Michelin Guide: Montreal's affordable Bib Gourmands may be the real winners
In Canada, Bib Gourmands must be able to offer a two-course meal with either dessert or a glass of wine for under $60. West-enders will have to travel cross-town to dine in a Bib Gourmand eatery, as all the Montreal selections are located east of St-Urbain St.
'For us, it means quality that is accessible,' said Mila Rishkova, co-owner with her life partner, chef Marc-Antoine Jetté, of Annette bar à vin, opened in 2023 on Molson St. in the Angus Yards development. 'I hope people will come and discover and enjoy. We have a beautiful wine list — it's a wine bar, so it's more casual.'
In giving Annette a Bib Gourmand, Michelin commended Jetté's 'generous and precise' seasonal dishes, 'designed for sharing, tapas style: mussels in escabèche sauce, bavette steak with maitake mushrooms, pork ribs on the bone, and crispy-soft pudding croquettes.' The guide also singled out sommelier Hugo Duchesne's 'brilliant wine list.'
Rushkova and Jetté were doubly honoured by Michelin as their fancier restaurant Hoogan et Beaufort, across the street (which recently closed for renovations), received a Recommended rating from Michelin.
'It feels great,' Rushkova said of the accolades. 'It's a door-opener. It's great for the city, good for tourism and opening us up to a clientele that is more worldwide.'
Tania Frangié was driving to New York City with her daughters on Thursday when she discovered Le Petit Alep, the Syrian-Armenian restaurant on Jean-Talon St. she runs with her sister Chahla, had received a Bib Gourmand.
Michelin highlighted the menu's 'authentic and opulent flavours,' featuring 'mezze for sharing,' as well as the extensive wine list.
'We are so very happy,' Frangié said, reached Friday while walking around Times Square. 'It was very surprising. We have received love and warmth and congratulations from so many customers and friends. It's really heartwarming and nice.'
The recognition is especially meaningful to the sisters as their mother, Jacqueline, who ran the kitchen at the more traditional Alep, next door, for nearly 45 years, died in March at the age of 81. Their father, Georges (who died in 2005), opened Alep in 1976, a year after the family arrived from Syria by way of Lebanon.
The sisters grew up in the restaurant. In 1995, Chahla and her partner, architect Jean-François Potvin, opened Le Petit Alep next door; Tania joined them soon after.
'We wanted to create a second-generation restaurant that represents the integration of Syrians and Armenians in Montreal, adapted to the North American way of life,' Frangié said. 'And we wanted to have something that was accessible to families and artists ... to give people a chance to eat and drink well at a good price.'
Perhaps the highest-profile dining option on the Bib Gourmand list is Rôtisserie La Lune. It's the new venture from the team behind Vin Mon Lapin, which received a Recommended rating from Michelin. Co-owner Vanya Filipovic has three reasons to celebrate as she also received the Michelin Sommelier Award.
Just down the street from Mon Lapin, La Lune is described by Michelin as 'a lively brasserie' offering 'traditional rôtisserie cooking,' including 'free-range poultry, slowly spit-roasted and served with crispy fries or chicken soup with raviolini, on par with the best Italian brodi.'
Montreal's other Bib Gourmands are famed French bistro L'Express (closed for renovations until June 2), Parapluie, Casavant and Cadet.
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Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In recent months, a string of closures — including long-standing Robson spot Zefferelli's Spaghetti Joint, ramen newcomer Ramen One, and Main Street pizza joint Pizzeria Farina on Main Street — has underscored how dire the situation has become. According to Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA), roughly half of restaurants in the province are now either losing money or just breaking even. 'It's pretty bumpy,' Green added. 'We've always been slower in the summer, but this summer is exceptionally slow.' One major factor is a drop in American visitors. 'A lot of U.S. conferences cancelled,' she said. 'We usually get a ton of small off-site dinners and events when they're in town. And we thought the low Canadian dollar would help — but what we're hearing is that people think Canadians hate them and they're not welcome.' 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'He said that it took forever just to get a permit to change out kitchen equipment — not even construction. He was in the same queue as someone building a shed. That kind of bureaucracy costs time and money — and we're paying lease while waiting.' Staffing shortages are another major challenge. 'Many restaurants are reducing hours or closing certain days,' said Tostenson. 'Not for lack of customers, but because they don't have kitchen staff. 'For every three people retiring in B.C., we're only replacing two. Immigration has to fill that gap.' Belcham adds: 'There's a whole section of the labour pool dedicated to culinary work, but it's not supported by government, policy, or even by ourselves. We need a fundamental shift in how we run things.' Changing dining habits are also part of the story. 'There's no one downtown. People aren't going out after work for drinks, dinner, or late-night events,' said Green. Meanwhile, fine dining has become a luxury. 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