Category: Montreal
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The Travellers Table
Hotels are enigmatic places where the world comes to town, bringing to our city colourful characters from all walks of life. By extension, hotel restaurants are the gathering places of travellers and locals alike, both searching for a different kind of culinary experience. In most instances, travellers looking to see the world and explorers looking…
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The Weekend Dish
It seems like I’ve been spending a lot of time at the W Hotel lately. This past summer we covered the opulently redecorated rooms that have added a spark of new life to the exquisite hotel. More recently we followed up with Êat, the brand spanking new restaurant that opened in December and serves up…
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The Northern Bites
It hasn’t been that long since Soubois launched their Sunday brunch menu but in a very short time they have perfected a selection of wonderful dishes. Having become one of Montreal’s top restaurant success stories in 2015 with their excellent food, unique atmosphere and great service, Soubois is excelling at what it does best; showing…
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Depth Perception
When Êat opened last December I called it a triumph and a creative shot in the arm for Montreal’s restaurant scene and that was before I had taken a single bite. Located in the W Hotel, the blended decor felt refreshingly new and featured a mix of graffitied walls that lead into a larger, more…
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Grill Master
No matter how fancy food can get, nothing beats a good homestyle barbecue. The scent of grilled meat and spices slowly roasting over smouldering charcoal or sweet, smokey wood get mouths watering like little else. Lattuca Barbecue is an excellent yet surprising addition to Old Montreal’s collection of restaurants because of its simplistic approach to…
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Happening Gourmand
January may not top the list of everyone’s favourite month of year but with the return of Happening Gourmand, we are warming up to a cool night out on the town in January and February. Beginning last Wednesday, the most wonderful time of the year in Old Montreal is back! Read on for more. Returning…
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Keeping Us Warm
Located only steps from St. Laurent in the in-between neighbourhood of Saint-Édouard is Les Cocottes, a charmingly eclectic restaurant that recently celebrated its first year in business. Serving a variety of comfort food staples, mostly in clay ramekins, the concept is completely simple and utterly savoury. Late last week an intimate number of Montreal’s media…
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Out of the Ashes
Pintxo was one of the first restaurants we covered here on dayjobsnightlife.com. That was almost three years ago (you can read that article from January 2013 right here). A lot can happen in three years and for this very well known Plateau eatery, time wasn’t so kind. The restaurant’s original location burned down earlier this…
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Down The Rabbit Hole
For those of you who don’t know, Lapin Blanc translates from French into the White Rabbit (aka. the neurotic, time obsessed companion of Alice during her adventures in Wonderland). The trippy restaurant that shares this name is located in the heart of HoMa and is on its own a kaleidoscopic tumble down the rabbit hole,…
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Tommy
Old Montreal is home to many beautiful spaces. New cafes, bars, hotels and restaurants keep finding creative ways to incorporate their astoundingly designed decors into the area’s beautiful old buildings. Tommy is a perfect example of a cafe that looks like it was custom tailored to the Insta-generation. A good looking restaurant is nothing without…
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Redefining An Icon
These days it’s hard to imagine a Montreal bar or a restaurant lasting more than a few years, let alone a decade or more. Thursday’s is a staple in Montreal and has been riding the ebbs and flows of our city’s nightlife scene since May of 1973. The establishment, a combination of bistro, bar and…
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A Warm Welcome
In Montreal’s east end, just past the Plateau and beyond the railroad tracks that divide the city, is the up and coming Shop Angus neighbourhood. A mecca of new business mixed with a multitude of new residential development, the relatively new Rosemont neighbourhood is expanding at a breakneck pace. With the arrival new people and…
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Staying Over The Top
With an oft-ridden mechanical bull, a bevy of dancing beauties and large screens to captive both amateur and seasoned sports fans alike, it makes no wonder that Chez Serge is still a major draw after 8 years in business. To celebrate their 8th anniversary, Chez Serge invited some of Montreal’s bravest media to experience the…
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Major League
Love comes in all shapes and sizes and in Montreal, our love of food knows no boundaries. That’s why many of us will go the end of the earth (or at least the island) to find our next great meal. État-Major is located near the busy intersection of Pie-IX and Ontario, in the heart of…
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Night and Day
We recently attended the media opening of Ozeu & O’Boeuf, a special 2-in-1 restaurant that has taken up shop in St-Henri. Part breakfast place, part burger joint, the concept is gimmicky, offering two different atmosphere depending on when you visit the restaurant. Ozeu is open from from early morning until about 3pm where breakfast, brunch…
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The Natural Elements
Located in a cavernous underground space along one of Montreal’s busiest downtown streets, SouBois, one of our city’s newest multi-facted restaurants takes the concept of bring nature indoors to the next level with thier culinary expertise and their out-of-this-world decor. Equal parts restaurant, bar and nightclub, taking the stairs down into SouBois feels a little…
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Ultimate Luxury
Every year Montreal draws thousands of visitors from around the world. To accomodate this constant migration of people to our city we have hotels for all tastes. While some hotels are simply a place to store your stuff and get a good night’s rest, others stand out, making a visit to our city that much…
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Spanish On The Fly
Sitting adjacent to Tapas 24 on Notre Dame is the newest addition to the MTL Cuisine family, Tapas 24 Snack Bar. Opened officially to the public last week, they enjoyed a soft launch over the weekend featuring a couple of nights of friends and family specials, free ice cream and weekend brunch. We stopped by…
