If you find yourself looking back fondly at the summer of 2016 (the first ‘hot girl summer’ before Megan The Stallion coined the phrase slash state-of-mind), I might guess you’re also fast approaching your 30s, which brings an embracing of solo adventures with a change of pace and purpose- and now the addition of new aches and pains.
I first visited Montreal back in 2016- back when my joints were fresh during my second year of college. After crossing the Canadian border, I took a train then a bus to Montreal, where I stayed with a friend and fell in love with the city in the early summer. Like I said, fresh joints.
Many years later, I decided to spend 2 weeks in Montreal back in October to enjoy the change of the seasons while I worked remotely. I was a little nervous to be in the bilingual city again after a shy attempt in 2016 to order a coffee in French, and getting responded back in English, much to my dismay. In Montreal, servers will always greet you in both English and French like a choose-your-own-adventure, in which they continue the conversation with you in the language you respond back in. This time, I told myself, I’ll intentionally use my years of learned French that was sitting in the back of my brain gathering dust. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to blend in exactly, but I could try to honor my years of French lessons by pronouncing ‘croissant’ correctly. On day 2, I mustered up the courage and the French came pouring out of my mouth like a sleeper agent.
Best times to visit: Spring/early Summer and Autumn
Great if you love: cultural events, hefty sandwiches, a mix of old city + new architecture + park
Good to know: Many places don’t accept Amex cards!
Must tries: famous Montreal bagels, poutine, Portuguese chicken
FOOD
Dépanneur Le Pick Up $ 7032 Waverly St
We visited this spot towards the end of our stay but it was one of my favorite places that I will recommend to anyone who visits Montreal! They’re widely loved for their sandwiches, like the Grilled Halloumi and all day breakfast sandwiches.
La Bêtise $$ (many locations)
The Rosemont location lies in the Little Italy neighborhood, and was the perfect cozy restaurant for sharing tapas. I fell in love with the Banh Mi Grilled Cheese, and we ended up ordering two of the Tartare de Saumon Bêtise.
Ma Poule Mouillée $ 969 Rachel St E
Order Le P’tit Talbot chicken sandwich, you will not be disappointed.
Maynard $ 30 Prince Arthur St W
This vegan spot offers up a small menu of classic comfort food like ranch wrap, burgers, and BBQ sandwiches but the oyster mushroom wings blew me away. Extremely flavorful and well worth a visit.
Hang Bar $$$ 686 Notre-Dame St W
A Vietnamese fusion restaurant perfect for date night, Hang’s menu mixes the best of both worlds like their Pho Wagyu Consommé and Banh Mi Foie Gras. I absolutely loved their signature cocktails and our waiter’s recommendations hit the mark.
9TailFox $$ 3401 Notre-Dame St W
A more casual restaurant tucked away out of the downtown center, 9TailFox offers tonkatsu, galbi, kimchi fried rice, as well as calamari and fettuccine.
Time Out Market $$ 705 Saint-Catherine St W
My stay in Montreal started out with the Time Out Market, which is basically a curated food court inside a mall downtown. There’s many highly rated options to choose from, and I ended up eating some Portuguese chicken poutine from Campo (which also has other locations!) and coffee from Tunnel Espresso.
Lola Rosa $ (2 locations)
100% Plant-based bistro with friendly service hidden in the middle of a busy neighborhood. Their Rosa salad was superb and super filling.
Cafe Saint-Barth $ 3500 Park Ave
I was just able to stop by this sunny brunch café on a busy workday for a to-go order. I’d recommend getting here earlier than the afternoon, as it’s a hot study spot for students.
Pin for later:
- Palomar: This seafood shop and restaurant at the Jean Talon Market offers a ready-to-eat counter with brunch, lunch, and dinner. Try their tapas style menu to experiment with all the different flavors.
- Doubles: In all my research, I found that this divey late night dig has the best burgers that are well beloved by locals. Its retro style sign welcomes the hungry into the semi-basement bar until 3AM.
- Super Condiments: Specialty grocery shop, café, wine shop, with an early evening bar service
CAFES
Paquebot Café $$ (Many locations)
I spent an entire day working from this café near the Mont-Royal park. Their coffee was tasty and I enjoyed the breakfast & lunch menu while listening to their great playlists. I ended up buying a hoodie from their merch, and it’s been a new favorite staple in my wardrobe!
Cafe Humble Lion (2 locations) $
The Sherbrooke location of this small café is tucked into downtown Montreal, and picks up many McGill students during the morning bustle. Great to work out of, if you can grab a seat.
Mintar $ 3418b Av du Parc, Montreal
Friendly staff and the most filling and flavorful breakfast burrito I had. Highly recommend it!
Café Nocturne (2 locations) $ 19 Prince Arthur St W
Snagging a window seat is the move here if you like to people watch, but it’s a busy study spot. Great coffee and friendly people!
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters (chain, 1 location in Montreal) $
I worked out of the location downtown, where the large, bright coffee shop flooded with corporate workers during the lunch rush. This shop also carries Lucky’s Doughnuts, which I didn’t get to try but looked delicious.
Edmond Cafe $$ 105 Rachel St W
I didn’t work remotely here, but instead took a coffee to go as it’s right by the Mont-Royal park. This spot had ciders and wines in their fridge as well.
Pin for later:
- Crew Collective & Cafe: 360 Rue Saint-Jacques
- Café Replika: 252 Rue Rachel E
- Saint JJH & Café: 3323 Rue Evelyn
- Lili & Oli: 2713 Notre-Dame St W
- Café Neve: 151 Rue Rachel E
- Le Petit Dep: many locations
BARS
VinVinVin $$ 1290 Rue Beaubien E
This was my unexpected favorite find. The vibes were so immaculate that it inspired a new playlist. 🍷🪩📀
Milky Way Cocktail Bar $$$ 1886 Centre St
This cocktail bar, on Discovery 2021’s World’s 50 Best, was a mid-week nightcap. Try their signature cocktails like the Marcus Hibiscus or the Maillot Blanc.
The perfect, low-lit intimate ambience with great food, drinks, and got more lively as the night continued.
Le Mal Nécessaire $$ 1015 Rue St. Alexander
This hidden Chinatown cocktail bar was a vibe as well, with a DJ spinning vinyls across the tiki-style bar. It’s smaller so expect to wait in line.
Vices & Versa $ 6631 St Laurent Blvd
This Little Italy bar was more casual and cozy, the kind that gives off the vibe of your favorite campus bar. Their poutine and mac & cheese were mouth watering and both paired well with beers.
Pin for later:
- Tiradito: 1076 Rue de Bleury
- Santos: recommended to me by a local 191 Saint-Paul St W
- Big in Japan Bar: 4175 St Laurent Blvd
cultural chameleon 