About Tastet

The Tastet Team

Tastet is simply about people who want to enjoy life at its best – we like to eat, to drink but always in good company! Each day of the week, we share together through our site and social media, the pleasures of discovering everything that’s good about food and more. We’ve chosen the motto « If we’re talking about it, then it’s good » because we believe deeply in the advancement of our society through the positive and not the negative. Constructive, not destructive criticism. We try to put forward the positive points of each business to help our followers best match their wishes to the right place, enhancing their experience.

Tastet is the go-to reference for anyone looking for restaurants, bars and cafés in Montreal.

Why? Because we are valued for the authenticity of our content and opinions. No restaurant, café or bar pays or will pay to be included on our site or weblinks. The articles represent our most sincere opinions. If the business is owned by a family member or friend, this connection is always mentioned in the article and just 0.1% of all the places Tastet has visited, account for these. If any meal is offered “on the house”, this invitation is mentioned in our article – and these represent 15% of all the places listed on our site.

Tastet is neither a blog nor a critique, it is a guide to good places and food!

Our goal is to promote Montreal’s hospitality environment, help sustain its growth and contribute to its vitality. We evaluate the businesses based on criteria that allows us to present the quality of each place as objectively as possible. Tastet succeeds because it is based on mutual trust between everyone interviewed, every place visited and us, the writers – and combined with professionalism, integrity and creativity. The site is followed and read by media influencers, which adds a personal, objective touch and contributes value to our exclusive content.

We also write articles about companies we believe in. New content is added each week as well as updates. And thank you to our followers for the suggestions that help us discover new places – this is important because it pushes us to continually strive to do better !

Hospitality-related businesses, events and products are our paying customers. Contact us for more information on our advertising offers. NB. paid advertising is aimed at hospitality, event and product-related businesses and is indicated by the « It’s Advertising! » or « Sponsored Article » , depending on the content of the article.

Have fun discovering Tastet!

What is Tastet?

It is an interactive free guide to good gourmet addresses. More than 1,000 restaurants in and around Montreal are now included. It is an easy-to-use platform that allows the user to navigate around and match up the right customer with the right place! Once a business is in our database, we highlight its qualities that will best respond to users queries thus helping them make informed choices about whether they want to go here …. or there. The site strives to remain up-to-date thanks to the vigilance of the Tastet team and above all, to the contributions from our followers who inform us of any changes made to existing places mentioned on our site. Tastet’s followers are curious, interactive and are instrumental to our success.

Who is Tastet?

Élise Tastet, who, thanks to her father Jean-Philippe Tastet (restaurant critic for Montreal newspaper Le Devoir), grew up with an amazing understanding and passion for the world of gastronomy. Elise has a background in communications and e-commerce and designed the Tastet website. Tastet has been a registered company since February 2016.

How do you choose restaurants?

We have a non-exhaustive list of places to try. Every day, suggestions come our way from readers and restaurants to be included, so it means we are constantly adjusting our recommendations. We may be a small team but we're certainly busy!

So who are Tastet's clients?

Our clients are all businesses in the areas of hospitality, products and events. They are seen in our "Sponsored Articles" section, where Tastet chooses the restaurants to write about, but the articles are sponsored by a client business. In our "It’s Advertising" section, we write articles that include our clients’ marketing content. Our current marketing partners are Barry Callebaut and the SAQ.

How do you rate restaurants?

Our goal is not to be negatively critical so we use a grid that analyses the following points : decor, service, food, price, wines (new) and atmosphere. Whenever these criteria are met, the business is then positioned to receive a positive Tastet description and attract those followers who will like this particular kind of place best for what it has to offer them. We try to showcase the businesses we love - we have a huge respect for the enormous work needed behind establishing a restaurant. Tastet is meant to be a guide to these good places.

How do you manage your ethics?

We are not journalists or critics, nevertheless, honesty is important to us. We use our good judgment and are as objective as possible. The positioning of the businesses and their descriptions allow you to decide whether or not the location is a match for you. If we accept an invitation, it is mentioned ; if we know the owner, we tell you.

How does a restaurant, business get to be on a Tastet list?

Our list of places to try grows longer every day but we do our best. We’re a small team with a small budget. Please write us at [email protected] with your suggestions because every one is important to us!

What kind of advertising do you offer?

We offer banners, sponsored articles, content articles and postings on our social media sites. Tastet does not accept advertising from restaurants, cafés or bars. Advertising is available to businesses related to hospitality, events and products. For more details, please contact us at [email protected].

Do restaurants pay to be included on Tastet?

Never. Neither on the site nor on any of our social media networks. If we are invited by a restaurant, the invitation is always mentioned in the article. We also aim to include the prices so that you can decide whether it is in your budget, or not.