Montréal smoked meat / Jewish deli / Plateau-Mont-Royal (The Main)

Schwartz's Deli

THE BENCHMARK, STILL

Hand-sliced smoked meat on rye, open since 1928, on the Main.

From home: 9 min drive; 3.72 km. Walk 50 min
Spend: $$$$; est. $21-30 per person
Our dates: Open Tue-Thu. Mon holiday hours unconfirmed; Give it about an hour including a possible queue (estimate)

The verdict

Go once, and order the sandwich with fries and pickles. It is the reference point for Montréal smoked meat, and the counter-and-bench room is half the experience. Tastet flags that the line can be long, and the official FAQ says there are no reservations. Go for the institution as much as the meat.

The reference smoked meat, open since 1928 (Tastet)
Meat hand-sliced to order (Tastet, RestoMontreal)
Cheap and central to the Plateau/Main

Order this

Tap the circle to want it. Tap again once it's eaten.

Schwartz's Deli, the short list

Must order
Smoked meat sandwich
$16.95
Smoked brisket on rye with mustard, per Tastet; menu lists it as Smoked meat.
The reason the place exists.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official). Fat level not shown online; ask when ordering.
Must order
Fresh homemade french fries
$4.95
Side of fries.
Standard side on the menu.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official)
Pickles
$2.85
Side of pickles.
Side on the menu.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official)
Small plate smoked meat
$24.95
Smoked meat plate on the official menu.
For bigger appetites; plate version of the smoked meat.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official)
Poutine à la Schwartz's
$15.95
Poutine on the sit-down menu.
Tastet says the deli added it to meet tourist demand; optional.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official)
Black Cherry soda
$3.85
Traditional pairing.
Classic order alongside the sandwich.
On their menu: Schwartz's Deli (official). Menu lists Black Cherry at $3.85, but Canadian Press (Aug 21, 2026) reports Cott's was discontinued and replaced by Fleischer's; the brand may differ.

Menus change. Prices are from the posted menu, before tax and tip.

What people actually say

Recurring themes, not cherry-picked quotes.

Love

Hand-sliced smoked meat on rye (Tastet, RestoMontreal)
Long-running institution since 1928 (Tastet)
Inexpensive on the official menu

Know before you go

Line can be long (Tastet)
No reservations (official FAQ)
No reservations (official FAQ); expect a line
Oct 12 (Thanksgiving) hours unconfirmed: call 514 842-4813
Ask about fat level when ordering (not shown on the online menu)
Black Cherry soda: Cott's was discontinued and the deli now stocks a Brossard-canned brand (Fleischer's), per Canadian Press Aug 21, 2026

Dishes that keep coming up

Smoked meat sandwich, Poutine (added for tourists per Tastet), Black cherry soda (news coverage)

Room: Not independently confirmed in the sources checked; the room is described elsewhere as a small dining area (official FAQ).
Service: Not covered by the sources checked.
Value: Official menu: sandwich $16.95 before tax.

Thin: based on Tastet, RestoMontreal, the official FAQ and one news item. Platform reviews and Reddit not accessed, so no claims on dryness, seating, or service.

Vibe check

old school/lively/casual/buzzy

Best forfirst-timer Montréal classic, a quick lunch, solo or pair

How much we'll spend

$$$$Est. $21-30 / person

Smoked meat sandwich $16.95, fries $4.95, soft drink $3.50-3.85, pickles $2.85; small smoked meat plate $24.95. Before tax and tip.

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

On our dates

Sun-Thu 10am-11pm, Fri-Sat 10am-midnight

Mon 12Maybe10am to 11pmThanksgiving: holiday hours unconfirmed
Tue 13Open10am to 11pmThird-party hours
Wed 14Open10am to 11pmThird-party hours
Thu 15Open10am to 11pmThird-party hours

Thanksgiving MondayNo Thanksgiving notice on the official site or FAQ, and no 2026 holiday hours found in searches as of Oct 8. Normal Monday hours are not evidence.

Full week

Mon	10am to 11pm
Tue	10am to 11pm
Wed	10am to 11pm
Thu	10am to 11pm
Fri	10am to midnight
Sat	10am to midnight
Sun	10am to 11pm

RestoMontreal directory and Tastet agree, but neither is first-party; the official site shows no hours. Call 514 842-4813 to confirm, especially for the holiday.

Hours from a third-party listing. Confirm before you go.

Make a night of it

Dinner, drinks, late night. Real walking times between.

DinnerSchwartz's DeliThe benchmark, still
4 min walk (0.26 km)
DrinksLe MajestiqueOysters at 2am
10 min walk (0.73 km)
Late nightL'ExpressThe 1 a.m. bistro

Pair it with

Walk the Plateau stretch of Boulevard Saint-Laurent after lunch

Where

3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1X9

50 min walk (3.68 km) / 9 min drive, no traffic / 24 min by bike

From 216 Rue Young. Routes from OpenStreetMap data; transit times are in the maps app.

Show on our map schwartzsdeli.com Call

No reservations: the official FAQ says the dining area is small and demand high. Walk in and queue. Takeout is arranged by phone; delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats.

While you're there

A large street-art mural of a figure in an ornate headdress in red, green and white on a brick building's side wall, seen across a street through bare trees

THE MAIN, ON THE WALLS

Saint-Laurent Boulevard murals (MURAL)

Plateau / The Main10 min drive or 52 min walk$$$$

3 min walk from here

Three oysters on crushed ice on a black plate, set on a dark stone surface, from above

OYSTERS AT 2AM

Le Majestique

Plateau / The Main9 min drive or 54 min walk$$$$

4 min walk from here

A whole spice-rubbed chicken turning on a rotisserie spit over a dark grill

THE CHICKEN, THEN THE NATAS

Romados

Plateau-Mont-Royal10 min drive or 57 min walk$$$$

8 min walk from here

Black graphic crewneck sweatshirts hanging from a black metal rail against a white painted brick wall

SKATE CLUBHOUSE, STREET FLAGSHIP

Dime Montréal (store)

Plateau / Saint-Laurent9 min drive or 45 min walk$$$$

7 min walk from here

Sliced seared steak beside a pile of hand-cut fries on a rustic plate over burlap, with a fork and scattered peppercorns

THE 1 A.M. BISTRO

L'Express

Plateau Mont-Royal10 min drive or 56 min walk$$$$

11 min walk from here

A pianist seated at a white piano in a dim, red-lit room hung with framed paintings, seen past a blurred glass in the foreground. An illustrative jazz-bar scene, not Dièse Onze itself.

THE CELLAR WITH A PIANO

Dièse Onze

Plateau Mont-Royal10 min drive or 60 min walk$$$$

11 min walk from here

The gravel Olmsted Path on Mount Royal climbing through a tunnel of gold and orange autumn trees, with a few walkers in the distance

THE SLOW WAY UP

Chemin Olmsted (Olmsted Road)

Mount Royal Park (Plateau / Côte-des-Neiges)11 min drive or 50 min walk$$$$

12 min walk from here

A rustic ceramic bowl of loaded fries topped with sauce, herbs and minced meat on a dark wooden table in warm candlelight

FOIE GRAS, NO APOLOGIES

Au Pied de Cochon