A weekend in Montreal
March 12, 2007 12:56 PM Subscribe
Visiting Montreal next week - anything I must see and/or eat?
I'm visiting Montreal next weekend, and quite excited, as it'll be the first time I've ever been in a Francophone city. Is there anything I should see while I'm there? I realize this may be kind of broad, but for one, I don't have any interest in partying, nightlife, etc. but I enjoy history, ethnic neighborhoods, museums, nice parks, and so on.
What kind of foods are special to Montreal? I've heard of the bagels(which I definitely will try), but is there anything else? Any other food recommendations in general? I like trying foreign cuisine in particular when I go to big cities - is there any decent(i.e. authentic, non-Westernized) Chinese food in the Montreal Chinatown? I like all sorts of other food too, like Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, etc. so I'd appreciate hearing about any particularly good(and affordable) restaurants.
Also, sorry if this is a stupid question, but do most Montrealers speak English, and if so, do they get annoyed when you speak to them in English?
I'm visiting Montreal next weekend, and quite excited, as it'll be the first time I've ever been in a Francophone city. Is there anything I should see while I'm there? I realize this may be kind of broad, but for one, I don't have any interest in partying, nightlife, etc. but I enjoy history, ethnic neighborhoods, museums, nice parks, and so on.
What kind of foods are special to Montreal? I've heard of the bagels(which I definitely will try), but is there anything else? Any other food recommendations in general? I like trying foreign cuisine in particular when I go to big cities - is there any decent(i.e. authentic, non-Westernized) Chinese food in the Montreal Chinatown? I like all sorts of other food too, like Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, etc. so I'd appreciate hearing about any particularly good(and affordable) restaurants.
Also, sorry if this is a stupid question, but do most Montrealers speak English, and if so, do they get annoyed when you speak to them in English?
Poutine! You have to have poutine if you are visiting Montreal.
Also, having just gotten back from Montreal I can indeed say that most Montrealers do speak english, but many are less than pleased on it. My french is decent and I was excited to use it, so I stuck with that and most of the monteal natives we spoke to seemed pleased to speak with me but not so much with my friends. YMMV.
posted by patr1ck at 1:08 PM on March 12, 2007
Also, having just gotten back from Montreal I can indeed say that most Montrealers do speak english, but many are less than pleased on it. My french is decent and I was excited to use it, so I stuck with that and most of the monteal natives we spoke to seemed pleased to speak with me but not so much with my friends. YMMV.
posted by patr1ck at 1:08 PM on March 12, 2007
Bagels, poutine, smoked meat sandwich, barbecue chicken.
posted by acoutu at 1:14 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by acoutu at 1:14 PM on March 12, 2007
I just got back from Montreal this past weekend. Eating at Schwartz's deli was definitely a high point, if you like smoked brisket. Dieu du Ciel is also excellent, if you like beer. We got around fine with English, but didn't try to have any detailed conversations.
posted by pombe at 1:17 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by pombe at 1:17 PM on March 12, 2007
The famous smoked meat of Schwartz's Deli.
Learn a bit of French so you can understand road signs if you're going to be driving. Eg the words for east, west, north, south, danger, stop, detour, etc. Nearly all street signs and emergency signs are in French.
Learn to say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French - do you speak English?" in French. Learn to say please, thank you, etc. Don't just start right up in English unless it's an English-speaking place.
Sometimes people will greet you with "Bonjour - hallo". This means, "I have sized you up as a non-Francophone. I'm asking if you would rather continue the conversation in French or English." Answer "Hello", and usually you can just continue in English.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:20 PM on March 12, 2007
Learn a bit of French so you can understand road signs if you're going to be driving. Eg the words for east, west, north, south, danger, stop, detour, etc. Nearly all street signs and emergency signs are in French.
Learn to say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French - do you speak English?" in French. Learn to say please, thank you, etc. Don't just start right up in English unless it's an English-speaking place.
Sometimes people will greet you with "Bonjour - hallo". This means, "I have sized you up as a non-Francophone. I'm asking if you would rather continue the conversation in French or English." Answer "Hello", and usually you can just continue in English.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:20 PM on March 12, 2007
Yes, eat poutine. You can find lots of city guides that list all the famous restaurants. They're all good. Seriously.
One of my personal fave restaurants is FondueMentale, which isn't the best of the best, but is very good and serves really good fondue, which is definitely best experienced with a girlfriend.
There's a cooking school that apparently has a fantastic restaurant - it's been recommended to me, though I've never eaten there. See here for more details.
My wife and I try to go to Montreal once a year and even though we stick to cheap places to keep our budget in check it is always a great time.
posted by GuyZero at 1:42 PM on March 12, 2007
One of my personal fave restaurants is FondueMentale, which isn't the best of the best, but is very good and serves really good fondue, which is definitely best experienced with a girlfriend.
There's a cooking school that apparently has a fantastic restaurant - it's been recommended to me, though I've never eaten there. See here for more details.
