Montreal’s Michelin Rush
Montreal restaurants are reporting a “crazy” surge in bookings as anticipation builds for the first Quebec Michelin Guide update, set for May — chefs say houses are packed and out‑of‑town foodies are pouring in. The spike is already reshaping demand and expectations for the city’s fine‑dining scene. (montrealgazette.com)
The MICHELIN Guide’s inaugural Québec selection was published on May 15, 2025, naming one Two‑Star (Tanière³), eight One‑Star restaurants, three MICHELIN Green Stars, 17 Bib Gourmands and a total selection of 102 restaurants across the province. (michelin.com)) Three Montreal venues — Jérôme Ferrer’s Europea, Mastard and Sabayon — were among the city’s one‑star recipients in that first Québec list. (cultmtl.com)) Libro, a Quebec reservation platform, reported that Guide‑listed restaurants saw on average a 400% increase in bookings in the two weeks after the May 15, 2025 announcement, with one restaurant logging a 930% spike and out‑of‑province reservations rising more than 150%. (librorez.com)) Sabayon operates as a 14‑seat micro‑restaurant, and co‑owner Marie‑Josée Beaudoin told reporters that monthly booking windows that used to take about two minutes to fill now sell out in roughly 30 seconds. (sabayon.ca)) The Guide’s launch in Québec followed a multi‑party arrangement brokered by the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec under a three‑year hosting agreement, with government partners contributing funds — including a reported non‑refundable $450,000 from Canada Economic Development spread over three years to support production and promotion. (alliancetouristique.com)) Inspectors are scheduled to return for an annual update at the one‑year mark in May, a timeline Quebec restaurateurs have been watching as the province’s Michelin selection remains governed by the renewable three‑year partnership. (ca.news.yahoo.com))
