Story and Photos by Deborah Grossman.
Feature image: Pizzeria Bellucci near Place des Festivals.
Montréal is my favorite city for culinary adventures. When there, I explore the city’s exciting food options at cozy bistros, buzzy restaurants, and trendy wine bars. With over 5,000 restaurants, the city has many shops selling magnets of iconic Montréal food items along with hockey jerseys. My mission on a recent trip was to sample the city’s food on the gastronomy track at the 27th Montréal en Lumière festival in late February. Regarded as one of the world’s top winter festivals and the largest food event in Canada, the 10-day program features hundreds of cultural and culinary activities throughout the city. A roster of festival restaurants, such as Snowden Deli, founded in 1946; the famed 25-year-old Au Pied de Cochon; and farm-to-table Hoogan & Beaufort, provided an overview of Montréal’s culinary growth. Guest chefs added international intrigue to the meals.
A few fun facts confirm the scope of the festival’s gastronomic options: More than 70 city restaurants hosted culinary events or collaborations with 90 international and Canadian guest chefs who prepared food for over 25,000 ticketed attendees. The theme of the 2026 Montréal en Lumière was ‘A Taste of History: 65 Years of Montréal Gastronomy.” Per Yves Lowe, the festival’s culinary program manager, the concept was inspired by the interactive exhibit at the McCord Stewart Museum titled “On the Menu—Montreal: A Restaurant Story.” The exhibit vividly illustrates the connection between the city’s cultural and social history and the evolution of its eating and dining habits.
The backstory on Montréal dining: At the McCord Museum, a display of the formal English tea service from the 1950s at the Windsor Hotel caught my eye. The elaborate printed menus, fine China, and crystal reflect the ethos of the early fine-dining culture of Montréal restaurants. The context behind the display reflected the city’s roots. France established the first permanent Canadian settlement in Montréal in 1642. Two centuries later, Canada became part of the British Empire, and the country gained full legislative independence from the British Parliament in 1982.
My visit included the City of Montréal MEM museum, where I had to smile at a display case honoring a simple bag of bagels and a package of smoked meats.
Following up on the museum display, I had the opportunity to snack on a tasty Fairmount Bagel with a hefty texture and a touch of sweetness that made up for my wait in 15-degree weather. Another day, Snowden Deli quenched my brunch hunger with a smoked brisket sandwich and an apple-cherry strudel.
The international Expo ’67 in Montréal enhanced the world’s perception of Montréal’s gastronomy. After dining in the city, visitors spread the word about the burgeoning culinary scene. Beginning in the 1960s, the Quiet Revolution in Québec brought changes to dining that reflected the region’s social, political, and cultural upheaval. Changes included greater awareness of First Nations indigenous influence on Québécois cuisine, a revival of the French language, and the arrival of new immigrants who brought cultural and culinary diversity to the city.
Chef-driven Québec revolution: Since 2000, over 800 guest chefs have fed locals and tourists at Montréal en Lumière. Restaurant La Chronique in the Mile End neighborhood has participated in each festival and often hosted guest chefs. Chef co-owner Olivier de Montigny was pleased to hear the late, celebrated French chef Paul Bocuse speak at the first festival. “Bocuse told us the next restaurant issue would be dealing with food allergies and gluten-free requests—and he was right.” At the spacious, two-story restaurant with modern décor, I enjoyed the crunch and umami of an amuse-bouche of foie gras in crispy filo for the upcoming collaborative dinner with de Montigny and a French guest chef. “In the 1970s, our role models were always French chefs,” said de Montigny. “Now we are proud of our Québécois food and local products.”
Here in Montreal, Marché Jean-Talon, one of North America’s largest open-air markets, is a showcase for local Québec produce, shops, cafés, and more in the Little Italy neighborhood. City chefs, residents, and tourists frequent the market.
A friend and I visited Marché des Saveurs in the market complex, which has more than 400 Quebecois items across the grocery, cheese, butcher, and liquor sections. Offerings include an abundance of maple-oriented products from mustard to caramel sauce and liqueur. Marché des Saveurs was one of the first to sell Québec-made wine and spirits and helped bring recognition to the category. Specialist Andre Nerny tasted us through an enjoyable selection of ice wines made from naturally frozen grapes and ice ciders made from apples and pears. Nerny also raved about a local mustard made with sea asparagus, a green sea vegetable. Game to try it, I bought the jar without realizing I would taste sea asparagus at Hoogan & Beaufort a few days later.
