2 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Montreal, Quebec

Five minutes from the ski slopes and right on Lac Moore, this rustic restaurant, which opens onto a terrace during the summer months, looks a bit shabby from the outside but has garnered much praise for its Italian dishes. These include tried-and-true favorites such as veal marsala and veal fiorentina (cooked with spinach and cheese). Hosts Nino and Kay are reputed to be some of the friendliest folks you'll ever meet.

In what is basically a one-street town, this restaurant's reputation for serving outstanding food at affordable prices stands out, and the knowledgeable, personable waitstaff does, too. Though the cuisine is primarily Italian, some Mediterranean, French, and Québécois influences are also in evidence, backed up by a fairly extensive and reasonably priced wine list. In the warmer seasons, you can eat out on the covered terrace, while the fireplaces inside makes those colder, harsher evenings downright cozy. Lunch is only available in the summer.