La Banquise
RestaurantTop Pick
La Banquise
Open 24Hrs
| Monday | Open 24Hrs |
| Tuesday | Open 24Hrs |
| Wednesday | Open 24Hrs |
| Thursday | Open 24Hrs |
| Friday | Open 24Hrs |
| Saturday | Open 24Hrs |
| Sunday | Open 24Hrs |
Info & Location
About us
La Banquise, originally a small ice-cream shop, first opened its doors in May 1968. In fall of the same year, its founder, local fireman Pierre Barsalou, decided to transform the enterprise into a 24-hour snack bar. At the time it specialized in exceptionally good hot-dogs and great fries. Poutine first appeared on the menu at the start of the 80s and originally just two varieties were offered, classic and Italian. However, in response to repeated requests from very satisfied customers, the restaurant’s poutine varieties quickly multiplied. Today we offer no less than 25 different types of poutine. Today, La Banquise remains a family business. Mr. Barsalou’s youngest daughter Annie took over in the 1990s along with her partner Marc Latendresse. Together, they maintain both the tradition of quality and the excellent reputation of the La Banquise Restaurant. In summer 2006, La Banquise underwent major renovations and a much larger dining area was made available. 40 years on, La Banquise is now much more than a simple snack bar or poutine joint. Today it is also a warm, friendly venue where customers can enjoy micro-brewery beers, a complete menu du jour and excellent breakfasts. So here’s to you, our loyal customers, the night owls, the groups of friends, the workers, students, families and more, because all of you have contributed to shaping and enriching the success story that is La Banquise today. Many, many thanks.
Our Specialties
Poutine
Amenities, services & more
We accept: Interac, ATM machineMore details
We are located near Lafontaine Park. Gift Certificates available.
Paying parking across the street and free parking on the side street of restaurant.
30 seats.
Photos (16) More
on Google
Press
Events Nearby
POP Montreal International Music Festival 2025
Sep 24, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025
BLVD Festival 2025
Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 31, 2025
Reviews often mention
Display Allpoutine(534) recommend(36) options(35) fries(31) cheese(27) sauce(26) gravy(26) prix(25) busy(24)Page 2 of 13 - 388 Reviews
Frédéric
Un classique de la poutine à Montréal. Plus de variétés que j'ai de cheveux. Un endroit simple mais hyper delicieux. Allez y!View more
Dalia
To be honest, this wasn't my favorite poutine experience. The wait was very long, & I tried two different options but didn't really enjoy either. I do wonder if the classic poutine might have been a better choice.View more
Andrew
If you're going to go to Banquise, eat in. I had take out & was thoroughly disappointed. Long wait & soggy fries. I've had much better poutine at other places in town.View more
FvD
Second Review: 18 May, 2025. I ordered the Scooby Poutine. & it's a go out & try.
The Scooby poutine was really good. It was perfect & not that salty or greasy for my liking. I end up finishing the whole plate.
The service was okay & the ladies were really nice & kind. We had mix servers so be aware of who you are tipping. Also remember the Gov. takes a lot of tips through tax so please be aware.
Love this restaurant & even though there is a line to get in on busy days the wait is worth it.
God Bless the Owners & past & present employees of this restaurant. We will be coming back.
God Bless you & thank you.
Philippians 4:13
Original Review: Please don't send any negativity or hate towards the staff & anyone else involved. This review is my attempt to report on others & my opinion.
Here is my full opinion on La Banquise. We were 2 people dining. At around 1:00PM. On 08 Dec.
Pros:
A) The food is alright.
B) It has a nice atmosphere.
C) Prices are fairly reasonable.
D) Not a far walk from the Metro & they have some services you can use.
Cons:
A) Service was not the best as the waitress was like pass me your plates. You are suppose to pick them up yourself. Anais is who speaks three languages English French & Spanish was a little rude to us. We feel like she did not want to serve us nor help us after we were done eating.
B) The toilet was flushing by itself. Plumbing problems will be bad later on.
C) T-Rex poutine includes bacon but we did not find it on our plate.
D) The place is too small & if you are a person that needs extra space you will be crammed in there.
E) The employees should be more happy & persistent.
F) Parking may be a challenge to find.
Conclusion:
All in all. It's not my favourite place anymore.
I will only dine in if we have guests or visitors or a group but for me personally.