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Sip Back And Relax
Since the beginning of time (for this website) I have been asked all sorts of questions concerning restaurants, bars, hotels and events in Montreal and beyond. Perhaps the most recurring of these questions is “Where is the best bring-your-own-wine place in Montreal?”. Well, at long last I have combed through the streets of the city…
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That’s Amore
When it comes to food, there’s nothing better than a perfect pairing. Classics like champagne and oysters, beers, burgers and fries and of course pizza and wine remind us that on their own foods like this can be great, but when paired up with their beverage soulmates, they are unstoppable. When it comes to pizza…
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Style and Substance
The Peel Basin, located a stone’s throw from the Lachine Canal, has changed a lot over the last ten years. Once an area filled with empty lots and crumbling buildings, it is now home to high end boutiques, hotels, condos, cafes and restaurants that are leaving their unique mark on our vibrant foodie scene. One…
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Hidden Tiger
The Red Tiger is an interesting addition to Montreal’s Gay Village. This Vietnamese Pub is adding a little needed diversity to an area of the city that should be doing so much better. Featuring an excellent menu of cocktails and some fantastic Vietnamese food, Le Red Tiger is the latest in a new generation of…
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To Market, To Market
It’s no secret that we love Le Richmond. We have been raving about this outstanding restaurant since it opened a few short years ago (Click here, here and here to read more!). Located in Griffintown, the restaurant has made quite a name for itself as a must try in Montreal. In a city like Montreal,…
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Eastern Promising
For years now, something big has been happening in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and a trek into the neighbourhood isn’t what it was 10 years ago. Walking along the Ontario Street promenade, old dime stores have evolved into vegan bakeries, old bars have become some of the most talked about restaurants in Montreal and while gentrification has been…
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Food Truck Thursdays
Ever since opening their doors, Mme Lee has been a strong draw in downtown Montreal. Located perfectly on Ontario between St-Laurent and St-Denis, the spectacularly designed bar boasts a fun menu, a great signature cocktail list and non-stop weekend parties featuring an in-house DJ. They also happen to be a great place for a weekday…
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Funky Fiesta
Mexican food is a lot of things but boring is not one of them. This holds true for Escondite, a new Mexican eatery on Union near Cathcart. Tucked away in an unassuming location, hidden under an old marquee, Escondite is about to become Montreal’s worst kept (delicious) secret. Last week DJNL stopped by the restaurant…
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Summer Ready
Henri St-Henri is doing something drastically different in St. Henri. Amidst a gaggle of rustic-trendy, hipster-friendly and gimmick-riddled restaurants, Henri St-Henri keeps its concept simple: great food, cool atmosphere and a fun, casual service. I remember being present at the grand opening last year where several members of the media gathered to get a taste…
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Spring Awakening
Spring in Montreal is a wonderful thing to behold. There’s a palpable energy that awakens as the new bright green leaves take their place in the trees, the air warms and is perfumed with lilacs and people flood the parks and restaurant terrasses, their skin warming with heat from the sun. At Buonanotte on St.…
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Setting The Pace
Though Little Italy has always been one of Montreal’s more popular neighbourhoods, a surge in interest in the last couple of years has Montrealers flocking back in droves. Six months ago, Quindici joined the area’s restaurant ranks as one of Little Italy’s newest and buzziest eateries. Last week DJNL was invited to take a seat at…
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The V Element
I may not be vegan but when I was invited to a media event celebrating the 2-year anniversary of Invitation V, a vegan restaurant on Bernard, my curiosity was piqued. I dabbled with V when I was younger but back then it was only a phase. 15 years ago, vegetarians and vegans didn’t have the…
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THE MUST HAVES
Is there any place better suited for a “cabane à sucre” inspired meal than L’Orignal? Its name alone is particularly Canadian and their warm décor evokes the coziest comforts of a chalet away from the city. The restaurant is the perfect setting for an April filled with “The Moose’s” take on la belle province’s ever-trendy…
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The Breakfast Club
Between 11am and 3pm on the weekends, our city’s restaurants are booming for brunch. The majority of the population is gathered with their friends, around tables in neighbourhoods across Montreal, gleefully (or shamefully) discussing the amazing night before or getting a head start on what’s to come. Doing this over a great meal with copious…
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Staying Power
There are treasures to be found in each of Montreal’s diverse neighbourhoods. The Cote-des-neiges-notre-dame-de-grace (CDN-NDG) neighbourhood is by far one of Montreal’s most sprawling and densely packed areas to live in the city. Because of its enourmous size, it holds a wealth of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops and one of the finest of these…
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Sweet Weekend
Le Richmond is a restaurant that doesn’t shy away from making a meal into a not-to-be-missed spectacle. Located in Griffintown, their second annual Brunch à l’érable is currently in full swing and like many of their other successful events it has the town talking. Like a well-orchestrated show, a meal at Le Richmond is all…
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Maple Fever
Every year around this time there are more and more establishments tapping into an ever-growing maple fever. Restaurants across the city are marinating, coating, crumbling and baking maple into just about everything imaginable and we couldn’t be happier about it. Last week we were invited to the prestigious Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel to get a first…
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The Sweet Life!
