The theme of Montréal en Lumière this year: A Taste of History: 65 Years of Montreal Gastronomy.
Inspired by the current exhibition On the Menu at the McCord Stewart Museum, all about the history of Montreal restaurants, Montréal en Lumière is digging into the rich lore of local dining to create one-of-a-kind culinary events this year to go with all the usual outdoor partying and cultural extravaganza.
Among the 80 restaurants participating, there are 25 that received MICHELIN mentions and nine that were on the North America's 50 Best Restaurants list. Participating local chefs include Martin Picard, Graziella Battista, Paul Toussaint, Magie Marier and Patrice Demers, while guests include everyone from French whiz kid Victor Blanchet to Italian great Marco Laudano-Cavaliere. So what are you waiting for? Get the scoop on some of the highlights below, and make your reservations, STAT.
Bivouac
1255 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, H5B 1E5
Read also:
Montreal's Best French Restaurants for an Authentic Experience
Dates: February 26th and 27th, 2026
Explore Indigenous food at Bivouac thanks to a collab between Bivouac chef Xavier Dahan and Huron-Wendat chef Anora Lia Collier. You'll experience wonderful terroir ingredients like duck hearts and local rum-marinated salmon gravlax with pine-scented sour cream, a stuffed rabbit dish with morille mushrooms that had us floored and a wonderfully buttery cod en croûte with cooked radishes. Divine.
Renoir Restaurant
1155 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, H3A 2N3
Dates: February 20th and 21st, 2026For two days only, Renoir's chef Olivier Perret will host MICHELIN-starred chef Lorenzo Di Gravio, from the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo in Panama. Come savour his modern, refined take on Latin American cuisine in a seven-course menu, where creativity and sustainable practices come together in dishes like a yellowtail tiradito marinated in coconut milk aguachile, a richly flavoured octopus tamal and shrimp cooked in a plantain leaf.
État-Major
4005 Rue Ontario E, Montreal, H1W 1T1
Dates: February 26th, March 5th and March 6th, 2026
État-Major's chef Alan Boulio is the host with the most this edition, with no less than three themed nights where he will be showcasing visiting chefs. On February 26th chef Constance Tassé Gagnon will present a menu inspired by Expo 67 and the Atlantic Pavilion, paying tribute to the Maritime provinces with dishes replete with the spirit of the sea. On March 5th, Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation chef Maxime Lizotte will be at the decks, serving up flavours of the Quebec terroir. And on March 6th, chef Ashley Thornton will serve up a fascinating five-course tasting menu that pays tribute to the women who shaped Montréal's culinary scene. Each dish will evoke a decade and celebrate the talent, creativity, and influence of these pioneers who often remained in the shadows.
MARCUS Restaurant + Lounge
1440 Rue de la Montagne, Montreal, H3G 1Z5
Dates: February 25th and 26th, 2026For two nights only, chef Jason Morris of Marcus will be joined by Mads Refslund, co-founder of Noma as well as chef and founder of New York City's ILIS, for a refined culinary experience at the heart of the kitchen. Guests will enjoy a multi-course tasting menu, prepared live and designed to highlight bold flavours, precise technique and the creative dialogue between two acclaimed chefs. There are two seatings per night, but they're going fast, so reserve asap.
Restaurant Kamúy
1485 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, H2X 1Z9
Date: February 27th, 2026Paul Toussaint will excitingly be joining forces with French whiz chef Victor Blanchet to offer a one-night, four-hand, five-course menu that will take diners on a trip through the history of French cuisine in the Caribbean. Expect vibrant seafood, spices from the islands and refinement from this hot collab.
Restaurant Graziella
116 Rue McGill, Montreal, H2Y 2E5
Dates: February 19th and February 26th, 2026The lauded Montreal chef Graziella Battista hosts two visiting greats in her McGill Street restaurant this edition: Marco Laudano-Cavaliere on February 19th, chef at the renowned Da Ciccio Cielo Mare e Terra restaurant, with a menu bursting with sunshine and flavours from the Amalfi Coast; and biodynamic winemaker Maddalena Pasqua di Bisceglie on February 26th. The Graziella team has crafted a special menu where each course is paired with one of the Musella winery's biodynamic vintages.
