Restaurant
Schwartz’s Deli
Montreal's best-known smoked meat deli, serving its cured and smoked brisket sandwiches on Saint-Laurent Boulevard since 1928.
La Banquise
Round-the-clock Plateau institution, founded in 1968, serving more than 28 varieties of poutine along with microbrewery beers.
At a glance
- Type
- Poutine restaurant
- Area
- Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montreal, Canada
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Opening
- Open daily · 00:00–23:59
- Official site
- labanquise.com
Good to know
- Open 24 hours
- Microbrewery beer
- 24/7 delivery
Why we recommend it
La Banquise is one of the best-known places in Montreal to eat poutine, the Quebec dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy. It opened in May 1968, founded by a firefighter named Pierre Barsalou, and began life as an ice cream shop before becoming a snack bar later that year, selling mainly hot dogs and fries. Poutine arrived on the menu in the early 1980s, and it has defined the restaurant ever since.
Today the menu lists more than 28 varieties of poutine. The Classique, with just the three essential ingredients, is the place to start if you have never tried the dish, and it lets you judge the fries, curds and gravy on their own. From there you can move on to other house versions, including the Italienne, the Rachel, the Poivrée and the T-Rex. Microbrewery beers are served alongside, which suits the casual, filling style of the food.
The big draw for many visitors is that La Banquise never closes. It is open 24 hours, which makes it a natural stop after an evening out in the Plateau and a reliable option for travellers who arrive late or leave early. Delivery is also available around the clock through Uber Eats if you would rather eat in your hotel.
It suits budget travellers, students, families and anyone who wants to try poutine at an address with a long history. Poutine is a heavy dish, so one serving is a full meal for most people, and sharing a second variety between two is a good way to compare. A visit rarely needs more than 45 minutes unless you linger over a beer.
The restaurant is at 994 rue Rachel Est in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, so it is easy to fit into a walk around the neighbourhood. Au Pied de Cochon, also in the Plateau, offers a very different and much more elaborate take on Quebec cooking if you want to compare.
For a full tour of Montreal's comfort food classics, combine a poutine here with a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's on Saint-Laurent Boulevard and a bagel from one of the Mile End bakeries. All three are affordable ways to taste food that is closely tied to the city's identity.
La Banquise FAQs
When is it open?
It is open 24 hours.
What is poutine?
A Quebec dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy.
How many poutines are on the menu?
More than 28 varieties.
Which poutine should you try first?
The Classique, with the three basic ingredients.
Does it serve beer?
Yes. Microbrewery beers are on the menu.
Can you get delivery?
Yes. Delivery is available 24/7 through Uber Eats.
How old is it?
It was founded in May 1968, and poutine was added in the early 1980s.
Where is it?
At 994 rue Rachel Est in the Plateau.