Best French restaurants in Montreal

French cooking with Japanese touches, in a playful room. Sea urchin cream since day one.

• 50 Best #22Source ↗

  The reviewer praises the energy of co-chefs Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson's room, where sophistication meets soul and the menu is playful.

  Standout dishes: vegetable bourguignon, popcorn tartare

• Canada's 100 Best #13Source ↗

  A playful room paired with serious cooking from co-chefs Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson, blending French and Japanese influences.

  Standout dishes: scallop tartare, sea urchin cream, trout on a cloud, sea buckthorn meringue

• MICHELIN RecommendedSource ↗

  Quirky decor and large tables suit group celebrations, and the French-rooted menu has contemporary and Asian touches. Ordering is flexible, from shared plates to tasting menus.

  Standout dishes: whelks with miso butter, razor clams with ginger and ponzu

David Gauthier and Emily Homsy's local: seasonal French food, Middle Eastern notes, family falafel.

• Canada's 100 Best #22Source ↗

  A neighbourhood favourite with seasonal cooking that mixes French technique and Middle Eastern influences, with precise technique and an extensive natural wine list.

  Standout dishes: falafel, boudin with apples, razor clams with tabouleh, aged pork with sauce Robert

Québec seafood and game, cooked with French technique, in a bright room facing the kitchen.

• MICHELIN 1 MICHELIN StarSource ↗

  The chef joins French technique with Québec produce, and the inspector admired the skilled broths, creams and sauces. The modern room with a kitchen view and formal silver service add to the nostalgic feel.

  Standout dishes: Magdalen Islands lobster, king crab, Appalachian red deer, scallops

Harrison Shewchuk's French, Italian and British-minded menu changes almost daily. Opened 2025.

• MICHELIN Bib GourmandSource ↗

  A Little Italy bistro run by chef Harrison Shewchuk, with a brief, season-driven menu that mixes timeless classics with produce from an Estrie farm. The inspector admired the chef's gourmet treatment of offal and his French-rooted modern style.

  Standout dishes: beef tartare with beef jelly and trout roe, breaded veal brains with sauce ravigote, devilled beef tongue

• Canada's 100 Best #23Source ↗

  A daily-changing menu of French, Italian and British influence with local produce, giving simple-looking dishes depth; vegetables get the care of proteins.

  Standout dishes: einkorn loaf with cultured butter, pommes dauphine with mouclade, sunflower-seed risotto, beef tartare with consommé gelée

• Canada's Best New #3Source ↗

  Dishes that look simple and restrained but gain depth from precise technique and a clear cuisine d'auteur point of view.

Pub-like room, Lyon-style plates, lobster spaghetti. The owners were on Parts Unknown.

• Canada's 100 Best #51Source ↗

  Lyonnaise-inspired, unpretentious cooking in an oyster-bar spirit, with rich signature dishes that have lasted and a wine list that gives Quebec growing weight.

  Standout dishes: lobster spaghetti, oeuf en gelée with black truffle

• MICHELIN RecommendedSource ↗

  A cheerful, convivial room with warm, efficient service. The menu is relaxed, rich French bistro cooking, with steaks and seafood at the centre.

  Standout dishes: rabbit à la royale, calf sweetbreads, fries