Oh Montreal… you lovely, arty city. Really wish I’d stayed a night or two to get the most out of this place, but a few hours was better than nothing. We hopped in the car and had breakfast on the road. It took around 2 hours to drive to Montréal from Ottawa, and once we were there we needed a coffee, so we stopped in at Arts Cafe.
It was obviously a very popular coffee shop, and had lots of unusual artefacts to look at – although you can’t see many in my photo. There were also shelves stacked full of art books and magazines to browse while you drink your coffee, and plenty of interesting people to watch. Over in the left corner there were a couple of guys on their MacBooks, and we were trying to guess what they did for a living.
Afterwards, we browsed the gorgeous shops, of which there were many. Some of my favourites that we came across in Montréal:
Boucle et Papier
Boutique Unicorn
Boutique Vestibule
Citizen Vintage
Monastiraki
It’s pretty easy to just wander around and find loads of interesting shops, cafes and galleries – as long as you make sure you’re in the right area of Montréal.
After all that wandering, it was time for some very delicious sustenance. I hadn’t had authentic poutine yet, so we headed to La Banquise. They specialise in poutine, and have 30+ different combinations, meaning there’s probably something for everyone there. And they’re open 24 hours… I can imagine this would make the best drunk food.
I went for the classic, as it was my first time. I’m still not sold on cheese curds, but damn do Canadians know how to do fries well.
After a little more Montréal wandering and a walk around the nearby park, we decided to head home as I was absolutely knackered (thanks jetlag + chronic illness).
But a few extra Montréal recommendations from my Airbnb hosts:
• Triexpress for sushi – don’t order from the menu, just ask for “chef’s choice” and let them know you want to spend about $20 per person.
• Jean Talon Market for all the delicious fresh produce.
• Monkland Village – nice area to walk around with cute shops.
• Westmount – beautiful neighbourhood, with the greatest concentration of wealth in North America
• Mandy’s – delicious salad place in Westmount.
• Cafe Myriade
• Cafe Pikolo – cool vibe, delicious espresso.
• Bobby McGee’s – Stefan’s favourite bar in Montreal.
• Bily Kun – Ashley’s favourite bar in Montreal.
• Mile End – cool area to walk around.
• Le Plateau – their favourite neighbourhood in Montreal – classic and beautiful.
• Cafe Olimpico – cool crowd, and apparently famous people like Arcade Fire go there.
• Faimount Bagels/St Viateur Bagels – order “all dressed”.
• Try Montreal beer brands – McAuslan and St Ambroise.
