Open Bienvenue à Montréal!

Bienvenue à Montréal!

Montréal is my hometown. I've lived here all my life, and I'm very much head over heels in love with this city. I wrote this book to share with you some recommendations, tips and trivia, in hopes that they help you have a great time during your stay!

Allons-y!

Open Getting Around in Style

Getting Around in Style

This chapter will get you from point A to point B with ease.

Arrival

You'll probably be coming in by plane, landing at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. It's easy to get downtown from there. You will find taxis and ubers on site, and there's public transport shuttles from the airport to downtown as well.

Walking Around

Montréal is a very walkable city. Want proof? It's so nice to get around by foot here that I've never learned how to drive, and I'm pushing 40. If that doesn't convince you, I'm not sure what will!

I should probably learn to drive at some point, though.

Footwear

You'll do fine with just any type of footwear. If I were to suggest specific shoes, it would be these two models right here:

Public Transport

Montréal's public transpor

Open About the City's Urban Quirks

About the City's Urban Quirks

There's a lot to love about most of Montréal's iconic urban fixtures. Emphasis on most, as I need to tell you first about the orange and white elephant in the room.

I Want to Know Why There are Cones Everywhere

No, Montréal isn't home to VLC Media Player. It is host to constant construction and road work. It's like the Sagrada Familia but spread out all over the place. They estimate Montréal will be completed in 3067. You'll see cones, construction signs, and lots of orange and white striped road barrels, like this one:

Meet Ponto, Montréal's unofficial mascot, created by cartoonist Tania Mignacca.

If you're on foot, biking or using public transport, it's not a problem. If you're driving though, as a visitor you will not have the best time. Be sure to use your favorite map app on your phone to help you navigate the ever-changing la

Open Things to Do and See

Things to Do and See

A few outings and activities that might interest you, with a focus on museums and parks. Looking to catch a show while you visit? Take a look at sorstu.ca's calendar for a solid list of upcoming concerts and events.

Montréal Museum of Fine Arts

On top of their exhibitions and activities, the museum offers several permanent collections that are worth checking out: Canadian and Québec art, Inuit art, contemporary art, a sculpture garden and much more!
📍1380 Sherbrooke St W (Golden Square Mile)

Pointe-à-Callière

A museum, but also an historical archeological site! Pointe-à-Callière is built atop and showcases the very spot where Montréal was founded. You'll get to visit an impressive underground archeological circuit and learn about the land's history across the centuries. They usually showcase temporary exhibitions on top of everything so you will have a lot to see!

Open Hit Me Up With That Montréal Slang

Hit Me Up With That Montréal Slang

From the get go, you'll notice that the French spoken in Québec is quite different than the French spoken elsewhere. That's true for the accent, but also for the expressions and words that form the joual dialect. Originally spoken by Montréal's working class, joual is still regularly used in casual conversation. We also have a very unique and colorful way of swearing. I won't get into that here, but I could be persuaded to give you a crash course in person!

If you don't know French, don't worry! The majority of Montréalers are bilingual, oftentimes even trilingual! To that effect, here are a few expressions and words that will be understood in both English and French. Some of these are actually joual!

All-dressed: A direct translation from the French "tout garni", meaning "with everything". Initially used when ordering pizza, it has evolved over time to cover just about anything. You can order your shawarma, hot-dog, burger, and even your bagel all-dressed

Open Bring Back a Souvenir

Bring Back a Souvenir

Here's a couple of ideas to help you find a little something to bring back to your friends and family, or maybe a memento of your trip!

Trinkets & Postcards & Shirts, Oh My!

Whenever I visit another city, I like to bring back a little kitschy trinket, like a snow globe or a magnet. From my recent trip to Chicago, I brought back a miniature "L" train wagon (I love it!) There is a ton of small gift shops in the Old Port area. Wander around the neighborhood a bit if you're looking for this type of thing. You'll find just what you need!

Maple Syrup and Maple Products

Liquid gold! This is the ideal time to stock up on it. Maple syrup comes in four grades: Golden, Amber, Dark and Very Dark. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple flavor. I prefer dark and very dark. The grade has no impact on the sweetness or the quality of the product. You can find syrup in all kinds of fancy glass bottles in souvenir shops but I strongly suggest you buy it like we locals do: in a can.

Open Tips on Tipping

Tips on Tipping

Tipping culture in Montréal is generally similar to other parts of North America. More and more businesses are adding suggested tips to their payment system, but that does not mean you are mandated to tip everywhere! Read on to know where and when you are expected to tip.

Restaurants, Coffee shops, Bars

If you eat before you pay, like at a sit-down restaurant with service, then you must tip, it's considered very rude not to. For restaurants, 15% of the total before taxes is standard. Since the two taxes combined amount to 15%, you can easily figure out the tip amount by looking at the bill!

You can tip more if you had an excellent service. Again, that's up to you. Rarely will gratuity be automatically applied to your bill, unless you're a very large group. If it's applied that way, you don't need to tip on top of that.

If you pay before you eat, like at a fast food joint, then you don't need to tip. Same if you're taking a coffee to go.

At bars, it is customary to tip a

Open Local Fast-Food Specialties

Local Fast-Food Specialties

I don't know about you, but when I visit another city, I like to see what kind of unique comfort foods can be found there. This is not the healthy section of the book, but it is quite delicious.

