montreal food guide (2026)

tldr: out of 10 montreal food experiences, the top 3 are snowdon deli’s smoked meat sandwich (medium-fatty, old-fashioned, on rye - the best smoked meat in the city, $13-16 cad / $10-12 usd), the northern shrimp poutine in gaspe ($12-18 cad / $9-14 usd), and st-viateur bagels fresh from the wood-fired oven ($1-2 cad / $0.75-1.50 usd each). full reviews with prices and honest opinions below.

i used to live in montreal, which means i have opinions about this city’s food that border on religious conviction. i’ve eaten smoked meat at every major deli, tried poutine at more places than i can count, and driven to the gaspe region specifically for seafood. this isn’t a tourist’s overview. this is the list i’d give a friend visiting for the first time.

montreal has the best food scene in canada. i know vancouver and toronto people will disagree, and those people are wrong. montreal’s food identity is specific, deep, and rooted in tradition. the jewish deli culture, the bagel wars, the poutine obsession, the chinatown scene - it all exists because immigrant communities built something real here, and the city preserved it.

the total spending for all the food in this guide was roughly $250 cad ($188 usd), which is very reasonable for the quality and quantity. montreal is affordable by north american standards, especially compared to toronto or vancouver.

if you’re looking for seafood in san francisco or pizza in new york, those are separate guides.

the awards (my personal picks)

• best overall: snowdon deli’s smoked meat sandwich. medium-fatty, old-fashioned, on rye. the best smoked meat i’ve eaten, and i’ve eaten a lot.
• best iconic experience: schwartz’s. not the best sandwich, but the most historic. you have to go once.
• best budget bite: st-viateur bagels. $1-2 cad for a wood-fired bagel still warm from the oven.
• best road trip food: northern shrimp poutine at la cantine du quai in gaspe. fresh shrimp, squeaky cheese curds, fishing boats behind you.
• most underrated: sammi and soup dumpling in chinatown. excellent xiaolongbao in a city that doesn’t get credit for asian food.
• most overrated: poutine from tourist chains in the old port. the cheese curds aren’t squeaky and the gravy is from a packet.
• best comfort food: matzo ball soup at snowdon deli. salty chicken broth with a wheat dumpling.

the full list

the top tier (my regulars)

1. snowdon deli smoked meat

snowdon (5-min walk from snowdon metro) / $13-16 cad ($10-12 usd) / 9.5/10

everyone knows schwartz’s. it’s the icon, the institution, the one every tourist visits first. but snowdon deli is where the locals go, and it’s been around for 78 years. it’s outside the city center, you have to take the metro, and there’s no line of tourists out front. that’s how you know it’s good.

the sandwich is an absolute beauty. overflowing with smoked meat, so much that it’s falling apart in your hands. the customization is key: choose lean, medium, or fatty (always go medium), old-fashioned or regular (always old-fashioned for more peppercorn crust), and your bread (always rye). add mustard. a lot of mustard. and a dill pickle on the side.

the medium-fatty cut glistens with juiciness. the meat is tender, melting quality, with that characteristic smokiness and black peppercorn crust. from the first bite to the last, there’s smoked meat in every single one. the amount they stuff in is obscene. they make all their meats in-house, and the quality shows.

they also have different pickle options - sour, half-sour, and dill. the dill pickle goes perfectly with the fatty richness. and the matzo ball soup is the ideal starter - salty chicken broth with a dense wheat dumpling that’s simple and soothing.

what to order: smoked meat on rye, medium-fatty, old-fashioned. dill pickle. matzo ball soup. extra mustard.

verdict: my favorite restaurant in all of montreal. no doubt about it.

2. northern shrimp poutine (gaspe)

la cantine du quai, grand-riviere / $12-18 cad ($9-14 usd) / 9.2/10

this is the reason i drove to the gaspe region. the northern shrimp poutine takes the classic quebec trinity (fries, gravy, cheese curds) and replaces the gravy with a white cream sauce loaded with fresh northern shrimp. the restaurant sits inside the actual fishing port. the boats are unloading the fresh catch right behind you while you eat. fishermen lined up buying their own poutines, which tells you everything about freshness.

the shrimp are bouncy, firm, and plentiful - they don’t skimp. the cheese curds are squeaky, which is the only acceptable texture. the sauce looks like it would smother everything, but it’s not overpowering. you can still taste the shrimp. this is completely different from regular poutine and worth the drive.

what to order: the poutine nordique (northern shrimp poutine). even the baby size is generous.

verdict: the most canadian way to eat seafood. worth the 6-hour drive from montreal.

3. st-viateur bagels

mile end / $1-2 cad ($0.75-1.50 usd) each / 9.0/10

st-viateur has been making bagels since 1957 in a wood-fired oven. you walk in, the heat hits you, and you see the bagels being formed and baked in real time. they come out warm, with a crispy exterior and a dense, slightly sweet interior.

montreal bagels are different from new york bagels. smaller, denser, sweeter (honey in the dough), and baked in a wood-fired oven that gives them a slight char and crunch. the sesame seed classic is covered on both sides with an absurd amount of sesame.

you don’t need cream cheese. eat them plain, fresh from the oven, still warm and crispy. they have other varieties - butterscotch, blueberry, pretzel, rosemary - but the sesame seed is the one.

what to order: a half dozen sesame seed bagels. eat two immediately, take the rest home.

verdict: arguably the best bagels in the world. $1-2 each. that’s not a typo.

