In Montreal, the restaurant industry is demanding. It requires endurance, character, the ability to make quick decisions, to withstand pressure, to start again. For a long time, it was also told and led, mostly by men.
And yet.
Behind some of the city's most remarkable addresses, women are at the helm. They lead brigades, build bold wine programs, open places that become institutions, and shape team cultures that are more humane and more conscious. They carry ambitious projects in an environment where pressure is constant and recognition, at times, uneven.
International Women's Day is also an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of women's rights in Quebec. In just a few decades, women have claimed spaces that were once closed to them, in political, economic, and cultural spheres. The restaurant industry is no exception. While professional kitchens were long male strongholds, they are now being reshaped by a new generation of chefs, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs who are redefining leadership and success.
For this article, we chose to spotlight chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and entrepreneurs who are actively transforming Montreal's culinary landscape. Some are pioneers who paved the way long before conversations about parity became mainstream. Others represent a new generation that rejects outdated hierarchical models and reimagines leadership in both kitchen and dining room.
They are not here because they are "women in hospitality." They are here because they lead with vision, create with rigor, take up space, and open it for others.
Read also:
The Faces of Montreal's Culinary Scene: the Chefs and Stars Shaping the City's Best Restaurants
This selection does not claim to be exhaustive; it could have easily spanned several more pages. It highlights those who, today, are shaping the way Montreal eats, drinks, gathers, and works. Those who prove that talent, authority, and boldness have never had a gender, even if the industry long pretended otherwise.
Dyan Solomon from Olive et Gourmando
Dyan Solomon has been one of the most influential voices in Montreal's restaurant scene for over two decades. Co-founder and co-owner of Olive et Gourmando, a Vieux-Montréal institution since 1998, she transformed a café-bakery into a beloved destination where locals and visitors gather for simple, generous meals filled with vibrant flavors.
From the beginning, Dyan established a vision rooted in quality ingredients, respect for products, and unpretentious hospitality, creating a place that tells a story of sharing and community with every plate. Her influence extends far beyond the menu: she embodies the quiet strength of an entrepreneur who helped shape the city's culinary identity and continues to inspire new generations of restaurateurs.
Vanya Filipovic from Vin Mon Lapin & Rôtisserie La Lune
Vanya Filipovic is one of the most respected figures in Montreal's contemporary food scene. A trained sommelier, she grew up surrounded by a culture of taste and sharing, a family influence that guided her toward a career marked by excellence. After several years with the Joe Beef group, she co-founded Mon Lapin with Marc-Olivier Frappier, a restaurant repeatedly recognized among the best in Canada and North America, where the wine list plays a central and storytelling role.
In 2024 and 2025, Vanya also helped open Rôtisserie La Lune, celebrating convivial Quebec cuisine in a warm, welcoming setting. A recipient of prestigious awards, including Best Sommelier in North America, she champions a thoughtful and responsible approach to wine, making ambitious selections accessible while cultivating a human and inclusive vision of the profession.
Mélanie Blanchette from Bouillon Bilk, Cadet & Place Carmin
Mélanie Blanchette is one of Montreal's most influential restaurateurs, with a journey defined by perseverance and leadership. Originally from Quebec City, she built, alongside François Nadon, what has become a culinary group that includes Bouillon Bilk, now a cornerstone of downtown dining, as well as Cadet, Place Carmin, and Oncle Lee.
Across these establishments, Mélanie has combined service excellence, refined hospitality, and strong team culture, while navigating significant challenges, including the pandemic and a fire that required the swift relocation of Bouillon Bilk. Known for her commitment to guest experience and brigade cohesion, she also advocates for a stronger presence of women in service roles and gastronomic leadership.
Helena Loureiro from Helena & Portus 360
Chef and entrepreneur of Portuguese origin, Helena Loureiro has enriched Montreal's culinary landscape since arriving in Quebec in the 1980s. Trained in hospitality in Portugal, she built her career on transmitting the traditions of her homeland while striving for gastronomic excellence.
Her restaurants, Helena and Portus 360, have become destinations celebrating modern Portuguese cuisine, generous, refined, and deeply connected to local ingredients. Through her work, Helena tells a story of passion, heritage, and respect for products, embodying a strong and enduring female presence in an industry still largely dominated by men.
Mathilde Rébillard & Geneviève Casaubon from Royale Ginette
Mathilde Rébillard and Geneviève Casaubon represent a grounded and heartfelt approach to hospitality with Royale Ginette. Their café-pâtisserie and dinette, officially opened on International Women's Day, a meaningful gesture, celebrates house-made brioche, specialty coffee, and an inclusive atmosphere where community is central.
After backgrounds in hospitality and cafés, and even a round-the-world cycling journey, they created a space radiating warmth, comfort, and authenticity in La Petite-Patrie. More than a café, Royale Ginette is a place for gathering, freedom, and expression, a reflection of its founders' vibrant personalities.
Cheryl Johnson from Montréal Plaza
Cheryl Johnson is an exceptional chef whose discreet yet profound influence has shaped Montreal's gastronomy. Of Filipino and American heritage, her unconventional path led her from family kitchens to leading Montréal Plaza and Juliette Plaza, two emblematic addresses of the city's eclectic dining culture.
Recognized for her sharp operational skills and thoughtful leadership, Cheryl is more than a chef, she is the operational backbone of projects that have helped redefine Montreal's contemporary culinary scene, merging creativity, collaboration, and technical rigor in every menu.
Simone Chevalot from Buvette chez Simone
It is nearly impossible to imagine Mile-End's social life without Simone Chevalot. Since opening Buvette chez Simone in 2008, she has transformed the convivial wine bar into a beloved staple where guests come as much for the wine as for the warmth and spirit of connection.
