The Best French Onion Soup in Montreal
Today, we’re talking onion soup. Add onions and pieces of bread to a broth, traditionally beef, then top it generously with grated cheese and let the whole thing gratinée. The result is a bowl brimming with comfort, just the thing for those winter days when the thermometer swings hard (downward).
Legend has it that onion soup traces back to a late-night craving of French king Louis XV, on his return from a hunt. That evening, the pantry held nothing but onions, champagne and butter. Served together, the ingredients pleased the king, who added to his noble diet what we now know as French onion soup (made with wine). Its affordable ingredients helped popularize the dish, which quickly found its way into the homes of countless French families.
Some 300 years later and an ocean to the west, onion soup warms and wins over plenty of Montrealers. This French classic was quickly adopted by the city’s establishments. You’ll find it in cozy taverns, but also in more upscale restaurants where some chefs reinterpret it with a gastronomic touch.
In the spirit of a remedy against the bitter cold, we’ve put together a list of the best places to eat onion soup in Montreal.
Still on your quest for comfort? Check out our list of comforting restaurants in Montreal where you’ll eat extremely well, or our roundup of the city’s best soups. Enough to warm body and soul!
Bon appétit!
Restaurant Gus
In his small restaurant on Beaubien Street, chef David Ferguson offers Quebecois cuisine with a twist from the American South. His onion soup is made with red beer and features smoked pork shank, avocado, homemade croutons, and is layered with cheddar cheese. An onion soup 2.0 that is definitely worth a try. Photo Vadim Daniel Photography
Montréal
Le Molière Brasserie Française
Le Molière is a classic French brasserie serving traditional dishes executed with precision. With a broad, varied menu, a mostly French wine list and an elegant setting, the restaurant offers an authentic dining experience. The domed onion soup is a standout on the menu.
Montréal
Mignon Steak Frites
Mignon, born from the Tomahawk group, is a Little Burgundy bistro that pays tribute to the classic steak frites. Inspired by L’Entrecôte St-Jean, the restaurant also offers a fine cocktail and wine list, and its onion soup gratinée, topped with crostini, aged cheddar and porcini oil, is a real treat!
Montréal
Maison Baultberri
Set in the iconic former Archambault store space at the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Berri, Maison Baultberri is a superb café by Laurent Dagenais and the team behind the Empire stores. The café is tucked right inside the new Empire store. The atmosphere is pleasant for working during the day and for unwinding with friends in the afternoon. As a bonus, the drinks and dishes are excellent, but in our view, the real star of the menu is the onion soup!
Montréal
Brasserie Bernard
At Brasserie Bernard, open since 2013, you’ll rediscover the pleasure of comforting classics in a Parisian brasserie setting. The onion soup is gratinéed with Louis d’Or and gruyère: a fine way to start a lunch or to warm up over dinner.
Montréal
Holder
In Old Montreal, Holder is a well-established address for gathering around European brasserie classics. Among them, the onion soup gratinée makes a comforting starter, enjoyed in a large, lively dining room that suits business lunches and dinners with friends alike.
Montréal
Duc de Lorraine
Duc de Lorraine is best known for its pastries, but this address, open since 1952, also makes room for French bistro classics. On the evening menu, the onion soup is topped with croutons and gratinéed with Swiss cheese and cheddar. A reason to extend your visit beyond coffee and viennoiseries, and a comforting starter to enjoy in the calm atmosphere of this bistro.
Montréal
Au Pied de Cochon
For nearly 25 years, Au Pied de Cochon has been a cornerstone of Montreal’s dining scene. Now running the kitchen, Michael Picard Labelle, Martin Picard’s nephew, carries on the house’s generous, decadent spirit. Onion soup makes its big return to the menu starting in mid-October. Gratinéed with gruyère and emmental, it’s made with a broth in which the house charcuterie is cooked. A version that doesn’t do things by halves!
Montréal
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Photography by Alison Slattery
