The International Street Food Tour (Montreal, QC)
On this Montreal tour, you’ll explore street food from around the world – tacos, dumplings, pizza, and much more. The tour wanders through La Petite-Patrie and Little Italy neighbourhoods of Montreal, with a brief dip into the Mile End. You’ll end the tour at the Jean Talon Market, one of the largest open-air markets in North America.
Note: many of these locations are closed on Mondays.
Again, I recommend sharing dishes because we’re going to be eating quite a bit.
Montreal is located on the traditional territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation.
Tour Map
Starting Point
Start your tour at the Jean-Talon metro station on the metro’s orange and blue lines.
Exit the station onto Jean-Talon
Turn right onto rue St-Hubert
Impac Tacos
7091 rue St-Hubert
11am-6:30pm Wednesday to Sunday
TACOS
Kick the tour off with some authentic Mexico City-style tacos (July 2021)
No street food tour would be complete without tacos. The area east of Jean Talon market is home to a sizeable Latin American community. At Impac tacos you’ll find authentic al pastor tacos, as well as other Mexico City favourties like huarache (oval tortilla topped with beans, salsas, onions, potato, meat, cilantro and cheese) and gorditas (similar to arepas).
Continue southeast on rue St-Hubert
Patisserie du Rosaire (Patisserie do Rosario)
6805 rue St-Hubert
8am to 5pm (to 8pm Thur-Fri, to 6pm Saturday)
PASTEL DE NATA
Montreal is also known for its Portuguese cuisine. While you’ll want to check out one of the famous chicken places later in your trip, for now we’ll settle for a quick snack. Pasteis de nata are egg custard tart pastries, originally from Portugal but also popular in former Portuguese colonies, as well as other parts of Western Europe, and Asia.
Continue southeast on Rue St-Hubert
La Maison de Mademoiselle Dumpling
6381 rue St-Hubert
11am-8pm Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-7pm Sunday
DUMPLINGS
Grab some boiled or pan-fried homemade dumplings (July 2021).
At La Maison de Mademoiselle Dumpling, you’ll see dumplings being made right in front of you in the window. Boiled or pan-fried, grab a few of some of the best dumplings in the city, before continuing your walk along rue St-Hubert.
Continue southeast on Rue St-Hubert
Café 8oz.
5851 rue St-Hubert
8am-4pm Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm Saturday-Sunday
COFFEE STOP
It’s time for a quick coffee stop. Grab a hot or iced coffee and either take a little break, or use it as fuel for the approximately 1.5km walk to our next stop.
Walk another block southeast on rue-St Hubert
Turn right onto rue Rosemont
Take the stairs down and turn left on rue St-Laurent
Turn right on rue Saint-Viateur O
Falafel Yoni
54 rue St-Viateur O
11am-9pm
FALAFEL
We’ve entered the Mile End – historically a Jewish district, the Mile End is also known for being a hip neighbourhood home to artists, musicians, and filmmakers. At our next stop, we’re going to grab a popular street food in the Middle East – falafel. Yoni is a relative newcomer, with the owners bringing a taste of their native Israel to the Mile End.
Walk west on rue St-Viateur (toward Saint-Urbain)
St-Viateur Bagel Shop
263 rue St-Viateur O
6am to midnight
BAGEL
This stop overlaps with the Classic Montreal Food Tour but you can’t come to this neighbourhood without grabbing a bagel. Join the line up and get your hands on a true Montreal classic – a fresh, hot bagel right from the St-Viateur wood-fired oven.
Continue walking west on rue St-Viateur
Turn right onto rue Bernard
Bernie Beigne
23 Rue Bernard O
10am-6pm Wednesday to Sunday
DONUT
For Round 2 of round dough, we’re stopping at a new donut shop for some sugary goodness.
