Guidebook for Montréal
Food Scene
The baguettes and pastries are fresh and amazing! This little spot has won many local awards for it's delicious home-made goodies. It's great for a quick breakfast on the way to your sightseeing destinations, or a lunch-time pizza or quiche. It can be a bit crowded at peak breakfast and lunch times, but it's worth the line-up that winds around its very small store space.
400 personas locales recomiendan
Boulangerie Les Co'Pains d'Abord
1965 Avenue du Mont-Royal EThe baguettes and pastries are fresh and amazing! This little spot has won many local awards for it's delicious home-made goodies. It's great for a quick breakfast on the way to your sightseeing destinations, or a lunch-time pizza or quiche. It can be a bit crowded at peak breakfast and lunch times, but it's worth the line-up that winds around its very small store space.
Listed in all the local guidebooks, this place has some of the most famous poutine in town. Because of this (we think), there's very often a line-up! If you have the time, it can be worth the wait, especially after a heavy night at the bar - it's a 24-hour restaurant. (Peak times tend to be around 3 a.m.)
1037 personas locales recomiendan
La Banquise
994 Rue Rachel EstListed in all the local guidebooks, this place has some of the most famous poutine in town. Because of this (we think), there's very often a line-up! If you have the time, it can be worth the wait, especially after a heavy night at the bar - it's a 24-hour restaurant. (Peak times tend to be around 3 a.m.)
Awesome coffee shop with subtle, hip character and free wi-fi. Perfect for a rainy day or a long afternoon chat.
56 personas locales recomiendan
Café Replika
252 Rue Rachel EAwesome coffee shop with subtle, hip character and free wi-fi. Perfect for a rainy day or a long afternoon chat.
A little restaurant serving up delicious raw and vegetarian dishes. If you're new to raw food, don't let it dissuade you - you won't even notice it's raw because of the amazing flavors! And bonus, it's healthy. They also have great desserts.
A perfect spot on your way to or from Parc Mont-Royal.
49 personas locales recomiendan
Crudessence
105 Rue Rachel OuestA little restaurant serving up delicious raw and vegetarian dishes. If you're new to raw food, don't let it dissuade you - you won't even notice it's raw because of the amazing flavors! And bonus, it's healthy. They also have great desserts.
A perfect spot on your way to or from Parc Mont-Royal.
Popular (for a reason!) vegetarian restaurant - all their dishes have amazing sauces, that have become so well known that you can purchase some Aux Vivres condiments and other products from local grocers.
It's located in the busy and lively part of St-Laurent Boulevard, half-way between the Plateau (where we live) and the Mile-End, another cool neighborhood worth exploring.
365 personas locales recomiendan
Aux Vivres Plateau
4631 Boul. Saint-LaurentPopular (for a reason!) vegetarian restaurant - all their dishes have amazing sauces, that have become so well known that you can purchase some Aux Vivres condiments and other products from local grocers.
It's located in the busy and lively part of St-Laurent Boulevard, half-way between the Plateau (where we live) and the Mile-End, another cool neighborhood worth exploring.
Awesome place for brunch, but also super popular (for better or worse). The menu is diverse and everything is as hip and decadent as the decor itself, which is a mix of retro - vintage - hipster with a bit of French boudoir. (Sounds weird, but totally works!)
204 personas locales recomiendan
Régine Café
1840 Rue Beaubien EAwesome place for brunch, but also super popular (for better or worse). The menu is diverse and everything is as hip and decadent as the decor itself, which is a mix of retro - vintage - hipster with a bit of French boudoir. (Sounds weird, but totally works!)
Great place for breakfast or brunch, or even lunch or dinner (they're open until 8 p.m., but we recommend checking the times for whichever day you want to go, they might change!) The menu and restaurant is full of lively Portuguese flavor, just like the owner, who is usually there cooking!
76 personas locales recomiendan
Chez José Café
173 Av. Duluth EGreat place for breakfast or brunch, or even lunch or dinner (they're open until 8 p.m., but we recommend checking the times for whichever day you want to go, they might change!) The menu and restaurant is full of lively Portuguese flavor, just like the owner, who is usually there cooking!
An amazing local farmer's market open year-round, but is at its peak in the summer months. Fresh local produce (and some imported...we can't grow bananas and avocados in Canada) as well as beloved iconic maple products can be found here. On the perimeter of the market is a square of shops, cafés and restaurants. You could spend a big chunk of your day here, and the rest of it exploring the surrounding Little Italy neighborhood.
1744 personas locales recomiendan
Jean-Talon Market
7070 Av. Henri-JulienAn amazing local farmer's market open year-round, but is at its peak in the summer months. Fresh local produce (and some imported...we can't grow bananas and avocados in Canada) as well as beloved iconic maple products can be found here. On the perimeter of the market is a square of shops, cafés and restaurants. You could spend a big chunk of your day here, and the rest of it exploring the surrounding Little Italy neighborhood.
