There is no better place to eat in Canada than Montreal, and that’s just the truth. With more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country, you can find pretty much anything you’re looking for. That said, we’re here to eat and drink and do quintessential French Canadian things, so lean on in.

Here are seven things to eat along with the special places to eat them when visiting this old-meets-new European metropolis.

Croissants at Olive et Gourmando

The breakfast + lunch spot is beloved by locals and travelers alike for it’s baked goods, sandwiches and more. It’s pretty much always busy, so the move here is to order some pastries and a cappuccino from the takeaway counter. The chocolate croissants specifically are the greatest of all time, and there’s also plain and almond varieties if that’s more your speed.

Poutine + Steamies at Montreal Pool Room

This 100+ year old institution sticks to the classics — poutine, which can be described as a mountain of fries covered in gravy and cheese curds, and steamies (steamé?), a steamed hot dog covered in mustard, relish, onion and vinegary coleslaw. It’s the kind of divey old-school diner you want to spend time in, despite the lack of actual pool tables.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Schwartz

Based on what I have seen, heard and experienced, I’m pretty sure there is never not a line at Schwartz, but if you walk by and it looks like you stand a chance. GO. This deli is very reminiscent of Katz in NYC, offering smoked meat piled high on rye with yellow mustard along with other kosher-style items. If you can’t get in, the sneaky pro tip is to order delivery through their partner, Foodora.

Bagel(s) at St-Viateur Bagel

The question of who has the best bagel — New York v. Montreal — is hotly debated. Whichever camp you land in, you still need to have a bagel in Montreal. The difference between the two is that Montreal bagels are boiled in water with honey and then wood-fired, meaning they are slightly sweeter than New York bagels and have a crunchier, rich crust. There’s pretty much no bad time to get a bagel, which is a good thing because St-Viateur is open 24 hours.

Anything at L’Express

L’Express is a Parisian-style bistro that is open very late and is also one of the best restaurants in Montreal. Whether you’re seeking comfort food like croque-monsieur (grilled ham + cheese) and cacio e pepe or something a bit more luxurious like bone marrow and mussels, everything you eat here will be delicious and the service will be excellent. Promise.

Pouding Chomeur at Robin Square

This traditional cake made with hot syrup is a Quebec staple. Literally translated as the unemployed man’s dessert, the dish was created by female factory workers during the Great Depression. It takes like pancakes and maple syrup and toffee pudding and is just honestly perfect. Given 70-80% of the world’s maple syrup comes from Quebec, you should get maple syrup in any form from really anywhere while in Montreal.

Snacking and Sugar Shacking

The sugar shack is a quintessential Canadian experience and highly encouraged, though it will require some effort on your part. Most shacks are located outside of the city, you know, where the maple trees are, and run within a limited window (usually late Feb to April). But that’s why we’re here in winter, right?!

The typical sugar shack menu is a doozy and includes some variation of the following: pea soup (yellow peas flavored with ham hock), ham (baked), sausage (links), tourtiere (meat pie), cretons (similar to pork rilette on crostini), pork rinds (deep-fried, obviously), baked beans (also with pork), eggs (usually in omelette form) and maple syrup everything for dessert, including drizzled over snow (!) and eaten like taffy (!). Sugar shack hit list is as follows and reservations are a must: Érablière Charbonneau, Cabane à sucre Au Pied de Cochon, Cabane à sucre Bouvrette, Cabane à sucre La Branche, Sucrerie de la Montagne and La Goudrelle. If you can’t escape the city, you can have an urban experience at Caribou Gourmand, Diablo Smokehouse, Kleine Shoppe (vegetarian + gluten-tree version) and La Binerie Mont-Royal.

Where and What to Eat in Montreal