97392 Wed Apr 14 08:01:57 -0700 2004 10 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 529976 A friend and I, both vegetarians, will be spending four days in Montreal next week, our first time there. The message board is very long. Any "not-to-be-missed" recommendations? Any cuisine types are welcome! Thanks in advance. Wed Apr 14 08:01:57 -0700 2004 0 Lu&Suz 1 529979 Le Commensal is a vegetarian chain on McGill college street and also St Denis. It's pricey though. Check out the many Indian and Lebanese restaurants downtown also. Wed Apr 14 12:04:10 -0700 2004 529976 0 Tide 1 529981 Try Cafe Esperanza or Spirit Lounge, both Vegan restos and both more than slightly zany. CE is on St.Laurent, corner of St.Viateur, featuring excellent range of soups, sandwiches and stews. SL is at 1205 Ontario Est. Has a blind menu, and you have to pay extra for what you don't finish. Wed Apr 14 12:19:56 -0700 2004 529976 0 Okko 1 529982 By far the best vegie fare I've had in Montreal is Chu-Chai at 4088 St Denis, just north of Duluth (go to the sit down one, not the take out "Chuch" next door). Thai-Style and completely vegetarian. So many wonderful dishes. The Tofu in Peanut Sauce with Crispy Fried Spinach is to die for! They also do a fabulous wild mushroom noodle dish, great soups, and have perfectly done sticky rice every time. Not to mention their wonderful service and hard to beat prices (hard to come out of there spending more than $25/person including wine). I've yet to find a bad dish on their menu, though would stick to their tofu/noodle dishes over their fake "meat" dishes. All of my vegie/vegan friends worship this place. A must do for visiting vegetarians. Wed Apr 14 12:43:19 -0700 2004 529976 0 Totally Meatless 2 530012 I do like their meat substitutes... the black pepper duck is great and so are the kabob type sticks which they sell to go in Chuch. Enjoy! Tue Apr 20 15:03:28 -0700 2004 529982 0 Pipsqueak 2 530026 Agree with this recommendation! For a more casual meal, Le Commensal is amazing. It's pretty "advanced" vegetarian dishes, but in a buffet format. (you pay by weight per plate) The downtown location at McGill College and Ste Cath is perfect after a morning of shopping! Wed Apr 21 21:52:28 -0700 2004 529982 0 LR 3 530047 Why do people rave about that place? It's a boring, bland vegetarian food-court. Not terrible, but it's not exactly the greatest thing since sliced tofu. Are we that hard-up for good vegetarian places? Tue Apr 27 15:06:52 -0700 2004 530026 0 I Hate Le Commensal 4 530061 Yep, I agree. Le Commensal is pretty awful... Sun May 02 10:47:37 -0700 2004 530047 0 Pif Gadget 4 532297 How can you be so negative about Le Commensal? It is VERY difficult to find vegan food & especially when you travel. Le Commensal has FANTASTIC food & VARIETY! I wish they were in the U.S. Fri Jul 01 10:25:32 -0700 2005 530047 0 Mary 1 530000 If $ is no question, please do yourself a favour & check out Les Chevres! Here's a review: http://www.montrealfood.com/restos/chevres.html Fri Apr 16 16:04:11 -0700 2004 529976 0 sue 1 530056 Well, we had a great time in Montreal, and maybe we're not that discriminating, because we didn't really have a bad meal (just one mediocre Thai meal). We did enjoy Le Commensal. Everything is superfresh, and the variety means you can find something you like. No ambience, but right in the middle of shopping and sightseeing. We enjoyed Ethiopian food at Abiata, an offshoot of the Blue Nile, and some decent ceviche at Manana. We also had some divine Indian food in the old district, but I can't remember the name. In fact, the entire trip is a blur of eating. We passed Chu Chai one day on Saint Laurent, but then couldn't find it the very next day. All in all, we found the food to be quite satisfactory, especially the sauces, which seem lighter than here in the states. Thanks for all the recommendations! Thu Apr 29 18:57:57 -0700 2004 529976 0 Back from Montreal