Food lovers rejoice! MTLàTABLE is coming back for a 7^th edition November 1 to 11, 2018! The 150 participating restaurants will offer a three-course, $23, $33 or $43 set-price dinner menu. Québec’s terroir and wealth of products will be celebrated during the festival with a starring role on each menu. Brunches are also back this year with 20 restaurants offering a 3-course, $17 brunch menu. MTLàTABLE is a great opportunity for all food-lovers to go on a discovery of a collection of Montréal restaurants at a wallet-friendly price.

I know choosing from 150 restaurants can be daunting so to make it easier, I’ve listed 10 of my favourite participating restaurants below.

1. Hoogan et Beaufort

I absolutely adore Hoogan & Beaufort and I have never had a bad meal there. The light-flooded dining room with its 30-foot wood beam ceiling is chic yet cozy and centered around a wrap around bar and an open fire pit. Chef Marc-André Jetté’s cuisine is elegant and his plating just stunning. Hoogan & Beaufort will be serving brunch and dinner for MTLàTABLE so you have no excuse not to go.

2. Le St-Urbain

I clearly don’t go to Le St-Urbain often enough. It is one of the best restaurants in Montreal and the few times that I have been, I have been blown away by the experience. The modern market cuisine is flawless, the wine list impeccable and the service irreproachable. Their MTLàTABLE menu is more elaborate than most and I would definitely have a hard time picking among all the delicious dishes.

3. Madre

Peruvian cuisine is world-renowned and it is one of my favourites. I’ve been known to say that I could eat ceviche every day of my life without ever getting fed up. Madre is a Montreal homegrown Nuevo Latino restaurant from chef Mario Navarrette Jr. is Peruvian comfort food (just like your madre would make) and features local Quebec products from corn and peppers to veal and duck. Best of all, the MTLàTABLE menu has a ceviche on it and potatoes with huancaina sauce and that’s all that you need to know. Book your table now at one of the two Madre locations.

4. Manitoba

Chef Simon Mathys’ cuisine is strictly regional and based on whatever is in season at the moment. Dining at Manitoba is akin to going on a discovery of new products that grow right here in Quebec but that you probably have never heard of. Green Alder peppers, field peas and Labrador tea are all on the menu for MTLàTABLE and I can’t wait to discover them all. The Manitoba dining room is also one of my favourites in Montreal and I could gladly move in if they let me.

5. Moleskine

Located in a beautiful double height space with an industrial chic décor on Parc Avenue, Moleskine’s upstairs dining room is cozy and trendy. The cuisine is market based with a definite Italian influence. Tuck into a Québec buffalo straciatella or enjoy a Brome lake duck with creamy polenta. Oh and pair that with some of their excellent natural wines. This restaurant is Pullman’s sister spot and the wine list is excellent.

6. Restaurant Su

If Verdun’s Restaurant Su wasn’t on the other side of town, I’d probably be there twice a week. Chef Fisun Ercan’s sunny cuisine is authentic, delightful and elegant and dining at Su is akin to taking a culinary voyage to Turkey. I love feasting on hot and cold mezes or tucking into a traditional Turkish dish. You can pair your meal with one if the exceptional Turkish wines Su carries and always end your dining experience with a cup of thick Turkish coffee.

7. La Chronique

One of Montréal’s finest tables has been a regular on the MTLàTABLE roster for a few years. This is your chance to take advantage of this festival to indulge in La Chronique’s elegant dining room, flawless service and exquisite French cuisine. This year’s menu includes duck foie gras terrine and Île de la Madeleine scallops, both great choices. I also always order the foie gras extra because no one in Montreal does foie gras like La Chronique.

8. Restaurant de l’ITHQ

Chef Jonathan Lapierre-Réhayem cuisine’s stars local and sustainable products. His love and passion for Quebec’s produce is evident with every bite of his impeccably creative dishes and with every conversation I’ve ever had with him. The mackerel mi-cuit with mushroom marmalade and the sea buckthorn tartlet are calling out to me but I am sure that every dish on his menu is flavourful and cooked to perfection.

9. La récolte espace local

I became a fan of this unpretentious neighbourhood bistro the first time I walked in. La Récolte serves local, organic and seasonal produce in a fun and casual dining room. I am as much a fan of the young owners as I am of the friendly service and the farm-to-table philosophy.

10. Chez Victoire

Dining at Chez Victoire is always a great idea. The quintessential Plateau Mont-Royal restaurant is trendy, friendly and quite delicious. Whether I’m craving comfort food or fine dining, chef Alexandre Gosselin’s cuisine is always a hit and sommelière Sindie Goineau’s wine pairings are always on point. The ambiance is always so lively and even more so during MTLàTABLE.

GIVEAWAY!

The nice people at Tourisme Montréal are giving one of you vouchers to enjoy dinner at Chez Victoire! All you have to do is leave me a message below, comment on my MTLàTABLE Facebook post or my MTLàTABLE Instagram post and tell me who you would take to dinner with you. I will draw a name among all participants and will announce a winner in the evening on Monday October 8th. Good luck!

The MTLàTABLE list of 150 participating restaurants just came out a few minutes ago. Book your dinner or brunch table (or tables) now since they tend to fill up very quickly. How many MTLàTABLE meals do you think you can eat in 10 days?