We savored brunch at Hoogan & Beaufort, a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant. Our first course was a lovely cold soup with fresh Canadian scallops, citrus, fennel, and sea asparagus. 
Hoogan & Beaufort scallop soup: I spoke with Executive Chef David Lepage, who had recently returned to his hometown after cooking abroad at Daniel Boulud-owned restaurants, and asked him what had changed in Montréal’s food scene: “The farm-to-table and sustainable approach to cooking is more popular and made easier with more local products. I appreciate collaborating with owner-chef Mark Jetté, whose focus now is on our Québécois heritage,” said Lepage. Open since 2015, Hoogan & Beaufort is in the historic Angus Shops in a former railcar repair facility in the Rosemont-La Petite‑Patrie neighborhood. The rustic vibe and open kitchen featuring a maple wood-fired grill belie the elegance and precision that Jetté brings to each dish.
Here, I swooned over the sunchoke ravioli filled with grilled maitake mushrooms and topped with shavings of the cleaned skin of black truffles, one of Jetté’s sustainable touches that uses all parts of the produce. Jetté and his wife, Mila Rishkova, co-owner and general manager, also own the nearby Annette bar à vin bistro, which received a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide for good-quality, good-value food.
Modern Montréal Dining: When I mentioned my upcoming trip to Montréal, several people said, “You must eat at Au Pied de Cochon.” The restaurant’s reputation was enhanced by Anthony Bourdain’s praise on a visit from an early episode of his “No Reservations” TV show. Celebrating 25 years, the restaurant, whose name means “at the pig’s feet,” now offers a full-on Québécois experience—and a world apart from the classic French and British restaurants that previously defined Montréal’s culinary scene. Entering the space in the Plateau‑Mont‑Royal neighborhood, you see the fireplace grill and many artifacts and paintings of friendly pigs. Above the din of the long, narrow room filled with convivial guests, you may hear Québec folk tunes. Hanging from a ceiling rack are symbols of the Montréal region—red and black plaid lumberjack jackets that are worn by the folks who harvest the local maple trees for sap, and where it is boiled down into syrup in shacks or small barns called sugar shacks.
The Picard family, founders of the Au Pied de Cochon, owns a sugar shack in a maple forest in the province of Québec. On a 2013 episode of “Parts Unknown”, Anthony Bourdain visited the sugar shack, giving additional celebrity to the Picard family. We noted several Au Pied de Cochon sugar shack products at the Marché des Saveurs, such as maple syrup, maple sugar, and cider. Seated at the bar in the restaurant, we nibbled on a plate of Au Pied de Cochon Canard en Conserve, or preserved duck confit. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the duck, my favorite dish at the restaurant was the caviar poutine. Famous for the gravy that tops a big bowl of French fries with cheese curds mixed in, the Au Pied de Cochon version, with a caviar sauce and curds hidden at the bottom, was distinctly delicious. A dish labeled “Sauerkraut” was excellent with cabbage, pork sausage, and confit pork knuckle in cider sauce. Maple ice cream completed the Québec experience.
Montral’s Restaurant Mon Lapin is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Beginning as a wine bar in the Little Italy quarter of the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie neighborhood, it later expanded its space. But, why name a wine bar “My Rabbit?” Because a winemaker friend of the owners in the Jura wine region of North-Central France called all his friends, “Mon lapin.” As Mon Lapin has evolved into a Michelin-recommended restaurant and one of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, wine has remained integral to the dining experience. Co-owner and wine director Vanya Filipovic, who specializes in a natural wines list, received the North America’s Best Sommelier Award in 2025. Filipovic and her husband, Chef Marc‑Olivier Frappier, also own nearby Rôtisserie La Lune, opened in 2024 and recently designated a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
A Mon Lapin, the open dining room with black and white tiles, evokes a French bistro enamored with rabbits. We dined during one of the Montréal en Lumière collaboration dinners. The restaurant hosted Chef Armand Forcherio, a former Montréal chef-restaurateur who resides now in Southern France and previously owned Paloma restaurant in Nice. Forcherio served a Paloma-inspired fish soup packed with monkfish and mussels that was pure Côte d’Azur. The array of desserts was excellent.
