The Best New Restaurants of 2026
As every year, we’re keeping a close eye on what’s new in Montréal. Our ranking of the best new restaurants of 2026 is a living list that we’ll update throughout the year, in step with new openings and our visits.
What stands out in 2026 is, yes, the diversity of offerings — but also the sense that each project arrives with a strong, distinct personality. From small neighbourhood spots focused on warm hospitality and well-executed cuisine, like Figata, which could very well earn a place on our list of the best Italian restaurants in Montréal, to more ambitious concepts such as Hana Steakhouse, already featured on our list of the most beautiful restaurants in the city, where every detail is carefully considered; and including highly anticipated openings like Yakitori Hibahihi — the city has welcomed a wonderful wave of new restaurants that truly feel refreshing.
These are addresses we’ve grown fond of, places you visit as much for the atmosphere as for what’s on the plate, alongside more refined tables that place the overall experience front and centre. With this list, we hope to help you make some great discoveries. It’s a genuine pleasure to share our favourites with you day after day for the past 12 years, and 2026 is only just beginning (with plenty of exciting projects on the horizon!). Thank you to those who’ve been following us all along, and welcome to everyone who has recently joined our community.
For more recommendations, explore our list of Montréal’s must-try restaurants, as well as our lists of the city’s best delis and our favourite Montréal brunch spots.
Without further ado, here is our list of the best new restaurants of 2026 in Montréal.
Hana Korean Steakhouse
Opened in January 2026 in Old Montréal, Hana Korean Steakhouse offers an upscale, festive, and convivial take on Korean barbecue. Here, the grill sits at the centre of the table — and beef is the star: prime cuts, house dry-aging, with wagyu reigning supreme. Guests come as much for the signature BBQ platters made for sharing as for the nine-course omakase menu, designed as a true gastronomic journey. With no overwhelming smoke, a carefully curated wine and sake list, and an elegant interior by Zébulon Perron, Hana delivers a refined, vibrant, and unmistakably Montréal take on the Korean steakhouse.
Montréal
Restaurant Bruce
La Taverne Bruce is a charming Petite-Bourgogne spot blending warm ambiance with comforting cuisine. The project pays tribute to Barbara Bruce, the mother of one of the owners, and to Scottish hospitality. The intimate, tastefully decorated dining room is equally suited for a casual beer with friends or a full dinner. The concise yet generous menu features snacks, mains, sides, and desserts — all thoughtfully executed. A well-selected list of wines, beers, and cocktails rounds out the experience beautifully.
Montréal
Figata
Figata is a warm Italian-American address in Saint-Henri, perfect when you’re craving something generous and comforting. It’s the kind of place where you settle in for a long dinner over abundant plates designed for pleasure and sharing. The vibe is relaxed, friendly, and unpretentious — ideal for a night out with friends or a cozy date. The décor evokes a vintage New York trattoria, with checkered tablecloths, dim lighting, and dark wood furniture. A reliable go-to for taking your time and leaving fully satisfied.
Montréal
Le Comptoir de Mamie
Le Comptoir Mamie is the little sister of Bar Mamie, the beloved Beaubien address — with the same convivial spirit. From morning coffee to the last drink of the night, it’s a laid-back space where everyone feels at home: solo with a laptop, sharing plates with friends, or on a date over a good bottle. The food features well-executed classics and comforting dishes (special mention to the ham coquillettes — pure nostalgia). Behind the bar: thoughtful house cocktails, ever-changing natural and organic wines, and a team happy to guide you by the glass, or by instinct. The warm vintage décor makes you feel as though you’re dining at Mamie’s home. Newly opened, yet already a true neighbourhood go-to.