My wife and I try to go to Montreal once a year and even though we stick to cheap places to keep our budget in check it is always a great time.
posted by GuyZero at 1:42 PM on March 12, 2007
In my Montreal experience, saying "Bonjour" just got me a response in French that I had to deflect, and I would have been better off using English in the first place. I don't think they "appreciated the effort". Other parts of Quebec are a different story.
posted by smackfu at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by smackfu at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
I adore the Montreal Chinatown restaurants, though I've not been there enough times to remember the name. There's one restaurant on a street parallel to the main street - that you access through a side turn - that has a huge arch/circle/thing as a door. Can't miss it. They're awesome. =)
Poutine for sure, yeah. The first time we went to Montreal, we went to the Biodome. That was wickedly fun.
posted by Phire at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
Poutine for sure, yeah. The first time we went to Montreal, we went to the Biodome. That was wickedly fun.
posted by Phire at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
Oh, and in Montreal downtown, nearly everyone speaks English. Montrealers learn from birth to distinguish Anglophones by smell. Rural Quebec, less so. But no one in Montreal will care.
posted by GuyZero at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by GuyZero at 1:44 PM on March 12, 2007
Montrealplus.ca links just for convenience.
L'Express for French city food, and Au Pied de Cochon for French country food. Both open late.
We were also charmed by Le Piton De La Fournaise, a cozy, inexpensive place with cuisine from L'ile de la Reunion.
Start with bonjour and ask before switching to English and you'll be treated fine.
Montreal is walking paradise. Great urban hiking, plus you can hike all over Mount Royal for days. I also highly recommend renting a bike at the riverfront and biking down the Canal Lachine.
posted by desuetude at 1:57 PM on March 12, 2007
L'Express for French city food, and Au Pied de Cochon for French country food. Both open late.
We were also charmed by Le Piton De La Fournaise, a cozy, inexpensive place with cuisine from L'ile de la Reunion.
Start with bonjour and ask before switching to English and you'll be treated fine.
Montreal is walking paradise. Great urban hiking, plus you can hike all over Mount Royal for days. I also highly recommend renting a bike at the riverfront and biking down the Canal Lachine.
posted by desuetude at 1:57 PM on March 12, 2007
Another good brewpub, if you're into beer, is Cheval Blanc, their beet beer is tasty.
I liked riding the metro, it's neat 'cos the wheels are rubber instead of normal train wheels.
posted by glip at 2:03 PM on March 12, 2007
I liked riding the metro, it's neat 'cos the wheels are rubber instead of normal train wheels.
posted by glip at 2:03 PM on March 12, 2007
Been there a dozen times for the Formula One race. They appreciate the effort when you speak French.
Everyone speaks English. In the Metro, you may get French-only employees.
Avoid Crescent St. if you hate partying, nightlife and hot French-Canadian filles.
posted by wfc123 at 2:21 PM on March 12, 2007
Everyone speaks English. In the Metro, you may get French-only employees.
Avoid Crescent St. if you hate partying, nightlife and hot French-Canadian filles.
posted by wfc123 at 2:21 PM on March 12, 2007
Avoid Crescent St. if you hate partying, nightlife and hot French-Canadian filles.
This bears repeating. It's like a clubalicious hell spilling into the street and knocking into you while bellowing/screeching into cell phones.
posted by desuetude at 3:12 PM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
This bears repeating. It's like a clubalicious hell spilling into the street and knocking into you while bellowing/screeching into cell phones.
posted by desuetude at 3:12 PM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
If you are going to want to check out some museums and will be using public transit then the Montreal Museums Pass might be worth a look. Access to 30 museums and 3 days transit pass for $45.
For Indian food, a popular stop is Pushap thought it is off the Namur metro and is not downtown. It is a small place with great and affordable vegetarian Indian food.
For poutine the recommendation, hands down, would be La Banquise, open 24 hours. Poutine is their specialty with about 20 kinds (though, word to the wise, don't hang out at the front waiting to be seated, the way there, as with many similar popular and casual spots, is to grab any seat you can find. If you wait for somebody to seat you then you will have people behind you sliding ahead to snag seats, it is a hopping place at certain times).
For beer, a three other suggestions near Cheval Blanc would be L'Amère à boire (another brewpub, Czech style I think) Le Sainte-Elisabeth (fantastic enclosed back patio that will be open and heated on St Patrick's day weekend if that is when you are visiting) and Benelux (near Parc and Sherbrooke, microbrew in Belgian styles, I think, and currently when the Habs (hockey team) are playing on Tuesdays and Saturdays they have a special $2.75 a pint in the first period, $3.75 in the second, $4.75 in the third - great prices for the quality of their house offerings).
Hope you enjoy your visit.
posted by gspm at 3:25 PM on March 12, 2007
For Indian food, a popular stop is Pushap thought it is off the Namur metro and is not downtown. It is a small place with great and affordable vegetarian Indian food.
For poutine the recommendation, hands down, would be La Banquise, open 24 hours. Poutine is their specialty with about 20 kinds (though, word to the wise, don't hang out at the front waiting to be seated, the way there, as with many similar popular and casual spots, is to grab any seat you can find. If you wait for somebody to seat you then you will have people behind you sliding ahead to snag seats, it is a hopping place at certain times).
For beer, a three other suggestions near Cheval Blanc would be L'Amère à boire (another brewpub, Czech style I think) Le Sainte-Elisabeth (fantastic enclosed back patio that will be open and heated on St Patrick's day weekend if that is when you are visiting) and Benelux (near Parc and Sherbrooke, microbrew in Belgian styles, I think, and currently when the Habs (hockey team) are playing on Tuesdays and Saturdays they have a special $2.75 a pint in the first period, $3.75 in the second, $4.75 in the third - great prices for the quality of their house offerings).
Hope you enjoy your visit.
posted by gspm at 3:25 PM on March 12, 2007
Just read the girlfriend part - I might second the L'Express mention. VERY popular spot, nice place, entrees are typically $10-$16 or so - but the place is (as many are in that area) Bring Your Own Wine. And there is a liquor store next door open until 10 or 11.
