Planning a Bon Voyage to Montreal
Montreal is a pocket of French culture in a robust city — it had the largest economy in Canada until Toronto overtook it in the 1970s — and a major airport which makes it accessible. Just as the US colonies had New England, Montreal is part of New France, and to this day, the law requires establishments to post any signage in French (so what the rest of the world knows as KFC is PFK, poulet frit a la Kentucky). To be upfront, for a taste of New France, Quebec City — while more difficult to get to — may be the more charming and unique option, though you can always visit both! This post gives a sense for what to know before booking (or to be aware of once booking), and then provides suggestions for crafting your time while there.
Before you book:
Go during the summer! The winter in Montreal is what the winter in New York is like to someone from California: you question why anyone would live there. The weather is cold (the average high is around 20 degrees F), it snows often (which while beautiful when watching from indoors, makes outdoor accessibility more difficult), and the sidewalks are not cleared of the snow (bring your snow boots!). In short, if you visit in the winter, any activities that involve walking around outside will be challenged. Of course, there is an exception if you want to go for the snow or tubing, but be warned: it’s some of the coldest skiing you’ll get up to. All said, summer is beautiful!
Plan around the major events. The city hosts many events. In particular there is a Jazz Festival and Comedy Festival, but several others — like firework competitions — exist as well. Depending on what you’re looking to do, you may want to visit for these weekends to enjoy the world class events, or avoid them for cheaper lodging and less crowds.
Montreal is a gay Mecca. This is all concentrated in one area of the city, so if you’re not into this, it won’t impact your experience in the rest of Montreal, and it’s not hard to find this area on a map — the area is called Gay Village. This roughly 3-block by 3-block area caters to the gay community with everything from craft beer bars to strip clubs, while being much less in your face than somewhere like Castro SF.
What to do when there:
Food scene:
Montreal takes pride in its poutine, smoked meat, and bagels — all covered in more depth below. In terms of restaurants, there are several cozy and classy establishments that lean into the French influences — several of which are in churches (Montreal went from 95% to 5% churchgoers, so several churches have been retrofitted to serve the population as bars and restaurants).
Poutine: Poutine — fries, cheese curds, gravy, and whatever other toppings you wish — is not a beacon of health or dish I would eat often but was fun to indulge in. There are several places that offer this; the Portuguese inspired version with chicken and sausage at Ma Poule Mouillee was delicious — as were their chicken sandwiches in general.
Smoked meat: Schwartz’s is the most iconic place for smoked meats (basically pastrami), but in my view Katz’s in NYC is better. If you do go, one plate of the large meat can make 2–3 sandwiches with the free bread they give you at the table.
Bagels: St Viateur is a classic for Montreal bagels; note there is a location where you can sit down, and two side-by-side locations where you can get them for takeaway. The less chewy Montreal style wasn’t our favorite, but perhaps this was since they weren’t served warm or with cream cheese (at the takeaway spots you can buy a pack of Philadelphia cream cheese to apply yourself).
Areas to explore:
The French have a term called flaneur, which means to wander around with no set destination. Montreal is a great canvas to explore, since it is full of vibrant neighborhoods, parks, and public art / murals (since 1961, 1% of new development budgets must be allocated to public space / art). Here are some of the top neighborhoods and areas to make sure you walk around.
Mount Royal: Montreal’s name comes from this mountain, which affords panoramic views over the city. Pending where you start in the park, it’s about a 20-minute walk up some stairs to the peak, or you could even drive to the top (I would recommend walking if you can!). The park itself, designed by the iconic landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, is grand with lots of opportunity to stroll throughout; or cross-country ski if during the winter.
Old Town: This is a quaint and charming part of the city, with cobblestone streets, multi-century buildings, and shops tailored for shopping. If you were to do a walking tour of the city, this would be the place to do it, learning about the history of the priests who founded the city, John Jacob Astor’s beaver trade, and the wall that once surrounded the area. Notre Dame Cathedral is also here (with a fee to enter).
Mile End & Jean Talon Market: Mile End is a hip neighborhood where you can get St Viateur bagels (for takeaway) on St Viateur street, and then bop over to St Laurent Blvd for antiques, thrifting, and vintage goods. About a 20-minute walk away is Jean Talon Market which has lots of fresh produce (grab some blueberries to munch while walking through), crepes (Montreal is French after all), and maple syrup (if you’re looking for a gift to take home).
Rue Wellington: During the summer, this street is apparently the coolest street in the world; the road is closed to cars and there is entertainment throughout. The shops on either side were nice to walk through; just note it’s a bit further away from central parts of the city, so will either require about 40 minutes on public transit or an Uber (which are fairly priced and have good availability in the city).
Two other notes: you can explore the city via bike (via the city bike system), or underground. If you want to explore on bike, one option is to bike along the Lachine Canals. Alternatively, if you want to escape the cold, or heat, or rain, there is a substantial “underground” portion to the city, which is a slightly more walkable and pleasant version of a mall.
Overall, Montreal is a perfectly fine city. Culturally, French is core to its ethos: in 1995, 49.2% of voters wanted the province to secede from Canada, and language politics plays a role to this day. I’d also venture to say that French mentality supersedes any Canadian kindness. Nonetheless, the city is walkable, has strong public transit, and has a diversity of neighborhoods worth exploring. If you’re able to visit, I hope you enjoy!
