If you’re looking for a getaway to a city with great food, lots of culture, and isn’t too far, you absolutely need to consider the 1.5 hour flight to Montréal. We visited ourselves for the first time less than a month ago and already started to feel nostalgic as we put together this extensive guide to our neighbor up north.
Right in the heart of Montréal lies the Hotel Place d’Armes – an extremely comfortable and central place to stay while visiting. We loved how the modern feeling hotel has details and flourishes from the 4 historic buildings that were combined to bring it to life…we also love bring directly across the street from the Notre Dame Basilica of Montréal. The nearby 2 train will take you all over the city, or stay local and walk to the Old Port of the city.
Located on the edge of the hip Saint-Henri neighborhood, Gia Vin and Grill is one of the best meals we have had in 2024. The Italian-leaning restaurant is the epitome of cool – right down to it’s placement in an old warehouse that is largely home to artist studios. Get a cocktail or a glass of natty wine, and order anything the sweet staff recommends. Also be on the lookout for popups with cool traveling chefs frequently hosted here!
The classic Joe Beef, lauded by Anthony Bourdain, has a hip younger sister two doors down: Le Vin Papillon. The rotating menu here focuses on highlighting star ingredients in a way that only French cuisine can do. Definitely book ahead to enjoy an evening here – despite a cozy dining room and spacious backyard, we saw many hungry diners sadly turned away!
Come here for the spectacle, stay for the sweet and creamy Orange Julep. This casual to-go only luncheonette serves classic Canadian comfort food like Poutine alongside their signature “orange julep.” An elixir that can only be described as a slightly sour melted creamsicle.
This Italian cafe exudes a European level of chill – the perfect pairing to a delicious sandwich served on house-baked focaccia. Mano Cornuto also has a great coffee shop nextdoor, Mano Figa, serving Italian-style espresso drinks and selling their fantastic merch.
Since the late 8o’s Lloydie’s has been serving caribbean food in Montréal and can take the credit of being the first to introduce the Jamaican patty to the Quebec market. We loved the fun interiors of their two locations: both in Saint-Henri and St-Viateur!
Be prepared for a line if you come on the weekend, but know that this breakfast and lunch spot is WELL worth the wait. From their buttery pancakes and rich breakfast sandwich to our favorite – the bone broth – September Cafe is a feel good kind of place.
Yes, these New Yorkers sought out a New York Slice while in Canada…and we have to say, Pizza Toni might be better than 75% of NYC slice shops. If you’re feeling extra blasphemous, get a side of their house made ranch!
This luncheonette is a staple of Montréal’s deep Jewish community. The service is warm and fast, and exactly how you’d hope a diner will be.
If your trip to Montréal is an attempt at pretending you’re in France, l’Express is where you should have dinner. Waiters in uniform pour fantastic French wines to accompany rich classics like rillettes and steak frites.
For nearly one hundred years, Wilensky’s Light Lunch has been serving up the Wilensky special: a hot salami and cheese sandwich with mustard on an English Muffin-type bread. There’s nothing like it!
This coconut-based soft serve is so good that we actually had no idea it was dairy-free until a few bites in! The flavors here are super unique and change frequently, so maybe try a few visits during your time in Montréal ;)
Lab is the best way to describe Voyager: an experimental coffee shop dreaming up coffee drinks we have never seen anywhere else in a space that is straight from the future. The shop is open limited hours, so plan to stop by later in the week or on the weekend!
A quiet haven off the busy shopping thoroughfare, Boulevard Saint Laurent, Café Éclair is a great place to relax and recharge over an afternoon coffee.
This coffee roaster has a few locations around the city and is a good choice for a reliable cup of specialty coffee. This is probably the most in line with a solid NYC coffee shop, meaning Dispatch is the kind of place you could grab a coffee, and a juice, and a pastry to get your day going.
Located on the Avenue Mont-Royal, Le Rouge Gorge is a sleek and modern wine bar that was bustling with energy on the night we stopped in. Despite that, we easily secured a seat at the bar and were thoroughly impressed with our cocktails!
Near the east end of Boulevard Saint Laurent, Boutique Odeleyo is a really special shop. Not only do they make an entire line of clothing in-house, but Odeleyo is committed to Canadian fashion and carries select pieces from other small Canadian brands in their large, bright space.
One such small brand, Eliza Faulkner, also has a shop a few blocks away. Imagine a happier Vivienne Westwood and you might be thinking of the designs of Eliza Faulkner. This is a great brand to shop at their flagship or at Boutique Odeleyo.
This shop is FULL of unique, colorful items seemingly designed to make a New York apartment POP. We’re talking prints, wall hooks, vases, and even a small curation of Canadian-made custom furniture.
One of the best curated bookstores we’ve ever visited, Librarie Saint-Henri is a place where you’re sure to leave with something in hand. As a plus, most books here are in English which is rare in the French-first city of Montréal!
Another bookstore that carries English-language titles, Drawn & Quarterly is a community hub. While we were there, the entire store had been redecorated to celebrate the release of a new book by an author from the city.
A bastion of modern and collectible (mostly mens) modern clothing and accessories, Livestock has a totally unique selection. Shop anything from the latest cool sneakers, to niche skincare.
To describe Les Etoffes in one word: chic. Full of new brands to discover, just about every piece in this shop could be worn to a downtown fashion event or styled in a way to wear to a casual dinner with friends.
An unbelievably cool little cheese shop in Mile End is the perfect excuse to take advantage of all the French cheeses and meats available in Montréal!
As you’re bopping around the Mile End shops, don’t miss the quaint Au Papier Japonais if you’re art or craft inclined. While mostly focused on supplies for paper arts like origami or bookbinding, this jewel box also has a good selection of art supply basics in a pinch.
We always recommend seeing a city by boat if you can and Le Petit Navire is how we would recommend doing it. Skip the large, cruise-ship like touristy boats and take a 45-minute tour around Montréal’s Old Port in a small, electric ship. You’ll see lots of landmarks, including the architectural icon: Habitat 67.
The people that believe a “relaxing” vacation is only possible in a tropical climate are clearly unaware of Bota Bota: a floating spa in the old port that is beautiful, and relaxing. Hop from steam room to cold dip to pool, with a pop in at the restaurant or bar in between. We loved the 360 views of the city and feeling absolutely blissful for a few hours on the water.
Located in Montréal’s Italian Neighborhood, Marche Jean Talon is one of the city’s 3 year-round farmers markets and open daily. Not only are there dozens of produce stalls, bakeries, and butchers, but there are also a handful of great restaurants operating out of Marche Jean Talon like the famed Oyster shop La Boite Aux Huîtres.
Another great market on the other end of town is the Marche Atwater – more focused on groceries than dining but in our opinion more of a locals market with (slightly) better produce!
If you’ve got good weather in Montréal take full advantage of it: head to the park Pont Charlevoix and rent a boat to take onto a serene canal! We went full classic mode and rented a swan paddle boat for an hour – the time completely flew by and we love watching the sun begin to set from the water. If you’ve worked up a thirst paddling, you can head to Canal Lounge afterwards for a beer on a houst boat converted to a bar.
Montréal is named after this Royal Mountain, and a walk to the this lookout point is a MUST while in town. If you’re reminded of Prospect or Central park while you’re meandering your way along the manicured trails, that’s because it was designer by the same planner and landscape architect: Frederik Law Olmsted in 1874!
The multi-building Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux Arts) is a stellar museum. In terms of collection, it straddles the line between Met and MoMA (leaning more MoMA) with wonderful curation. The museum also has an active arts cinema in the lower level so check for showtimes while you’re in town!
