6 THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL (*HINT – MOST OF THEM INVOLVE EATING & DRINKING)

I visited Montreal, Quebec, an incredible city in Canada, in the fall and found it surprisingly full of things to do, incredibly beautiful places to see, and delicious items to eat and imbibe. In honor of that epic trip, we’ve put together 6 absolute “musts” on the list of things to do in Montreal.

Hint: most of them involve eating and drinking. And a little walking to counter the eating and drinking. Salut!

1.Eat Poutine – Poutine is a Quebecoise dish that is legendary in French Canada. Consisting of French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy, this bad boy combines every comfort food you’ve ever wanted and will satisfy your drunchies like nothing else will. And if you’re not sure if this is really an essential stop on your trip to Montreal, consider that they have an annual poutine festival. You heard that correctly, poutine festival! My favorite poutine stop of the whole trip? The historic Montreal Pool Room.

 

2. Visit The Mount Royal Chalet viewpoint – Mount Royal or Mont Royal is a gorgeous park in Montreal and is the city’s answer to New York’s Central Park. Located atop the hill, the Mount Royal Chalet is a chalet that was constructed nearly 80 years ago and now hosts numerous events. From its terrace, the public has access to just about the most picturesque view in Montreal. Drive up to the viewpoint and pay to park in the public parking, walk about 10 minutes down a tree-lined path and pop out onto the platform. Venture there in the fall for a birds’ eye view of the fall foliage throughout the city.

 

3. Enjoy A Boozy Brunch at Beauty’s Luncheonette –  located on the corner of Mont-Royal and St Urbain, this iconic diner has been open since 1942 and was one of the city’s first brunch spots. It is the home of the trademarked Mish-Mash, an omelet of hot dog, salami, fried onion, and green peppers, and is known for its lox (salmon) and cream cheese everything bagel, but one exciting and overlooked thing about this diner is that it serves booze. You can get a screwdriver, mimosa, Bloody Mary, beer, gin and tonic, wine, or baileys and coffee as easily as you can get a plate of fried potatoes and that, my friends, is brunch perfection. I personally, recommend the mac and cheese and hash browns and you can never go wrong with their egg or bagel dishes.

 

4. Walk The Old Quarter (Montreal Vieux) – Old Montreal, or Montreal Vieux, is the oldest part of the city and dates back to the 1600s fur trading days, making it one of the oldest cities in North America. This part of the city maintains the old-world charm that makes Montreal feel more like Europe than a modern North American city and it houses everything from the Bonsecours Market and the Notre Dame Chapel to the Place Jacques-Cartier and many colonial mansions. It’s the perfect place to wander and grab a cup of coffee on your next trip.

 

5. Walk Plateau Mont Royal and admire the street art and vintage shops – Le Plateau-Mont-Royal is a borough, of Montreal, named for its proximity to Mont-Royal park and its flat terrain. It is the most densely populated borough in Canada for a reason. Combining “the Plateau” and the Mile End, this borough has the city’s best street art, Victorian mansions, famous spiral staircases, delicious coffee, and great shopping. Head over to the post on 48 hours In Montreal to see how to spend your time there.

 

6. Go Absinthe Tasting – Absinthe is in no short supply in Montreal, but that doesn’t mean you should go just anywhere to sample the “green fairy.” Hop on over to Sarah B’s Absinthe Bar, hidden upstairs in the Intercontinental Hotel, for the full set-up, comprised of a little silver spoon with a sugar cube and the steady drip of the absinthe into your glass. Afterwards, head over to Le Lab to keep the party going. Once you get to Le Lab, settle into one of the many booths in the dimly-lit brick bar and order a cocktail on fire, such as the Couleur Café, which sports absinthe, Amarula cream, Tia Maria coffee liquor and a bit of fire. Try the absinthe-laden Beachcomber if you’re in the mood for fruit and absinthe sans the fire hazard.

 

Still not sure what else to do in Montreal? Check out these photos to inspire you to visit Montreal for a little more inspo.

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