Au Pied de Cochon is known as one of the best spots in town, particularly for the Quebec regional type of food it offers, but I wouldn't necessarily put it on the list of affordable suggestions.
posted by gspm at 3:35 PM on March 12, 2007
Au Pied de Cochon is known as one of the best spots in town, particularly for the Quebec regional type of food it offers, but I wouldn't necessarily put it on the list of affordable suggestions.
posted by gspm at 3:35 PM on March 12, 2007
I'm shocked that no-one's mentioned steamies yet. For all the class and style of the city, Montreal exudes its own special variety of filth. The constant smoking, the strip joints, and the sense that any cab driver would cheerfully mow you down if you were on a cross walk are neatly summed up (culinarily, anyway) with a late night visit to any of the dozens of La Belle Provence outlets in the city.
Steamies are steamed hotdogs, best eaten two or three at a time, 'all dress' (with mustard, ketchup, and choucroute at the minimum...the origin of the All Dressed potato chip), accompanied by a poutine, and preceded by far more than any sensible person would drink.
posted by Kreiger at 4:46 PM on March 12, 2007
Steamies are steamed hotdogs, best eaten two or three at a time, 'all dress' (with mustard, ketchup, and choucroute at the minimum...the origin of the All Dressed potato chip), accompanied by a poutine, and preceded by far more than any sensible person would drink.
posted by Kreiger at 4:46 PM on March 12, 2007
Mount Royal, Mount Royal, Mount Royal. One of my favorite spots on the planet - so close to all kinds of ethnic food, covered in hippies, and excellent walking trails to all sorts of neat sights. Parfait if you take a picnic of fresh bread, cheese, and fruit. Both times I've been to Montreal I've gone to Mount Royal, and when I next find myself in that city, I will go again.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:56 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by arcticwoman at 4:56 PM on March 12, 2007
The Blue Nile at 3706 St. Denis is a quite decent Ethiopian place. The Montreal Chinatown was very sadly decimated by "urban renewal"; I'm sure there are good places left, but I unfortunately don't know them. There are some terrific Greek restaurants... I'll see if I can dredge some names out of memory.
posted by vers at 4:59 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by vers at 4:59 PM on March 12, 2007
Arahova is one of the names vers is looking for - for souvlaki.
Don't forget dessert - Calories on Ste-Catherine is a must if you like cheesecake.
You have not eaten in Montreal if you have not consumed a bagel (St-Viateur or Fairmont, but Real Bagel will do) and a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's (don't forget the dill pickle and the black cherry soft drink).
Steamée and Toastée hot dogs and poutine are available at any casse-croute, but La Belle Province or Lafleurs are your best bets. BBQ chicken at Cote-St-Luc BBQ is recommended.
Damn, now you've made this ex-Montrealer hungry with food desires that can't be met in Vancouver...
posted by birdsquared at 5:46 PM on March 12, 2007
Don't forget dessert - Calories on Ste-Catherine is a must if you like cheesecake.
You have not eaten in Montreal if you have not consumed a bagel (St-Viateur or Fairmont, but Real Bagel will do) and a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's (don't forget the dill pickle and the black cherry soft drink).
Steamée and Toastée hot dogs and poutine are available at any casse-croute, but La Belle Province or Lafleurs are your best bets. BBQ chicken at Cote-St-Luc BBQ is recommended.
Damn, now you've made this ex-Montrealer hungry with food desires that can't be met in Vancouver...
posted by birdsquared at 5:46 PM on March 12, 2007
The tireless Jim Leff of chowhound.com just did a Montreal swing. Of the places on his list, I can certainly recommend Au Pied de Cochon (my favorite place in Montreal, expensive but not back-breaking, and worth it), Frite Alors!, and Coco Rico.
I will be the lone dissenter on Schwartz's -- not that it's not good, but if you have access to good northeast U.S. deli it may not upend your world. On the other hand, you live in New Mexico, so maybe you should give it a go...
posted by escabeche at 6:03 PM on March 12, 2007
I will be the lone dissenter on Schwartz's -- not that it's not good, but if you have access to good northeast U.S. deli it may not upend your world. On the other hand, you live in New Mexico, so maybe you should give it a go...
posted by escabeche at 6:03 PM on March 12, 2007
If the lineup at Shwartz is too long (and it will be), go across the street to The Main and get a smoked meat that's just as good, and a larger choice of menu (potato pancakes!)
St-Patrick's Day is Sunday, the parade runs West to East along St-Catherine's Street, starting around Atwater and ending at Place-des-Arts. The partying mostly happens around Bishops/Crescent street, while the best places to watch are nearer to the end a block east of Phillips Square (near St-James church across from FutureShop).
posted by furtive at 6:23 PM on March 12, 2007
St-Patrick's Day is Sunday, the parade runs West to East along St-Catherine's Street, starting around Atwater and ending at Place-des-Arts. The partying mostly happens around Bishops/Crescent street, while the best places to watch are nearer to the end a block east of Phillips Square (near St-James church across from FutureShop).
posted by furtive at 6:23 PM on March 12, 2007
To get the stereotypical -- but still excellent -- Montreal culinary experience:
- Go to Schwarz's for lunch. Yes, you'll wait in line, but it might be quicker to sit at the counter. Sit at the counter. Order a medium-fat sandwich, cherry Coke and fries.
