We recently dined at Canada’s new “best restaurant” Mon Lapin on our recent trip to Montreal. The dinner was fun and quite tasty, but it is not Canada’s best restaurant (or even Montreal’s – that honor goes to Damas. Come at me.).
Mon Lapin, or “My Rabbit” in English is a restaurant/wine bar in Montreal’s Little Italy. Mon Lapin has been open for several years but it has recently received a lot of attention due to topping Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2023. I couldn’t resist a dinner here, so I made an online reservation right when they opened a couple weeks before our trip.
Vin Mon Lapin.
We arrived in Little Italy in a cool Friday evening in May for an 8:30 reservation. Mon Lapin was totally packed and we were not even let inside until 8:50, when Mon Lapin set up our party of four in a little corner to order wine while we waited for our table. Very busy! We didn’t really mind as we had poutine earlier, so we ordered an organic lambrusco while we waited. Outside of our little corner, Mon Lapin is a cute spot with wood flooring and tables crowded in the dining room. Its definitely a nice dinner, but with a cool and casual vibe. The kitchen is somewhat open in the bank of the restaurant, which was pretty interesting (I always love to watch the chefs!). For attire, I would suggest cool.
We were seated about an hour late, LOL, and were promptly brought the wine list, dinner menu and the standard amuse bouche – radishes in a sauce, local cured sausage, and a savory scone that was incredible (and I mean incredible!). As you can see, the menu, entirely in French, is small and consists of generally “Quebecois” fare. The wine list was also a bit small, very organic, and honestly not our favorite. We asked our waiter if there were any other options and he did bring 3 bottles from the back that fit our request. We drank two of them. Our waiter also explained every dish on the menu in detail.