As part of the family of what is called Espace pour la vie, the Botanical Garden attracts its share of visitors every year, people like you, who want to discover new species of plants, be surrounded by bright colors, take a moment of respite and take your time in this calm and relaxing place.
Of course, such a visit, as relaxing as it may be, will whet your appetite. Know that there are several restaurants located near the Botanical Garden to meet your expectations. Will you go to the restaurant before or after your visit?
The Montreal Botanical Garden is one of the largest in the world and is located on a vast 75-hectare site. It includes ten exhibition greenhouses open to the public for visits, as well as three cultural gardens, the Maison de l'arbre Frédéric-Back and more than fifteen thematic gardens.
Did you know that you can find plants from most regions of the world? The Montreal Botanical Garden is home to more than 22,000 species of plants, including 800 species that are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Several events are organized throughout the year, such as exhibitions and activity days, the subject always being around plants.
Here is the list of the five restaurants where you can eat and which are located near the Montreal Botanical Garden.
Restaurants of the Botanical Garden
Directly on the Botanical Garden website, you will have a few choices of meals in the three restaurants available for families, friends or groups. The menus have been prepared to meet everyone's tastes.
The chefs employed in these restaurants, including Espace Végo and Café-terrasse, continue the Jardin's mission to act in an eco-responsible manner, to focus on sustainable development and to encourage healthy eating.
The products therefore come from local producers and are of high quality.
For example, Espace Végo welcomes vegetarians, vegans or omnis with a range of sandwiches, salads and sweet treats, accompanied by delicious coffees prepared on site.
Restaurant Chez La Mère
A visit to Chez La Mère is truly a visit, as its name suggests, to a family restaurant where you can taste the dishes as if your own mother were preparing them.
The restaurant is open 24 hours, so there is no need to worry: you will always have access to a table! You can also go there before or after your visit to the Botanical Garden.
It is the ideal place in Montreal to meet in a warm atmosphere, have a family meal via the varied menu and at good prices.
For example, the signature meal is without a doubt the pizza cooked from the original and traditional recipe established when the restaurant opened in 1977. Several varieties are available. There are several kinds of poutine and submarines, but also grills, BBQ chicken, seafood, Chinese, Greek and Italian dishes, burgers, hot dogs and chicken wings as well as breakfast plates.
Restaurant La Corvette
In the 1970s, a tourist from Greece enjoyed his visit to Canada so much that he decided to stay, work in Montreal restaurants and eventually open his own restaurant, the Corvette.
Today, this restaurant is still in operation, this time at two different addresses. One of them, on Masson Street, is very close to the Botanical Garden.
The restaurant is open from morning to night, seven days a week. It is therefore possible to have lunch at any time.
Also on the menu, homemade pizzas, pasta, submarines, burgers, chicken and sandwiches.
Akwaba
At the Akwaba restaurant, it is possible to take a culinary journey to Africa and Greece in a warm and friendly setting thanks to the experience of their chef.
Among the traditional African dishes, we can mention Kédjénou (a stewed chicken), the different kinds of choukouya (with beef, lamb, goat cheese, beef filet mignon, or African-style braised chicken breast, all with a mixture of mild African and Greek spices) or Yassa (chicken or lamb cooked in an onion-lemon-mustard sauce).
Akwaba likes to take authentic recipes from Greece, but to substitute certain foods with African ingredients. For example, the potato is replaced by yam, African sweet potato, and tuna by salmon.
Recently, the restaurant closed its dining room and only accepts online orders for takeout.
Harvey’s
Finally, we invite you to rediscover Harvey’s restaurants, well known for making burgers to your taste. This fast food chain has been well established in Quebec for over 65 years already.
The concept is rather simple. Your beef patty is first cooked on the grill and then you just have to choose your toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, relish, hot jalapeño peppers, black olives, salt and pepper), your sauce (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, garlic and dill, BBQ, spicy mayo, ghost pepper, chipotle, Harv sauce, hot sauce, garlic mayonnaise or ranch dressing) and your bun (white or multigrain).
Among the star burgers, let's note the BIG Harv Angus (two Angus beef patties, a slice of Swiss and cheddar cheese).
On the menu, you will also find poutines, onion rings, wraps and salads and trios for children.