Montreal - Where to Eat

Eating is a big part of traveling for Tom and I. Before we left I did some research on the best places to eat in the city and we made sure to hit up a few of those spots. We were only there for 1.5 days so we couldn't eat TOO much, but I think we did a decent amount of damage.

Toque!

Our biggest food-related outing of the trip was dinner at Toque! This New York Times travel review drew me in:

"The standard-bearer for good restaurants in Montreal is this haute cuisine haven which moved in 2004 into a sleek new space outfitted with upholstered walls and hanging wine bottles. Popular dishes like the foie gras appetizer and lamb entree remain consistently superb."

and Frommer's review:

"Toque! is the gem that single-handedly raised the entire city's gastronomic expectations. A meal here has long been obligatory for anyone who admires superb, dazzlingly presented food."

Haute cuisine haven? Superb, dazzingly presented food? Seriously, how could we resist?

We were able to get a quick reservation for 6:30. The decor of the restaurant was actually a little bit odd, but I tend not to worry about the ambiance as long as the food is impressive. The waitstaff was dressed strangely, and the restaurant seemed to be split between two time periods -- with old school velvet walls and carpet, and the modern sleek bar and hanging wine bottles.

After perusing the menu for a few minutes we decided to go with the mysterious 7-course tasting. The menu gave no hint at to what ingredients would be included, expect that one course would feature foie gras. I wish I could always do tastings! It is really such a treat and gives you a broad idea of the talents and creativity of the chef.

Here's what we got:

Palette Cleanser

Amuse bouche - scallops with cream and raspberry sauce

Tomato water with seared tuna, berries, almonds and ginger -- one of my favorites of the night

Another favorite: foie gras with a flaky cornbread, peas, pea puree, berries and a pink salt and sugar mixture

Dirty martini

I ordered the drink special for the night...some fruity raspberry thing

The main dish: chicken, eel and mussels with mixed vegetables

I believe this was squab two ways (that's a filet on top) with corn, corn hair, a potato, asparagus puree, and mustard filled raspberries

Cheese course: parmesan, bleu and cheddar (I believe) + some jelly squares, a creme and caramel drizzle

Dessert -- can't remember what this was at all but it was really delicious.

Mini chocolate macaroons

Tom ordered an espresso that came in this tiny glass!

Everything was really spectacular. While the ambiance and general environment were a little off (there were children running around) I was definitely blown away by the food.

Paris Crepe:
I'm not the biggest fan of crepes, but when we passed this place last night we just had to go in. Tom really enjoys them so we ordered a nutella/banana crepe and I promised I'd try a bite. Well, I had more than a few bites. This thing was SO delicious. Stuffed with bananas and creamy nutella, the crepe basically just melted in your mouth.

Resto La Banquise:
We heard that this was THE place for poutine, and how could we go to Montreal without getting some?? We made some room in our schedule (and our stomachs) to fit in a stop at La Banquise before hitting the road back to Boston. The place was interesting -- extremely casual with a bunch of tables packed in. We were there around 3 o'clock on Sunday and didn't have to wait, but it was very crowded. The menu was in French so we weren't 100% positive of what to order so we took our best guess and went with La Trois Viandes and La Taquise.

La Trois viandes was topped with bacon, steak and pepperoni and La Taquise was topped with guacamole, sour cream and tomato salsa. Both were soooo good but I surprisingly preferred La Taquise. Tasted like nachos and french fries mixed together!

That was about it for our Montreal food adventures!

Oh yea, of course there was some ice cream :)

Related Posts:
Montreal - Where to Stay