In the heart of Montreal, the Montréal en Lumière festival returns for its 25th anniversary edition from February 29 to March 10, 2024 (gastronomic programming began on February 22)
“The MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE festival is the spark plug that has kept the city shining bright for 25 years! In 2000, it was the first downtown event to combine gastronomy, entertainment and the joys of winter. Now, more than ever, this unique festival celebrating northern living is a must-attend event.“ – Jacques Primeau, festival’s general manager
Since it’s inception over 20 years ago, over 700 chefs from 20 countries have been invited to take part in the festival’s gastronomic programming that aims to highlight the gastronomic diversity that Montreal is renowned for and to transform the city into a food lover’s paradise.
Key gastronomic events: Air France Finest Tables
Central to the festival’s gastronomic programming, the ‘Air France Finest Tables’ sees over 25 international chefs (with 20 Michelin stars and nine Michelin green stars among them) and winemakers, each with their own unique touch and flavour, featured as guests at some 50 restaurants in the city.
©Benoit Rousseau – Montréal en Lumière (Les 400 Coups)
Guest chefs include Emmanuel Pilon (three Michelin stars, Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Monaco) at Mastard collaborating with Simon Mathys and Julien Royer (three Michelin stars) gracing Monarque. The Bell Centre’s Mythik restaurant will be welcoming Newfoundland chef Jeremy Charles (Raymonds, Merchant Tavern) with a “From Newfoundland to the Côte-Nord of Quebec” coastal menu and ITHQ welcomes aboriginal chef Maxime Lizotte of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsepekuk nation.
Some of the notable winemakers featured at the festival this year include Bruno Clair of Domaine Bruno Clair at Annette Wine Bar and Hoogan et Beaufort; Adrien Gautherin of Domaine Raoul Gautherin et Fils at Annette Wine Bar and Sébastien Nasello of Podere Le Ripi at Graziella.
“Right from the start, I fell in love with the Festival. I’ve always found the concept to be perfectly in line with what we do as restaurateurs: we develop relationships with suppliers and customers. During the Festival, it’s even better because we get to do it with a friend – a guest chef! It’s really special for restaurant-goers to have access to international chefs.” – Graziella Battista, chef & owner at Graziella
Also featured among the 2024 invitees are nine Michelin green star chefs, underscoring the festival’s dedication to sustainable and innovative gastronomy. These include Glenn Viel (three stars and one green star) at Maison Boulud with Daniel Boulud, Caterina Ceraudo (one star and one green star) at Restaurant Graziella and Ed Tejada & Ryan Walker (one green star for Silo in London, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant) at O’Thym.
©Benoit Rousseau (nuit blanche)
Other gastronomic programming highlights:
- “Le vin en musique” with François Chartier – a series of tasting events where the acoustic fingerprint of wine and beverages are transformed into music.
- The Quartier Gourmand featuring events dedicated to Indigenous cuisine, workshops, panel discussions, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and ‘5 à 7s’ presented by the SAQ.
- 90 years of Air France dinner at ITHQ, featuring a menu celebrating Air France’s in-flight offerings, curated by chefs Pasquale Vari and Olivier Perret.
- Brunchs en Lumière features 25 restaurants presenting their exclusive brunch creations, following the Nuit Blanche all-night event.
- Apéros Montréal en Lumière will be putting Italian wines in the spotlight with festive hosted tastings led by different hosts for 3 producers (Masi, Cecchi and Michele Chiarlo) and will pair antipasti platters with wine tastings by the glass.
Photo by: Frederique-Menard-Aubin
MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE 2024, with its blend of culinary experiences, cultural events, and diverse entertainment is not just a festival but also a celebration of Montreal in the winter.
Beyond its gastronomic programming, the festival features live musical performances, cultural attractions and events as well as an illuminated and immersive skating trail, multimedia art installations and ‘Nuit Blanche in Montréal’ – an all-night event with over 100 exclusive cultural activities including art, poetry, dance, games, cinema and more.
The festival is presented by Loto‑Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank. For more information, including the full programming and list of participating restaurants, visit: https://www.montrealenlumiere.com/Programmation
