What to Do in Montreal

Every once in a while, someone comes visiting Montreal and asks for some suggestions of what to do. Here’s a little guide to some of the stuff I like to do.

Stuff to Do in the Daytime

Coffee
I love sitting in cafes and reading the newspaper. Buy you papers/magazines at Point Vert, then grab a seat at one of my favourite spots:

  • laika – for coffee and free wifi and minimal techno and computer/design geeks
  • else’s – a corner pub/cafe, also free wifi, with more of a writerly/drinking crowd
  • cafe olympico – great coffee & mile end hipsters
  • cafe italia – superb coffee by the jean talon market

Buying Food

Art and Museums and Stuff
All the standard museums (Beaux-Arts, MAC) are worth a stop, and some other places I enjoy:

  • BELGO Building: This is a big old industrial building filled with little art galleries. Usually open thurs-Sunday.
  • Canadian Centre for Architecture: Wonderful museum, though their exhibits are hit and miss. The book store, however, is always superb.
  • Biodome: a pretty neat indoor nature reserve, with four climate ecosystems recreated.
  • Bibliotheque national – the fancy new library.
  • Atwater Library – a great little old community library with poetry & other events, beautiful building, and the last remaining Mechanics Institute in Canada. Free wifi. (disclaimer: I’m on the board).

Buildings & Architecture
Montreal’s got a nice mix of old (by North American standards), and livable. Some highlights include:

Other Things to Do

  • walk up mount royal (start at the Georges Etienne Cartier monument on Parc Ave & wander up the path. Better: bring a picknick. (You can go skating up at beaver lake too & they’ll rent you skates)
  • book shops: Word on Milton, Argo on Ste-Catherine

Eating, Drinking and Nightlife

Eating
A note on food: Old Montreal is “charming,” but geared to tourists, and is not real-life Montreal. Lower St-Laurent (between Sherbrooke & Pine Ave) is geared to big wallets and big boobs. Downtown (Crescent Street etc) caters also to loud tourists and business people. Elsewhere the city is, however, filled with lots of great restos, bars, cafes. Here are a few food suggestions:

  • P’tit Plateau: this is your best bet for a true Montreal experience. a tiny bring your own wine bistro tucked away on Marie-Anne & Drolet. Make reservations, get a nice bottle of wine at the SAQ, and expect a great table d’hote (prob $25 for 3 courses?). (514) 282-6342
  • Keur Fatou – a great charming hole in the wall senegalese resto (you’ll feel like you’re in someone’s apartment) where the owner/chef/dishwasher sings and tells Senegalese folk tales Thurs-Friday. Bring your own wine. Choice of 3 plates usually, about $12 each. St-Viateur & St-Urbain. 514-277-2221
  • Pho Bang New York: best Vietnamese soup shop in the city. Order a #10 large ($4.95), on your way home from Old Montreal. Corner St-Laurent & Viger.
  • Reservoir: good place for lunch, another brew pub. the chef was once a sous-chef at Toque (very expensive fancypants place),a nd lunches are exceptional ($15?). Duluth & St-Laurent.
  • Chez Doval: portugese peasant fare at its best. ask for a table in the lively back room. $15. Marie-Anne & St-Dominique? 514-843-3390
  • L’Express: the classic Montreal version of a French Bistro
  • Senzala: Brazilian, with best brunch in town ($15). Bernard & Esplanade. 514-274-1464
  • Eurodeli Batory: cheap wonderful Polish food, open for lunch only.
  • Chez Nouri: cheap wonderful Iranian food, open for lunch only.

Drinking
Note on alcohol: beer can be bought at depanneurs (corner stores), but wine (tho available at deps) should be bought at the SAQ (liquor stores), otherwise you pay too much for bad stuff.

  • Mcauslan makes the best locally available beer, good pale ale (st-a), excellent cream ale, and good stout.
    • Dieu de Ciel: best brew pub in montreal, usually lively, their cask ale is best I’ve had outside of England. Corner Laurier and Clark.
    • Else’s: a good afternoon/early evening pint, filled with regulars, students, artists etc. corner Roy & de Bullion (gets busy later).
    • arfly: a drinkers bar, a real dive, with plywood floors and heaps of charm, a rowdy crowd, usually excellent, if rough & tumble music. atmosphere & characters, not décor. St. Laurent, above Duluth.
    • Blizzarts: if you’re looking for a mix of a lounge/club with a usually friendly, arty crowd, this is as good a place as any. music good & varied. good prices on domestic beer etc. St-laurent, below Duluth.
    • Green Room: if you’re looking for a mix of a bar/club with a usually friendly, arty crowd, this is as good a place as any. music good & varied. good prices on domestic beer etc.
    • Bily Kun, arty tavern, busy night & day. music. mount royal & st denis.

    Music
    Check the weeklies, Mirror & Hour for listings. Some likely spots:

    • Casa del Popolo: alt-rock, post punk, free jazz, poetry etc.
    • Sala Rosa: indie rockster place, occasional clown cabarets etc.
    • Divan orange: little arty/hipster bar with music st.Laurent, above Duluth.
    • Club balatou: live African & reggae music. st-laurent & rachel
    • SAT: electronic arty music hang-out.