Montréal
Montréal’s food festivals: Montréal en Lumière, 18 to 28 February 2027, guest chefs in the city’s restaurants and a free outdoor site downtown.
At a glance
- Home of Montréal en Lumière, 18 to 28 February 2027
- A free outdoor site in the Quartier des spectacles, with a skating loop
- More than 80 restaurateurs in the festival’s Finest Tables network in 2026
- Nuit blanche, an all-night programme, on 27 February 2027
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Montréal
Matias Garabedian from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA
Map of Montréal
What to taste in Montréal
Guest chefs’ menus
During Montréal en Lumière, chefs from abroad team up with the city’s restaurants for special menus and food and wine pairings.
Montréal bagels
Hand-rolled, boiled in honeyed water, baked in wood-fired ovens.
Smoked meat
Cured, smoked beef brisket, served on rye.
Poutine
Fries, fresh cheese curds and gravy, a Quebec classic.
Montréal holds one of the largest winter celebrations in the world, says Bonjour Québec: Montréal en Lumière, at the end of February, which counts more than 800,000 festival site visits a year and gives gastronomy the place of honour. The city is Quebec’s largest, on an island in the St. Lawrence.
A city that eats out in winter
- Montréal en Lumière: guest chefs from abroad cook special menus with Montréal restaurants each February.
- The classics: bagels from wood-fired ovens and smoked meat on rye.
Montréal bagels are boiled in water sweetened with honey before they go into the wood-fired oven.
The Quartier des spectacles
The festival’s outdoor site fills the city’s entertainment district downtown, around Place des Arts.
| Area | What happens there in February |
|---|---|
| Outdoor site | Skating loop, Ferris wheel, LUMINO light works |
| Partner restaurants | Guest chefs’ menus, across the city |
| Nuit blanche | All-night activities, 27 February 2027 |
Getting around Montréal in February
- Warming up: Bonjour Québec lists a heated shelter on the festival’s outdoor site.
- Winter light: Bonjour Québec also lists the LUMINO light festival in Montréal, from 21 January to 7 March 2027.
Public markets since 1933
Two of the city’s public markets opened in 1933, say the Marchés publics de Montréal.
- Jean-Talon Market: in Little Italy, one of the largest open-air public markets in North America, with nearly 200 vendors at the height of summer. It was called the Marché du Nord until 1983. Tourisme Montréal notes that it is open all year, at 7070 Henri-Julien Avenue.
- Atwater Market: south-west of downtown, known for its Art Deco building and tall clock tower, says Tourisme Montréal.
Before you go
- When: the festival takes over downtown from 18 to 28 February 2027.
- Metro: Place-des-Arts station serves the Quartier des spectacles.
- Parking: paid parking on site, says Bonjour Québec.
- Accessibility: the festival is listed as accessible to people with a disability.
- Alcohol: the minimum legal age to buy alcohol in Quebec is 18.
Frequently asked questions
Is Montréal en Lumière free?
Partly. The outdoor site is free. Some shows and gourmet events are ticketed, and the restaurant menus are paid at the table.
Where is Montréal en Lumière?
In the Quartier des spectacles, the downtown district bordered by René-Lévesque, Sherbrooke, City Councillors and Saint-Hubert, and in partner restaurants across the city.
When is Nuit blanche in Montréal?
On 27 February 2027, during Montréal en Lumière.