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| Matthew is Concordia bound! |
My friend, Frank Douma, asked for some recommendations for his trip, and here's what I came up with. This is just a start, for sure!
La Banquise
994, rue Rachel Est
Montréal, QC H2J 2J3
https://labanquise.com/en/
The first time I ate here, my (then brand new) friend, Ligia Peña, brought Jim, Chris and me to have poutine as part of our "intro to Montreal" tour. Ligia spoiled us for all other poutine.
La Fromagerie Atwater
134 Atwater Ave
Montreal, QC H3J 2J4
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| La Banquise Poutine |
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| Hand Roll at Au Pied de Cochon |
536 Avenue Duluth E
Montréal, QC H2L 1A9
https://aupieddecochon.ca/en/
If you want a hugely indulgent meal, go here. You must like foie gras and really rich food. I love how unpretentious this place is, and the food is really amazing.
Joe Beef
2491 Notre-Dame West
Montréal, QC H3J 1N6
https://www.joebeef.ca/
Finally made it to Joe Beef. The key is to put yourself on the waiting list for a reservation as soon as you can and do it for every day you are in Montreal. And be prepared to change your plans! This place was worth the hype. Our server was very gracious and really felt like our hostess, and the food was exceptional.
(Strangely enough, I was not as enamored with their sister restaurant, Liverpool House, but that could be because we were sitting next to a really boorish guy that time.)
Belon
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| Horse tenderloin at Joe Beef |
Montréal, QC H2Z 1N1
https://belon.ca/en/
Hip place for seafood. Get as much as you can handle from the raw bar, as they have some hard to get items that are very fresh. Also, check out their cheeky humor at the restrooms.
Kinton Ramen
Various locations
https://www.kintonramen.com/canada/
This is Matthew's favorite ramen. I expect when we say that college students live on ramen, Matthew's experience will be very different. He likes the days when they have karaage ramen on special.
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| Chocolate. Need I say more? |
Two locations
https://maisonchristianfaure.ca/en/contact/
Incredibly indulgent and 'grammable desserts.
Montreal-style bagels
I am location-agnostic on this. I know locals have distinct loyalties to their bagel shops, but I'm not that nuanced yet. I even had one at the airport that I thought was great.
Other Things to do in Montreal
Notre-Dame Basilicahttps://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/en
https://www.aurabasiliquemontreal.com/en/
Visit during the day and in the evening if you can, because Aura, their evening multimedia display, is worth it.
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| Notre-Dame Basilica during Aura |
Montreal History and Archeology Museum
https://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/
I've been here four times and I still discover something new. Great multimedia displays to help you learn some history of Montreal.
Cirque du Soleil
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/canada/montreal/shows
If you're in Montreal in June or July, check out the way that Cirque du Soleil was designed to be seen--under the big top, by the Old Port. If you've seen Cirque in Vegas, or in their traveling shows, you still must see a show at the "mother ship."
Montreal Amphi-Bus Tours
https://www.montreal-amphibus-tour.com/
Growing up in Wisconsin, these were the "Ducks" of Wisconsin Dells. The tour in Montreal is a great way to see a little of the city and get on the water if you are visiting in the summer.
Mount Royal
https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en
The namesake of Montreal, it's worth a jaunt up to Mount Royal to check out the view and visit the big cross.
Montreal Jazz Festival
https://www.montrealjazzfest.com/en-CA
If you're in town at the end of June and beginning of July, the Jazz Festival is totally worth it. The acts on the free stages are incredible, and the ticketed shows are amazing too.
There are so many things I haven't done yet in Montreal, so I'm looking forward to more reasons to visit!
