With more than two decades of experience behind it, this French brasserie is a Montréal favorite. Its relaxed but sophisticated ambience includes a central bar and a variety of decorative mirrors. The menu features traditional café fare, such as steak and frites, cassoulet, sausages and sauerkraut, and a selection of seafood dishes. When the weather's warm, the terrace invites guests outside to dine on wicker chairs and bask in the sunlight. In the evenings, the restaurant's second floor becomes a pub, serving draft and imported beers. Great for casual get-togethers.

This long-lived Jewish deli has been feeding Montréal well for over 50 years. Family-owned, the small place pulls in a wide variety of dedicated locals, who come for the terrific breakfast fare, including bagels, omelets (try the spinach!), sweets, and even chopped liver. Weekends, especially Sundays, are often crowded, but if you're prepared for the wait, you're in for some terrific food. And with years of experience, the staff is attentive and efficient, ensuring that all goes smoothly.

Hungry for breakfast off the beaten culinary path? Step into Byblos and you may never go back to traditional eggs and bacon again. Steeped in the culinary tradition of Iran and the middle East, even the humble omelette is elevated to exotic with cardamom and rose petals. Sip mint tea and dip poppy seed bread in ginger jam or try the sweetbreads awash in the natural light from the tall windows. The place is popular so come early, or make a reservation to avoid a wait.

Just a short jaunt off the well-beaten Montréal city streets is Noeser, a sweet little place tucked into a bed & breakfast 20 minutes drive from the Champlain Bridge. Bring your own wine and settle into a room with deeply colored walls and low ceilings and enjoy the bounty of Chef Denis' vision. The menu changes regularly, and sometimes features other international cuisines but one thing is constant: the use of seasonal produce and local meat, fish and game. In summer the terrace is a delight to the eye as well as the nose: herbs and flowers are bountiful and it is quite common to see someone dart out of the kitchen and pinch a small bouquet to garnish a plate. 5- or 8-course meals available.

He's been dubbed the "man of grease" in an award-winning documentary and judging from the plates he dishes up for his customers, it is no wonder. Completely slick and tasty, each entree comes with everything: toast, eggs, bacon, sausage and Cosmo's famed potatoes. Comfort food at its finest.