Quebec’s Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ) has published more than 800 court judgments against food establishments across the province since the start of 2026, with seven Montreal-area restaurants standing out for the size of their cumulative penalties, ranging from $8,000 to $16,900.
The judgments, issued by the Montreal Municipal Court, stem from inspections carried out in 2024 and 2025, as legal proceedings typically take months or years to conclude before a fine is formally published in the provincial food safety registry. The violations cited most often involve unsanitary premises, poorly maintained equipment, food stored under unsafe conditions, and in some cases, operating without a valid permit.
Largest Penalties Tied to Repeat Violations
Le Platana, located at 361 Rue Bernard O. in Montreal, faced the highest total among the group at $16,900 across two separate cases and six individual fines. The penalties covered unclean premises, equipment and utensils used in food preparation, as well as premises not kept free of contaminants, pollutants or pests. The underlying infractions were recorded between May and December 2024, with judgments handed down between February and March 2026.
Restaurant Kim Fung, on Rue Saint-Urbain, accumulated $13,200 in fines across three cases. The largest portion, $8,200, related to the presence of contaminants or pests on the premises, while an additional $4,000 fine addressed unclean equipment and surfaces. A smaller $1,000 penalty was issued for failing to keep a hot perishable product at the required temperature.
Permit Violations Also a Factor
At Vago Italien in Westmount, a single inspection visit in March 2025 resulted in two separate fines totalling $11,500. The larger of the two, $10,000, was for operating a restaurant without a valid permit, while a $1,500 fine addressed non-compliant equipment and surfaces.
Les Grillades de Steeve, on Boulevard Saint-Michel, was fined $10,000 in total, split evenly between operating without a valid permit and failing to keep the premises free of pests or contaminants.
Mimimelon, on Rue Saint-Louis, totalled $11,200 across three infractions, with $9,200 tied to contamination and pest issues and a further $2,000 fine for failing to keep perishable products at the required temperature.
Restaurant Siciliana and La Belle Province each accumulated $8,000 in fines. Siciliana’s penalties covered pest-related premises issues and unclean equipment, while both of La Belle Province’s fines stemmed from unclean premises, equipment and utensils.
What the Fines Mean for Diners
MAPAQ has noted that the violations listed in these judgments do not necessarily reflect the current conditions at the restaurants involved, given the lag between when an infraction is observed and when a judgment is published. The agency has said that when an establishment remains open, it typically indicates the cited issues have since been corrected. The full registry of food safety judgments is available on MAPAQ’s official website.
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