The best sugar shacks in and around Montréal

Restaurant meals

Once again, Caribou Gourmand is offering its highly anticipated weekend maple brunch. The menu consists of cabane à sucre-inspired dishes laden with maple syrup, such as the “The Sugar Shack Plate” with an 8-hour braised ham, apple and maple sausage, bacon, baked beans, maple scrambled eggs, Québec red deer creton, sourdough bread and potatoes. Pick and choose among all the dishes available and create your perfect sugar shack brunch. Don’t forget to taste the maple latte, maple beer or sugar shack Mimosa. Some vegetarian options are available. (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from March 15^th to April 21^st).

Le Richmond is once again offering its highly anticipated weekend maple brunch, a yearly rendez-vous for savouring maple delights in the heart of the city. For one weekend only, March 2^3rd and 24^th, head to Le Richmond to enjoy a maple menu that starts with 5 dishes to share such as a millefeuille with black pudding, maple cream and foie gras mousse. That course is followed by your choice among 3 main course options then dessert, of course. End your sugar shack experience on their terrasse with maple taffy, a kid activity (meeting farm animals) and an adult one (mulled wine or Canadian whiskey on ice). Reservations are highly recommended.

The Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth’s indoor market Marché Artisans is offering a sugar shack brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 1pm starting March 2^nd. The buffet-style brunch created by chef Mathieu Couture and pastry chef Jean-Marc Guillot, Meilleur Ouvrier de France will include a traditional menu as well as vegetarian options. Dishes such as herb-crusted homemade porchetta, smoked salmon with garnishes and maple-laden desserts are on the menu at this downtown location.

Terrasse Belvu, Montréal’s “Alpine destination”, is an outdoor terrasse open year-round and fully embracing winter on the third floor of the Marriott Château Champlain hotel. Until April 7, enjoy Belvu’s version of a sweet sugar shack with traditional treats, maple-infused hot beverages such as their maple Irish coffee and great beats by their house DJ.

Marcus Restaurant + Terrace at Montréal’s Four Seasons Hotel is serving their elevated sugar shack brunch until April 15. Order a Maple Tini cocktail and enjoy some of the maple items on offer such as the French toast, macarons, cupcakes and more with a great view of the downtown Leonard Cohen mural. 

Celebrations and festivals

Promenade Wellington’s Cabane Panache, the trendiest sugar shack in town, is partnering with Benelux Brasserie Artisanale, Coureur des Bois and Fizz for its 12^th edition this spring. Close to 20 Verdun restaurants will be cooking up a storm inspired by the traditional Québec feast while local drink establishments will be tending to all beverages. A line up of musicians and lumberjack-style activities will round up what promises to be a very festive weekend. (March 21 to 24, 2024) 

Plaza St-Hubert is hosting Le Temps des Sucres’ sugar shack event at Bain St-Denis on Saturday March 16 from 11am to 4pm. Expect sugar shack activities such as maple taffy from Le Sucrier Urbain, a travelling shack event, as well as a musical performance by La Chasse-Balcon.

Sugar shacks

If a real sugar shack experience is what you’re after, be sure to check out Sucrerie de la Montagne in February, March and April. Named a Québec heritage site and situated amid a 120-acre forest of century-old maple trees atop Mont Rigaud (an hour away from downtown Montréal), this place will make you feel like you’re experiencing the authentic Québécois tradition of “sugaring off.”  

For another authentic experience of Québec sugar shacks, visit the Apple Sugar Shack of Labonté de la Pomme. Known as the first apple shack in Québec, this family-run establishment located 45 minutes outside the city offers menus influenced by its specialty apples. In March and April, choose among several formulas: a traditional dining room meal, a take-out or delivery option to enjoy at home or a faster and less elaborate bistro one. Vegetarian menus are available.

Parc Jean-Drapeau’s Ste-Hélène Bistro-Terrasse transforms into an urban sugar shack from March 8^th to April 14^th. Enjoy a homemade, all-you-can-eat menu that includes all the classics such as pea soup, omelette, baked beans, maple ham and the maple taffy. Reservations are recommended and bookings for groups of 25 or more are possible during the week.

The maple experience at home

Chef Martin Picard runs what is perhaps the most famous sugar shack in Québec. This season, his Au Pied de Cochon sugar shack is already fully booked for the season. They are, however, offering a gargantuan feast to celebrate the season at home. The generous box for 2 contains such delicious items as fried pancakes, a foie gras parfait, stuffed with a maple and cherry and a maple flan. A lot of maple items can also be purchased separately, like their maple panettone.

Édouard & Léo are neighbourhood butcher shops from the team behind beloved restaurant Hoogan & Beaufort. They are offering a sugar shack box to go for 4 to 6 people. In it you’ll find maple sausages made from Quebec pork, a maple glazed ham cooked on the bone, marinated yellow beets, an old-fashioned meatball stew, baked beans, traditional pea soup, a tourtière, pork rinds, and a pecan tarte au sucre. Some items can also be purchased separately.

Markets and shops

Montréal’s public markets are going on a great "Sugar Tour" celebration!  It starts at the Atwater Market on March 16 from 10am to 5pm with maple taffy on snow, a gathering of maple-based alcohol producers, inflatable games for children, axe throwing and sugar shack music.  The Maisonneuve Market takes over on March 17^th with maple tastings, a sugar shack menu and many activities. And finally, the Jean-Talon Market festivities take place on Saturday March 23 with maple product tastings, alcoholic maple beverages, inflatable games for children, traditional Québécois music by singer-songwriter Alexandre Légaré and much more. Click here to view the entire programme. 

Maple stands abound at all Montréal’s public markets starting in early March and until late April so stock up on your yearly supply of maple syrup, which you can purchase directly from the producers.

Domaine des 15 lots’ maple farm is located in the Appalachain Mountains but lucky for us city dwellers, they have a store full of all things maple on Ontario Street, where they sell their exceptional syrups as well as a large selection of maple products, local beverages, great pastries and prepared meals made by their inhouse chef. 

Time Out Market’s Climats restaurant is offering some sugar shack-inspired dishes as part of his menu. Chef Jean-Sébastien is somewhat of a maple expert since he owns and operates the Cabane du Coureur sugar shack on Montréal's south shore. From March 7^th to 10^th, enjoy the "Cabane Ardente" cocktail at Time Out Market Montréal with Rosemont Spiced, Cirka passion, Sea Buckthorn cordial with fir honey, and spiced maple syrup.