- Go to l'Express for dinner. Doesn't matter what time. Make reservations (ie don't think that you'll be guaranteed a seat if you go 'late' -- I've been there at 22h and it has been packed out.) Order anything, doesn't matter, it's all good, but typical bistro stuff is your best bet. Make sure you eat too many bites of baguette + paté + dijon + cornichons. Drink a really good bottle of red wine. (Check if it's BYOB -- I can't recall.
- Get really drunk and eat poutine after midnight at Mamma's on Pine.
- Next morning, grab bagels at St Viateur Bagel -- not Fairmount, they're gross -- and have a latté in that 'hood or on Avenue Bernard.
Have fun in the greatest city in North America.
posted by docgonzo at 6:53 PM on March 12, 2007
- Go to Schwarz's for lunch. Yes, you'll wait in line, but it might be quicker to sit at the counter. Sit at the counter. Order a medium-fat sandwich, cherry Coke and fries.
- Go to l'Express for dinner. Doesn't matter what time. Make reservations (ie don't think that you'll be guaranteed a seat if you go 'late' -- I've been there at 22h and it has been packed out.) Order anything, doesn't matter, it's all good, but typical bistro stuff is your best bet. Make sure you eat too many bites of baguette + paté + dijon + cornichons. Drink a really good bottle of red wine. (Check if it's BYOB -- I can't recall.
- Get really drunk and eat poutine after midnight at Mamma's on Pine.
- Next morning, grab bagels at St Viateur Bagel -- not Fairmount, they're gross -- and have a latté in that 'hood or on Avenue Bernard.
Have fun in the greatest city in North America.
posted by docgonzo at 6:53 PM on March 12, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks for the food recommendations, everyone!
Any recommendations on other activities/places to see?
posted by pravit at 7:49 PM on March 12, 2007
Any recommendations on other activities/places to see?
posted by pravit at 7:49 PM on March 12, 2007
On a recent first visit to Montréal, I found that my rudimentary French did smooth over the inevitable "oh god, i have no idea what you've just said to me!" panic. The "Bonjour - hello" clue is a friendly way to signal you honour they're a French speaker ("francophone"), but you are an English speaker ("anglophone"). I found most people were helpful, and didn't have an attitude. Be prepared for a few people not to speak English at all nor have any idea what you are attempting to communicate, but again, they will be nice about it. Always remember the polite words "pardon" and "merci" plus be patient and gentle. Oh yes, if you need assistance at the Métro, they won't speak English at all so be prepared to muddle through and use handy universal gestures. Ask for "La Carte Touristique - 3 (trois) jours, s.v.p." for $17canadian will get you a three-day pass on both the Métro and buses. It is well worth the value if you wish to see as much of the city as you care to.
Mile End on the Plateau (the area around Boulevard St. Laurent as it heads north from downtown) is, as a local friend describes "the hip, anglo neighbourhood" so you may wish to spend at least part of your trip there at least to acclimate yourself, but please don't let fear of a language barrier stop you from exploring other parts of the city.
Poutine is awesome, I even bent the vegetarian rule a bit by having some (gravy usually is made from chicken stock), I found a dive place called, appropriately enough Le Commode on Rue Rachel to feast. Search through the AskMeFi archives, as there are many earlier threads regarding "restos" (i *think* that's the abbreviation...) and bars. If absinthe piques your interest, the aforementioned search through the archives should bring up someone's recommendation on the appropriate bar. I didn't make it there, so I can't report, sorry. Also, everything you hear about lines at Schwartz's is true, but while I didn't go there, I got the impression it does live up to the hype. Bonus is that, I'm told, most Jews in Montréal speak English.
Bienvenue à Montréal! Enjoy your visit, it's an amazing city!!
posted by kuppajava at 8:09 PM on March 12, 2007
Mile End on the Plateau (the area around Boulevard St. Laurent as it heads north from downtown) is, as a local friend describes "the hip, anglo neighbourhood" so you may wish to spend at least part of your trip there at least to acclimate yourself, but please don't let fear of a language barrier stop you from exploring other parts of the city.
Poutine is awesome, I even bent the vegetarian rule a bit by having some (gravy usually is made from chicken stock), I found a dive place called, appropriately enough Le Commode on Rue Rachel to feast. Search through the AskMeFi archives, as there are many earlier threads regarding "restos" (i *think* that's the abbreviation...) and bars. If absinthe piques your interest, the aforementioned search through the archives should bring up someone's recommendation on the appropriate bar. I didn't make it there, so I can't report, sorry. Also, everything you hear about lines at Schwartz's is true, but while I didn't go there, I got the impression it does live up to the hype. Bonus is that, I'm told, most Jews in Montréal speak English.
Bienvenue à Montréal! Enjoy your visit, it's an amazing city!!
posted by kuppajava at 8:09 PM on March 12, 2007
All of the restaurant sites and guidebooks make a big deal about needing reservations at L'Express, but we never had any trouble getting seats at the bar. I don't know if they permit BYO, but they definitely have a wine list.
posted by desuetude at 8:12 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by desuetude at 8:12 PM on March 12, 2007
If you like seafood, there are many restaurants in Montreal to visit, but one in particular that I've been to time and again is a casual BYOB called Le Poisson Rouge, 1201 Rachel St., (514) 522-4876. The prix fixe is an amazing deal and the food is out of sight. And the maitre d' knows everything about each fish and its preparation.
If you like to ride bikes, you can rent a bicycle and head up Mont Royal for a picnic lunch. If you rent your bike in Old Montreal, you can have your picnic, explore the city, and then come back to return the bike and explore Old Montreal's restaurants and galleries. It's a bit tourist-y but fun.
