Mile Ex

Part craft brewery and part comfort-food tavern, the brick-walled, warmly lit Brasserie Harricana in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie neighborhood was made for freezing-cold Montreal nights. Aside from more than twenty varieties of beer and cider on tap (including several gluten-free options), the menu offers Quebecois classics, like duck confit croquettes and beer-braised ham bone. Vegetarians also have plenty of options, including the roasted carrots with thyme and honey, pan-seared mushrooms, and a hearty fattoush salad.

In the rapidly changing part of town known as Mile-Ex—once full of disused warehouses—a plethora of bars, breweries, and galleries are taking root. In the summer, Alexandraplatz, named in homage to the popular square in too-cool Berlin, takes over a stretch of empty space and turns it into a block party with food trucks, communal tables, and a packed bar serving cocktails, beer, and wine. The booze is good, but the atmosphere is electric. Bring cash.

Our love for perfect fried chicken knows no bounds, which is why we were instantly taken by this hidden diner in the Villeray-Parc Ex neighborhood: The team serves up some of the best we've had—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside—with a limited menu of sides including killer mac ’n’ cheese, buttermilk bread, and hushpuppies. (You'd almost think you were in the South.) The food's indulgent, but it's every bit worth it.