The Bottom Line
Pros
- Arguably the best poutine in Montreal.
- Arguably the best selection of poutine in Montreal.
- Uplifting, creative and unpretentious decor.
- Can burn off meal jogging/ice-skating at Parc La Fontaine, just across the street.
- Open 24/7.
Cons
- Not recommended to vegetarians: even the vegetable poutine is not vegetarian.
- Potential indigestion.
Description
- Location: 994, Rachel East, corner of Boyer
- Get there: Mont-Royal Metro or Papineau Metro
- Phone: (514) 525-2415
- La Banquise website
Guide Review - La Banquise - Montreal's Best Poutine
At last count, La Banquise was up to 25 different kinds of poutines on the menu. Non-poutine daily specials are offered and breakfast items are on the menu too but chances are you won't witness much bacon in here unless it's piled on top of a plate of fries with gravy.Then there's the ambiance. From the look-at-me exterior to the vividly colored walls, cactus and flower-themed table art inside, there's something endearing and comforting about La Banquise. My last visit to one of the city's best poutine houses was two days after a March blizzard in a city held captive by a record-breaking snowfall season. And those brightly painted walls did work morale wonders. Then there was the music du jour, the Beach Boys' Sounds of Summer.
Playing Sounds of Summer within view of knee-deep snow, I'm assuming, was to cheer up patrons (and maybe the staff) and it did provide momentary illusions of sun-bleached wellness. The trick was to not look out the windows.
Choosing to focus on the food, I was caught between the traditional poutine, fries, curd cheese and gravy, and the Kamikaze poutine with merguez, hot peppers and tabasco but I ordered the T-Rex instead. Four meats -- ground beef, pepperoni, bacon and smoked sausage -- piled on a traditional poutine, it was a challenge to get through half of the somehow compelling dish and still call myself a flexitarian (and I could have sworn hearing a neighboring male patron say "maybe she's pregnant").
Dense, heavy, oddly delicious with a trademark smoky aftertaste, La Banquise is always open for business and while too casual for a first date, it's a great place to bring family or meet with friends after (or before) enjoying the Plateau's gorgeous Parc La Fontaine, just across the street. It's also a perfect "snack" destination late at night, after bar hopping in the neighborhood.
