Mastard
Restaurant in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mastard is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[1]
| Mastard | |
|---|---|
| |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | January 6, 2021 |
| Owner | Simon Mathys |
| Head chef | Simon Mathys |
| Food type | Modern |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide) |
| Location | 1879 rue Belanger, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Website | restaurantmastard |
History
The restaurant was opened in January 2021 by chef-owner Simon Mathys, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when restaurants in Quebec faced strict public health restrictions on operations, including limits on dining capacity and interprovincial travel.[2]
Mathys had previously served as head chef at the well-regarded Montreal fine dining restaurant Manitoba, which closed in the early stages of the pandemic. He cited the closure of Manitoba as a catalyst for accelerating his long-standing goal of opening his own restaurant, providing him with an opportunity to establish a new culinary concept under his own direction.[3]
At its opening, the restaurant offered a three-course tasting menu priced at 35 CAD, aimed at attracting guests from the local neighbourhood. This approach was in part a response to the severe restrictions on travel into Quebec from other provinces, which limited the potential customer base and emphasized the importance of appealing to nearby diners.[3]
Mathys selected the restaurant's name from the French word meaning "big and brawny".[2]
Concept
The restaurant serves a regularly changing five-course tasting menu, with a significant focus on Quebecois ingredients and flavours.[4]
Mastard offers an optional wine pairing and a wine list made of privately-imported bottles, featuring items not often sold at Quebec's state-owned alcohol board.[2]
Recognition
In 2025, the restaurant received a Michelin star in Quebec's inaugural Michelin Guide. Michelin praised chef Simon Mathys's "unabashedly original carte blanche menu" and use of scientific precision in the dishes served.[5]
Mastard was ranked #2 in Air Canada's annual list of 10 best new restaurants in Canada in 2022. Air Canada highlighted the restaurant's emphasis on "local, farm-fresh ingredients" in its cooking.[6]
Writing for Maclean's Magazine in 2023, restaurant critic Chris Nuttall-Smith ranked Mastard among the 20 best places to eat in Canada. He cited chef-owner Mathys's food as "playful, original [and] exhilarating", praising the chef as "a soft-spoken star [in Quebec's] culinary scene".[4]
Canada's 100 Best Restaurants Ranking
The restaurant has appeared on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants ranking annually since debuting on the list in 2022. Mastard peaked at #40 in the 2025 edition.[7]
| Mastard[7] | ||
| Year | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 81 | new |
| 2023 | 55 |  26 |
| 2024 | 73 |  18 |
| 2025 | 40 | 33 |
| 2026 | 63 | 23 |
Gallery
Table bread
"Lettuce - Squid - Sabayon" (first course)
"Zucchini - Beef - Mint" (second course)
Supplementary course: foie gras and lobster in several forms, combined in several ways
"Walleye - Leek - Mustard" (third course)
"Cornish Hen - Asparagus - Lobster" (fourth course)
"Meringue - Vanilla - Rhubarb" (fifth, dessert course)
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