A foodie’s guide to shopping in Montréal

These gourmet meccas are where you’ll find only the very best exotic jams, syrups, maple butter, honey, homemade ketchup, vinegars, crackers, condiments, sauces, spices, marinades and more. 

One of our favourites is Épicerie Conserva in La Petit-Patrie, which applies the fine dining pedigree of its owners to a casual grocery store. We’ve also got a weakness for the scrumptious selection of artisanal products—most of which are made in Montréal—at Kim Phat, which brings together one of the city’s greatest selections of Asian goods alongside a Hong Kong-style bakery and barbecue along with a live fish counter and herbs you simply can’t find elsewhere. 

For more nationally specific options, try the Korean goods of Marché Oriental Jang Teu for Korean food or Miyamoto Foods for an incomparable selection of Japanese ingredients. You can take a trip to France at Gourmet Laurier or La Vieille Europe, or head to Italy by stopping in at Milano. Discerning palates will be pleased by Les 5 saisons as well. Chez Potier provides a wide range of delicacies, too; so wide in fact that it may provide everything you want in one stop.

Finally, if microbrews are more up your alley, make your way to La Maison des bières, Beau Dégât,or Maltéhops, all of which are beer-centric boutiques with hundreds of products that have been carefully categorized for your convenience. If you prefer bottles of privately imported wine by the bottle, shops like Vino Rama, Cave de Mamie, and Les Cavistes provide great options.

Looking for a place where you can grab a coffee, a bite to eat and some edible souvenirs? You’re in luck, because there are a number of good options in town: There’s Le Marché Italien Richmond in Griffintown, La Boutique Arhoma in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Boulangerie Le Toledo. Over in Old Montréal, there’s Le Petit Dep and Marché des Éclusiers, a bar and restaurant with an in-house shop and weekend farmer’s market. Next door to the Olive et Gourmando restaurant is their boutique, where you'll find ingredients and kitchen utensils. 

There’s also stocking up on fair-trade and organic items at Bio Terre and the zero-waste Loco. Pâtisserie Zébulon in the Plateau offers top-notch, 100% vegan, pastries and products as well. In Villeray, Le Comptoir Sainte-Cécile is a neighbourhood restaurant, grocery shop and wine shop all in one. Also check out La Finca, a cafe and local market located in Downtown Montréal, where you can buy some fine, local products.

To truly immerse yourself in Québec food culture, there’s no better place than the city’s public markets. This is often where the best finds are hiding, as they’ll be where the city’s chefs, bakers and other industry leaders congregate to get their hands on best and freshest products. 

Inside the Atwater market for example, go to Les Douceurs du Marché and to Le Vrac du Marché to find products from all over the world. Meanwhile, the Maisonneuve Market in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve offers a year-round selection of fresh local produce, seafood, and artisanal goods, with tips and tastings from knowledgeable purveyors. Then there’s Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy, a hub for fresh local produce, global specialties, and Québec delicacies since 1933, offering everything from fruits and cheeses to spices and pastries.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll find heaven in shops such as Mlles Gâteaux, Fous Desserts, Allo Simonne, or La Cave à Manger for assortments of products like salted caramel spreads, chocolates, viral Lafayette croissants, or hot chocolate mix. There’s no resisting the gorgeous gift boxes of macarons at Point G or the handmade chocolates from État de choc, Ernestine, Les Chocolats de Chloé, or Lecavalier Petrone. There’s also the artisanal cookies at Boulangerie de Froment et de Sève, and coffee, pastries, 100% organic maple syrup and many more delicacies from Délices Érable & Cie. 

And if you want to wash down your desserts with some tea, we recommend Camellia Sinensis, while coffee lovers should visit the Canadian Roasting Society for their in-house coffee supermarket that features roasts by a myriad of local businesses.

Butcher shops and cheese shops often sell outstanding products ready to take home in attractive and convenient packaging. We love the selection at Bleu & Persillé, La Baia dei Formaggi, Yannick Fromagerie Beaubien,  La Boucherie Lawrence, Boucherie Grinder, Maître Boucher, Boucherie Édouard et Léo and Ils en fument du bon.

Maison Fayard is another option to get French butchery, charcuterie and delicatessen products. Then there’s Mange-tout, which offers a little bit of everything with its fish market supplied by Oysterblood, a butcher shop specializing in dry-aged beef, and fine products.

While you’re in town, why not treat yourself to a hands-on epicurean experience?

Ateliers et Saveurs is a cooking school that offers really fun classes, while thematic tours are offered by the aptly named Local Food Tours, as well as Montréal Food Tours, Fitz Montréal Bike Tours, Spade & Palacio and Round Table Tours. This is a great way to discover some of the city’s best-kept food secrets.