13 great Montréal lunch spots
From fresh pasta to steaming bowls of pho and fried chicken, here are a few restaurants you should be heading to for a great lunch in Montréal.
McKiernan
Located in a gigantic industrial building, McKiernan’s loft-style dining room is eclectic, fun and flooded with light. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Monday, the menu includes seasonal ingredients and some dishes that have become classics such as the roast chicken dinner and the schnitzel sandwich.
5524 Saint Patrick Street #200
Billy, j’ai faim!
Let chef Billy Galindo make you lunch (or weekend brunch) in his inviting Saint-Denis Street dining room. Everything is made in house and sourced locally. The bistro style menu offers seasonal classics that include vegetarian and vegan options. Don’t have time to eat there? Pick up a meal or two for home, it’s just as fresh as if you’d made it yourself.
4269 Saint-Denis Street
Sumac
Located in the heart of Saint-Henri, Sumac is the ultimate Middle Eastern lunch spot in Montréal. The buzzing restaurant is always busy, but the wait is well worth it. Dig into the smooth and rich spreads, fresh salads and scrumptious grilled meats. The fresh pita baked on site is addictive and the perfect complement to any of the dishes on the menu.
3618 Notre Dame Street West
iL Miglio
One of the best Italian restaurants in Montréal, iL Miglio has 4 locations around town so you’re never too far from a great plate of pasta. The casual establishments serve a short menu of antipasti and fresh pasta dishes that change every week. All the pasta at iL Miglio is made fresh and cooked à la minute when ordered. Buon appetito!
Several locations
Comptoir Sainte-Cécile
Located in Villeray near the Jean-Talon Market, Comptoir Sainte-Cécile is a charming small grocery store that triples as a restaurant with a long counter and a couple of tables. Popular for its decadent sandwiches (try the salmon tartare, lemon and chive sandwich with confit sour cream potato on ciabatta bread), everything on the menu is fresh and delicious. It also holds a large selection of Québec wines, cidres and beers as well as ready-to-eat meals to go.
232 De Castelnau Street East
Roch le Coq
Head to this excellent casual restaurant when a fried chicken craving hits (and even when it doesn’t). Hailed by critics and food lovers as the best fried chicken spot in Montréal, Roch le Coq has become an instant sensation from the day it opened. The fried chicken is fantastically crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. All the side dishes from the poutine to the house waffles are also great. Grab a bucket to go or enjoy on site.
4165 Saint-Hubert Street & 1541 Van Horne Avenue
Olive et Gourmando
A veritable institution on the Montréal food scene, Olive et Gourmando is still one of the best spots to grab lunch in Old Montréal (and now at Royalmount). Everything on the menu is divine, from the delicious sandwiches (the Cuban is a classic, so is the Poached egg on your face) to its seasonal soba noodle classic #24 salad, daily specials and, of course, homemade pastries.
351 Saint-Paul Street West & 160-5060 Chemin de la Côte de Liesse (Royalmount)
Bar Mamie
This fun little neighbourhood bar is the perfect place for lunch. The menu offers cheese and charcuterie platters as well as classic French dishes inspired by a French Mamie (grandmother). Easy to drink wines in all the colours are served by the glass and the terrasse is lovely in the summer.
328 Beaubien Street East
Le Petit Sao
With 4 locations around town, Le Petit Sao delights with its fresh Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy delicate spring rolls, crispy wontons, fresh papaya salads, steaming bowls of pho or hearty banh mi sandwiches. Everything is filled with fresh ingredients and made to order for a very enjoyable lunch.
237 Notre-Dame Street West and other locations
Wilensky
It would be inconceivable to write about lunch spots in Montréal without mentioning Wilensky. The Mile End institution has been serving its lunch special since 1932. You can enjoy one of its grilled all-beef baloney and salami sandwiches with pickles, an old-fashioned soda and a side of nostalgia.
34 Fairmount Avenue West
Moishes
Moishes, a true Montréal institution, is one of the only restaurants in town to offer USDA Prime beef, the most prestigious distinction on the market. It also offers an "Exquisite Lunch" menu, allowing customers to sample two entrées from the menu Monday to Friday, offered from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. With its bar area, two unique dining rooms, and pewter ceiling tiles, this is one place you won't want to miss in Montréal.
1001 Square-Victoria Street
NOREN
This tiny Japanese restaurant on Plateau Mont-Royal only has a dozen seats, but if you can score one for lunch, you’re in for a treat! NOREN specializes in Japanese street food and snacks. The menu is short, but includes takoyaki and okonomiyaki as well as a miso soup, a salad, edamame and a weekly dish that’s always changing.
77 Rachel West
Titanic
Located in a historic building in Old Montréal, Titanic has been serving a loyal clientele since 1989. The extensive menu is filled with delicious options such as generous gourmet sandwiches, hearty salads, comforting daily specials and homemade desserts prepared on site daily.
445 Saint-Pierre Street Suite 104
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.