This top 10 of the year is based on the personal experiences of food critic Tommy Dion (Le Cuisinomane) and his analysis of nearly 200 different restaurants in the greater metropolis. Each visit was followed by an introspection not only of the food, but also of the atmosphere, the service, the wine and cocktail list , and the congruence between all these elements.
Best restaurants of the year, but which are unfortunately
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Moccione
Micro Moccione became big. Very large ! My gastronomic experience of the year, without hesitation. A cocktail menureasoned and worked together with the kitchen; think artichoke syrup made with kitchen scraps, cryoconcentration of olive oil, goat cheese (!). Straightforward service. And the dishes, all bordering on perfection one after the other. Preparations that appear simple at first glance, but with flavors so frank and complex that we understand that no shortcuts are used. I will remember the soft grilled octopus placed on a silky mashed pepper, herb oil and yogurt that balances everything, bringing the necessary milky freshness. Melting calamari arrabiata, rich maccheroni bolognese, and artichokes with mushrooms and fonduta — the latter high on my list of favorite dishes in 2022.
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Okeya Kyujiro
The only theatrical omakase in Quebec, which deserves to be experienced at least once. From the entrance to the exit of the restaurant, we are in complete Japanese immersion . Raising of the curtain under the clapping of instruments, solemn preparation of rice for the waltz of nigiri to come, tempering of Wagyu beef, presentation of fish before cutting, without forgetting the tea ceremony which comes to close the ball. A great multi-sensory show that we hope will never end!
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Extra Menu – The Hidden Table
A few times a year, the trio Francis-Camilo-Alexis offers some fifteen guests the privilege of tasting their cuisine, other than through gourmet dishes to be cooked at home. The symphony of taste takes place in their production kitchen, in the Mile-End. A 10-course menu that honors the Quebec terroir, of course, but also shows how this trio is not rusty. We are not surprised by the use of many fermentations and techniques first instilled and then perfected at the Mousso restaurant. Added sparingly here and there, garum, miso and other “secret” concoctions amp up the level of complexity to the point of wondering how good it is. An egg yolk fudge with beef garum skilfully placed on a beetroot tartare that has been delicately dehydrated beforehand to enrich the aromas? You had to think about it.
By adding a wine pairing where sommelier Alexis takes great pleasure in serving his latest finds, you couldn’t be in better hands.
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Wine my Rabbit
What a pleasure to dine at this restaurant! The anticipation of what the duo chef.fe Jessica Noël and Marc-Olivier Frappier will have thought about working with seasonal products in an original way, together with the recent wine discoveries of Vanya Filipovic and Alex Landry, is always at its height. We can talk about the croque-scallop, the poultry liver mousse with radish, the snow crab or the morels worked so skilfully that we don’t want them to leave the menu – because 11 months without seeing them again means ‘Is too long. But, as if by magic, gnudis with mushrooms, skewers of bourgots and a so-called spaghetti carbonara with eel from Kamouraska always arrive at the right time, so as to thank the present moment.
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Mastard
The Mastard, with the sauce of chef Simon Mathys. The latter, supported by a solid team, seems to fly like a little bird by combining creativity and execution. A real pleasure for our taste buds to let Quebec Arctic char melt gently on the tongue, which gradually emulsifies with a trio of sauces with distinct textures and flavors. A slice of tomato drizzled with a wriggling beef fat so greedy, that only the bread made from Grains Du Val from the baker Maxime Deslandes de Blés de Pays deserves a dip. A single evening is enough to discover the universe and the chef’s medicine: it’s beautiful to see, but above all gentle on the taste buds.
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Jatoba
Tell you the great lessons learned during my two visits to Jatoba this year. From the Brussels sprout chips (yes, yes!) and the kohlrabi salad starter — with crab and truffle, should I say —, to the caramel and banana mille-crêpes: no false note. The chef’s sashimi, still at the post behind the raw Olivier Vigneault counter, confirms that he is at the top of his game. The dumplings reflect the perfect marriage of “crispy-melting-umami”, a dreamy grilled broccoli, not to mention a wok-sautéed lobster so just in flavor that the ginger simply elucidates the fine breadcrumbs. Even the shrimp fried rice, which the whole table snatched up to the last grain, was fantastic.
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Knuckles
A warm and festive atmosphere, an evolving wine list that you want to taste (and taste) every week, and profusely tasty and gourmet dishes oriented towards vegetables and pasta . Some would say it’s the perfect trio: I’m one of them. The duo Matthew Shefler and Vincent Lévesque-Lepage have succeeded in creating an inclusive universe in which all the elements are in complete synergy so that the magic happens. The Knuckles is a real Villeray gem, definitely worth the detour and Montreal’s maze of orange cones.