Posted by Shad Bendiak | Posted in City Guide | Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Montreal is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in Canada today. The mix of cultures have created an amazing and unique urban fabric that is unlike any city in the world. Montrealers have a reputation for hospitality and entertainment. You will not be disappointed if you choose to visit Montreal. Here is my quick guide on the best thing to see and do while in Montreal.
Where to Stay:
In my opinion, if you're visiting Montreal the place to stay is in Old Montreal. It's the most beautiful area of the city and offers something special that the others cant. There just isn't anything like it in the rest of North America and I know you will not be disappointed if you stay in the area. There aren't many chain hotels in the area so you're either going to have to shell out big bucks for one of the boutique hotels that have been popping up in the last few years or be willing to stay in a bed and breakfast or hostel.
Not to say that there isn't a wide selection of good places to stay throughout downtown Montreal, for example the major chain hotels near Crescent Street are also a fine choice but they just don't offer the charm and uniqueness of Old Montreal.
How to Get Around:
Use the metro as much as possible… its super convenient. You can buy multi day metro passes… I highly recommend this! Walking is another good option... most of the attractions in Montreal can be walked to in less than half an hour and it gives you a great chance to discover some of the areas off the beaten track.
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal):
Old Montreal is the historic heart of the city. Jacques Cartier Plaza is the logical place to start. Walk down from the plaza and along the waterfront for some of the best opportunities to take pictures of the Montreal skyline. Rue St. Paul is another great street to explore in Old Montreal, it is packed with art galleries, design stores, and restaurants. It runs parallel to the waterfront all the way from Jacques Cartier Plaza to Rue McGill.
You definitely owe it to yourself have at least one nice dinner in Old Montreal at least evening during your trip. There are loads of great fine restaurants in the area. Go exploring off into the side streets of Jacques Cartier Plaza for something a little less touristy and probably more authentic. My favorite places to go in the summer is Jardin Nelson. (www.jardinnelson.com) The restaurant itself is located in the empty shell of a historic old Montreal building creating a wonderful outdoor courtyard in which to drink and dine. They almost always have a live jazz band performing as well.
Place D'Armes:
Place D' Armes is located on the edge of Old Montreal and the Central Business District.
Notre Dame Basilica looms over the plaza from the southern edge. The basilica is realty beautiful inside containing an amazing amount of intricate wood carving and stained glass. It is definitely worth the few bucks to enter.
From the North West edge of the Place D' Armes I suggest taking a walk south down Rue Saint Jacques and stop and take a look inside all of the historic bank buildings… This was the capital of Canadian finance before Toronto took over in the early 1900s. They are all simply beautiful inside.
Shopping:
Rue Ste-Catherine has the widest selection of shopping. Most of the major stores are along this street, or on one of Ste-Catherine's side streets. Don't expect to find a ton of small boutiques here, most stores are of the large designer variety.
Boulevard St. Laurent has a better selection of unique and independent boutique stores. It also has a much more relaxed atmosphere. Take a break from shopping to sit at a cafe, drink espresso, and do some people watching.
While you are on St. Laurent make sure to go to the legendary Schwartz’s Deli for the best smoked meat sandwich ever! (www.schwartzsdeli.com) Seriously... don't miss this!!!
Drinking:
Crescent Street is one of the biggest party/entertainment streets in Montreal; it is a little more touristy and more English. Newtown is one of my favorite places there (plus it’s owned by Jacque Villeneuve the F1 driver). Crescent is home to lots of English and Irish pubs and some really huge nightclubs.
My personal favorite party street is Boulevard St. Laurent. There are a ton of great bars, restaurants, and lounges. Most places are located between Rue Sherbrooke and Rue Napoleon. One of the places we seemed to end up back at is Tokyo Bar. (www.tokyobar.com) They have 2 large rooms on the second floor as well as a huge bi-level rooftop patio. It always seems to have a good crowd to party with. I can also recommend MED Grill + Bar + Etc. (www.medgrill.com) It's a classy lounge to have some drinks at before getting too crazy. Compared to Crescent Street, St. Laurent seems to have more hip and classy lounges and smaller more intimate nightclubs.
Old Montreal also has some good offering for nightlife. Rue St. Jacques and Rue St. Paul have some of the most popular places such as Tribe Hyper Club, Suite 701, and Pub St. Paul.
