Weekend in Montreal

Brit and I set out for a weeklong to the Quebec Provence of Canada starting our weekend off in Montreal. The Provence of Quebec is the largest in Canada and is largely French speaking. Brit and I had been completing small online French classes in preparation for the trip and learned some basic phrases. But once we arrived and heard the locals speaking, realized we knew nothing haha. Luckily, a lot of people in the big cities spoke English as well. We arrived in Montreal mid afternoon Saturday and were welcomed with rainy conditions.

Our initial plan was to walk the city taking photos but needed a plan B due. What’s the best thing to do in a new city when its chilly and raining? Why find a local coffee shop of course. We found Cafe Olympico, a local favorite, and ordered our usual lattes. After our caffeine fix we explored Montreal’s Time Out Market, a unique hub of Montreal’s best food and drinks all under one roof. We already had dinner reservations for later in the evening so we didn’t have much here but it was a cool spot to hang out for a bit and escape the rain. We then headed for our dinner reservation at Tiradito, a Nikkei restaurant or in other words Japanese-Peruvian fusion. The menu consist of creative small plates that are perfect for sharing. Brit and split four small plates and were plenty full! Each plate was packed with flavor and the presentation was really fun. You also get a little bit of a show as you eat as all the seats in the restaurant are bar stools surrounding one large center bar where you watch the chefs prepare the dishes. Highly recommended restaurant if you make a trip to Montreal.

We capped off the night at Gokudo, a Japanese speakeasy hidden behind a curtain within a low key fish shack. With minimal signage and wood paneling covering the outside of the building, the speakeasy remains hidden to the average passerby in the busy downtown area. As you walk through the fish shack and through the curtains into a dim candlelit room adorned with Japanese inspired decor, you feel as if you have been transported into the streets of Tokyo. This is definitely a cool spot to check out while you’re in the city.

The next day we walked for miles around the city trying to explore as much as we could. We had a good start to the day going to one of the coolest coffee shops we had ever been to. Crew Collective coffee is located in a heritage building that was once the Royal Bank of Canada. It is a majestic cafe well worth a visit to get some good coffee and pastries.

Since it had been several minutes since we had last eaten, we were off to find more sustenance. We were in search of Montreal’s famous bagels. Locals argue that Montreal Bagels are far superior to New York bagels. I cannot say which one wins, but I can say that Montreal has some darn good bagels. Make sure to check out one of the many bagel shops in the city to see for yourself.

To burn off all the delicious calories we just consumed, we set off exploring Montreal by foot. We walked for miles around the city exploring Old Montreal and Old Port.

Old Montreal is a historic neighborhood filled with buildings that date back to the 17th century. The cobblestoned Rue St Paul is one of the most famous streets to explore filled with many unique shops and restaurants.

Old Port

A hidden gem we stumbled upon is a secret garden the heart of Old Montreal, the Govenor’s Garden at Chateau Ramezay. Built in 1705, Chateau Ramezay was the first building to be designated as a historical monument in all of Quebec. There is an admission fee to explore the museum, but the gardens are free to explore.

After all of our walking, we somehow built up our appetites again and decided to give Montreal’s famous smoked meat sandwich a try for lunch. The sandwich is simple: smoked brisket and yellow mustard on rye. We ordered our sandwich to go from Dunns and ate in a beautiful park across the street. The sandwich lived up to its fame and was very delicious.

For our last stop in Montreal, we headed to Montreal Botanical Garden which happens to be the third largest botanical garden in the world. Since the park was quite massive we were not able to see the whole park but the parts we were able to explore were beautiful. You could easily spend an entire day in this park.