Montréal
Yakitori Hibahihi
Yakitori Hibahihi celebrates the art of Japanese yakitori in its most authentic form, with skewers grilled over binchōtan charcoal under the direction of chef-owner Hiroshi Kitano. The menu also includes excellent cold dishes, vegetarian options, and comforting plates like ramen or mazemen noodles. Guests come for the impeccable quality of the ingredients, mastery of fire, and precise execution of each skewer. The atmosphere is lively and warm — more energetic than a classic izakaya — with an open kitchen that adds to the show. Ideal for dinner with friends over natural wine or sake, or for a date where you taste a bit of everything. Already a strong contender for our list of the city’s best Japanese restaurants.
Montréal
Bāgā
BAGA serves smash burgers, fries, and drinks — all 100% local. The concise menu (three burgers and fries) keeps things simple and focused. It’s the perfect stop for a quick lunch or a casual meal with friends, perhaps paired with a glass of wine (they hold a liquor license!). The décor is absolutely stunning — far from your typical fast-food counter.
Montréal
Restaurant Chouchou
Chouchou is already establishing itself as one of the most exciting new tables of the year. Behind the project is chef Chouchou Jia — whose restaurant bears her first name — serving Chinese flavours executed with French techniques and Quebec ingredients, a niche still largely unexplored in Montreal. The result is as elegant as it is personal, served in an intimate setting with mauve lime wash walls and leather banquettes on Rue Beaubien Est.
Montréal
Arthurs Dinette
The little sister to Arthur’s Nosh Bar and Romies, Arthur’s Dinette has opened on Monkland Avenue in the heart of NDG. Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg offer a menu inspired by the Jewish diaspora—blending Sephardic and Ashkenazi roots—from morning to night, with their signature creative touch. Set in a beautiful diner-meets-bistro space, the restaurant works just as well for family brunch as it does for dinner with friends or a relaxed date night.
Montréal
Tô dinette viet
Tô Dinette Viet is one of the new spots bringing fresh energy to Montreal’s dining scene in 2026. This colourful, laid-back Vietnamese canteen focuses on direct, lively cooking full of character, in a spirit firmly rooted in street food. The intentionally concise menu sticks to the essentials with well-executed soups, grilled dishes, and sandwiches, all served in an unpretentious setting that adds greatly to the place’s charm. A new address that more than deserves its place among the year’s most interesting openings.
Montréal
Celeste
Installed in the bright atrium of Maison Alcan, Celeste quickly established itself as one of 2026’s standout openings. This expansive Italian restaurant impresses with its striking decor, polished atmosphere, and regionally inspired cooking built around generous dishes and house-made pasta. It is an address that draws as much for the room as for the plate, and one that has already earned its place among the year’s most talked-about new restaurants.
Montréal
Prince Pub
Pub Prince is one of those new openings that naturally finds its crowd. With its neighbourhood pub spirit, pool table, games on screen, and genuinely laid-back atmosphere, the address brings something simple and right-feeling to downtown. In the kitchen, the focus stays firmly on comfort, with burgers, pizzas, cheese sticks, and fried olives, all at approachable prices. A new spot that already feels like the kind of place people will keep coming back to.
Montréal
Bocca Di Lupo
Bocca di Lupo quickly established itself as one of the Old Port’s notable new openings. The restaurant focuses on well-executed Italian cooking, with house-made pasta, crudos, comforting classics, and a strong wine list, all set in a warm space defined by stone, velvet, and leather. It is a versatile and welcoming addition that brings fresh energy to a part of the city that needed it.
Montréal
Chez Cécile Rôtisserie
On Fleury Ouest, Chez Cécile brings a warm, communal touch to the neighbourhood with a rotisserie concept built around sharing. People come for the roast chicken, the shareable dishes, and a menu that follows the seasons. A new opening that brings a welcome energy to the area.
Montréal
Bistrot Fortune
Bistrot Fortune is one of those new openings that stands out right away for having a distinct point of view. The kitchen brings Southeast Asia and Latin America into conversation, shaped by real Japanese precision and an unmistakable bistro spirit. With its small, intimate dining room, a menu that shifts with the arrivals, and prices that feel fair for the quality on the plate, it already stands out as one of the year’s most interesting new restaurants.
Montréal