For casual drinking, St. Denis and St. Laurent are good streets, with lots of pubs and music. There's one place on St. Denis and Sherbrooke that offers hookahs, that was a good time. Can't remember its name though...
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:20 PM on March 12, 2007
If you like to ride bikes, you can rent a bicycle and head up Mont Royal for a picnic lunch. If you rent your bike in Old Montreal, you can have your picnic, explore the city, and then come back to return the bike and explore Old Montreal's restaurants and galleries. It's a bit tourist-y but fun.
For casual drinking, St. Denis and St. Laurent are good streets, with lots of pubs and music. There's one place on St. Denis and Sherbrooke that offers hookahs, that was a good time. Can't remember its name though...
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:20 PM on March 12, 2007
Folks, I'm reading stuff here about great parks and walking and hiking. But this is still mid-March, ten days ago we had a 30-cm blizzard and a week ago the temperature was –24°C. The city is warming up a little but it's still massively snowed up. You can walk, but only serious, experienced hard-ass cyclists are on the roads now and most outdoor activities (which visitors may have enjoyed from May to September) may have to be rethought in view of this.
The Montreal wikitravel entry has a lot of good basics for seeing the city.
Trivial but possibly useful detail: in Montreal an entrée is a starter, not a main course.
posted by zadcat at 8:55 PM on March 12, 2007
The Montreal wikitravel entry has a lot of good basics for seeing the city.
Trivial but possibly useful detail: in Montreal an entrée is a starter, not a main course.
posted by zadcat at 8:55 PM on March 12, 2007
Response by poster: SNOW!! You still have snow? PLEASE still have it until next weekend! You see, I'm from New Mexico, so it's still a huge novelty for me the few times I get to see it.
Great recommendations again, everyone. So I have on the list: bagels, smoked meat/deli, poutine, bistro food, BBQ chicken, hot dogs, fondue, and possibly Chinese and other foreign food. As for destinations: Mount Royal, Old Montreal, Chinatown, hip neighborhood. Any other nice places to go? Any particularly good museums?
I forgot to mention that between the two of us, we can speak decent French, although understanding what other people say is a different thing entirely(at least for me). Thank you for mentioning the subway pass though, I'm sure it will be useful!
posted by pravit at 9:27 PM on March 12, 2007
Great recommendations again, everyone. So I have on the list: bagels, smoked meat/deli, poutine, bistro food, BBQ chicken, hot dogs, fondue, and possibly Chinese and other foreign food. As for destinations: Mount Royal, Old Montreal, Chinatown, hip neighborhood. Any other nice places to go? Any particularly good museums?
I forgot to mention that between the two of us, we can speak decent French, although understanding what other people say is a different thing entirely(at least for me). Thank you for mentioning the subway pass though, I'm sure it will be useful!
posted by pravit at 9:27 PM on March 12, 2007
We still have snow. It's begun to melt a little but I see we may get a bit more on Thursday night. Look, this is a city where not long ago the St. Patrick's Day parade was held in the middle of a blizzard and nobody even thought of cancelling it. The weather forecast is here for you in Imperial units (we use Celsius).
There's the Museum of Fine Arts, which is currently hosting a show about the origins of Disney's art (the only stop in North America, it was previously on display in Paris), the contemporary art museum, several historical museums and a museum of architecture. There's some stuff about them on that page, for starters.
posted by zadcat at 9:40 PM on March 12, 2007
There's the Museum of Fine Arts, which is currently hosting a show about the origins of Disney's art (the only stop in North America, it was previously on display in Paris), the contemporary art museum, several historical museums and a museum of architecture. There's some stuff about them on that page, for starters.
posted by zadcat at 9:40 PM on March 12, 2007
So right, picnicking is out. If you want to warm up, though, pop over to the Botanical Garden and go inside the greenhouses. You ought to feel right at home in the cactus room.
posted by zadcat at 9:42 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by zadcat at 9:42 PM on March 12, 2007
When I was in Paris, I always started with "Je voudrais..."(I would like...) when I ordered in a restaurant. Would the same apply to Quebéc?
posted by brujita at 9:54 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by brujita at 9:54 PM on March 12, 2007
Sure. French is not fundamentally different here. Verb forms are the same. "Je veux prendre..." is also common, and then you can point at the menu if you really need to.
posted by zadcat at 9:57 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by zadcat at 9:57 PM on March 12, 2007
If you hit Chinatown (or as some of us call it "China-block-and-a-half", because it is so tiny compared to Chinatowns in Vancouver, New York or San Francisco); then you should try a small schzechuan restaurant called "Beijing" (92 rue de la Gauchetière West). We've been going there for over 15 years, and always bring our out-of-town guests to it, much to their delight.
The decor is not fancy but the food and the prices are great. They have gotten rave reviews in the local Montreal Gazette over the years. There are times when you might be the only caucasian there surrounded by asian locals, others when there are nothing *but* caucasians there. Restaurant Beijing is open late -- something like 2 am or so, which makes it popular for late night diners. (Montreal is known for it's late night eateries.)
In particular, they make an excellent "Sizzling Lemon Chicken" and "General Tao's Chicken" as well. My other half loves their "Sesame Beef". The staff have no problem speaking English.
Hope you have a great weekend here in Montreal and that you come back again soon to our wonderful city!
