TimeOut asked thousands of city-dwelling locals about the food scene in their cities to rank the world’s "culinary capitals in 2024."
The publication's first-ever World’s Best Cities for Food ranking details the 20 best cities around the world for your tastebuds.
Among the list of world-famous foodie spots was one Canadian city that offers a dynamic culinary scene with cuisines from all over the world and a strong French influence.
Montreal was named the best city in Canada and one of the world's best cities for food, according to TimeOut.
"As one of the most restaurant-dense cities in North America, Montreal has cuisine from all over the world," says Time Out. "One in four Montrealers come from outside the country, and this convergence of cultures has made an indelible mark on the city’s food scene."
Despite offering flavours from around the world, Montreal is home to several well-known icons that are an essential part of any foodie's visit.
If you visit Montreal, don't leave without trying one of these iconic local foods:
Poutine
It would be a cardinal sin to visit Montreal and not try its signature dish. Featuring fries, gravy and cheese curds (the squeakier, the better), the dish is what Canada is all about.
While you can find the dish all over the city, for some of the best poutine in Montreal, try spots like Chez Claudette, La Banquise, and Chez Tousignant.
Bagels
Can you say you've been to Montreal if you didn't eat a Montreal bagel? The Montreal bagel, arguably the city's claim to fame, was brought to North America by Jewish immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European countries.
The Montreal bagel is made by hand and poached in honey water before being baked in a wood-fire burning oven, a cooking process that gives the bagel its distinctive chewiness, golden colour and crust, according to Tourisme Montreal.
As for where to get a Montreal bagel, there's possibly no spot more iconic than St. Viateur Bagel, which has multiple locations in the city, including its flagship on St-Viateur Street West. However, you can also visit places like Fairmount Bagel, Bagel St-Lo, and MTL Bagel to enjoy the baked good.
Smoked meat
If there is one thing that has secured Montreal’s place on the world’s food map, it’s the city's smoked meat.
Made with brisket, Montreal smoked meat is salted, seasoned (it also must marinate for days) and smoked, and is best enjoyed piled high on rye bread with a pickle on the side.
One of the best spots to get smoked meat in Montreal is the iconic Schwartz's Deli — which, for many, may be the golden standard of smoked meat — but also look to Delibee’s, Smoke Meat Pete and Snowdon Deli for tasty iterations of the dish.
Maple taffy
Maple taffy is a Quebec tradition that shouldn't be forgotten while in Montreal. Traditionally, the treat consists of boiled and reduced maple syrup that's poured on fresh snow. The liquid syrup sets and cools a bit in the snow before it's rolled around a popsicle stick and enjoyed like a lollipop.
While you'll want to visit a sugar shack in sugaring off season for the best maple taffy, markets like Jean Talon and Atwater Market carry maple taffy at certain times of year, and you can also visit local restaurants for maple-centric dishes.
Steamies
A Montreal specialty, a steamie (or steamé) is, quite simply, Montreal's take on the hot dog that features a steamed sausage, rather than the grilled or boiled version you may be used to.
Best eaten with the typical toppings of mustard, relish, onions and cabbage, the steamie is today an iconic Montreal snack.
Where to find them? Look to Chez Tousignant, Chez Claudette, Montreal Pool Room and La Belle Province for solid iterations.
World's Best Cities for Food
Here are the best cities for food in the world, according to locals:
- Naples, Italy
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Lima, Peru
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Beijing, China
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Mumbai, India
- Dubai, UAE
- Portland, USA
- Liverpool, UK
- Medellín, Colombia
- Seville, Spain
- Porto, Portugal
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Lyon, France
- Sydney, Australia
- Montreal, Canada
- Osaka, Japan
- Copenhagen, Denmark
Bon appétit!
The bathroom at DaNico restaurant in Toronto. Courtesy of Christian Byrne
Campo Viejo Ecologico Rioja. Right: Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva.