Why go?

A hedonistic city to the core, Montreal is a place where people love to eat, drink and enjoy life. The largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris, this Canadian hub has a distinctly European flair – meals are taken long and late, the young population is ethnically and culturally diverse, and the art and music scene is among the best in the country. The food is fantastic all year round and with the warm summer weather come numerous festivals, including Jazz Fest and the Just for Laughs comedy festival.

What to do

Start in Old Montreal, the historic quarter located on the harbour, where 19th-century buildings now house boutique art galleries, restaurants and shops. The Pointe-à-Callière museum (pacmuseum.qc.ca) offers a fantastic multimedia presentation on the history of the city, but if you want something a little more indulgent, Finnish spa Scandinave (scandinave.com) offers the best massages in town. Pop into the Notre-Dame basilica, then take a stroll along the banks of the St Lawrence river, once the city’s lifeline, until you reach Place Jacques-Cartier. If you venture outside the old centre you’ll find Place-des-Arts (laplacedesarts.com), a venue for the July festivals, and the quirky Museum of Contemporary Art (macm.org). The Museum of Fine Arts (mmfa.qc.ca), just north of the city’s main shopping street Saint-Catherine, houses excellent, varied exhibitions. Stroll up St Laurent Boulevard (known as ‘the main’) to the Plateau area – it boasts eclectic, trendy shops, restaurants and flats with the city’s idiosyncratic outside staircases. Further north, in Little Italy, explore Jean-Talon Market (marchespublicsmtl.com), where Quebec producers come to trade, and Marché des Saveurs du Quebec (lemarchedessaveurs.com), which stocks local ciders and wines. Fondly referred to by Montrealers as ‘the mountain’ (never call it a hill!), Mount Royal is the city’s green space, and from its diminutive summit at 233m you’ll have a sweeping view of the city. On Sundays there are music and arts gatherings, known as ‘Tam-Tams’, in the park, so make sure you take a picnic.

Where to stay

Furry fabric and monochrome colours are the order of the day at St Paul Hotel (001 514 380 2222, hotelstpaul.com), a sleek boutique hotel in an historic building in Old Montreal. Downtown, the rooms at Le St Martin (001 514 843 3000, lestmartin.com) boast good views and fireplaces.

Where to eat and drink

Start your morning munching on maple syrup and pecan cinnamon buns at Olive et Gourmando (oliveetgourmando.com) in Old Montreal. In the Plateau, Beauty’s (001 514 849 8883, beautys.ca) is a city institution – order the ‘special’, a bagel sandwich with smoked salmon and an Oreo milkshake. You have to get up early to beat the queues at Schwartz’s (001 514 842 4813, schwartzsdeli.com). This iconic deli opened in 1928, specialising in smoked-meat sandwiches. After scouring Jean-Talon Market, head to tiny Kitchen Galerie (001 514 315 8994, kitchengalerie.com). Mathieur Cloutier is chef, waiter and entertainer as he prepares the market-based menu from local produce, including Quebec foie gras. Recently awarded Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef, Jerome Ferrer of Europea (001 514 398 9229, europea.ca) combines French technique with Quebecois ingredients – cookery classes run during the day. In the former industrial quarter, Le Local (001 514 397 7737, resto-lelocal.com) serves punchy food in a bustling setting; tuck into grain-fed veal. Soak up the Plateau’s vibrancy at one of its bars – L’Assommoir (001 514 272 0777, assommoir.ca), offers 250 different cocktails. Sip your way through Les Cavistes’s (001 514 903 5089, restaurantlescavistes.com) by-the-glass wine list, and feast on succulent bison bavette.

Time running out?

Pick up fresh, chewy Montreal-style sesame bagels at St-Viateur Bagel (stviateurbagel.com).

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the Canadian dollar. Montreal is five hours behind GMT and a seven hour flight from London.

Getting There

Air Canada (0871 220 1111, aircanada.com) flies daily direct from London Heathrow to Montreal.
British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com) regularly flies from London Heathrow to Montreal.

Resources

Tourisme Montreal (mtl.org) is an excellent resource for planning your trip.