How to check a Montreal restaurant's food safety record

Unlike Toronto, Montreal does not put a coloured inspection sign in every restaurant window. That does not mean the record is hidden. Restaurants in Montreal are inspected regularly, and businesses convicted of food safety offences are listed publicly. Here is how inspection works in Montreal, where to look up a restaurant, and how to make sense of what you find.

Who inspects restaurants in Montreal?

Food safety in Quebec falls under the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, known by its French initials MAPAQ. On the island of Montreal, the City of Montreal's food inspection division carries out inspections on the ministry's behalf. It covers restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, caterers and other businesses that prepare, sell, store or distribute food.

Inspectors check things such as food temperatures, cleanliness, pest control, handwashing, storage and the condition of equipment. When they find a serious problem, the business can be prosecuted and fined.

Where can you look up a Montreal restaurant's record?

There are two main public sources:

• The list of offenders. The City of Montreal publishes a list of food establishments in the Montreal area that have been convicted of an offence under Quebec's Food Products Act. It is available as open data and through the city's food inspection pages.
• MAPAQ's map. The ministry publishes a map of establishments convicted over roughly the last two years, searchable by location.

Search by the restaurant's name or address. Remember that business names can change and that a restaurant may operate under a different legal name from the one on its sign.

What does it mean if a restaurant is on the list?

Being on the list means a court confirmed a conviction for a food safety offence, usually after an inspection, and the business was fined. The entry typically shows the date of the offence, the date of the judgment, a short description of what was found and the amount of the fine.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Convictions take time. The offence may date from many months before the judgment.
• One entry is not the whole story. Look at how serious the problem was, how recent it is and whether it happened more than once.
• Not being listed is not a guarantee. The list covers convictions, not every inspection.

How common are food safety convictions in Montreal?

They are not rare. Local media regularly publish round-ups of the largest fines. Given how many places sell food in the city, a single old conviction is not unusual, but repeated or recent serious offences are worth noticing.

How should you use the list when choosing where to eat?

Use it as one signal among several, not a verdict. A practical approach:

1. Search the restaurant you are considering by name and by address.
2. If there is an entry, read the description, not only the fine. A storage temperature problem and a pest problem are very different.
3. Check the dates. A conviction from several years ago under a previous owner says little about the kitchen today.
4. Look for patterns. Several convictions close together are a much stronger warning than a single one.
5. Combine it with what you see when you arrive, and with what recent diners say.

What should you look for when you walk into a restaurant?

You can learn a lot without any database:

• Clean washrooms, often a good sign of how the kitchen is run.
• Staff handling food with care: clean hands or gloves, separate utensils, food kept covered.
• Cold food that is cold and hot food that is hot, especially at buffets and counters.
• A tidy, organized counter and dining room.

How do you report a food safety problem in Montreal?

If you think you got sick from a meal, or you saw something unsafe, you can file a complaint with the City of Montreal's food inspection division through the city's website. Give as much detail as you can: the business name and address, the date and time, what you ate and what happened. If you are unwell, see a health professional first.

How do inspection records and ratings work together?

They answer different questions. An inspection record tells you whether a business has been convicted of breaking food safety rules. Ratings from people who ate there tell you about the food, the service and the experience. Mosey is built around ratings from people who actually ate somewhere, dish by dish, with photos; read alongside the public record, they give you a fuller picture.

More guides to read next:

• Atwater Market guide: what to buy and eat by the Lachine Canal
• How to order in French at a Montreal restaurant: useful phrases
• Little Italy Montreal food guide: espresso, pizza and delis

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.