Molenne
5309 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, H2T 1S5
Dates: February 24th and 25th, 2026
This new Boulevard Saint-Laurent mainstay already attracts foodies thanks to chef Louis-Joseph Rochefort's refreshing nonchalance and sensitive approach to local flavours, and for two nights only he'll pair his talents with chef Hugue Dufour, king of terroir, of New York's M. Wells fame. This return to Dufour's native Quebec will be an occasion to remember, not least because he'll be mining the delights of the local cheeserie Famille Migneron to create this special menu.
Restaurant Parapluie
44 Rue Beaubien O, Montreal, H2S 1V3
Date: February 27th, 2026
On February 27th only, Parapluie chef Robin Filteau Boucher hosts Vancouver chef Mathew Bishop, from the MICHELIN Bib Gourman restaurant Gary's, when a special four-course sharing menu will spotlight Bishop's signature style, rooted in Western Canada. Take a cab for this one: the dishes will be paired with Canadian, Québécois and privately imported wines you won't want to miss.
Ratafia
6778 Boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal, H2S 3C7
Dates: March 4th and March 5th, 2026Hosting iconic Rimouski chef Colombe Saint-Pierre for a four-course dinner inspired by the most meaningful places in her journey, Ratafia's chef Magie Marier is pulling out all the stops for this two-nights-only event blending flavours, stories and memories. Each evening will be narrated by Saint-Pierre. Not to be missed.
Sabayon
2194 Rue Centre, Montreal, H3K 1J4
Dates: February 26th to 28th, 2026
What happens when a MICHELIN-starred Montréal restaurant known for its cred in pastry thanks to chef Patrice Demers matches with chef Maira Yeo, crowned Asia's best pastry chef? Come see for yourself on February 26th, 27th and 28th, when they pool their talents to present a four-hand, six-course menu.
Lloyd
1050 Rue de la Gauchetiere O, Montreal, H3B 4C9
Dates: February 26th to 28th and March 5th to 7th, 2026
Chef Nicolas You planned this Montréal en Lumière menu as seven bites in two acts: savoury, then sweet. The journey will feature fish crudo with samphire and sesame, a shrimp-and-avocado choux, smoked beef tartare on a bagel crouton, a snail vol-au-vent… and a reimagined pouding chômeur you just have to try.
Mon Lapin
150 Rue St-Zotique E, Montreal, H2S 1L8
Date: February 28th, 2026
Mon Lapin's Marc-Olivier Frappier has invited the famous Forcherio family behind the famous Nice restaurants Paloma and Nizza on February 28th only. Bask in some Southern France sunshine with chef Armand Forcherio producing marvels in the kitchen, his twin brother Ange Forcherio handling the wines, and Rosalie Forcherio, Armand's daughter and director at La Lune, joining in the party too!
Alma Montreal
1231 Avenue Lajoie, Montreal, H2V 1P2
Dates: February 27th and 28th, 2026
One of North America's 50 Best restaurants, Alma's chef Juan Lopez Luna will be hosting Denver's MICHELIN-starred chef Johnny Curiel for two evenings where their shared Mexican roots will sing in unison.
Hélicoptère
4255 Rue Ontario E, Montreal, H1V 1K4
Date: March 1st, 2026
The French chef and social media sensation Eloy Spinnler will be serving up five courses at Hélicoptère, in collaboration with chef David Ollu. Spinnler offers a thoughtful, refined, and deliberately minimalist cuisine, where every element is designed to highlight the ingredient. His work aligns with Hélicoptère's vision: a strong commitment to seasonality, technical precision and a deep respect for nature's rhythm.
Modavie
1 Rue St-Paul O, Montreal, H2Y 1Y6
Date: February 27th, 2026
Blast from the past TV chef Soeur Angèle will be featured for an unforgettable night with Modavie chef Romain Chassignet and renowned ex-Manoir Hovey chef Roland Ménard, celebrating Québec's gastronomy and terroir. Inspired by bistro style with a refined gastronomic touch, this menu will highlight exceptional local products. Culinary icon and Member of the Order of Canada Soeur Angèle will join the chefs to recreate one of her signature dishes, which she will prepare on-site herself.
And that's just a tip of the iceberg, with things also happening at Toqué!, Au Pied de Cochon, Sabayon and more. Check out the full programming here, and book your spots now!
