Montréal is famous for poutine: fries covered in fresh cheese curds and gravy… and that’s just the classic poutine, you can get all sorts of extras on your poutine like bacon, smoked meat, peppers, hamburger and more! And there’s nowhere more famous for poutine in Montréal than La Banquise which has an extensive and creative menu and it is open 24/7.
I’ve went twice to La Banquise, once 12 years ago when I first stayed in Montréal and I went back on this recent visit. I knew that when trying iconic food dishes in Montréal that I had to go back to La Banquise. So, how was the poutine and how was the experience at La Banquise?
The Experience at La Banquise
La Banquise is famous amongst the Montréal bar crowd and in the classic food scene, and like many iconic Montréal restaurants, there’ll likely be a lineup when you get there. Apparently, the line up after the bar is the worst… but can you imagine, a fully loaded poutine at 2 am when your drunk, hungry and in need some carbs to soak up the alcohol? And if you’re not worried about that, La Banquise serves beer too.
When I went the first time, I don’t recall a line up, but on this recent visit to Montréal when I went, it was a bit of a rainy day and I went midafternoon, expecting there wouldn’t be a lineup. Still there was a line! It wasn’t horrible, but I waited about 30 minutes. Luckily it had mostly stopped raining at that point.
La Banquise is a large restaurant, so the lineup generally flows faster than Schwartz; but the 30-minute lineup midafternoon was surprising. After I got in, I noticed how packed the restaurant was. Every table was full, obviously, and the tables are packed closely together. The restaurant is chaotic, buzzing and the décor is rustic. The walls are covered in bright, colourful paintings and local art that almost looks mismatched. The mismatched décor matches the high energy, chaotic vibe of the restaurant and fits in with the unique Plateau-Mont Royal neighbourhood personality.
Despite being packed, all in all, the service wasn’t bad and the food came relatively quickly.
The Poutines
The first time was a while ago, but I think I ordered La Mart, with sausages, hot dog and bacon. I remember it being good, but it didn’t stand out like this previous visit when I ordered La Fred Caillou.
Le Fed Calliou has ground beef, smoked meat, spicy sausage and merguez sausage. Merguez sausage is a spicy sausage from North Africa usually made of lamb and beef. The two sausage types added a nice kick and flavour. The poutine was delicious and the slight kick paired perfectly with the fries, cheese and gravy. Like I said, the menu is vast and has many creative poutines. When I order a poutine it’s got to have a lot of meat, but there are many unique creations at La Banquise. I was going to go for La T-Rex, but there are ones that are packed with veggies and then there’s ones like La Taquise which has guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes or La Reggae which has ground beef, guacamole, tomatoes and jalapenos.
Sometimes a classic poutine is the best because some places skimp out on the cheese when they load up the meat, but not La Banquise. I was a bit hesitant to order La Fred Calliou as I thought the enormous amount of meat would outweigh the cheese, but that wasn’t the case. Yes, there was a mountain of meat packing a punch of flavour, but there was still a generous layer of cheese curds underneath.
The poutine was delicious and probably the best I’ve tasted. I got the small size, and still, it was massive. I probably shouldn’t have paired it with a beer because I could barely get out of my seat as I left the restaurant in food coma.
Is La Banquise Worth it?
La Banquise is a staple in the Montréal food scene. Located in Le Plateau-Mont Royal, with its colourful rustic interior, large servings, creative menu, it’s no wonder there’s often a lineup. And I’ve heard the lineup is even larger after the bar; so, is it worth the wait? Definitely. The poutines are excellent, and the restaurant is classic Montréal. Plus, the serving sizes are massive and the prices are reasonable. If you have some time to wait in line, you’ll defiantly want to check out La Banquise. And hey, for a unique experience, you can try going for breakfast and ordering a poutine for breakfast.
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