4. schwartz’s smoked meat

the main (st-laurent blvd) / $12-15 cad ($9-11 usd) / 8.5/10

schwartz’s has been around for almost 100 years, and it’s the place everyone knows. the lineup out the door, the cramped interior, the no-frills service. what schwartz is to montreal, katz’s is to new york.

the smoked meat is good. the brisket is brined, rubbed with black peppercorn, and smoked. it’s fattier than most deli meat, which gives it juiciness. the mustard and rye bread with a tower of meat is the standard. it’s not smoky in the bbq sense - it’s about the spice rub and tenderness.

why is snowdon ranked higher? the meat at snowdon is slightly more tender, the peppercorn crust more pronounced, and it feels less like you’re paying a tourist tax. schwartz’s coasts on reputation. but it’s still an excellent sandwich and the atmosphere is unmatched.

what to order: smoked meat sandwich, medium, with mustard and a dill pickle

verdict: not the best smoked meat in montreal, but the most iconic. go once.

the solid middle

5. sammi and soup dumpling

chinatown / $15-25 cad ($11-19 usd) / 8.3/10

montreal’s answer to din tai fung. the pork xiaolongbao are thin-skinned, scalding hot, and burst with soup. they also do chicken and mushroom versions. the spicy dipping sauce (chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce) is excellent. by canadian standards, probably the best soup dumplings you’ll find. they have multiple locations but the chinatown spot is the original.

what to order: classic pork xiaolongbao, cucumber salad, chicken and mushroom dumplings

verdict: surprisingly good soup dumplings in a city not known for chinese food.

6. gaspe bouillabaisse

l’abeille, gaspe / $30-45 cad ($23-34 usd) / 8.2/10

a gaspesian take on the french fisherman’s soup. towering with northern shrimp, salmon, cod, and scallops in a tomato broth. the scallops are the star - sweet, firm, and pan-fried. comes with saffron mayonnaise and cheese on the side. the mayo goes on bread, not in the soup. a fully loaded seafood vessel.

what to order: the bouillabaisse with extra bread for soaking

verdict: a loaded seafood soup that justifies the trip to gaspe.

7. lobster club sandwich

l’abeille, gaspe / $25-35 cad ($19-26 usd) / 8.0/10

lobster season means lobster in everything, including club sandwiches. the amount of lobster stuffed in is generous. it shouldn’t work in a club sandwich format, but it does. fresh, sweet, and the bread holds everything together.

what to order: the lobster club

verdict: the most luxurious club sandwich i’ve ever eaten.

8. matzo ball soup

snowdon deli / $6-8 cad ($4.50-6 usd) / 7.8/10

chicken broth with a matzo meal dumpling. salty, warming, comforting. the matzo ball is dense and satisfying. the perfect starter before the smoked meat arrives.

what to order: a bowl before your sandwich

verdict: simple, salty, soothing. the ideal warm-up act.

the ones i’d skip (but you might not)

9. bonaventure island gannet colony

gaspe region / $45 cad ($34 usd) / 7.5/10

not food, but if you’re in gaspe for the poutine, see the gannet colony. 35,000 pairs of massive seabirds nesting on cliffs. you hear and smell them before you see them. the hike has beautiful coastal views.

verdict: the best nature experience in gaspe. plan it between meals.

10. cucumber salad

sammi and soup dumpling / $5-8 cad ($3.75-6 usd) / 7.0/10

a standard cold cucumber salad with sweet-spicy dressing. refreshes your mouth between dumplings. nothing special, but functional.

verdict: order it as a side. don’t expect fireworks.

montreal food tips

• at smoked meat delis, always ask for “medium” cut. lean is too dry, fatty is too much. “old-fashioned” means more peppercorn crust - always say yes.
• st-viateur and fairmount are the two famous bagel shops. both excellent. eat them fresh from the oven without toppings first.
• the gaspe region is a 6+ hour drive from montreal. plan it as a 2-3 day road trip. the northern shrimp poutine alone is worth the drive.
• poutine should have squeaky cheese curds. if the curds don’t squeak, the poutine is not fresh. walk away.
• montreal is bilingual but the food world skews french. basic vocabulary helps: “viande fumee” (smoked meat), “boulangerie” (bakery).
• tipping is 15-18% at sit-down restaurants. counter-service spots may have tip jars but it’s not expected.
• winter in montreal is brutal (-20 to -30 celsius) but the food is built for it. smoked meat, poutine, and hot soup make sense when it’s freezing.
• the metro system is efficient. snowdon deli is 5 minutes from snowdon station. don’t let “outside the center” deter you.

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• san francisco food guide
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