Photo: Contiki
Bonjour Montreal! We love you for your French-Canadian Québécois culture and the cobblestone streets of the Old Port of Montreal. Most of all, we love your food. You bring loads of delicious meals to Canada, such as smoked meat sandwiches and Montreal bagels, but taking the top spot is a truly Canadian dish – poutine!
Made of French fries, cheese curds and gravy, poutine is a dish you MUST try when visiting Quebec. I mean, what could be better? There are tons of restaurants to find the best poutine in Montreal with some spots offering up their own personal twist to the classic Canadian dish. So, bring your appetite because you’ll want to taste all the poutine you can at once.
Where was poutine invented?
There’s no better place in Canada to try an authentic poutine than in Quebec – that’s because it was created here! A short two-hour drive outside of Montreal, in Warwick, Quebec, is where poutine was born.
In 1957, French Canadian restaurant owner, Fernand Lachance invented poutine by adding cheese curds to his fries. In Quebec, poutine is slang for “a mess”, which, if you’ve eaten the dish before, you’ll know can be very true!
Image source:Photo from Tourisme Montréal by Alison Slattery
The best poutine in Montreal
Not sure where to eat poutine in Montreal? You can grab poutine in almost any restaurant in the city, or at the annual Great Poutinefest Montreal holds every August. But, since there’s only so much space in our stomachs, we’ve pulled together a list of our top 18 places to find the best poutine in Montreal…
18. Maamm Bolduc
This cute family run restaurant on the Plateau Mont-Royal is a staple restaurant beloved by Montrealers. With an outdoor patio surrounded by plants and flowers, Maamm Bolduc is a great place to enjoy a hearty poutine. Whether you’re craving a three cheese poutine, or want to give their popular meat poutine adorned with an egg a go, this spot is definitely worth a visit.
17. Mon Petit Poulet
Calling all chicken lovers! Mon Petit Poulet is well known for creating mouth watering rotisserie chicken thanks to their special house-made marinade. This “Adobo Montreal-Style” recipe was created by fusing their favourite spices from all around the world. Here you can try a handful of different poutines that feature roast chicken or chicken nuggets.
16. Chez Tousignant
Cooked with a focus on quality, Chez Tousignant is a great place to check out for a classic poutine. This diner style fast food joint cuts their fries in house daily and delivers a delicious dish (try saying that 3 times fast) every time. It also doesn’t hurt that it comes at a great price!
15. Dirty Dogs
Don’t be deterred by the name, because this place has a lot more to offer than just their famous hot dogs. If you want to enjoy some serious poutine and save a few bucks on drinks, Dirty Dogs has been voted one of the best spots in the city for their happy hour and poutine. Open until 3 AM on weekends, one look on their Instagram page and you’ll be counting down the days until you can try their cheesy take on the dish.
14. Le Roi du Smoked Meat
If you consider yourself to be a foodie, you can check off two must-have foods at Le Roi Du Smoked Meat. Aside from poutine, Montreal is known for its smoked meat sandwiches. Here you can order a classic smoked meat sandwich to accompany your poutine, or combine the two and grab a smoked meat poutine!
13. Paulo & Suzanne
Craving poutine into the early hours of the morning? Paulo & Suzanne have you covered. This 1950’s themed diner is open 24 hours on Saturday & Sunday so you can satisfy your poutine appetite whenever it hits. Open until 3 AM most other nights, you can chow down on a variety of poutines – including a handful of spicy options if you like a little kick.
12. Chez Claudette
Want to eat like a local? Head over to an area of Montreal called Mile End, which was once named the “5th coolest neighbourhood in the world” in a TimeOut survey. Here you’ll find Chez Claudette – a warm and cozy restaurant that’s been a staple in the area since 1982. They offer a wide selection of poutines for a great price that you can enjoy late into the evenings.
11. Gibeau Orange Julep
Driving through Quebec? The Gibeau Orange Julep is a Montreal landmark that can be seen from the Décarie Expressway. Its iconic orange-shaped concrete building is the largest orange sphere in the world! Luckily for us, not only does the Gibeau Orange Julep serve the creamy orange drink, it also serves up some mean poutine!
It doesn’t have as many decked out versions of poutine as some other restaurants, but it sticks to the classics and checks off all the boxes to create a delicious poutine.