~ Jade Dragon
posted by Jade Dragon at 11:25 PM on March 12, 2007
The decor is not fancy but the food and the prices are great. They have gotten rave reviews in the local Montreal Gazette over the years. There are times when you might be the only caucasian there surrounded by asian locals, others when there are nothing *but* caucasians there. Restaurant Beijing is open late -- something like 2 am or so, which makes it popular for late night diners. (Montreal is known for it's late night eateries.)
In particular, they make an excellent "Sizzling Lemon Chicken" and "General Tao's Chicken" as well. My other half loves their "Sesame Beef". The staff have no problem speaking English.
Hope you have a great weekend here in Montreal and that you come back again soon to our wonderful city!
~ Jade Dragon
posted by Jade Dragon at 11:25 PM on March 12, 2007
You have to have a smoked meat sandwich because I cannot and I've been craving one for a year. Seriously. If you don't you will upset me greatly. Montreal has the most amazing restaurant scene, I really loved the places that were BYOB. Try some Ice Wine and some maple candy. Both are touristy but yummy.
posted by Mozzie at 11:29 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by Mozzie at 11:29 PM on March 12, 2007
You don't have to be religious to enjoy
history & architecture in one place - St. Joseph's Oratory, it really is beautiful. Also, if you're anywhere downtown on the Sunday, you're pretty much in the parade route... don't drive, get the bus pass people have mentioned. For more great architecture, try the
Old Port, it's a little touristy, but the buildings are amazing. Have fun, bienvenue.
posted by Laura in Canada at 5:15 AM on March 13, 2007
history & architecture in one place - St. Joseph's Oratory, it really is beautiful. Also, if you're anywhere downtown on the Sunday, you're pretty much in the parade route... don't drive, get the bus pass people have mentioned. For more great architecture, try the
Old Port, it's a little touristy, but the buildings are amazing. Have fun, bienvenue.
posted by Laura in Canada at 5:15 AM on March 13, 2007
Darn links.
St. Joseph: www.saint-joseph.org
Old Port: www.oldportofmontreal.com
Sorry.
posted by Laura in Canada at 5:17 AM on March 13, 2007
St. Joseph: www.saint-joseph.org
Old Port: www.oldportofmontreal.com
Sorry.
posted by Laura in Canada at 5:17 AM on March 13, 2007
When my girlfriend and I visited Montreal in November, some of our best times were spent wandering around the various markets. In particular, Marché Jean-Talon, Marché Atwater were lots of fun. I could live happily eating breakfast from Boulangerie Première Moisson (in Atwater, plus at least one other location on Rue St. Denis) every day.
I am no expert on French food, but we had an incredibly delicious and romantic meal at the restaurant Pierre du Calvet in La Maison Pierre du Calvet in Old Montreal.
posted by Fred Mars at 7:38 AM on March 13, 2007
I am no expert on French food, but we had an incredibly delicious and romantic meal at the restaurant Pierre du Calvet in La Maison Pierre du Calvet in Old Montreal.
posted by Fred Mars at 7:38 AM on March 13, 2007
Mmm, Shwartz's smoked meat.... njaaaaaargh.
If you like windowshopping, I'd recommend walking the parallel streets of St. Laurent and St. Denis, they've got a lot of storefront, cafes, clubs, and restaurants. If it's still snowy, crosscountry skiing up Mont Royal (the city's namesake downtown landmark hill) is great fun (though maybe pretty strange for a New Mexico-er).
posted by anthill at 9:42 AM on March 13, 2007
If you like windowshopping, I'd recommend walking the parallel streets of St. Laurent and St. Denis, they've got a lot of storefront, cafes, clubs, and restaurants. If it's still snowy, crosscountry skiing up Mont Royal (the city's namesake downtown landmark hill) is great fun (though maybe pretty strange for a New Mexico-er).
posted by anthill at 9:42 AM on March 13, 2007
Next morning, grab bagels at St Viateur Bagel -- not Fairmount, they're gross
Blasphemy. Fairmount bagels are way better.
For breakfast, try L'avenue on Mont-Royal. You'll find the best lattes at "Caffe Grazie Mille" on on Fairmount & Clark and "Cafe Arte Java" on Mont-Royal.
Oh yes, be careful when crossing intersections.
posted by racingjs at 10:20 AM on March 13, 2007
Blasphemy. Fairmount bagels are way better.
For breakfast, try L'avenue on Mont-Royal. You'll find the best lattes at "Caffe Grazie Mille" on on Fairmount & Clark and "Cafe Arte Java" on Mont-Royal.
Oh yes, be careful when crossing intersections.
posted by racingjs at 10:20 AM on March 13, 2007
It's all about the food!
Don't do Blue Nil, it's not any better than most Ethiopian restaurants (too bad it's Montreal's only one) and it's more expensive.
If you like vegetarian food, ChuChai is a must. It's Thai and they do amazing fake meats, the duck and chicken are especially good. ($$)
Non food wise...
walking around the old city is pretty. Outremont is also a pretty neighborhood.
The centre de commerce mondiale is pretty much the coolest modern building (from the inside) I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure it's accessible through metro Place Victoria.
Maybe check out some French theatre?
Good streets for walking/shopping: St Denis, St Laurent, Mont Royal, Laurier, less picturesque = St Catherine.
Cool indoor skating rink at 1000 de la Gauchetière
Have fun! Also, Montreal is a SMALL city. If the weather's okay and you have good shoes and you like the activity, you might want to try walking wherever you're going. You can pretty much get anywhere within an hour.
posted by Salamandrous at 2:01 PM on March 13, 2007
Don't do Blue Nil, it's not any better than most Ethiopian restaurants (too bad it's Montreal's only one) and it's more expensive.