And of course there is also Montreal's famous strip clubs...
That's the end of this guide, hopefully it helps you enjoy and discover Montreal! Please feel free to post any comment or questions you have for me.
Where to Stay:
In my opinion, if you're visiting Montreal the place to stay is in Old Montreal. It's the most beautiful area of the city and offers something special that the others cant. There just isn't anything like it in the rest of North America and I know you will not be disappointed if you stay in the area. There aren't many chain hotels in the area so you're either going to have to shell out big bucks for one of the boutique hotels that have been popping up in the last few years or be willing to stay in a bed and breakfast or hostel.
Not to say that there isn't a wide selection of good places to stay throughout downtown Montreal, for example the major chain hotels near Crescent Street are also a fine choice but they just don't offer the charm and uniqueness of Old Montreal.
How to Get Around:
Use the metro as much as possible… its super convenient. You can buy multi day metro passes… I highly recommend this! Walking is another good option... most of the attractions in Montreal can be walked to in less than half an hour and it gives you a great chance to discover some of the areas off the beaten track.
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal):
Old Montreal is the historic heart of the city. Jacques Cartier Plaza is the logical place to start. Walk down from the plaza and along the waterfront for some of the best opportunities to take pictures of the Montreal skyline. Rue St. Paul is another great street to explore in Old Montreal, it is packed with art galleries, design stores, and restaurants. It runs parallel to the waterfront all the way from Jacques Cartier Plaza to Rue McGill.
You definitely owe it to yourself have at least one nice dinner in Old Montreal at least evening during your trip. There are loads of great fine restaurants in the area. Go exploring off into the side streets of Jacques Cartier Plaza for something a little less touristy and probably more authentic. My favorite places to go in the summer is Jardin Nelson. (www.jardinnelson.com) The restaurant itself is located in the empty shell of a historic old Montreal building creating a wonderful outdoor courtyard in which to drink and dine. They almost always have a live jazz band performing as well.
Place D'Armes:
Place D' Armes is located on the edge of Old Montreal and the Central Business District.
Notre Dame Basilica looms over the plaza from the southern edge. The basilica is realty beautiful inside containing an amazing amount of intricate wood carving and stained glass. It is definitely worth the few bucks to enter.
From the North West edge of the Place D' Armes I suggest taking a walk south down Rue Saint Jacques and stop and take a look inside all of the historic bank buildings… This was the capital of Canadian finance before Toronto took over in the early 1900s. They are all simply beautiful inside.
Shopping:
Rue Ste-Catherine has the widest selection of shopping. Most of the major stores are along this street, or on one of Ste-Catherine's side streets. Don't expect to find a ton of small boutiques here, most stores are of the large designer variety.
Boulevard St. Laurent has a better selection of unique and independent boutique stores. It also has a much more relaxed atmosphere. Take a break from shopping to sit at a cafe, drink espresso, and do some people watching.
While you are on St. Laurent make sure to go to the legendary Schwartz’s Deli for the best smoked meat sandwich ever! (www.schwartzsdeli.com) Seriously... don't miss this!!!
Drinking:
Crescent Street is one of the biggest party/entertainment streets in Montreal; it is a little more touristy and more English. Newtown is one of my favorite places there (plus it’s owned by Jacque Villeneuve the F1 driver). Crescent is home to lots of English and Irish pubs and some really huge nightclubs.
My personal favorite party street is Boulevard St. Laurent. There are a ton of great bars, restaurants, and lounges. Most places are located between Rue Sherbrooke and Rue Napoleon. One of the places we seemed to end up back at is Tokyo Bar. (www.tokyobar.com) They have 2 large rooms on the second floor as well as a huge bi-level rooftop patio. It always seems to have a good crowd to party with. I can also recommend MED Grill + Bar + Etc. (www.medgrill.com) It's a classy lounge to have some drinks at before getting too crazy. Compared to Crescent Street, St. Laurent seems to have more hip and classy lounges and smaller more intimate nightclubs.
Old Montreal also has some good offering for nightlife. Rue St. Jacques and Rue St. Paul have some of the most popular places such as Tribe Hyper Club, Suite 701, and Pub St. Paul.
And of course there is also Montreal's famous strip clubs...
That's the end of this guide, hopefully it helps you enjoy and discover Montreal! Please feel free to post any comment or questions you have for me.
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