Global Toronto Eats - Eating around the world in one city

Modern French-Canadian dining in Montreal

The epitome of casual and chic

Fine dining in Montreal is rarely a formal affair. The best splurge restaurants are surprisingly casual, open only for dinner and late into the night.

Montreal skyline from Quartier des Spectacles

The menu at these places changes often. So, you may not get the same items that others have raved about. Nevertheless, some signature items have become a mainstay and for good reason.

Of interest to the food tourist are the French-Canadian restaurants. Sure, Montreal has stellar fine dining establishments offering French, Italian, Syrian, Japanese, etc. cuisines. But those are also found elsewhere in the world. If you visit, go for those unique to the city or region. In Montreal, it’s modern French-Canadian.

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The bagels of Montreal

Where to get the best double-cooked bread in Montreal

Montreal bagels are perhaps the most famous home-grown food from the city. Only poutine is more well-known but that’s shared with the rest of the region and not invented in Montreal.

Interior of St-Viateur Bagel — Making bagels at St-Viateur Bagel

The two oldest and most popular places to try are St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel. They define the standard for Montreal bagels. But are these the best in the city? Fortunately, there aren’t many bagel specialists in Montreal. If you have a few days to spare, you can hit up all of them to find out who makes the best. Or you can just read on.

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What to eat in Montreal

Local specialties of the gastronomic capital of Canada

There are actually two gastronomic capitals of Canada: Montreal and Toronto. Montreal excels in focus while Toronto excels in variety. Both are accessible to the general public, catering to all budgets from fast food to fine dining. The difference is that Montreal had a few hundred years headstart in developing a culinary identity.

Today, it’s renowned for bagels, poutine, smoked meat, and more. You’ll notice that most of them are snacks and junk foods. Here’s a quick rundown of the iconic and lesser-known foods of Montreal.

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The Acadian and maritime foods of Moncton

What to eat in New Brunswick’s largest city

New Brunswick is the least-known of Canada’s Atlantic provinces. Tourists often bypass it to attractions in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Hardy food enthusiasts will make a stop here though, because this is the heartland for Acadian cuisine.

Rise and fall of Acadian cuisine

Acadia was the earliest French colony in Canada. It thrived until the final British conquest in the 18th century, when the majority left or were deported. Limited by poor farming conditions and lack of riches, Acadian cuisine is simple, does not feature fresh herbs and vegetables, and is suited for harsh winters. It’s similar to the cuisine of Quebec in that regard. And like it’s neighbour, it’s fallen out of favour in modern times because it’s seen as bland peasant food.

Some representative dishes:

Poutine râpées: Potato dumplings with a meaty centre.
Fricot: Meat stew, usually chicken.
Râpure: Like a shepherds pie but with chicken or seafood.
Fried clams: Battered clams.
Coquille Saint-Jacques: Scallop on the shell, baked with a creamy sauce of cheese and breadcrumbs.
Pets de sœur: Cinnamon roll but with pie instead of bread dough.

Even though Moncton is New Brunswick’s largest city, Acadian food is surprisingly difficult to find. There are less than 5 places. Consider supplementing your gastronomic excursion with other non-Acadian, New Brunswicker specialties.

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The fries-with-the-works of Charlottetown

Finding the best loaded fries in Charlottetown

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is famous throughout Canada for its produce: potatoes, beef, dairy, lobsters, scallops, mussels, and more. While those are delicious, it’s strange that the Islanders haven’t created specialty dishes with them. One exception is fries with the works.

It’s feasible to try all the restaurants in Charlottetown that offer this dish if you have the time, appetite, and companions to share the calories with. For those that don’t, here’s a quick rundown of the top contenders.

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The red meats of Edmonton

What to eat in Edmonton

Edmonton has exactly one food speciality: their take on donairs. Since this is Alberta, the land of cattle, it’s also a good opportunity to try the local beef and game meats.

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The chowders of Victoria

Seafood stews in the capital of British Columbia

Victoria is a picturesque capital at the tip of Vancouver Island. What it doesn’t have is a specialty dish. There are several fish and chips restaurants. Lacking the appetite to try all of them, I opted for chowder instead. Good news is that they come in tiny cup sizes. With all the different variations, chowders might become the Victorian specialty.

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The triple-layered bars of Nanaimo

Where to get the best Nanaimo bars in their place of origin

Nanaimo is a seaside town that’s used mainly as a transit point to catch a ferry. However, it has an outsized claim to fame on the Canadian culinary landscape–Nanaimo bars. They are widely found across Canada, though more common in the Western provinces. No one is sure who created this dessert but it emerged from Nanaimo in the 1950s. And yes, locals call them Nanaimo bars too, even in Nanaimo.

A and B docks behind The Marinaside Resort, Nanaimo — Docks behind The Marinaside Resort, Nanaimo

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The lake fishes of Yellowknife

Where to eat freshwater fish in Yellowknife

Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories do not have unique food creations. At best, they offer an opportunity to try the local produce. Yellowknife is blessed with the second-largest lake in Canada and fishing tourism is booming here. Naturally, local fishes are the thing to try.

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The wild game of Whitehorse

Where to eat Yukon meats in Whitehorse

Whitehorse doesn’t have unique food specialties. In fact, neither does anywhere in the Yukon. Early gold rush settlers brought sourdough bread from San Francisco, which in turn came from Europe. Although there’s a sourdough winter festival in Whitehorse, the “sourdough” here refers to hardy locals rather than the bread.

While sourdough (the bread) isn’t a big thing in Whitehorse, it’s a fine place to try local game meats.

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