10. Paul Patates
This old school, family run diner serves some GOOD poutine in Montreal. In the heart of Montreal’s Pointe Sainte Charles neighbourhood, Paul Patates has been a major favourite among locals since it opened its doors in 1958. Grab a bottle of in-house brewed spruce beer and the barebones poutine for the full experience. They even serve a veggie poutine option for those who want a plant-friendly experience.
9. Poutine Central
Whether you’re a poutine aficionado or new to the Canadian dish, Poutine Central has a great selection of poutines that are sure to satisfy your tastebuds. They have 7 different “Classic” options, although even some of the simple creations like “The MTL” and“Shepherd’s Pie”are quite impressive.
Their “Gourmet” options are much more hearty, while the “Extravagant” poutines are great for those of you looking for a new twist on the dish! They’ve also got a handful of veggie options that don’t disappoint.
8. Montreal Pool Room
Talk about greasy spoon at its greasiest – the Montreal Pool Room is a restaurant favourite among locals for Montreal-style hot dogs and fries. Unfortunately, you won’t find any pool tables here, but you will find some of the best poutine in downtown Montreal.
It’s located on St Laurent Boulevard which is known for its hopping night life thanks to the brewpubs, karaoke bars and cool divebars. Even better? Montreal Pool Room is open daily until 4 AM which makes it the spot to go for a late night snack on the way home from the bar.
7. Ma Poule Mouillée
Ma Poule Mouillée is a newcomer to the streets of Montreal compared to some of the other establishments on this list, but they’ve made quite a name for themselves since they opened in 2013. This Portuguese restaurant fuses traditional flavours into their dishes to create mouth watering poutines. Don’t be too surprised if there’s a line when you go, but the food is well worth the wait!
6. Poutineville
This Montreal-operated chain specializes solely in poutines with 25 different concoctions to choose from. If none of those happen to peak your interest, Poutineville also offers a very in depth build-your-own poutine service. Kinda like the poutine version of Subway sandwiches. Still can’t decide which to try? The Montrealer is always a crowd pleaser!
With multiple locations across the city, it is an easy way to get your poutine-fill while you’re on the go. They even offer the best delivery poutine you can find in the city.
5. Greenspot
Greenspot has cemented itself as a staple in the city of Montreal with 75 years worth of experience making poutines. Lots of visitors stop by just to check out their retro decor, but most come to enjoy one of their 27 different poutines. Whether you want to stick to the classics or venture out of your comfort zone, this restaurant is a must visit while in the city.
4. Au Pied de Cochon
Looking for a poutine that pulls out all the stops? Au Pied de Cochon offers the city’s fanciest poutine. Their poutine dish features gravy and chunks of foie gras (made with duck or goose’s liver) on top of a bed of fries. This warm and friendly restaurant pays homage to its Quebec and Canadian heritage and is a great place to go if you’re looking for a poutine that’s a little classier than a takeaway box.
Reservations are highly recommended as this spot fills up fast. Drawing in locals and tourists from across the country, this dish is like a right of passage in the poutine world in Montreal.
3. Frite Alors!
This Montreal spot blends Belgium-style fries with Canadian poutine to make one memorable dish. It may be tough to decide what to eat here as they have an extensive menu of options for their poutines, from bacon and sausages to General Tao’s chicken. Not only is their gravy gluten free, but they also offer vegan alternatives so those with dietary restrictions won’t miss out on these delicious dishes. Frite Alors! have a few locations scattered around the city, so you’re never too far away from a delicious meal.
2. Patati Patata
This fast food joint may have limited seating, but it offers up some of the best takeaway poutine in Montreal. At Patati Patata, you can expect Quebecois style skinny fries and fresh cheese curds topped with vegetarian gravy here. Their signature dish is the ‘patatine’, a poutine with mushrooms, peppers and onions.
1. La Banquise
No trip to Montreal is complete without a stop at La Banquise for poutine. With a selection of over 30 different types of poutines and vegan gravy options, La Banquise tops our list. If you’re looking for bars that serve poutine, La Banquise is the spot. This restaurant is open 24/7, making it a great late-night snack to enjoy with a microbrewery beer. Expect lineups here as it’s 100% the best place for poutine in Montreal.
They’ve got a great website and social sites that gives loads of information on the history of poutine as well as how they created their empire if you’re curious to learn more about the delicious dish!
There are tons of poutine places in Montreal where you can find this delicious Canadian favourite! Enjoying a poutine is one of the many things to do when you’re visiting Montreal. Don’t forget to add in a smoked meat sandwich and some time to explore the Old Montreal for the full experience of Montreal.
