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Food in Old Montreal

Just came back from an awful meal at Creperie Chez Suzette on St-Paul!

I went there because we had some visitors from New York who were looking for an inexpensive but good place to have a nosh after a visit of the old quarters. I wanted to go the the Keg but it was just too expensive for our taste. Well, since the place is right in fron of Chez Suzette we decided to have a try.

I had the crepe supreme with chicken in a pot-pie sauce. Nope! Not good. I was really upset that the crepe batter was not savory as expected but sweet instead. Why? Oh! Why?

Where can a person have decent yet inexpensive food in the Old Port? Just so I don't make other friends go through this again. Help!

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  1. I usually end up at Stash. www.stashcafe.com

    Pastabilité used to be a pretty good bet but I've not been since the change in ownership.

    3 Replies
    1. re: carswell

      Thanks! I can stop feeling like I am getting ripped off whenever I go to Old Montreal.

      1. re: carswell

        The Pastabilité space became Bistro St-Sacrement. I park in the lot next door and the signs seem to have disappeared and when I peeked in, the space was completely empty. I'm not sure whether they are renovating or have closed up for good.

        1. re: carswell

          I went there for the first time last February, and I LOVED the place. I recommend it as well.

        2. Stay away from the tourist traps!
          - Stash (St-Paul & St-François-Xavier)
          - Gandhi (St-Paul & St-...something?)
          - I hear the Portuguese restaurant, Porto Mar, is very good
          - Tokyo (sushi) (St-Paul & St-François-Xavier)

          1 Reply
          1. re: ididitallforthegnocchi

            Porto Mar offers decent Portuguese food at reasonable prices.

            A general rule of thumb is to stay away from the immediate area of Place Jacques Cartier..the further away you go the the quality of the food improves and the prices get more reasonable!

          2. I find Usine de Spaghetti on St-Paul just east of Place Jacques Cartier is pretty good.. plus on the 2nd story they have pretty nice booths overlooking st-paul... not expensive at all. Try it!

            5 Replies
            1. re: FaStAeRo

              My friend had had good a good experience with L'Usine de Spaghetti so we went to check it out a month ago. The staff were brusque, the food mediocre, and I felt a little like I was eating in a Swiss Chalet or something. They seated us by the window though, which on a summer day is great breezy spot. Apparently, Charles Dickens wrote a bit of his Tale of Two Cities in the back room, that could've been a fun selling point had their food been more memorable.

              1. re: torontrealais

                I am a very big fan of Steak & Frites on St.Paul. The service is very friendly, the food is great and its a bring your own wine restaurant. The steaks come with a choice of 3 different sauces (normally I don't like sauce with my steak, but this is an exception) and believe it or not, they have one of the best calamari dishes I have ever had.
                For two people, I split an appetizer and we each had a steak, and the bill was only $55. Pretty good for only 2.

                1. re: Dusty08

                  Their a chain, and while I have not eaten at the Old Montreal location, I very much enjoy their location at St. Alexandre and St. Antoine in the Quartier Internationale not far from Old Montreal.

                  Its not high end, but very reliable. Agree about the calamari. Not recommended for vegetarians.

                2. re: torontrealais

                  L'Usine de Spaghetti is known elsewhere in Canada as the Spaghetti Factory - about a notch above Swiss Chalet, IMHO. It may be inexpensive, but I wouldn't recommend it.

                  1. re: cherylmtl

                    And how hard (or expensive) is it to make Spaghetti? Really? What they charge for it is just ridiculous.

              2. Although nobody seems to have ever heard of it, I really like La Gargote (351 Place D'Youville) for unpretentious bistro food with a nice terrace. I don't think it's BYOB but the prices are very reasonable.

                5 Replies
                1. re: The Chemist

                  Glad to hear someone mention this restaurant, I have never had a bad meal there, very friendly vibe.

                  There is also a decent southwestern-French cuisine restaurant on St-Paul whose name escapes me right now.

                  1. re: jfprieur

                    I have not had your success at La Gargotte. While the food has never been bad I never found it better than mediocre, but at reasonable prices. The other places on St-Paul would be either Les Pyrénées or Le Bourlingeur. (I would go to either one before returning to La Gargotte).

                    1. re: jfprieur

                      Are you thinking Le Petit Moulinsart?

                      1. re: jptimbaud

                        If that were the case. I would be astonished that someone confused Belgian food for Southwerstern French.

                  2. Well, not that the food's anything great, but when in doubt I just go to Jardin Nelson. At least they have interesting sangrias... but most of all, the ambiance really wows people -- the courtyard is so pretty and the live jazz so soothing that the average food should taste quite alright!

                    2 Replies
                    1. re: rictitious

                      I've been there for brunch but didn't know what dinner was like. It's too bad Olive and Gourmando doesn't do dinner because I'd have loved to take my guests there.

                      1. re: rictitious

                        I too go to back terrace at jardin nelson just for salad (they have one with strawberries), crepes, light choices or drinks as ambience is great especially with the live music. and greenery. My daughters prefer to go to borisboris for drinks appetizers on their terrace and holders also on mcgill especially good when there is a group, they are not sticky about numbers, will squeeze in an extra arrival.