MONTREAL RESTAURANTS: WHO€™S OPEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

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If you happen to be in Montreal during the holiday season, it can be difficult to figure out where to go at this time of year, especially when many establishments aren’t open on December 24, 25 or New Year’s Day.

I’ve done the legwork for you and have come up with a list of restaurants where you can satisfy your cravings for comfort food or have a gourmet dining experience. I’ve prepared a range of choices that are open on December 24, 25, 31, 2009 and January 1, 2010.

December 24, 2009

Cheap comfort food: St. Hubert
Normally I would never talk about a chain restaurant in this blog, but if you’re far from home and looking for a little ‘comfort food’ (in the form of roast chicken), then St. Hubert is a fast, easy choice. St. Hubert has been serving up rotisserie chicken, fries and their famous coleslaw to happy diners for over 50 years. They’re all over the island and you can even have it delivered by ordering online or by phone (514 385-5555).

One of their many branches is located at the Gare Windsor 1180, de la Gauchetière W.
Montreal, QC, H3B 2S2

Foodies’ night out: Club Chasse et Pêche
Completely on the opposite end of the spectrum is the Club Chasse et Pêche. This is one of the few serious gourmet restaurants that’s actually open on December 24. If you’re in town and are looking for a memorable dining experience, then be sure to reserve a table at Club Chasse et pêche. Along with the impeccable service from the super-friendly staff, you will never forget their risotto with suckling pig and shavings of foie gras!

Club Chasse et pêche
423 St. Claude
Montreal, QC, H2Y 3B6
Tel: 514 861-1112

December 25, 2009

An evening of jazz: Modavie
Modavie is a restaurant in Old Montreal that features live jazz all year round, including Christmas evening, offering bistro and Mediterranean style cuisine.

Modavie
1 St. Paul W.
Montreal, QC, H2Y 1Y6
Tel: 514 287-9852

Serious epicurean experience: XO
I’ve already extolled the virtues of the XO restaurant in the St. James Hotel and I could keep going on and on. They are open for Christmas Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are serving a 5-course meal for $80, or later in the evening there’s a 6-course meal for $125. It’s one of Montreal’s top restaurants in the gorgeous setting of the St. James, an exclusive boutique hotel where the stars stay when they’re in town.

XO Restaurant
355 St. Jacques W.
Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9
Tel: 514 841-3111
Toll free number: 1 866 841-3111

December 31: New Year’s Eve

There are many choices out there, here’s a few for you:

Indulge at the Laurie Raphael
Don’t feel like agonizing over what to do on New Year’s Eve? Want to treat your better half to a seriously indulgent gourmet meal? Then reserve now for the Countdown to 2010 special package which includes a one-night stay at the beautifully designed Germain Hotel and a 7-course meal with champagne at the incredible Laurie Raphael restaurant.

Laurie Raphael
2050 Mansfield
Montreal, QC, H3A 1Y9
Tel: 514 849-2050
1 877 333-2050

Party with the locals at 0/TEN
Feel like really having a Montreal-style night out? Well, then check out O/TEN. From 8 in the evening on December 31 until 11 o’clock the next morning, you can enjoy Avocado’s excellent cuisine, drink champagne and dance the night away to the sounds of seven DJs on hand for the night.

New Year’s Day, January 1, 2010

Light and simple: Pho Bang New York
If you’re still out on the town (or finally winding things down) and don’t feel like a heavy meal, head straight to Chinatown for a nice hot bowl of soup and an imperial roll. Pho Bang New York serves big steaming bowls of rice noodle soup on lower St. Laurent Blvd.

Pho Bang New York
1001 St. Laurent
Montreal, QC, H2Z 1J4
Tel: 514 954-2032

The French Touch
Good news! The Montreal institution L’Express is open on New Year’s Day! If you still haven’t tried this classic Parisian-style Bistro on St. Denis Street, then why not start off the New Year with some typical French fare such as onion soup, cassoulet or steak and fries. Be sure to try their mousse de foie de volaille as an appetizer — if you’re too full for dessert, they offer spoon-sized truffles for those who want just a morsel of chocolate to round out the meal.

L’Express
3927 St. Denis Street
Montreal, QC, H2W 2M4
Tel: 514 845-5333

Ring in the New Year with the high rollers: Nuances
Superstitious? You can start off 2010 at Nuances, the 5-Diamond rated restaurant at the Montreal casino. After trying your luck at the roulette wheel or blackjack table, sit down to a 4-course meal for $95.

Insider tip: From December 28 through to the 31st, the restaurant L’Inconnu will be hosting a festive five-course tasting menu at the unbeatable price of $55 per person! The meal includes dishes such as foie gras terrine with apple and Anjou pear vinegar jelly and whole roasted quail with Toulouse stuffing and a red wine and maple reduction. A wonderful dining opportunity not to be missed!

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(knives from L’Émouleur)

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