5 Best Steakhouse Restaurants in Montreal

Gibby's has anchored Old Montreal since 1969, which tells you something about staying power in a city that is not sentimental about restaurants. The room occupies a 200-year-old stone building — beamed ceilings, working fireplaces, the kind of architecture that takes decades to accumulate and can't be replicated by a designer with a budget. Ownership changed hands in 2023, and longtime regulars have noted some shift in the old-guard polish, but by most accounts the setting still does the work before a single plate arrives. January in Montreal is brutal; a fireplace table at Gibby's is reportedly the antidote.

The menu centers on unambiguous classics, and the verified centerpieces are worth planning around. The Cowboy Steak — a 34 oz cut — is the kind of order that signals you came here with intentions. On the seafood side, the Tour de Fruits de Mer and the Queues (3) de Homard Canadien Grillées are consistently cited as the moves, drawing diners who want Old Montreal to feel like an occasion rather than an obligation. The Filet Mignon sur Os 18 oz rounds out the heavy hitters for those who want bone-in refinement without committing to cowboy-level ambition. The kitchen also reportedly opens with complimentary bread, dill pickles, and bacon crumble — a small, deliberate gesture that signals attention to the full arc of a meal rather than just the expensive centerpiece.

This is not a spot to rush. Gibby's is structured around long, unhurried dinners, and the room rewards that pace. Reservations are essentially mandatory, particularly on weekends when fireplace tables go fast. Book ahead, request a fireside spot when you do, and clear the evening.

Let me be direct about Schwartz's: it is not trying to impress you, and that is reportedly a large part of the appeal. This Montreal institution is built around a single, almost theological conviction — that smoked brisket, cured the old-school way and sliced to order, is the only argument the menu needs to make. The room is famously cramped, the line is famously long, and the menu is refreshingly short. That restraint reads less as limitation and more as confidence, and longtime fans seem to understand the difference instinctively. If you need mood lighting and a QR code wine list, this is the wrong address. Schwartz's, by all accounts, is for eaters.

The Smoked Meat Sandwich is the whole thesis in one object — the dish the place is known for, the reason the line exists. Regulars and food writers alike point to medium fat as the move, the cut where marbling reportedly keeps the meat yielding and the peppery bark does its work before the brine takes over. The Poutine à la Schwartz's layers that same smoked meat over curds and fries, which sounds excessive until you consider that it is, by most accounts, completely logical. The Large Plate Smoked Meat exists for people who treat portion size as a philosophical position. The Rib Steak and the Steak Combo round out the menu for anyone arriving with a crew that isn't ready to commit entirely to smoked meat — though the consensus strongly suggests: commit.

Practical intel worth knowing: the line moves faster than it looks, and an off-peak weekday visit is your best shot at a seat without the sidewalk wait. Cash is the preferred currency here, so come prepared. Order the Smoked Meat Sandwich, add coleslaw, and consider a black cherry soda alongside. The menu keeps deliberation short on purpose — let it.