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 5 of 13 - 388 Reviews
Mauro
Extraordinary atmosphere, food (poutine of course) & service.View more
Liz
Out-of-the-world delicious poutine! & a very fun environment with excellent service.View more
Arlette
Invitée par ma fille à découvrir une bonne poutine, je fus vraiment déçue par la serveuse (la plus petite des services) désagréable envers plusieurs clients, cumulant les erreurs de commandes, débarrassant les tables & apportant les additions avec irrespect, & aussi pour avoir attendu 3/4h nos plats arrivés froids !!! Mauvaise expérience !!!View more
Naomie
We got the Taquise poutine with extra hot peppers & it was super delicious! It was my first time there & I can't wait to be back 🥰View more
Jing
Poutine is big portion but the whole restaurant smells a bit greasy :) maybe it's normal in a poutine restaurant. Price is really affordableView more
Kyle
Best poutine I've ever had, & it's not even close!View more
JAMG
I have visited multiple times La Banquise, always a great place to eat the traditional Poutine, I recommend Shoot-Out, amazing taste, highly recommendedView more
Amandine
La meilleure poutine de Montréal !! Vraiment c'est excellent, les frites sont faites maison, la sauce n'est pas écoeurante & le fromage est parfaitement fondu. Le restaurant est victime de son succès & il y a toujours sun peu d'attente, mais cela en vaut vriament la peine ! Les serveurs sont super sympa, l'acceuil est chaleureuxView more
Kevin
Great atmosphere for authentic montreal poutine. This place is famous. Be prepared to wait for 30min-50min if its busy. It gets really crowded. Food is bit salty but enjoyed & a lot of menu options there for poutine. Service is not the best you can sympathize how busy this place gets.View more
Anais
Meilleure poutine on s'est régalé EXCELLENTE !! Par contre après ça on mange pas pendant plusieurs jours après 😂 !! Une petite c'est LARGEMENT suffisant !!View more
Om
Woh woh woh, this is a great place. I live in Toronto & I visited Montreal for a couple of days & one of my friends suggested me to eat here & wow that place was so good I couldn't get it out of my head the taste the atmosphere. I started checking poutine places in Toronto, but I couldn't find any. It's really something else, A must visit if you are a fooddie of any kind in Montréal visit. Thank you for hosting us.......View more
Cyb3rjelly
The very best place to try the local poutine! You know the place is good when the place is crowded, the atmosphere was welcoming. The menu is big & vegan friendly. The poutine was delicious.View more
Mich
Very pleasant place to eat a great poutine my boyfriend ordered a t-rex poutine & i ordered the scooby poutine best poutine ive ever had if you like deep fried pickles i highly recommend will be coming back. Very friendly staff & very clean environment. We drove from Gatineau to try itView more
Jérôme
Une première expérience en poutine au top. Plat très généreux & à un tarif convaincant. Un service disponible & très présent ainsi que de charmantes tables illustrées.View more
Erwin
La Banquise is a must-visit for anyone in Montreal who has a passion for poutine. Famous for its extensive variety of this beloved Quebecois dish, I had heard a lot about it, & my first visit certainly lived up to the hype. When we arrived, I was initially intimidated by the long line stretching outside the restaurant. It was a sunny day, & we had just finished a lengthy walk through the Montreal area, so the prospect of waiting wasn't exactly thrilling. However, to my pleasant surprise, we were seated much faster than I had anticipated. Despite the crowd, the staff worked efficiently, & we were settled into our seats in no time. We ordered the'La Taquise' & the'La Classique', two of their poutine offerings. The'La Taquise' brought a delicious twist with its addition of guacamole & sour cream, while the'La Classique' stayed true to the roots with its simple, yet incredibly satisfying combination of fries, gravy, & cheese curds. The gravy was rich & savory, the fries perfectly crispy, & the cheese curds squeaked just the right amount. It's no exaggeration to say that their poutine is to die for. Every bite was indulgent, comforting, & packed with flavor. The overall experience was fantastic, & for my first visit, I'm already looking forward to many more this year. La Banquise lives up to its reputation, offering a quintessential Montreal poutine experience in a casual, lively setting. Whether you're a local or a visitor, it's a spot you don't want to miss!View more
Emilie
Went on a trip from Winnipeg to Montréal with a friend & we came here after hearing it was a well-known/liked poutine spot. However, we were extremely disappointed with the service. First, they made us pay for our food before the meal. I guess this made sense considering that it was late & people may dine & dash, but, when came the time to tip, I reflexively tipped 15%. My friend, on the other hand, did not tip because we had not been served our food yet & the waitress (Melanie) had also barely talked to us at all before she came by to hand us the machines. My friend was thinking of maybe tipping in cash depending on quality of the food & service AFTER the experience, which makes sense. However, the waitress quickly took a rude tone & said (& I quote): "It looks like you forgot to tip me. Would you like to pay for the tip separately or give it to me in change?" My friend calmly responded: "No, it's okay, we'll see". Melanie started raising her voice quite loudly at my friend & went on a long rant about how we're "expected" to tip, that the fact that she's serving us means that it's "unacceptable" for her not to receive a tip, that she "pays taxes" etc etc. This alone made me regret the tip I had given her. It ruined the whole experience for both of us &, although the poutine was good, I would not come back simply due to this experience. This is not something we've ever had happen to us anywhere else we've traveled to, or even in Winnipeg, where we've lived our entire lives.View more
John
Be prepared to wait in line before coming into a packed restaurant for top-notch poutine. Paid $35 for a large poutine after tax & tip.View more
Jae
Poutine is really good at this place for affordable price.View more
Thomas
Bonne poutine dans un cadre sans chichi & bonne enfant...View more
Apolline
Meilleur endroit pour manger une poutine à Montréal en tant que touriste selon moi ! Beaucoup de choix & un service rapide. Je recommande !View more
Vincent
Première poutine & nous n'avons pas été déçus ! Nous sommes venus en semaine vers 19h30 & n'avons pas eu d'attente.View more
Nayra
Realmente, o MELHOR poutine que já experimentei, e além de uma infinidade de opções, eles ainda adequam de acordo com sua preferência, como fiz pedindo carne, cogumelos e guacamole. DELICIOSO! O atendimento fois extremamente amigável e cortez, e o ambiente é descontraído.View more
Julie
Étant de passage à Montréal, en vacances, il était obligé de goûter, la mythique poutine ! On nous a conseillé la Banquise. En arrivant, serveurs très souriants, agréables. Au niveau de la déco, très vintage, un peu décalé mais qui rend le lieu assez chaleureux. Au niveau de la cuisine, quantité très généreuse (nous avons pris une reguliere : une bacon pour mon copain & la Rachel pour moi). Je recommande ce petit restaurant !View more
Scottie
Service was okay, I had to ask for coffee 3 times before I got it 2 minutes before I left, so I didn't even drink half of it. With that being said, I went for the poutine, which was delicious. Atmosphere was nothing fancy, very casual would recommend a stop if youre in the area & hungry.View more
Christophe
Au top, plus d'une dizaine de recettes de Poutine proposées sur la carte, accompagnée d'une petite bière 🍺, pause repas à ne pas rater !View more
Violetyes
good spot for late night snack. after 9pm though if you're dining in u can expect to pay in advance. sometimes gets rly busy too i always get the reggae poutine (ground beef, tomatoes, guac, banana peppers) its so goodView more
Chris
Great spot for classic Montreal poutine! 24hr open is a plus!View more
Romain
La meilleure poutine que j'ai mangé ! La Royale est excellente !View more