We will always stay true to the farmer’s markets; they are by far the best places to buy groceries, meats, fish, and specialty items in the city. But sometimes getting to the market is difficult, and for those times when you just need a grocery store for a quick fix, we have come up with the top food shops in the city .
PA Grocers
There are three of these throughout the city – a downtown location, Outrement location, and East End location. Our favorite thing about PA is that the product is always fresh and inexpensive. Though the result is that PA is often very busy, it’s worth the wait. On top of having great inexpensive products, PA offers delivery. You can simply call them up, check the online specials, give your credit card, and your order will be at your front door within hours. It’s an amazing convenience for young professionals who don’t have a lot of time on their hands for grocery shopping.
National
For most Westmounters, National is a popular one-stop shop for last minute fresh produce and basic grocery items. This small specialty grocer also serves up a great selection of pre-made dishes, very similar to Whole Foods but on a smaller scale. For those of you who are often on the run but still value great produce, meats and cheeses, this is a great grocery store for you. They remain one of the only places in the city you can get Chiabati Greek Yogurt, which stopped exporting to Quebec a few months back.
Victoria Market
Located on the ground floor of Montreal’s premier boutique gym (Victoria Park), Victoria Market is an organic grocer that specializes in hard-to-find organic and environmentally friendly specialty products as well as pre-made dishes that can be boxed and put in the fridge. Anything from organic, bio-friendly laundry detergents to cereals and grains, this is where you can find products that you cannot find anywhere else in the city. We love their ready–to-eat meals the most, and word on the street is that they will be introducing a delivery option in early 2012. Stay tuned; we will let you know as soon as it’s launched!