The Ultimate Weekend Guide to Montreal
By Luke PyensonThere’s no better city break in North America than a weekend in Montreal – a city so full of great food that 48 hours seems not only paltry but almost cruel. I always leave wanting more, and as a result I come back, and back, and back. Probably 15 times since my first visit in 2007 – maybe more.
Montreal’s food scene has all the Gallic romance one would expect, plus all the richness of its many immigrant communities: Portuguese, North African, Middle Eastern, Italian, Jewish, Haitian, and more. It is also a serious wine destination, where fresh labels reign over usual-suspects and it’s possible to sample impressive natural bottles from Quebec itself – a rarity outside of the province.
Some of the following recommendations have been with me throughout my decade-and-a-half relationship with Montreal; others are newer. Any city would be lucky to have even one of these places. Incredible that this urban gem on the St. Lawrence has them all.
FRIDAY
DINNER
Come with a group to this Syrian standout in leafy, residential Outremont. Mezze arrive with steaming, just-baked pita and fattoush puckers with pomegranate molasses, but my favorite dishes here are the mains – particularly anything with lamb. I still think of the batersh – long-cooked tomatoey lamb stew over smokey, yogurt-rich pureed eggplant topped with crunchy pine nuts. Don’t leave without kanafeh for dessert.
1209 Ave Van Horne, Outremont, Quebec H2V 1K4
SATURDAY
COFFEE
I’d much rather have workaday Italian espresso from a place with history, community, and a sense of place than boring third-wave coffee from an anodyne Apple Store-like venue. Just order a macchiato at Caffe Olimpico’s flagship in the Mile End and you’ll understand.
124 Rue Saint-Viateur O, Montréal, QC H2T 2L1
BREAKFAST
It’s going to be a big day of eating, so start small with a Montreal bagel – substantially smaller than its New York cousins and a touch sweet from being boiled in honeyed water. These are not to be split open and filled with cream cheese nor lox; a hot sesame bagel out of the wood-fired oven doesn’t need a thing. Blindfolded, I wouldn’t know the difference between Fairmount and its nearby competitor St-Viateur, but I went to Fairmount first and will thus never step foot elsewhere.
74 Av. Fairmount O, Montréal, QC H2T 2M2
SNACK
Of Montreal’s two European-style indoor/outdoor markets, I actually prefer Marché Atwater in the canalside Little Burgundy neighborhood, but Marché Jean-Talon has this excellent crepe stand specializing in Breton-style buckwheat galettes. Choose sweet, savory, or my favorite: ham, cheese, potato, and egg with a cheeky drizzle of pure Quebecois maple syrup.
7070 Henri Julien Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3S3
LUNCH
Rotisserie Romados / Ma Poule Mouillée
One of Montreal’s essential street foods is Portuguese-style piri-piri chicken, and with all respect to the big dogs I think even Montreal’s worst chicken place is better than Nando’s. Here there’s a choice – Romados is more of an institution, Ma Poule Mouillée is newer; both are excellent. Try a quarter chicken with fries at Romados and a chicken sandwich at Ma Poule for dessert.
Romados: 115 Rue Rachel E, Montréal, QC H2W 1C8
Ma Poule Mouillée: 969 Rachel St E, Montreal, Quebec H2J 2J2
ICE CREAM
There’s great dairy in Québec, and it shines in the fabulous ice cream at this independent shop in Saint-Henri. Tough to choose hard scoop or soft-serve, but look at the logo on their hats: it’s gotta be a swirl. In summer, flavors featuring the province’s famous wild blueberries are not to be missed.
4609 Notre-Dame St W Suite 1, Montreal, Quebec H4C 1S5
WINE BAR
A sibling of well-known institution Joe Beef, Vin Papillon comes as close to an ideal wine bar as anywhere on Earth – servers are happy to walk you through their deep, interesting list, which complements the always-stunning small plates. Think a perfect lobe of grilled tuna over puttanesca; a plate of bbq whelk skewers with tzatziki; grilled sweetbreads with aioli. And its signature jambon de petit Bourgogne – home-cured ham with local cheddar-style cheese and brown butter. Unreal.
2519 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H3J 1N4
DINNER/LATE NIGHT
Maybe it’s not a small plates kind of night, or maybe small plates were just the beginning. L’Express, the venerable bistro open since 1980 and open until 2am every night, is perfect for a late dinner. Actually, it’s just perfect in general. Calmly assured servers dispense French classics like celery root remoulade, rilletes, and steak frites, but there are little touches that remind you this isn’t France – the wild rice that comes with sticky demi-glace-cloaked quail, or the maple ice cream in the profiteroles. This is my one mandatory stop on every trip to Montreal.
3927 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M4
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
A late breakfast/early lunch at the sunny all-day cafe Larry’s is a great send-off meal, insofar as there must be one. I love the à la carte English breakfast (infinitely more classy than it looks written out), but the lunchier options are great too: kedgeree, for example, or an excellent burger. Whichever direction you take, it’s a good idea to start with a scone, studded with crunchy sugar and served with clotted cream and homemade jam.
5201 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1S4
LUNCH
A final sandwich for the road, the airport, or the road to the airport: grilled halloumi with mint slaw and harissa mayo on toasted seedy bread. Britons might not be too energized by the thought of a halloumi sandwich, but, two things: 1) we’re not used to seeing halloumi sandwiches in North America, and 2) this really doesn’t feel like the type of halloumi option you’d see in the UK. It’s sweet, tangy, salty, gooey, crispy…a serious sandwich, and a lovely last taste of Montreal to linger until next time.
7032 Waverly St, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3J2
STAY
For such a wonderful all-around city, Montreal has a baffling deficit of great independent hotels. An exception is the William Gray, partially housed in an 18th century building among the cobblestones of Old Montreal, but set back from the tourist bustle. The best part, as even 30 seconds reading reviews will tell you, is the shower – all room categories have truly incredible showers. And just off the lobby is an outpost of Caffe Olimpico for your morning coffee.
421 R. Saint-Vincent, Montréal, QC H2Y 3A6
More from Luke Pyenson on Something Curated:
- The ultimate guide to eating bagels in NYC
- The finest patties in NYC
- The world’s best pizza city
- A personal guide to the best ice cream in NYC
Luke Pyenson is a food and travel journalist based in New York City, and the co-author of Taste In Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians. Header image: Batersh at Damas, by Luke Pyenson.