If you like vegetarian food, ChuChai is a must. It's Thai and they do amazing fake meats, the duck and chicken are especially good. ($$)
Non food wise...
walking around the old city is pretty. Outremont is also a pretty neighborhood.
The centre de commerce mondiale is pretty much the coolest modern building (from the inside) I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure it's accessible through metro Place Victoria.
Maybe check out some French theatre?
Good streets for walking/shopping: St Denis, St Laurent, Mont Royal, Laurier, less picturesque = St Catherine.
Cool indoor skating rink at 1000 de la Gauchetière
Have fun! Also, Montreal is a SMALL city. If the weather's okay and you have good shoes and you like the activity, you might want to try walking wherever you're going. You can pretty much get anywhere within an hour.
posted by Salamandrous at 2:01 PM on March 13, 2007
Blue Nile is by no means Montreal's only Ethiopian resto. There's the Abiala just down the street from it and the Messob d'Or on Monkland and possibly others I don't know about.
The Montreal metropolitan area has roughly 3 million people in it. Not strictly speaking small. Tourist Montreal is a small city, arguably, although whether the OP will be up to walking distances in this weather is another matter.
But if you want to get out of the round of Old Montreal/downtown core, you need transportation - or did you expect them to hike over to Outremont?
posted by zadcat at 2:30 PM on March 13, 2007
The Montreal metropolitan area has roughly 3 million people in it. Not strictly speaking small. Tourist Montreal is a small city, arguably, although whether the OP will be up to walking distances in this weather is another matter.
But if you want to get out of the round of Old Montreal/downtown core, you need transportation - or did you expect them to hike over to Outremont?
posted by zadcat at 2:30 PM on March 13, 2007
I'm glad to know about Messob d'Or, but isn't Abiala owned and run by the same people as Blue Nile?
Depending on where you start, it's between a 40 minute to hour and ten minute walk to Outremont from downtown, and in decent weather it's a nice walk. I wouldn't call it a hike, unless maybe if you want to go up and down the mountain, but that could be fun too. It's also about an hour walk from the Snowdon area to downtown, and not much more than that from Snowdon to the Plateau. Walking can be a great way to get to know a place, and can help build an appetite for all the great food.
posted by Salamandrous at 6:19 PM on March 13, 2007
Depending on where you start, it's between a 40 minute to hour and ten minute walk to Outremont from downtown, and in decent weather it's a nice walk. I wouldn't call it a hike, unless maybe if you want to go up and down the mountain, but that could be fun too. It's also about an hour walk from the Snowdon area to downtown, and not much more than that from Snowdon to the Plateau. Walking can be a great way to get to know a place, and can help build an appetite for all the great food.
posted by Salamandrous at 6:19 PM on March 13, 2007
Bite your tongue, racingjs.
Preferring Fairmount bagels would be like cheering for the Leafs.
(There, I said it.)
Oh, and OP: Email sent to your address in profile.
posted by docgonzo at 7:01 PM on March 13, 2007
Preferring Fairmount bagels would be like cheering for the Leafs.
(There, I said it.)
Oh, and OP: Email sent to your address in profile.
posted by docgonzo at 7:01 PM on March 13, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks for the great suggestsions, everyone!
posted by pravit at 7:00 PM on March 14, 2007
posted by pravit at 7:00 PM on March 14, 2007
For future reference, I realize that I messed up.
My quip of "VERY popular spot, nice place, entrees are typically $10-$16 or so - but the place is (as many are in that area) Bring Your Own Wine. And there is a liquor store next door open until 10 or 11" was meant to refer to L'Academie.
I've never been to L'Express and have heard good things about it, but it was L'Academie that I was thinking of. For some reason I get to two names confused in my head. Careless of me, sorry.
and a small note - the streets went from "early spring and almost clear" Friday morning to "completely snow covered" on Saturday morning after a big overnight dumping of snow, which is perfect for folks from New Mexico wanting to experience the white stuff.
posted by gspm at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2007
My quip of "VERY popular spot, nice place, entrees are typically $10-$16 or so - but the place is (as many are in that area) Bring Your Own Wine. And there is a liquor store next door open until 10 or 11" was meant to refer to L'Academie.
I've never been to L'Express and have heard good things about it, but it was L'Academie that I was thinking of. For some reason I get to two names confused in my head. Careless of me, sorry.
and a small note - the streets went from "early spring and almost clear" Friday morning to "completely snow covered" on Saturday morning after a big overnight dumping of snow, which is perfect for folks from New Mexico wanting to experience the white stuff.
posted by gspm at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2007
Response by poster: Followup from the OP, for future reference.
Stuff we ate in Montreal:
Poutine, although I didn't bother going to La Banquise, I did pick up some at La Belle Province to get a taste. Worth a try if you like fast food.
St. Viateur bagels - Tasty and cheap, and in an interesting Jewish neighborhood.
Smoked meat sandwiches - Schwartz's was very crowded, but we got a table fast. The sandwiches and cherry soda were great! Wait staff was friendly, very reasonable prices, too.
L'Express: Not really our type of place, a bit formal. The wait staff were unfriendly/impatient and irritated that we did not want to drink wine, and the prices were too expensive for us. But besides that, I thought the food was very boring - I had never tried French food before and had the idea it would be more interesting than standard Western fare. I'm of Asian descent and usually find European food uninteresting, though, so maybe I'm biased. If you enjoy dressing up a bit and eating in more upscale restaurants, I'm sure you would like it, though.
