inspired wine bar and dispensa leans into versatility with its hybrid café, grocery counter, and restaurant concept. The menu revolves around fresh pasta, focaccia, and Italian comfort fare, while the dispensa shelves are stocked with homemade sauces, preserves, and signature coffee to fuel your culinary experiments at home.

Inside, the space balances boho charm with a contemporary edge, thanks to the Gauley Brothers and Jean-François Gervais’ design. The vibe shifts effortlessly from laptop-friendly mornings to lively wine-fuelled evenings, with a curated cellar featuring small producers from Italy and Quebec. While the prices stay approachable, the quality never wavers. Whether you’re snagging a zeppoli to go or diving into lumache at a sidewalk table, BarBara proves that laid-back doesn’t mean uninspired. This is Saint-Henri’s new go-to for all things Italian.

Opened in January 2020 on Notre-Dame Boulevard West, Stem Bar is a stylish, modern venue created by the owners of September Surf Café. Designed by Ravi Handa, the decor blends sobriety with vintage touches, offering a relaxed ambiance. The space seats 57, with a dedicated bar area for those waiting for a table. Its chef’s seasonal menu focuses on fresh, shareable plates, providing a delightful culinary experience. The drink menu, regularly updated, features small independent wine producers and local breweries. Stem Bar is a charming place to unwind and enjoy exceptional food and drink in Little Burgundy.

A local forerunner for Thai food augmented by pure creativity and Canadian products, this is where chef Jesse Mulder has taken his reputation for dizzyingly good eating to new heights.

Opening next to Hélicoptère, Copilote transformed a former neighborhood dépanneur into an intimate 25-seat bar that's got a chic yet relaxed vibe. Serving as a great spot to extend an evening into the night or start things off with a pre-dinner drink, it's a versatile spot. It closes earlier than your average local bar, but this ain't your average local bar: Copilote offers a menu of shareable finger foods like oysters, tartare, and chicken liver mousse—but given the experience of the team behind the project, don't expect it all to be run-of-the-mill.

The cocktail menu, crafted by Benjamin Gauthier, highlights seasonal ingredients and Quebec spirits while an ever-changing selection of wines by the glass helps to enrich the experience. Expanding the Hochelaga dining scene once again, Copilote stands out with its creative and seasonal offerings, mirroring the quality of Hélicoptère.

Note that the kitchen closes at midnight.

Verdun Beach borrows its name from summer fantasy but grounds its offering in old-world charm. Modelled after a French guinguette—a casual drinking and dining spot with just enough room for a dance floor—it’s less of a wine bar and more of a mood. Opened in June 2020 by Charles Garant, Philippe Jacquelin, and Marc Frandon (the latter behind natural wine import agency Primavin), the space was a pandemic-era reset for a former Wellington mainstay. The food from its concise, sharply seasonal kitchen is worth more than an order or two: corn salad poured tableside with a velouté of its own kernels, roasted cauliflower over cameline and blueberry purée, or white chocolate and raspberry mousse for dessert. The wine list is arranged by winemaker, not region, and reads like a who’s who of natural wine, from Michel Gahier to La Petite Baigneuse. Come sundown, the disco ball kicks in and the guinguette lives up to its name.

Tucked away off Parc Avenue in Mile Ex, Bar Cicchetti brings Venetian charm to Montreal with its focus on cicchetti—small, delightful Venetian snacks—and a curated selection of wines, including macerated vintages. Opened by Elyse Leclerc, Gabriel Lavallée, and Mathieu Delisle, the bar offers a cozy, low-lit atmosphere with a design by architects Julia Manasas and Maxime Lefebvre. Enjoy a vibrant terrace in warmer months and a menu of fresh, seasonal bites on the cheap. With a mix of organic and biodynamic wines, creative cocktails, and a welcoming ambiance, Bar Cicchetti is perfect for a relaxed evening of drinks and snacks.

Vinvinvin, a vibrant wine bar in La Petite-Patrie, opened in 2019, offers a playful yet sophisticated experience. Located in the former Brutus space on Beaubien Street East, this Nordic-inspired bar features an eclectic design with colorful tones and a central bar. Helmed by Marina De Figueiredo, Antonin Laporte, and Nikolas Da Fonseca, vinvinvin focuses on central and northern European wines, categorized by palate with unique labels like "punk" and "émotion." Complemented by a selection of local beers and small, shareable plates, vinvinvin is a delightful spot for wine enthusiasts seeking a fresh spots for even fresher wines.

Heni, a Little Burgundy restaurant focused on the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) region of the world—a decolonial term for what’s commonly referred to as the Middle East—is a place of many new pathways for Montreal.

Its kitchen is producing new kinds of flavours that blend its regional focus with Quebecois ingredients—think marinated olives with sea buckthorn berry instead of orange zest, kibbeh can be made with PEI beef or duck hearts, fatteh and couscous with wild mushrooms, lobster tails spiced with ras-el-hanout on a bed of corn, ice cream sandwiches of sfouf and wild blueberries that are dipped in dark chocolate—as well as wines taken from its in-house wine importation agency Sienna which highlights new-generation winemakers from Lebanon.

La Buvette Chez Simone, set on Parc Avenue since 2008, is a beloved spot for Montrealers seeking tasty, well-priced wine and simple snacks. Opened by Éric Bélanger, Michel Bergeron, Fabien Lacaille, Gabrielle Bélanger, and Simone Chevalot, it offers a laid-back yet attentive atmosphere. Designed by Zébulon Perron, the space features warm wood tones and an inviting ambiance. Known for its excellent wine selection, charcuterie, and cheese plates, La Buvette Chez Simone is perfect for casual evenings or celebratory gatherings. Its vibrant, convivial environment makes it a staple in the Mile-End neighborhood, ideal for relaxing or enjoying a night out with friends.

Bar Mamie feels like stepping into your Northern French grandmother’s kitchen for an evening of exceptional wine and charcuterie. Found near Little Italy, this neighbourhood gem offers a comforting yet contemporary take on French culinary traditions, all inspired by owner Max Rosselin’s upbringing in a small French village.

The heart of Bar Mamie lies in its simplicity and conviviality. Generous boards of house-made charcuterie, perfectly paired cheeses, and nostalgic small plates like raclette and rillette take centre stage. The fare is unpretentious, relying on quality, seasonal ingredients to evoke the comforting warmth of home-cooked meals.

True to its name, Bar Mamie has a strong focus on wine, breaking down barriers with its approachable “à la verse” concept: drink more, pay less. With an ever-changing chalkboard menu of reds, whites, rosés, and skin-contact wines, alongside a secret list of rare finds for connoisseurs, there’s something for everyone.

The cozy interior, decorated with vintage touches and personal mementos from Max’s late grandmother, radiates charm, while the sunny summer terrace offers a prime spot to soak in the buzz of the area.

Monopole plays it quiet, but it doesn’t miss. Open since 2017 on the edge of Old Montréal and Griffintown in Cité Multimedia, this café-buvette hybrid was built by five industry pros—Gabriel Gallant, Daniel Alvarez, François Larose, Ngoc-An Trinh, and a silent partner—who saw a gap in a neighbourhood saturated with chains but starved for soul. The name, borrowed from a fictional wine bar in one of their favourite books, nods to both their geeky streak and Québec’s singular wine landscape.

By day, it’s a coffee stop with pastries from Hof Kelsten and beans from 49th Parallel. By night, it shifts into a low-key wine bar with a sharp, seasonal menu: lobster rolls, venison tartare, “potato of the day,” and late-night snacks like spicy popcorn and liver mousse. The wine list leans natural, with small-producer bottles starting at $35. It’s intimate, affordable, and unflashy in all the right ways—a place to talk, eat well, and drink better.

Larrys in Mile End is one of those places you keep coming back to—not just because the food is great, but because it feels like an extension of your own living room. This all-day café-meets-bistro has been fulfilling Montrealers since it first swung open its doors for both quick coffees and pastries & day-long feasts.

Their menu is an eclectic mix of small plates like salmon rillettes and kedgeree alongside heartier options like a juicy côtelette de porc and their ever-satisfying hamburger. Breakfast in particular hits all the right notes: You’ll want to start with the pikelets—little English-style pancakes topped with salted butter—or the spoonable soft scramble. The breakfast sandwich, with house-made sausages, bacon, and egg, is a revelation despite its simplicity.

Bar Henrietta’s a refined Portuguese-style bar that recalls community taverns of the 1960s and ‘70s. Named for owner Alexandre Baldwin's Portuguese heritage, Henrietta’s inviting vintage tavern swagger features an open-concept upper floor and a kitschy lower level. A lot of people roll through for the drink menu of classic cocktails and Quebec beers, all bets accompanied by Portuguese-inspired small plates like Manchego popcorn and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Located in Montreal's Mile End, Le Plongeoir is a dive-inspired wine bar created by Antoine Denis, Frédéric Létourneau-Archambault, and John Hale, this 35-seat establishment blends a casual, back alley vibe with a focus on high-quality, affordable natural wines. The décor features lime-washed walls, dark green trim, and a classic billiards table illuminated by a stained-glass lamp, evoking a laid-back European feel.

Le Plongeoir aims to demystify wine drinking, offering a welcoming space where patrons can enjoy a glass or bottle without pretension. The wine list emphasizes French natural wines from lesser-known producers. Complementing the wine is a simple tapas menu featuring charcuterie, cheese, and cold plates. The concept is simple: great wine in a relaxed, unpretentious setting.

Once a simple espresso spot and preamble cocktail bar to Datcha, Montreal's Kabinet has transformed into a refined dining destination. Inspired by 1970s Parisian bistros, the space now features warm, chic decor designed by ADHOC Architectes, with vintage European touches like marble bistro tables, Thonet chairs, and a stunning crystal chandelier from Ukraine. The menu showcases continental classics with modern twists, such as chicken-liver mousse with sea buckthorn gel and 90-day aged beef tartare. Seasonal changes keep the offerings fresh, with a constant selection of local and imported caviar served in various elegant presentations. Complementing the cuisine, Kabinet maintains its acclaimed cocktail menu and a diverse, dynamic wine list, ensuring a sophisticated yet unpretentious dining experience.

Slipped into the front of a boutique hotel on Saint-Paul West, this all-day buvette leans Parisian without falling into caricature: it’s breezy, polished, and unfussy in the right ways. Behind the project is Thomas Vernis (Santos, Unibar), with design from Maison Charlotte and a food-and-drink team that knows the value of restraint. The plates—burrata with heirloom tomatoes and peach, a “fancy” shrimp sando, spaghetti with charcuterie crumble—read like a moodboard for upscale apéro, and the cocktail list is playful without being cloying (try the Blue Blaze or Ruby Sour). Philippe Champagne handles the wine program with an eye toward natural-leaning bottles that won’t wear you out. The vibe? Bright by day, dim by night, with room for oysters, espresso martinis, and a little too much fun if you time it right.