Continue walking on Bernard, and make first left on St-Laurent
Turn right onto rue Baubien E
Comptoir Dat Allis
322 Rue Baubien E
11am-7:45pm Tuesday to Sunday
BANH MI
A taste of Vietnam at Dat Aliis (July 2021)
As we head back to Little Italy, before delving into some Italian favourites, we’ll first take a little side trip for a taste of Vietnam. Baguettes were brought to Vietnam by the French in the 19th century and became a staple food in the 20th century. Bahn mi, which translates simply to ‘bread,’ are filled with savoury ingredients and are now a popular street food across Vietnam.
Backtrack on rue Baubien E
Pizza Bouquet
45 Rue Baubien E
Noon to 10pm
PIZZA
Is it possible to walk through Little Italy without getting a slice of pizza? Maybe, but not on this tour. At Pizza Bouquet, you can grab a New York style slice, recognized as one of the best in the city.
Turn left on rue St-Dominique
Turn right on rue St-Zotique E
Restaurant El Amigo
51 rue St-Zotique E
11am to 10pm Tuesday-Saturday, Noon-10pm Sunday
PUPUSA
We’re in the home stretch now. If you’ve still got room, you’ll want to stop in to El Amigo to try out a pupusa – the national dish of El Salvador (and popular throughout Central America). The flatbread is usually stuffed with one or more ingredients which may include cheese, chircharron (pork rinds), squash, or refried beans.
Continue on rue St-Zotique
Turn left on av Henri-Julien
Turn left on rue Dante
Pasticerria Alati-Caserta
277 rue Dante
10am to 5pm (to 6pm on Thursday and Friday)
CANNOLI/PASTRY
You’ve made it. For the grand finale, we’re grabbing a cannoli from this legendary Italian bakery. Join the line-up and marvel at the baked goods once you get inside.
Return to av Henri-Julien and turn left. You’ll hit the market in three blocks.
Jean Talon Market
7070 av Henri-Julien
8am-6pm (until 5pm on Sunday)
STILL HUNGRY?! Lots of options if you are.
Market scene at Jean-Talon Market (July 2021)
From Alati, it’s a short walk to Jean-Talon market. Soak up the historic streets and stalls and take some time to explore the sights and sounds of one of the largest open air markets on the continent. Open year-round, with about 300 vendors, the market is surrounded by other food establishments including meat, fish and cheese stores, bakeries and restaurants.
To return to the starting point (Jean Talon metro station), continue walking up Ave. Henri Julien and turn right on rue Jean-Talon
Route Information
Tour Map
Start at Jean-Talon Metro station
Exit the station onto Jean-Talon
Turn right onto rue St-Hubert
Impac Tacos (7091 rue St-Hubert)
Continue southeast on rue St-Hubert
Patisserie du Rosaire (6805 rue St-Hubert)
Continue southeast on rue St-Hubert
La Maison de Mademoiselle Dumpling (6381 rue St-Hubert)
Continue southeast on rue St-Hubert
Café 8oz. (5851 rue St-Hubert)
Walk another block southeast on rue St-Hubert
Turn right onto rue Rosemont
Take the stairs down and turn left on rue St-Laurent
Turn right on rue Saint-Viateur O.Falafel Yoni (54 rue St-Viateur O)
Walk west on rue St-Viateur (toward Saint-Urbain)
St-Viateur Bagel Shop (263 rue St-Viateur O)
Continue walking west on rue St-Viateur
Turn right onto rue BernardBernie Beigne (23 rue Bernard O)
Continue walking on Bernard, and make first left on St-Laurent
Turn right onto rue Baubien EComptoir Dat Allis (322 rue Baubien E)
Backtrack on rue Baubien E
Pizza Bouquet (45 rue Baubien E)
Turn left on rue St-Dominique
Turn right on rue St-Zotique ERestaurant El Amigo (51 rue St-Zotique E)
Continue on Rue St-Zotique
Turn left on av Henri-Julien
Turn left on rue DantePasticerria Alati-Caserta (277 rue Dante)
Return to av Henri-Julien and turn left
Jean Talon Market (7070 av Henri-Julien)
To return to metro:
Walk up av Henri Julien
Turn right on rue Jean-Talon