Byblos Le Petit Cafe(Iranian food) - in a pleasant neighborhood, very popular especially for brunch(long wait at the door). The most popular thing to eat there seems to be the egg breakfast with assorted breads and tea/coffee, although we had the lunch. The food was good and the prices reasonable, although the service was agonizingly slow, since they only have one(1) waitress to serve everyone and only the madame can take orders. We ended up getting stuck for two hours here because the waitress kept forgetting about us. Although the lunch was good, I think the breakfast would be a better choice(more variety of breads, quicker service).
(1499 Avenue Laurier Est)
Restaurant Uyghur - by far my FAVORITE place of the whole trip! Very authentic, just like the Xinjiang/Uyghur places in Beijing. According to them, they are North America's only Uyghur restaurant, so we were quite lucky, since we loved eating this kind of food in China. Uyghurs are a Turkic people who live in Xinjiang in Northwestern China(along the border with the -stan countries) - their food is like a mix of Chinese and Middle Eastern. Definitely recommend the laghman noodles(thick "bouncy" wheat noodles), lamb skewers, lamb buns, and nan bread. Everything is halal, if you're Muslim.
The place is in a former dim sum restaurant in Chinatown, so it is quite big, empty, and tackily decorated, but don't let it scare you off. I think it's a shame they have so few customers - it is truly worth a try. Prices are very reasonable.
(1017 Boulevard Saint-Laurent (Chinatown) )
Bubble tea - if you like bubble tea(tea drink with tapioca pearls or jelly inside), there are a few places in Chinatown to have it.
Vietnamese sandwich - didn't get to try it, but it looked very tempting. Also in Chinatown.
Things we did:
Walk around old Montreal and the port area - pretty cathedrals and old buildings, nice to just walk around.
Walk around parc Mont Royal - it was a bit too cold and snowy for us to walk around much up here, but it's a nice park.
Biodome - a bit bizarre, as it's actually a dome skeleton surrounding an odd-shaped building(which was closed by the time we got there). The park it is located in is quite big, but was not really very pleasant considering the time of year we went.
Thanks again for your suggestions, everyone!
posted by pravit at 3:50 PM on March 27, 2007
Stuff we ate in Montreal:
Poutine, although I didn't bother going to La Banquise, I did pick up some at La Belle Province to get a taste. Worth a try if you like fast food.
St. Viateur bagels - Tasty and cheap, and in an interesting Jewish neighborhood.
Smoked meat sandwiches - Schwartz's was very crowded, but we got a table fast. The sandwiches and cherry soda were great! Wait staff was friendly, very reasonable prices, too.
L'Express: Not really our type of place, a bit formal. The wait staff were unfriendly/impatient and irritated that we did not want to drink wine, and the prices were too expensive for us. But besides that, I thought the food was very boring - I had never tried French food before and had the idea it would be more interesting than standard Western fare. I'm of Asian descent and usually find European food uninteresting, though, so maybe I'm biased. If you enjoy dressing up a bit and eating in more upscale restaurants, I'm sure you would like it, though.
Byblos Le Petit Cafe(Iranian food) - in a pleasant neighborhood, very popular especially for brunch(long wait at the door). The most popular thing to eat there seems to be the egg breakfast with assorted breads and tea/coffee, although we had the lunch. The food was good and the prices reasonable, although the service was agonizingly slow, since they only have one(1) waitress to serve everyone and only the madame can take orders. We ended up getting stuck for two hours here because the waitress kept forgetting about us. Although the lunch was good, I think the breakfast would be a better choice(more variety of breads, quicker service).
(1499 Avenue Laurier Est)
Restaurant Uyghur - by far my FAVORITE place of the whole trip! Very authentic, just like the Xinjiang/Uyghur places in Beijing. According to them, they are North America's only Uyghur restaurant, so we were quite lucky, since we loved eating this kind of food in China. Uyghurs are a Turkic people who live in Xinjiang in Northwestern China(along the border with the -stan countries) - their food is like a mix of Chinese and Middle Eastern. Definitely recommend the laghman noodles(thick "bouncy" wheat noodles), lamb skewers, lamb buns, and nan bread. Everything is halal, if you're Muslim.
The place is in a former dim sum restaurant in Chinatown, so it is quite big, empty, and tackily decorated, but don't let it scare you off. I think it's a shame they have so few customers - it is truly worth a try. Prices are very reasonable.
(1017 Boulevard Saint-Laurent (Chinatown) )
Bubble tea - if you like bubble tea(tea drink with tapioca pearls or jelly inside), there are a few places in Chinatown to have it.
Vietnamese sandwich - didn't get to try it, but it looked very tempting. Also in Chinatown.
Things we did:
Walk around old Montreal and the port area - pretty cathedrals and old buildings, nice to just walk around.
Walk around parc Mont Royal - it was a bit too cold and snowy for us to walk around much up here, but it's a nice park.
Biodome - a bit bizarre, as it's actually a dome skeleton surrounding an odd-shaped building(which was closed by the time we got there). The park it is located in is quite big, but was not really very pleasant considering the time of year we went.
Thanks again for your suggestions, everyone!
posted by pravit at 3:50 PM on March 27, 2007
Response by poster: I would also like to mention that we got neither cornichons nor pate with our bread at L'express, just butter.
posted by pravit at 3:56 PM on March 27, 2007
posted by pravit at 3:56 PM on March 27, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pravit at 12:57 PM on March 12, 2007