Montreal Family Restaurants

Also in the Plateau neighborhood is another local favorite, Buona Notte. The owner goes to a different region of Italy each month, tries all the signature dishes and then comes back with a new menu. For starters, foccacia is served with olive oil-drizzled prosciutto, and oysters on the half-shell are doused in a hot chili-pepper sauce. After that, move on to entrees of pan-seared cod and lamb shank, with meat so tender it drops off the bone.

Reserve well in advance to book one of the two nightly seatings at the nearby Garde Manger in Old Montreal. This small restaurant and bar, favored by local foodies, features a large selection of seafood, including grouper, scallops and oysters on the half-shell. But, it's the goat cheese-laden bruschetta that gets the children excited.

Start your trip off right on the outdoor terrace of the city's beloved creperie, Le Jardin Nelson. Inside, the brick facade (off popular Jacques Cartier Plaza), a pianist and bassist play as folks dine on large, sweet and savory crepes. The Basilico is their version of a chicken-parmesan wrap, while the Nelson is stuffed with apples, cinnamon and mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

One step into L'Express, in the Plateau District, and you realize this is a classic French bistro. Grab a table on the black-and-white checkerboard tiles, and a waiter will come over with a jar of cornichons (crisp, tart pickles), tongs and creamy mustard for dipping. The children will like the croque monsieur, ham and cheese sandwiches and the delectable steak frites. Mom and Dad will be pleased with monkfish or soupe de poisson (fish soup), served with a large spoon that one normally finds on the other side of the Atlantic.

Nothing excites children more than a large food market, especially one with a French bent like the Marche Atwater in Montreal. Begin with the Quebecois cheeses -- try slices of semi-soft Pied de Vent cheese from the Magdalen Islands or the brie-like Riopelle. Then, move on to the blackberries, so large that one fits in the palm of your hand, and sweet ground cherries that are indigenous to these parts. The last stop is the boulangerie, which sells fresh-baked baguettes, tarts and hot-out-of-the-oven pain au chocolat.

One of Montreal's best-known creations, the St-Viateur bagel is certainly a family favorite for breakfast or lunch. The landmark bagel shop has been selling thousands of bagels daily since 1957. The bagels are boiled, sweetened with honey and then cooked in a large oven to form a smaller, crispier version of a New York bagel -- kids can watch the whole production and eat bagels fresh out of the oven. Head to the cafe for a sit-down nosh of bagels and lox, washed down with a cafe au lait.