12 European Teams Are in the World Cup. The Montreal Restaurant for Each.
From Austria and Belgium to Switzerland and Scotland. Where Montreal eats for the 12 European teams in the 2026 World Cup that don't have a dedicated guide here.
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Twelve European teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup that don't have a dedicated montreal.best country guide. Some, like England and Germany, are tournament regulars with histories thick enough to write a book on. Others, like Scotland and the Czech Republic, are back after long absences. A few, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, booked their tickets through the late playoff drama. This is where Montreal eats when each one plays.
Montreal's European diaspora map has gaps. The big communities have their corridors, including Italians in Saint-Léonard, Portuguese in the Plateau, French across the Plateau and Mile End. The 12 teams here have smaller footprints, and in some cases no dedicated restaurant scene at all. Where the food exists in Montreal, we name it. Where it doesn't, we say so and point to the nearest crossover.
Austria. First World Cup since 1998. The Austrians came through qualifying as a serious side. In Montreal, the closest thing to an Austrian table is Boucherie Atlantique on Côte-des-Neiges, founded in 1963 by an Austrian and German butcher couple from the Black Forest. The shop carries house-made bratwurst, Bauernmettwurst, and Apfelstrudel. It is a butcher, not a sit-down restaurant. Order in advance, eat at home.
Belgium. The 2018 third-place run was the peak of the golden generation of De Bruyne, Hazard, and Lukaku. The 2026 squad is rebuilding around younger names. Belgian frites, mayo, and beer get closest at Frite Alors!, founded in 1991 on Avenue du Parc by a Belgian who wanted real Belgian-style fries in Montreal. For mussels-and-frites with a proper Belgian beer list, the Bistro des Bières Belges in Longueuil is the thirty-year institution, with over ninety imported beers and the South Shore's deepest Belgian roster.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. They booked their ticket in March 2026 by beating Italy 4-1 on penalties in a UEFA playoff. Sarajevo will be loud all summer. In Montreal, Pâtisserie Gordana in LaSalle is the rare address that stocks Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian products together, with house-made ćevapi and burek. There is no dedicated Bosnian sit-down room in the city. The takeaway counter and the Balkan grocery shelf are the closest thing the diaspora has.
Croatia. Modrić is still there, turning 41 in September just after the tournament ends. The 2022 third-place finish in Qatar was the last hurrah for the golden generation, and 2026 is the soft landing. Pâtisserie Gordana is the same answer as Bosnia. The dishes that define Croatian cooking on the Adriatic, the seafood, the fritaja, the brudet, are not represented in Montreal at restaurant scale. Order ćevapi or burek and call it close enough.
Czech Republic. First World Cup since 2006. Rebuilt under veteran Miroslav Koubek, brought in at age 74 in December 2025 after Ivan Hašek's exit, with Koubek steering the team through the playoff qualifying win. Bily Kun on Avenue du Mont-Royal in the Plateau is a Czech-named bar opened as a tribute to a place its founders visited in the small Czech town of Loket. The menu is Czech spirits, beer, and snackable plates rather than a full-on Prague pub. Live jazz early, DJs late. Open until 3 a.m.
England. Eternal contenders. Bellingham, Saka, Foden, and a defence that holds when it has to. The 2024 Euro final loss to Spain still stings. Burgundy Lion in Little Burgundy is Montreal's English pub of record and Montreal's European football hub during major tournaments. Fish and chips, bangers and mash, English Breakfast on Sunday. For downtown, Hurley's and McLean's both pour proper pints with the matches on.
Germany. Rebuilt under Nagelsmann after the 2022 group-stage exit, then steady through qualifying. Die Mannschaft enter 2026 as a quietly dangerous side rather than a favourite. Boucherie Atlantique is the German answer too, given its Black Forest founder and house-made German sausages and Lebkuchen. For a sit-down room, dedicated German restaurants in Montreal are thin on the ground. Pair the butcher takeaway with a German Pilsner from a depanneur and watch the match at home.
