The Best Seafood Near Beba, by the Record

A painting of a Dalmatian anchors the dining room, which tells you something about the mood: elegant, but not stiff. This is a seafood-forward tasting restaurant in the Plateau where co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren cook with a clarity that favors the ingredient over the flourish. The pastry chef's reimagined classics are a reason to stay for dessert. It holds a spot on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list.

1. 50 Best #15 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
2. Air Canada 2025 · Best Dessert · Best New Restaurants
3. Canada's 100 Best #8 · Best Restaurants

Chuck Hughes' seafood-forward bistro in Old Montreal hides behind a modest door in Old Montreal, opening into paneled ceilings, leather banquettes, and a chandelier that has no business being that dramatic. The blackboard menu shifts with the day, leaning heavily on oysters, wild prawns, and whatever else arrived fresh. The open kitchen splits two dining rooms buzzing to a soundtrack of unapologetic 80s and 90s hits.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. Condé Nast Traveler The 28 Best Restaurants in Montreal

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

The menu at this seafood restaurant on Avenue du Mont-Royal shifts with whatever came off the boat, so the kitchen is essentially never cooking the same thing twice. The room fills fast and stays loud, which makes it feel more like a dinner party than a reservation. Counter seats are worth grabbing if you're solo. The Michelin Guide lists it among its selected Montreal restaurants.

1. Air Canada 2011 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
2. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant