The restaurant that launched a thousand ships, this is a definitive Montreal dining experience thanks to its one-two punch celebrating classic dining with a banquet-style celebration of good food.
Since 2005, this Little Burgundy institution has shaped the city’s dining scene, turning classic French techniques into something unapologetically Montreal. Founded by Frédéric Morin, Allison Cunningham, and former partner David McMillan, the restaurant pays tribute to 19th-century tavern owner Charles “Joe Beef” McKiernan, whose legacy of excess and generosity lives on in every over-the-top plate.
The menu, scrawled on a chalkboard and dictated by what’s fresh, blends Quebecois bounty with a bistro’s indulgence: foie gras, roasted bone marrow, and a perennial lobster spaghetti. The wine list leans classic, but there’s room for natural selections and deep cuts from smaller producers. The space itself—cluttered, candlelit, a little chaotic—feels like the kind of place where a dinner reservation could turn into a multi-hour feast. Expect to leave full, maybe a little tipsy, and with a renewed appreciation for why this spot remains one of Montreal’s greats.
Mentioned in
Bruce brings a fresh take on Scottish tavern culture to Griffintown
Honouring a local legacy with a blend of haggis, Scotch, cans of IRN BRU, and Montreal's brand of hospitality.
At long last, David McMillan and Derek Dammann open their West Island restaurant Grille-Nature
The former Joe Beef co-owner and ex-Maison Publique chef debut their farm-and-chef-driven restaurant out in Dollard-Des Ormeaux.
How cold-climate wine is made at David McMillan's Hayfield Farm vineyard
Following the Joe Beef co-founder through two days of cold-climate viticulture harvests where hospitality takes the form of al fresco meals, crushed grapes underfoot, and relentless labour.
Old world Jewish noshes meet a new generation of cooking at Yans Deli
Led by Joe Beef alum Benji Greenberg, this new highway-side deli blends Eastern European roots with fine-dining rigour and a family-first ethos.
The Saint-Henri soundsmith reclaiming how music should feel
How a record store kid slinging wax by day and DJing by night turned his obsession with audio clarity into a speaker company with soul.
Montreal keeps cooking: 25 local restaurants make the 2025 Canada’s 100 Best list
Mon Lapin slips to #2, but the city’s dining scene is still unmatched.
Meet the new custodians of Aux 2 Clochers, an Eastern Townships institution of 35 years
When Montreal veterans end up with the keys to a local legend of the region they call home.
The story of Montreal’s Joe Beef (the man, not the restaurant)
How an eccentric tavern keeper became a working-class hero of Montreal—and one of its unlikeliest legends.
Taglio revives the old butchery ways with a 50-year-old Pointe-Saint-Charles smokehouse
Honouring old-school techniques with a hands-on approach, Taglio's butchery and Montreal smoked meat keep the city's food heritage alive.
Shop The Main's Dépanneur. Open 24/7.
Want to know what's happening in Montreal?
We curate local content into a weekly news bulletin so you can find out what's going on around town in one place. Sign up to stay informed.
