A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Enjoy some of the city’s best terrasses
There is a wonderful feeling familiar to Montrealers that comes with that first meal of the year enjoyed on a terrasse. After being cooped up for close to eight months, Montrealers welcome terrasse season with as much enthusiasm as hockey season. We’re talking excitement! Be they big or small, a terrasse is the ideal spot to enjoy dinner in the city, sipping rosé, munching a tartare and enjoying those warm summer breezes for the few months they last. Lesley Chesterman picks 11 favourites TERRASSE NELLIGAN 106 Saint-Paul St. W.
Arguably Montreal’s most fabulous terrasse, The Nelligan is a great destination for drinks and major cinq-à-sept action. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, this is a good spot to view the most beautiful part of the city from way up high while enjoying bistro fare like hamburgers, tartares, charcuterie platters, lobster rolls and plenty of salads. It’s quite the scene and the ideal place to see and be seen. Reservations not taken at dinner.
BRASSERIE T
1425 Jeanne-Mance St.
Toqué!’s baby bistro may be a bit of a tight squeeze in winter, but in summer the magnificent terrasse overlooking Place des Festivals is just the place to be, either during a festival or simply to soak up the downtown summer scene. As for the food, everything here is delicious, with personal faves being the hamburger, the steak tartare, the pork ribs, the coquille St-Jacques and the superb “saucisse de Montreal.” Finish off with a Paris-Brest, enjoy a fine bottle of wine and enjoy the view. This is also an excellent choice for solo diners and anyone attending a show at Place des Arts.
ICEHOUSE
51 Roy St. E.
Nick Hodge’s restaurant may be small, but the terrasse at Icehouse is one rockin’ spot to enjoy great Southern fare, ranging from ribs to shrimp to cornbread to some of the best fried chicken in the city. And then there are the tacos, made with pulled pork, fried fish, or how about vegetarian, with portobello mushrooms and guacamole? There’s beer, bourbon lemonade, wine and cocktails. In lobster season, don’t miss the lobster roll, and in midsummer, produce from Hodge’s Sugaree Farm in Sutton is sold at their Saturday market stand at the restaurant.
LES FILLETTES
1226 Van Horne Ave.
I have a lot of love for this restaurant/wine bar that just keeps getting better and better. Head here for the affordable lunch menu, or extensive dinner menu, and how about brunch? The big draw is the amazing selection of natural wines and the sharp waiters that point you to all the winners. The terrasse out back is secluded, elegant, and ideal for those looking for a little quiet while soaking up the summer sun along with a few glasses of rosé.
1045 Laurier Ave. W.
What’s left to say about this iconic Outremont bistro, where the fries are fantastic, the fish soup is divine, the desserts are scrumptious and the terrasse is my idea of heaven? Book well in advance for a spot on this lovely streetside terrasse. It is covered, making it just as much of a draw in spring and fall as in deep summer. The staff here is excellent, the ambience is always buzzing and the wine list holds many beauties for imbibing at lunch, dinner, or their especially family-friendly brunch.
BEATRICE
1504 Sherbrooke St. W.
Long one of the city’s top terrasses, Beatrice is a definite scene, drawing many of Montreal’s movers and shakers. The terrasse is covered with a retractable roof, making this expansive terrasse a four-season, all-weather favourite. The food is authentic Italian with homemade pastas, grilled octopus salads, fresh shrimp, thick steaks and the requisite hulking veal chop. Prices run high, but their $25 lunch menu is one of the best deals downtown. Try the liver!
RESTAURANT LE GOURMAND
42 Ste-Anne Ave., Pointe-Claire
This, the best restaurant on the West Island, is famous for its coconut shrimp, crab cakes and Thai salmon filet, but mostly its incredible terrasse. A real hot spot filled with regulars often greeting each other across the multi-levelled deck, Le Gourmand is friendly, action-packed, and best of all, fun. Don’t even think of showing up without a reservation.
MAISON BOULUD
1228 Sherbrooke St. W.
Montreal terrasses don’t get much swankier than that of the Ritz Hotel, where at Maison Boulud you’ll be sitting on large wicker chairs surrounded by pink flowers and baby ducks traipsing around a pond. Chef Riccardo Bertolino’s French/Italian cuisine is both luxurious and delicious, and eating his beautiful food in this magnificent, summery setting is about as posh as dining gets in Montreal. Be sure to request the terrasse when booking as seats go fast. A great choice
ALLEN McINNIS
also for a chic brunch. Save up.
MONKLAND TAVERNE 5555 Monkland Ave.
This beloved neighbourhood restaurant features one of the biggest and best terrasse scenes in the city along with a friendly staff, a give-the-people-what-they-want menu and quality libations, from the cocktails to the superb and well-priced wine list. Crowded with regulars including many families (with a definite anglo bent), the Tavern has ambience in spades and so much to offer including dishes like Thai shrimp, rigatoni with meatballs, and one terrific hamburger. Diners beware: this restaurant is not only popular, it also does not take reservations. So if you want a great seat, show up early, especially late, or get ready to wait.
ACCORDS
212 Notre-Dame St. W.
Old Montreal has its fair share of restaurant terrasses, but this one is in a side alley next to the restaurant in a secret courtyard, making it one of the most romantic spots for the ideal summer lunch or dinner. The cuisine is made with local, organic ingredients, but as this is a wine bar, it’s the food and wine pairings that impress most, along with a superb selection of primarily organic, natural and bio-dynamic wines. The $30 lunch menu is a deal, as is the dinner menu at $45 with an added $35 for wine pairings.
DAMAS
1201 Van Horne Ave.
One of the hardest reservations to nab in the city, a table at Damas is that much more accessible in summer when their magnificent terrasse opens up and the hordes descend, eager to dine al fresco on all the sensual Syrian dishes coming out of chef-owner Fuad Alnirabie’s kitchen. Begin with fried kibbeh, hummus lahmé or cheese bureks, followed by fattoush and falafel, and continue with grilled meats, especially the rack of lamb served with a tomato and onion salad, grilled pita and tahini sauce. Add a spectacular wine list to the strengths of this restaurant, making a night on their terrasse an extra-special experience on our multicultural restaurant scene.
One of the
hardest
reservations
to nab in the
city, a table
at Damas.