Simone embodies hospitality, often personally pouring a glass, chatting with guests, and ensuring that every detail contributes to a simple yet memorable experience. Her sense of wine, place, and presence has made the Buvette both a neighborhood institution and an inspiration for similar establishments across the city.
Janice Tiefenbach from Elena & Gia
A passionate self-taught chef, Janice Tiefenbach has become one of Montreal's most respected culinary figures through her mastery of precise yet convivial Italian cuisine. At the helm of Elena and Gia, she celebrates local ingredients with clarity and care, crafting dishes that balance generosity, simplicity, and refinement.
Her approach is rooted in deep product knowledge and a constant desire to create plates that bring people together. Janice is recognized for her commitment to the culinary community, making each creation an invitation to experience Montreal through a warm and inclusive lens.
Catherine Couvet from Panacée
With Catherine Couvet, Montreal gained a chef who embodies both technical finesse and thoughtful contemporary cooking. After refining her craft in respected establishments locally and abroad, she realized her vision with Panacée, an intimate and acclaimed restaurant in the Village where seasonality, precision, and a human approach to cuisine define the experience.
Through her tasting menus, Catherine highlights local products in delicate compositions that celebrate Quebec's harvest while creating subtle dialogues between ingredients. Her work reflects a conscious and inclusive culinary direction, where each dish becomes an exploration of flavor and texture.
Émilie Bégin from Butterblume
Émilie Bégin brings renewed energy to Butterblume, the beloved Mile-End café-restaurant where freshness and creativity lead the plate. Since taking over the kitchen in 2025, she has introduced a signature style that is both delicate and bold, highlighting vegetables, local sourcing, and seasonality in dishes that surprise without excess.
Her thoughtful approach, grounded in balance and respect for ingredients, has strengthened Butterblume's reputation as a must-visit brunch and lunch destination in Montreal.
Jessica Noël from Vin Mon Lapin
Jessica Noël stands out as co-chef and co-owner of Vin Mon Lapin, now an iconic address in Little Italy. Guided by a product-driven and seasonal philosophy, she crafts ever-changing menus that celebrate local ingredients with subtle precision and technical elegance.
Under her culinary direction, Vin Mon Lapin has risen to the top of national rankings, attracting international attention. The gastronomic approach she develops with her partners is recognized for its elegance, intensity, and unwavering consistency.
Maria-José de Frias & Zoya de Frias Lakhany from Le Virunga
In 2016, Maria-José de Frias and her daughter Zoya de Frias Lakhany brought a shared dream to life with Le Virunga, a restaurant blending African culinary traditions with Quebec ingredients. More than an address, their project is a dialogue between continents. where heritage becomes creation.
Born to a Portuguese father and Congolese mother, Maria-José grew up in Kinshasa before leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1991. Her journey across sub-Saharan Africa shaped a cuisine rooted in authenticity yet open to reinvention. Alongside Zoya, she transforms this culinary memory into a singular Montreal offering.
At Le Virunga, African spices meet Quebec game, cassava converses with guinea fowl, and each dish tells a story of transmission. Together, mother and daughter have created more than a restaurant, they have built a cultural meeting place where gastronomy bridges communities and generations.
Joëlle Trottier from Furco, Parvis & Papito
Joëlle Trottier embodies Montreal's farm-to-table spirit. A graduate of ITHQ, she trained under respected chefs before co-founding Furco with Éric Bélanger and later opening Parvis and Papito, three projects united by their commitment to seasonal Quebec produce.
With particular attention to producers and ingredients from La Fermette in Hemmingford, Joëlle crafts menus celebrating harvest cycles and conviviality. Her work redefines the chef's role as someone deeply connected to territory and community.
Marie-Josée Beaudoin from Sabayon
Marie-Josée Beaudoin is the sommelier and co-owner behind Sabayon, a Montreal restaurant acclaimed for its gastronomic precision and understated elegance. In service, she embodies refined hospitality, balancing creativity, meticulous detail, and deep wine knowledge to elevate the overall dining experience.
Under her leadership, Sabayon has been recognized among the country's best new restaurants and earned a Michelin star in the 2025 Quebec Guide, a rare distinction highlighting the establishment's ambition and excellence. For Marie-Josée, wine is an emotional bridge between plate and guest.
Mila Rishkova from Hoogan et Beaufort & Annette
Mila Rishkova stands at the intersection of strategy, passion, and innovation in Montreal's restaurant world. Alongside her partner Marc-André Jetté, she helped establish Hoogan et Beaufort as one of the city's most distinctive restaurants, known for its culinary intensity, exceptional wine program, and attention to detail.
Her vision extends beyond the kitchen: she oversees planning, operations, and development, playing a central role in shaping the group's direction. Together, they also opened Annette Bar à Vin, celebrated for its carefully curated natural wine list and welcoming atmosphere in Montreal's east end. Mila's trajectory reflects the growing impact of women in executive leadership roles within hospitality.
Thuy Tam Le from T'ami Restaurant
Thuy Tam Le is the founder of T'ami Restaurant, a Montreal address that resonates with the city through its authentic and refined Vietnamese cuisine. Her work highlights flavors inherited from family tradition, interpreted with subtle modernity that appeals to a curious and discerning clientele.
Grounded in respect for classical Vietnamese techniques, ingredient excellence, and precise execution, her cooking delivers dishes that are both comforting and elegant. Thuy Tam Le stands out not only as a chef and entrepreneur, but as a vital contributor to Montreal's rich and diverse culinary mosaic.