Drinks & Nightlife
This is the quintessential jazz club, complete with a velvet curtain entrance. It's dark and cozy, romantic, if not a bit loud - but in a good way. The music consumes the room, so it can be hard to carry on a conversation, but it's totally worth it. There's a cover charge tacked onto your bill, if you somehow manage not to pay at the door.
72 personas locales recomiendan
Diese Onze Live Jazz Bar
4115 R. Saint-DenisThis is the quintessential jazz club, complete with a velvet curtain entrance. It's dark and cozy, romantic, if not a bit loud - but in a good way. The music consumes the room, so it can be hard to carry on a conversation, but it's totally worth it. There's a cover charge tacked onto your bill, if you somehow manage not to pay at the door.
A lively French Canadian pub, with live music on the weekends. (Usually a cover charge when the bands play).
70 personas locales recomiendan
Quai Des Brumes
4481 R. Saint-DenisA lively French Canadian pub, with live music on the weekends. (Usually a cover charge when the bands play).
Parks & Nature
Big city park, just a few blocks from our doorstep. In the summer it's full of locals and tourists alike, running, taking exercise classes, having playground time, tennis, volleyball, pétoncle, doing yoga, practicing circus, or just lounging and picnicking. In the winter, the large pond is maintained for free public skating (but it's BYO skates!)
1637 personas locales recomiendan
La Fontaine Park
3819 Av. Calixa-LavalléeBig city park, just a few blocks from our doorstep. In the summer it's full of locals and tourists alike, running, taking exercise classes, having playground time, tennis, volleyball, pétoncle, doing yoga, practicing circus, or just lounging and picnicking. In the winter, the large pond is maintained for free public skating (but it's BYO skates!)
Designed by the same guy responsible for Central Park in NYC, this park is always full of runners, cyclists, and picnickers. On Sunday afternoons in the summer months, a huge tam-tam jam happens near the main statue on Avenue du Parc. And a not-too-rigorous walk/hike to the chalet at the top of the small mountain offers a great and beloved view of the city.
1477 personas locales recomiendan
Mount Royal
Designed by the same guy responsible for Central Park in NYC, this park is always full of runners, cyclists, and picnickers. On Sunday afternoons in the summer months, a huge tam-tam jam happens near the main statue on Avenue du Parc. And a not-too-rigorous walk/hike to the chalet at the top of the small mountain offers a great and beloved view of the city.
Essentials
An iconic local grocer known (or should we say, notorious for) it's slightly harsh atmosphere - it's cramped, over-stuffed aisles roamed at high frequency by local shoppers who are almost always in a hurry, possibly because of the very pungent fish smell. We don't mean to discourage you with this, however! There's a reason for it's popularity - the prices are dirt cheap and they offer organic and local options, too.
150 personas locales recomiendan
Segal's Market
4001 Boul. Saint-LaurentAn iconic local grocer known (or should we say, notorious for) it's slightly harsh atmosphere - it's cramped, over-stuffed aisles roamed at high frequency by local shoppers who are almost always in a hurry, possibly because of the very pungent fish smell. We don't mean to discourage you with this, however! There's a reason for it's popularity - the prices are dirt cheap and they offer organic and local options, too.
We go here mostly for it's convenience: it's literally right across the street! But because it's a bit pricey (all organic brands) we limit our frequenting of this place to when we need a last-minute or forgotten ingredient in a pinch.
59 personas locales recomiendan
Rachelle-Béry boutiques santé
4201 R. Saint-DenisWe go here mostly for it's convenience: it's literally right across the street! But because it's a bit pricey (all organic brands) we limit our frequenting of this place to when we need a last-minute or forgotten ingredient in a pinch.
Entertainment & Activities
Our friendly, neighborhood rock climbing gym that offers yoga classes, too. It's not the largest gym of it's kind in the city (that honor goes to Allez-Up, downtown) but it's proximity allows us to feed our climbing habit and stay in shape, all year round. They have day-passes and equipment rentals.
33 personas locales recomiendan
Zero Gravity Climbing & Yoga
4519 Av. PapineauOur friendly, neighborhood rock climbing gym that offers yoga classes, too. It's not the largest gym of it's kind in the city (that honor goes to Allez-Up, downtown) but it's proximity allows us to feed our climbing habit and stay in shape, all year round. They have day-passes and equipment rentals.
Getting Around
About a 10-minute walk from our place; the metro system is open from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday - Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. If you're out later, there's a nightbus that runs on Saint-Denis street, the 361. Request a stop at Rachel and you'll be a two-block walk from our place.
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Mont-Royal station
470 Avenue du Mont-Royal EAbout a 10-minute walk from our place; the metro system is open from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday - Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. If you're out later, there's a nightbus that runs on Saint-Denis street, the 361. Request a stop at Rachel and you'll be a two-block walk from our place.
*The Google Map location pointer is incorrect.
You'll find the nearest rental station at St-Hubert and Rachel, just around the block from our place.
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Bixi
*The Google Map location pointer is incorrect.
You'll find the nearest rental station at St-Hubert and Rachel, just around the block from our place.