22 Best Restaurants in Montreal

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking one of the prettiest squares in Old Montreal, Toqué! gives a charming first impression. Someone from the friendly front-desk staff will lead you to a dining room that seems to glow, thanks to a constellation of small hanging lights. A palette of burgundy, burnt orange, and dark gray contrasts with the crisp white tablecloths, and various mirrored surfaces give the place a bit of a fun-house feel, in the chicest way possible.

So what's it like inside? Who else is here?
Helmed by Normand Laprise, one of Quebec's most famous chefs, this is one of the finest tables in Montreal. Diners are well-heeled food-lovers who want to revel in innovation and the finesse, and they don't mind sitting for what could very well be a three-hour meal.

What should we be drinking?
Begin with a house cocktail like the Professor Plum, a savory-sweet blend of plum gin, absinthe, lemon, lavender, thyme, and rosemary syrup. Then it's onto the wine list; let the staff set you up with a pairing so you're not limited to a single bottle.

Tell us about the menu.
Toqué! offers a relatively casual three-course lunch, but the real way to get everything you can out of the restaurant is to choose the seven-course tasting menu, which, with wines, will set you back about $250 per person. The ever-changing lineup melds the molecular with the approachable; you'll find perfectly tender discs of suckling pig loin layered atop golden oyster mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green herb oil, and lemon thyme sauce. Like everything on this menu, it's a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Few restaurants in Montreal have a more expert staff. The approach is warm and easygoing, though, and never snooty.

Okay, so all told, what, and when, is this best for?
This is a special occasion place that requires advance booking and lots of saving up. Whatever brings you in, be sure to savor every moment.