Chefs We Love
Lesley Chesterman’s New Cookbook Celebrates Montreal Food
Published on March 18, 2026
Montreal is a food-lover’s dream. After all, the city is packed to the brim with chef-run bistros, world-class bakeries and specialty grocers. Pastry chef, food critic and author Lesley Chesterman says that Montreal cuisine is unlike anything else in the country.
In her new book, A Montreal Cook, Lesley explores the city’s unique foods, shares her own recipes, which are as exceptional as they are accessible, and reveals her favourite food and restaurants.
A Montreal Cook by Lesley Chesterman. Simon & Schuster Canada, March 2026, $45.
Having grown up in Montreal, and with a decades-long career reviewing the city’s best restaurants, this chef knows exactly what makes its food culture so distinctive. She says that cheese is a no-go before dinner, wine (never a cocktail) is sipped throughout a meal and dinner parties rarely shy away from theatrics. “You’re only halfway through dinner and somebody will say, ‘Oh, I have a secret daughter I’ve never met,’ ” says Lesley. “Montrealers are a little bit more open and gregarious.”
Smoked meat sandwiches from the oldest deli in Canada, Schwartz’s Deli.
Montrealers are also comfortable in the kitchen. “They follow recipes to a tee, know where to find less-common ingredients and aren’t intimidated by technical tasks like breaking down tougher cuts of meat,” says Lesley. Most of all, cooking with the best produce you can find reigns supreme. This pursuit of the best shaped A Montreal Cook. “Food doesn’t have to be too fancy, but it doesn’t have to be basic, either,” says Lesley. “I developed these recipes so that people can get the most out of every dish they make.”
Her Croque Monsieur, for instance, includes the traditional béchamel sauce; it may take a little longer to pull together, but it makes every rich, cheesy bite incredible.
For The Best Bran Muffins, the humble ingredient list accompanies a minimalist method, making this recipe ideal for beginner bakers. The molasses-flavoured muffins are fabulous at brunch. “There’s no reason for people not to make muffins from scratch when a recipe is this easy,” says Lesley.
Recipe: Authentic Swiss Fondue
Authentic Swiss Fondue, served straight from the fondue pot, has instant wow factor.
Recipe: James MacGuire’s Chicken Liver Mousse
Chicken Liver Mousse — based on a recipe from chef James MacGuire — feeds a crowd. “Nobody is excited about puréeing chicken livers, but I promise the results are drop-dead delicious,” says Lesley. “It’s such a fun thing to put on the table when people come over — or just to have in the fridge for grazing.”
At L’Express, jars of cornichons are always at the table.
The next time you’re in Montreal, take Lesley’s advice and don’t miss a meal at L’Express. A classic since the 1980s, it has a Parisian-style interior with Art Deco lighting and burgundy walls that perfectly complements a refined menu of French bistro staples including beef carpaccio and celery rémoulade. And a visit to world-renowned Schwartz’s or Snowdon Deli is a must. “Jewish cuisine in Montreal is the counterpoint to French cuisine,” says Lesley. “It feels more nostalgic than fine dining.”
Food in Montreal, whether you’re dining out or eating in, is sophisticated, unassuming and deeply comforting all at once, qualities found in every one of Lesley’s recipes in A Montreal Cook. And she says you don’t need to be French Canadian to enjoy a drawn-out dinner party with wine and plenty of homey bites: “Our food has the ability to cross linguistic boundaries.”
Bien Manger!
Maude Chauvin
Recipes from A Montreal Cook by Lesley Chesterman. Photography by Maude Chauvin. ©2026 by Lesley Chesterman. Excerpted with permission from Simon & Schuster Canada. All rights reserved