Montreal City Guide
Eat, shop, drink in Montreal.
In my opinion, Montréal is one of the greatest North American that seemingly no-one’s been to. Everyone either has an aunt here, has “heard great things”, or maybe got drunk here sometime during college. But not nearly enough people have made the trek in recent enough years to experience everything Montréal has to offer. A diverse food scene, beautiful architecture, round-the-clock nightlife, reliable public transit, and legal-to-drink-in parks (so long as you’re “having a picnic”) - what else could you want?
So if you’re going to make the trip, here are a few tips. Firstly, the best time to visit is from mid-April until mid-October, with the real sweet-spots being: late May (perfect weather, calm before the storm), F1 weekend, Mural Fest, Jazz Fest, or right as the leaves are changing in October. Take the time to brush up on simple French phrases. The vast majority of Montréal is bilingual and will switch to English when they realize you’re not a native speaker, but a little effort goes a long way. Depending on your budget and desired experience, I’d stay in the Old Port, Plateau, Mile End, Little Italy, or Petit-Patrie. As long as you’re located within a 5-10 minute walk from the a Metro Line, it doesn’t really matter where you stay. I definitely recommend picking up a bottle of wine, some snacks, and having a picnic in one of the parks - a uniquely Montréal experience which most locals partake in weekly. Without further ado, please scroll down and check out my recommendations for where to eat, shop, and drink in this great city!
The Map(s)
There’s nothing more useful in my travels than a couple of interactive, categorized Google Maps lists to get me through a trip. Allowing for spontaneity and discovery, I can just pop into whatever area I want and see what’s around me in an instant. If I come across something interesting or get a recommendation from a local, it’s super easy to add to the list and pay a visit whenever I end up near the pin. With this guide, I’m offering you full access to the Montreal lists I’ve been building with my past few trips, and will continue to build going forward. So, feel free to save these, use them at your leisure, and make any additional recommendations in the comments below.
They include:
🍖 Bars, restaurants, and cafés
🛍️ Shopping
🧶 2nd Hand Shopping
🖼️ Galleries
Disclaimer: by offering you these links, there’s nothing I can do to prevent you from sharing these to other people. This Substack is how I make a living, and I’d like to continue doing that by maintaining the exclusivity of the resources I offer you folks. If you send one of these maps to a close friend, that’s not a huge deal, but please refrain from posting these links to social media, Reddit, or travel sites. Thank you <3.