I will be avoiding this place for dine in & maybe just doing takeout if Alone.View more
Jung
After being here for 3 years, I finally tried this place. It wasn't worth it for me to wait in line. The place across the street Ma Poulet Mouillé has better poutine.View more
Amy
We had the shoot out poutine & spicy sausage hotdog. The fries weren't anything special, the sauce was oddly thick & extremely salty & it didn't have a lot of cheese curds. There was a lot of meat on the poutine, all of it extremely salty. The spicy sausage hotdog was supposed to have a creamy coleslaw & you can see from the photo that there was hardly anything there. Would not recommend.View more
Pia
Always a line up, bring time with you. It's famous but the atmosphere could be better, also very very loud. The food & menu itself is amazing. There is something for everyone to find - not only poutine. They also offer salad & great sides along with kids menu.View more
Chris
A must try delicious poutine place in Montreal! I never really liked poutine but this place changed my mind - turns out I just didn't come to Montreal to try the authentic poutine!View more
YL
Bonne endroit pour tester & découvrir la poutine. Portion généreuse & bonne ambiance.
Typique & traditionnel !
Faut y passer !View more
C
One of the best poutines ive ever had & i am not usually one to have'specialty' poutines. I usually prefer a typical poutine with curds. My hometown in northern ontario has 2 chipstands both ranked top 10 in the world so im well versed in poutinery knowledge & La Banquise''Southwestern' ( i think) poutine with the onion rings & guac was amazing!
Only con of this place is its very small & loud but some people might dig that. Seems like a place people just go in for a quick snack then leave, not hangout for too long. Definitely recommend!View more
Théo
Bonne expérience, la poutine est délicieuse & mérite sa réputation.
Le seul bémol empêchant les 5 étoiles est le service qui est assez froidView more
Navas3ds
La meilleure poutine de tout Montréal. Je le recommande.View more
Morris
La Banquise easily served the best poutine I've ever had in my life-hands down! Everything was absolutely perfect, from the incredible food to the kind & extremely polite staff. Despite the long line & how busy it was, everything moved quickly & efficiently. The service was smooth, the energy was great, & the entire experience was top-notch. Truly one of the best dining experiences I've had-highly recommended!View more
Antony
Serveur très sympathique, poutine très bonne mais le responsable de salle un peu stressé & pas très agréable.View more
Niusha
Huge portions, but I'd like more fries in my poutine to be honest. Didn't eat inside because it was too crowded but enjoyed it nevertheless. Has a very colorful menu & different flavors, so I'll be definitely going back to try more :)View more
Joel
Absolutely loved this place, couldn't eat the whole thing, service was great, food was amazing, so many varieties of poutine, such a simple menu & it works!! 10 outta 10 would recommend & definitely will be back!!View more
Filipe
Dizem que é a melhor poutine de Montreal. Os garçons sao sempre muito gentis, mas o ambiente é meio caótico, se vc é turista e tá vindo pela primeira vez, vá sabendo que lá é um fast food de fim de festa, nao espere nada arrumado.View more
Jackie
Do yourself a favor & order a poutine of your choice. Do it, your taste buds will thank you & you'll end up licking the plate, like I did. Friendliest smiles all around too, I shall return to knock one poutine after another, menu is my muse nowView more
Dennis
La Banquise is a must-visit spot in Montreal, especially for poutine lovers like me. During my trip, it was the first place on my list, & it definitely lived up to the hype. The place was packed, but we were lucky to grab the last available table. However, others had to wait quite a while for a seat.
We tried three different poutines: breaded chicken, smoked meat, & La Savoyarde. The smoked meat poutine was by far the standout - it was absolutely mouthwatering & a must-try! The breaded chicken poutine was also really good, with tender, juicy chicken. While La Savoyarde was an interesting twist on poutine, it wasn't our favorite, as it was a bit different from the classic. Overall, I highly recommend La Banquise for an authentic poutine experience.View more
Guillaume
Super expérience ! On nous avait grandement conseillé de tester la poutine à La Banquise & je suis conquis ! Nous avons été superbement bien accueillis par Clara. Étant un bon mangeur, je suis quand même parti sur la regular & j'ai bien fait, les quantités sont énormes. Je vous conseille également de vous y rendre, nous avons pris la classique & la Elvis.View more
Sean
Babes... The food here is literally a warm hug. Who needs drugs when you can have poutine?View more
Jamison
Amazing poutine'must visit' if you're on the search for it! Melanie was an incredible server, all the others appeared very pleasant!
Highly recommend as a US citizen!View more
Satya
The poutine here is great. There's a ton of different options to choose from, but
La Classique was my personal favorite.View more
Jason
This is a must try for anyone visiting Montreal for the 1st time. Great poutine, lot of choices.View more
Mehak
Popular 24/7 poutine place with a lively atmosphere & plenty of options. Worth a visit.View more
Florina
The bacon poutine was amazing & so much food for the regular portion. I also tried the chicken club sandwich. Servers were friendly & service was great. Highly recommend.View more