Wine Bars and Neighborhood Revivals: Opened in 2019, Beba is already in the North America’s Best 50 Restaurants list. After chatting with Ari Schor while dining at the bar in his intimate 28-seat restaurant, I conclude that the chef-owner genuinely loves being both a chef and a restaurateur. He chose the quiet, up-and-coming residential neighborhood of Verdun with less traffic to feature a patio that has become an oasis for locals and tourists alike. “I want our guests to feel a calm vibe as they gather with friends and family. We serve food that carries a story of heritage and tradition,” said Schor.
Beba represents the current multicultural appeal of Montréal dining. Schor’s Jewish heritage is reflected in the restaurant’s name. Schor called his beloved grandmother Beba, a version of the Eastern European moniker, Bubbie. Born in Argentina and raised in Winnipeg, Schor told me the Beba menu draws on elements of these cultures and those with which he feels a natural affinity. He carefully selects staff, including the talented bartender Nizar Baz, a master of creative drinks and Vermouth-inspired cocktails. I was pleased with the first bite Schor served us—a miniature knish topped with caviar. The round dumpling had a delightful texture and a hint of smokiness from the rub of meat fat before baking.
My friend who joined me bestowed heavenly adjectives upon his mini-smoked meat sandwich. Italian cuisine has always attracted the chef. His stracci pasta with its rope-like strings was topped with a ragu of braised beef shanks and onions. “You should understand and enjoy what you eat,” said Schor, “ without fancy garnish placed with tweezers.”
Othym is in Le Village, a gay neighborhood emerging as a foodie and arts destination. The name refers to the herb thyme. Plants and eco-friendly decor elements abound. A chandelier is made from tree branches and dried flowers, and the tables are made of recycled wood. Our physical menu for a Montréal en Lumière collaborative dinner was made from recycled egg cartons and paper scraps from the restaurant.
The food preparation follows an eco-conscious, zero‑waste philosophy. Unlike many restaurants, all components of the dish may arrive on the plate in raw, cooked, fermented, or preserved forms. Our dinner, prepared by Othym Chef-owner Noé Lainesse with Guest Chef Albert Franch Sunyer of Nolla restaurant in Helsinki, presented seven memorable courses. I asked Chef Lainesse how the pair connected for the festival. “A mutual friend knew we both were part of the global community of ecology restaurants and introduced us,” said Lainesse.
The beet tartare was a study in red, and the venison served three ways was cooked perfectly. But the Arctic char course was the winner. The raw crudo was served in a Basque-style, herbaceous, pate de pate green sauce. As a true zero-waste element, the cracker holding the crispy fried gills was made from dehydrated, powdered fish bones. Our palates appreciated the complex umami flavors and contrasting textures. Dessert included cloudberry ice cream, a first for us.
“Chef Sunyer and I enjoyed cooking together,” said Lainesse. “We have the same size kitchen, similar local ingredients, and cooking styles. Yet we learned from each other, which is what Montréal en Lumière is all about, ” said Lainesse.
Montréal en Lumière wrap-up: According to festival organizers, this year’s event enjoyed increased attendance. Nuit Blanche on February 28th was a special time with light shows and events. At midnight, we explored the nearby Belgo Building, now an arts center, and watched salsa dancing, listened to a DJ, and viewed art exhibits.
Hundreds of thousands visited the outdoor Place des Festivals. We viewed the exuberant crowd each night from our nearby hotel, the Doubletree Hilton. The DJs kept the beat going, and the Loto-Québec Skating Loop was busy all day and night. We rode the Turbo Tax Ferris wheel, a must-do activity. Food stalls lined the area and offered Québec experiences, with a sugar shack stand and a food truck selling local oblong pastries called “beaver tails.”
The Village Gourmand, a heated, covered area at the Place des Festivals, attracted visitors to buy refreshments or attend free events featuring tastings. Culinary students competed in Gourmet Duels. I attended one of the daily Gourmet Workshops and met Harrison Shewchuk, chef-owner of the recently opened Restaurant Limbo in the Little Italy neighborhood.
For the workshop, the chef made a French specialty, pithivier de canard, a Wellington-style dish that substitutes duck confit and foie gras for beef. As a first-time festival participant, Shewchuk found the experience worthwhile. “A young girl came up after and asked, ‘Are you a professional chef?’ I love the interaction and concept of enjoyment that permeates all of Montréal en Lumière.”
IF YOU GO: Montréal Tourism: https://www.mtl.org/en?%2F= ; Montréal en Lumière: https://montrealenlumiere.com/ ; Nuit Blanche: https://nuitblanchemtl.com/en
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