Netherlands. Strong roster, deep midfield, with Frenkie de Jong running things and a generation of Dutch wingers behind him. Oranje can win this tournament if the bracket falls right. There is no dedicated Dutch restaurant in Montreal. Stamppot, bitterballen, kroketten, and Dutch licorice are nowhere on a menu. The closest cuisine match is Belgian, given the shared frites and beer culture. Frite Alors! covers it.
Norway. Haaland's first World Cup. Ødegaard wears the captain's armband. Norway have not been to a World Cup since 1998, and the 2026 squad enters with more talent than at any point in living memory. Norwegian food in Montreal is absent at the restaurant level. No dedicated koldtbord, no fårikål, no lutefisk. Nordic-leaning restaurants in Montreal exist at the higher end, but none claim Norwegian cooking specifically. Watch the match at an English or Irish pub and accept the geography.
Scotland. First World Cup since 1998. A 28-year drought ends. The Tartan Army will travel. In Montreal, Scottish pubs blur with Irish pubs, and the actual food is largely shared. McLean's Pub downtown leans Irish in branding but pulls a Scottish crowd during big matches, with a respectable scotch selection. Le Vieux Dublin, one of the older Irish pubs in Montreal, is another solid landing point.
Sweden. Back after missing 2022. The squad is rebuilding around a younger core, with Isak up top. Sweden in Montreal is a similar story to Norway. Smörgåsbord, köttbullar, gravlax, and lussekatter are not on a Montreal restaurant map. IKEA in Saint-Laurent serves Swedish meatballs in its cafeteria, which is the most truthful answer this guide can give. Beyond that, watch at a sports bar.
Switzerland. Qualified comfortably. Granit Xhaka still anchors the midfield. Nati sit in the second tier of European sides, capable of an upset but rarely favourites. La Raclette in the Plateau has been the Swiss alpine room of record on Gilford since 1985, a short walk from Métro Laurier. Raclette, cheese fondue, hot stone grill. Bring your own wine. The kitchen is supplied by local cheesemaker Fritz Kaiser. It runs Swiss in summer too if you are willing to sweat through the cheese.
The honest summary. Six of these teams (Austria, Belgium, England, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and the Bosnia and Croatia overlap at Pâtisserie Gordana) have a real Montreal address for fans. Six don't. For Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and a chunk of the bigger nights, the answer is an English or Irish pub downtown with the match on the big screen and a Guinness or a Pilsner in front of you. Better an honest pint than a fake restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
Where do European Montrealers gather to watch the World Cup?
The bigger diasporas cluster around their own corridors. Italians in Saint-Léonard, Portuguese in the Plateau, French across the Plateau and Mile End. The 12 teams in this article have smaller communities in Montreal. Most fans land at English and Irish pubs downtown like Burgundy Lion, Hurley's, and McLean's, or at general sports bars carrying the match.
What's the difference between Croatian and Bosnian food in Montreal?
In Montreal, both diasporas overlap at a handful of Balkan shops and pâtisseries. Pâtisserie Gordana in LaSalle is the rare address that carries Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian products under one roof, with ćevapi and burek made in house. The deeper national differences, such as Croatian seafood from the Adriatic coast versus Bosnian grilled meats and stews, are not reflected in dedicated Montreal restaurants.
Which group-stage match is the biggest draw in Montreal?
England matches always pull the biggest English-language crowds. Burgundy Lion in Little Burgundy is Montreal's de facto European football hub during major tournaments. Germany and Netherlands matches draw mixed European crowds with the German and Dutch communities being small but present. Scotland's first World Cup since 1998 will fill a few pubs with kilted regulars who have waited 28 years for this.
Any unusual food associations worth knowing for these teams?
A few. Croatians eat ćevapi with kajmak and ajvar on lepinja flatbread. The Dutch put mayonnaise on their fries and eat black salted licorice their visitors find startling. The Swiss bring raclette and fondue, both winter dishes, into a summer tournament. Belgian frites should be double-fried and served in a paper cone. Austrians take their Apfelstrudel seriously. Most of these dishes are easier to find in their home countries than in Montreal, with a handful of exceptions noted in this guide.