When you going? If it's soon, you can catch jazz fest which is the best one in Canada!
Saint Joseph's Oratory on Mount Royal is pretty sweet. I'm atheist but still enjoyed it. Really beautiful installments inside and the trek up the hill is nice. In general the churches in Montreal are quite grand and old so walk in and check 'em out.
The Plateau neighborhood is nice. Lots of neat shops, cafes, etc. Old Montreal is another must visit.
Tons of restaurants obviously. I was there for 7 months for work and the below places were some of the places I went to and liked, which should be different from the usual recommendations I anticipate will be recommended. Tons of good food dude. Just check reviews first and you can't go wrong really.
- Salumi Vino
- Jardin Nelson (patio!)
- Terasse Sur L'Auberge (patio!)
- Bello Deli
- Cafe Santropol (really love this place, casual outdoor patio, sandwiches, etc)
- Ma Poule Mouillee (Portuguese chicken, crazy lines so plan this one out)
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Seriously, it's been years since I have been there.
Schwartz for smoked meat sandwiches.
Go for a stroll around Old Montréal, and Mount Royal.
As a sports fan I'm a sucker to see places like Olympic Stadium, but it'd be more to see how weird and odd that it's no where near downtown. But the Biodome there is cool.
I don't know if they still do the fireworks competition but they were always awesome (used to be different countries put on a display twice a week).
See what's going on, there's always a festival of some sort going on.
I love their subway. It has a smell I can't explain. It doesn't stink, but it's distinctive. Every station is different, and some are just gorgeous.
LaRonde and Expo 67 is cool.
Enjoy some of the pubs, bistros and the uniqueness of everything being French and how neat it is that literally everyone speaks English (in downtown Montreal, get outside of that and that changes).
It's nothing like Calgary (it's nothing like any city I've ever been to) explore and enjoy.
__________________ "Calgary Flames is the best team in all the land" - My Brainwashed Son
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Grab some Bixi bikes, ride across the Pont de la Cocncorde bridge to the F1 circuit and do a lap. Grab lunch on St Helen's Island, you can ditch the bikes for a bit and walk around. Then bike back across the Jacques Cartier bridge.
For $450 you too can get cornflakes on top of imitation crab meat, a piece of sausage with a cherry tomato beside it, a piece of tofu with a real thin slice of carrot, and the wettest looking shrimp you’ve ever seen.
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With the Michelin Travel Guide apparently coming to Canada for Fall 2022, I fully expect that Toqué! will be in for some Michelin star treatment.
By the way, don't expect the hype of the authentic Quebec poutine to be met, it's pretty middling. Best poutine I've had in my travels was -- strangely enough -- in Calgary.
__________________
-James
GO FLAMES GO.
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I don't know if they still do the fireworks competition but they were always awesome (used to be different countries put on a display twice a week).
See what's going on, there's always a festival of some sort going on.
This. What to do depends a lot on your dates. Ideally, your dates will be set by what you want to do! Comedy? Fireworks? Circus? Jazz? F1 (next year)?
Stay near the Old Port of it fits your budget, it'd have the most charm. Downtown is next best, close to the Old Port, attractions and transit. Plateau has some lively streets (St. Laurent/St. Denis) if that's what you're looking for. Otherwise, find somewhere near the Orange or Green Metro lines.
Oh and if you'd be interested in getting some professional photos as a souvenir, send me a DM.
If flying, just note that both Toronto and Montreal airports are an absolute disaster of massive delays and cancellations at all hours of the day so make sure you have nothing important to do in a full 12-16 hours after your scheduled arrival back home.
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Yeah good suggestion by Acey and I would try to not check any bags and have only carry-ons for the trip that are a size that can be jammed under the seat in front of you, in case all of the overhead bins are full by the time you get on the plane and they force you to check your carry-on. Maybe look into paying for early boarding to ensure you get overhead bin space for your carry-ons.
By the way, don't expect the hype of the authentic Quebec poutine to be met, it's pretty middling. Best poutine I've had in my travels was -- strangely enough -- in Calgary.
You know, I was in Montreal for the May long weekend, and I came away with the same impression. I went to La Banquise for late night food, and found I've gotten better poutine here. Maybe it was the time of the night and how busy it was, that the quality perhaps wasn't the best. But that's when you want to have poutine.
I’m taking my beautiful wife to Montreal