It’s a sweet time of year to be living in Montreal. One by one sugar shacks of all shapes, sizes and menus are popping up like early spring flowers. Each one offers their distinct take on the traditional meal that Quebec is known for worldwide. While some are just ok, others really excel at standing…
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Open Season
Cabane à sucre (sugar shack) season is upon us and we got off to a running start with a wonderful experience we won’t soon forget. Having survived a harrowing trek through the woods to get to Cabane chez Jean made the experience that much more memorable. Read on. Located at the beautiful beach chalet on…
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A DJNL First Look
Mont Royal Avenue is the centre of everything cool on the Plateau. Over the past few years the scene on the Plateau has weakened, as St. Henri and Griffintown have become the flavour du jour for our city’s hip new openings and cool new spaces. Though activity on the Plateau may have slowed down, the…
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The Inn Crowd
The Dominion Square Taverne is an iconic establishment in downtown Montreal. In an effort to expand their horizons, the folks behind the Taverne took over the space next door and opened the Balsam Inn, a much-lauded icon-in-the-making in its own right. Last week, and friend and I stopped by the restaurant for the first time…
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Measuring Up
(Vicolo is now closed) I’ve got to hand it the owners of Vicolo for they are certainly persistent. Freshly opened back in December as an Italian eatery, the space is still haunted by the ghost of the very short lived, Frunchroom (the décor hasn’t changed much since it closed late last year). Though the ghost of…
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The New Standard
Even though Montreal may be one of North America’s most diverse culinary cities, you won’t find much of that diversity in our downtown core. With the exception of a few widespread gems and a peppering of mega-chain restaurants, most of our culinary delights lay in neighborhoods likes Old Montreal, Mile-End, Griffintown and St. Henri. After…
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Lady of the Night
Late in 2014, Mimi la nuit, the latest project from Edward Zaki and Jeff Stinco (pictured below), opened on St. Paul in the space once occupied by Le Piano Rouge (the space goes all the way back to 1893 when it was known as the Catholic Sailors Club, a haven for sailors stopping over in…
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Nightlife Evolution
In Montreal these days, nothing ventured really is nothing gained when it comes to our abundant restaurant scene. With the year we’ve had, where so many restaurants have been hit with hard times or worse, we should be thankful that there are people still willing to invest their time, money and hope in to pleasing…
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Down To Business
In December, the folks behind a slew of popular Montreal hotspots like Pastaga and Tapas 24, came together to open Commerce, a new restaurant and bar on the ever diversifying McGill street in Old Montreal. Combining an extensive background in people pleasing atmosphere, delicious food and drinks, the powerhouse team proved there’s fun in the…
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Above The Cut
What’s your favorite restaurant? That’s the question I’m most often asked as a restaurant-obsessed writer. The answer to that question is far from simple, as I don’t have just one particular favorite place I like to go. When I’m out and about on a night off from openings and launches, there are a few places…
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Friendly Spirits
With a successful Spirithouse running the show in Toronto, the next logical step for bar owner and cocktail lover, Len Fragomeni, was to tap into one of the liveliest cocktail scenes in Canada. Late in November, Spirithouse opened its doors in Old Montreal. During the opening, we sat with the owner and got a taste…
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New Chef, New Menu!
This past summer we discovered Ryu, a cutting edge, Asian inspired eatery in Outremont. Last week we were invited back for an off-the-chain menu relaunch that proved the brains and brawn of this restaurant are a worthy contenders in Montreal’s busy restaurant scene. Cocktails, sake and wine got the party off on the right foot…
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Funk and Fusion
St. Henri is home to a plethora of restaurants serving up dishes as diverse as our city’s population. For the last year, Rasoi has fed us their funky take on Indian cuisine. We recently celebrated their first anniversary with a healthy helping of Indian tapas and a few drinks while a henna tattoo artist left…
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Delightful Surprises
To start, let me admit something to you. Before this week, I wasn’t that big a fan of Rachel Rachel. Read on to find out why and you’ll also learn how they won me over. It all started about a year ago when I left a neighbouring restaurant with a few friends. It was relatively…
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Mercuri Rising
When I was younger I remember being seated at Bronte on Sherbrooke Street West with a few friends, knowing that I may not be able to afford breakfast the next morning. It’s happened more often than not, over the last 15 years in Montreal, that I’ve spent my last dime in a restaurant. It may…