Hot-Dogs Steamés (Steamies)

Montréal hot-dogs are steamed and typically ordered all-dressed: topped with yellow mustard, chopped onions, relish, and fresh coleslaw. A lot of places also serve toasted hot-dogs. I'm more of a steamés guy myself.

Typical order would be "Deux steamés all-dressed avec une grande frite".

Montréal French Fries

The fries you get in Montréal fast food joints are usually hand-cut then double fried, giving them their signature golden-brown color and sweetness. They're the go-to side. You can enjoy them with ketchup, mayo, vinegar, or just salt. They're the prime ingredient for a Québecois specialty you might have heard of...

Poutine

French fries, gravy and fresh c

Open Bagels!

Imagine if I wrote a whole book about Montréal and didn't talk about...

Bagels!

You've heard of them as Montréal-style bagels, but here we just call them bagels. Always hand-made, boiled in honey water and then cooked in a wood-fired oven. Usually rolled in sesame seeds before making that trip to the oven, but there are other options, like poppy seed bagels and all-dressed bagels. I have tried New York style bagels a few times and while they are good, they don't bring a smile to my face like the ones here do. There's something magical about the dense, chewy and sweet dough. Time holds still when you bite into a freshly made bagel.

St-Viateur Bagel is hands-down the most popular shop down here. You will even find their bagels in supermarkets, groceries and even sometimes dépanneurs. Fairmount bagel is also very well known and loved. People often have a strong opinion on which is the best. I have a slight preference for St-Viateur, but I recommend you try both if you can!

Forget re-inventing the

Open Pour l'Amour des Croissants

Pour l'Amour des Croissants

Most of my recs here are found in the Plateau area. It's the neighborhood with the highest concentration of bakeries and pâtisseries in Montréal.

Boulangerie Le Toledo

There's so many pastry shops and bakeries around that it'd be quite a feat to visit them all! This one wasn't on my radar until last year, when Michelle took me there while she was visiting. It's now one of my favorite stops for a coffee and a treat when I'm on the Plateau. Check out their Paris-Brest, yuzu tart or gâteau basque (my fave!).
📍351 Mont-Royal Ave E (Plateau Mont-Royal)

Au Kouing-Amann

Right across the street, we have this cute little pastry shop, named after their specialty, the Kouing-Amann. I recommend you grab a piece of the eponymous butter cake and marvel at the taste and texture of this fabulous Breton invention.
📍316 Mont-Royal Ave E (Plateau Mont-Royal)

Les Co'Pains d

Open So Many Restaurants!

So Many Restaurants!

This section could easily be its own book. I've narrowed it down to a few of my favorites places, in no particular order.

La Capital Tacos

A Mexican restaurant in the middle of Chinatown! I love their Al Pastor tacos. If you're really hungry, try a Quesabirria. Get the consomé to dip it in, and a side of Papas Veneno.
📍1096 St Laurent Blvd (Chinatown)

Ma Poule Mouillée

You will be hypnotized by the delicious smell as you near this Portuguese rotisserie. Try their unique poutine, featuring roast chicken and chorizo. Grab a pastel de nata or two with your order and go eat in the Parc Lafontaine across the street for a great lunch.
📍969 Rachel St E (Plateau Mont-Royal)

Le Boucan Smokehouse

Back ribs, brisket, smoked chicken, pulled pork. The works. They also make great drinks, including a maple-syrup Old Fashioned topped with maple smoke. Their 5 Napkin burger lives

Open For Your Caffeine Fix

For Your Caffeine Fix

It's not an addiction, it's a daily ritual!

Un Café, S'il-Vous-Plaît

I might anger several Canadians by saying this, but skip the visit to Tim Hortons. I'm not a coffee aficionado but I can tell you with certitude that it is not good. For your hot bean water fix, you could do worse than these places.

Crew Collective & Café

Hey, what do you know? There's good coffee in the very space we'll be spending a lot of time together! I had a great cup while visiting the place and I'm looking forward to my next one.
📍360 Rue Saint-Jacques (Old Port)

Pastel Rita

Sit down, grab a coffee and a croissant and enjoy the cute and decidedly Wes Anderson-ish décor. They also have a nice selection of natural wines and savory sandwiches. Oh, and you can even get a tattoo here! Pastel Rita is also home to the Merci à Vous Tattoo studio!
📍[5761 St Lau

Open Cinq à Sept

Cinq à Sept

Happy hour is upon us! You can certainly enjoy drinks in that very specific time slot, but you're not limited to that! Deps and grocery stores sell alcohol until 11:00 PM, bars and restaurants can sell it until 3:00 AM. Now that you know the time, let's figure out the place.

Brasserie Harricana

Great food and excellent beers brewed right here in Montréal. Harricana takes great care in exploring beer styles and serving them at the right temperature. Not all beers should be served ice cold. This one's a bit further north than my other suggestions. Definitely make the trip if you're planning on visiting Little Italy.
📍95 Rue Jean-Talon O (Little Italy)

Pit Caribou

A lof of great micro-breweries in Québec can be found in Gaspésie. Pit Caribou is one of them. They opened a brew pub in the heart of Plateau Mont-Royal a few years back, to everyone's delight. From sours to IPAs, there isn't a style they don't do well. They also pla

Open À Bientôt!

À Bientôt!

I hope you learned a thing or two about Montréal while reading this little guide, and that some of my recommendations piqued your interest.

If you have questions, if you're looking for something specific that I didn't delve into, reach out to me. I'd be delighted to help!

I can't wait for all of you to come visit. See you soon, and safe travels!