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Destination: The Flavors of Montreal
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Besides a burgeoning food scene, this Québec metropolis has avant-garde galleries, contemporary shops and more
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BY SARAH MUSGRAVE
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| The kitchen-supply store Les Touilleurs; Parc Jean-Drapeau, on Montreal’s Île Sainte-Hélène. |
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Montreal is often referred to as Paris without the jet lag. A European joie de vivre can be found in North America’s only French-speaking metropolis (the second largest after the French capital). And of course, it’s more affordable and accessible than a trip across the Atlantic.
When it comes to food, Montreal’s sought-after bistros are just the beginning. While the French heritage is reflected in the city’s best tables, the culinary culture owes as much to the early coureurs de bois who first tracked the land as to the diverse immigrants who would later populate the city. Today’s restaurants are actively defining a cuisine montréalaise—one that honors the past while looking to the future.
As the city emerges from the economic doldrums of the past few years, the evolution of its identity is echoed in redevelopment projects that see old neighborhoods taking on new shapes. Here are three parts of the city where you’re sure to taste the flavors of Montreal.
DOWNTOWN REDUX
Montrealers are typically wary of large-scale development projects, scorning terms like “cosmopolitan” and “world class,” and preferring to cultivate their own brand of cool. But if ever there were an area ripe for a rethink, it’s downtown Montreal. Here, captains of industry left their mark in the gray stone mansions of the Golden Square Mile and the Sun Life Building on Dorchester Square, Montreal’s first skyscraper. But while the area’s main commercial artery, Ste. Catherine Street, has long buzzed with consumer activity, it lacked much in the way of cultural life besides the Place des Arts—until now.
From west to east, new investments in the arts are giving the area a boost. This fall the venerable Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal unveils a new pavilion that will take visitors on a journey through the history of Canadian art in a soaring space that was previously a church. In October the Musée d’Art Contemporain hosts the Québec Triennial, showcasing the best contemporary artists in the province. And a new concert hall, L’Adresse Symphonique—outfitted with a 5,100-pipe organ and acoustically sensitive wood paneling—opens in late autumn as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s new home. In fact, the whole of eastern downtown has been dramatically transformed with a $120 million entertainment district dubbed the Quartier des Spectacles. At the center of this mammoth 30-block development is a public square full of color-lit fountains and designed to hold the tens of thousands who flock here for outdoor comedy, jazz and film festivals.
New dining options go hand in hand with the redesign, and that’s a bonus for what was long a culinary wasteland. (Even a good poutine, the sloppy dish of fries, gravy and cheese curds known to Quebecers as the ultimate hangover cure, used to be hard to come by.) A bright spot in the landscape is Brasserie T, which puts you center stage, in a see-and-be-seen glass box set on the main plaza of the Quartier des Spectacles. The little sister of widely acclaimed Toqué from celebrity chef Normand Laprise, it’s a futuristic setting in which to savor expert steak frites, luminous beet and chèvre salad and the saucisse de Montréal, the answer to France’s famous Toulouse sausage.
Past and future also come together at Taverne Square Dominion, a 1920s tavern restored to its former glory, with terrazzo floors and vintage glassware. It tips its hat to the gin runners of the Prohibition years (co-owner Alexandre Baldwin claims to be descended from one), with Canadian-inspired cocktails. Chef Eric Dupuis’s menu is influenced by the cultures that made up the city at that time: “English, French and sailors,” as he puts it—think corn fritters, mussels in cider, and sticky toffee pudding.
THE NOUVEAU VIEUX
What’s old is new again in Montreal’s historic quarter. It was here, in 1535, that explorer Jacques Cartier discovered an Iroquois settlement on the St. Lawrence River and named the island Mont Réal in honor of its mountain. Old Montreal’s narrow cobblestone streets and 18th-century buildings still echo with the sound of hooves, thanks to the quintessential tourist experience, a horse-drawn calèche ride. Notre Dame Basilica is where pop songstress Celine Dion was married and hockey-player-closest-to-sainthood Maurice “the Rocket” Richard was memorialized.
The renewal of Old Montreal—or Le Vieux, in local parlance—began in the 1990s, as tacky souvenir shops gave way to boutique hotels, chic design stores and a dining scene that playfully acknowledges Quebec’s past. An ode to the artisanal, Olive & Gourmando bakery is a great stop for brunch (take a chance and order the “poached egg on your face”) or one of the butteriest croissants you’ve ever tasted. At Kitchen Galerie Poisson, oysters and the catch of the day are served informally in a narrow room befitting the Fourth Arrondissement. As the menu informs, the signature foie gras is actually cooked in the lave-vaisselle—yes, that means dishwasher, but don’t worry; it’s sealed in its own little jar.
Just past the gleaming dome of historic Marché Bonsecours is one of the area’s most sought-after new dining rooms, Les 400 Coups. Against a gray palette, the freshness and vitality of Marc-André Jetté’s market-based food seems to glow on the plate. Desserts by star pastry chef Patrice Demers are the coup de grace—try his cloud-soft chocolate pot de crème with a hint of Maldon salt. You may even see him signing copies of his cookbook.
The Old Port, which began as a hub for the fur trade 250 years ago, is now a year-round recreation area, site of Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas, a skating rink and an annual pop-up cabane à sucre, an urban sugar shack showcasing foods made with the province’s maple syrup. A recent addition to the landscape is Bota Bota, a former ferry converted into a floating spa. On the front deck, sink into a hot tub with views of Habitat 67, architect Moishe Safdie’s iconic housing development, and the pioneering edifices of Place Royale on the opposite shore.
MADE IN MILE END
As you follow busy St. Laurent Boulevard north, you’ll tread in the tracks of many waves of immigrants. Mile End, a largely residential neighborhood, was the end of the line for Jewish, Greek and Portuguese populations, who as early as 1910 began setting up the small shops and ethnic eateries that still give the area its character. The latest residents are maintaining that small-scale feeling, with a focus on handmade rather than haute. Mom-and-pop shops sit next to boutiques selling recherché items. The serene sea of marble countertops and stainless steel utensils at the gourmand outfitter Les Touilleurs will give you kitchen envy. You can sign up here for a workshop on the art of pizza- or pastry-making. Boutique Unicorn and Les Étoffes both offer well-curated selections of clothes from local and international designers, for her and him, respectively. Drawn & Quarterly, an independent bookstore, is also a publisher dedicated to graphic novels and cartoons, capturing the creative spirit of the neighborhood.
Foodies should stop at the St. Viateur Bagel Shop, which has been turning out rounds of chewy, slightly sweet, sesame-studded goodness for more than 50 years. Ask for the bagels closest to the oven; they’ll still be hot when you sink your teeth into them. For lunch or brunch, just look for the line of customers outside Lawrence, where British-born chef Marc Cohen, who trained with Gordon Ramsay, turns out “head-to-tail” cuisine like skewered duck hearts—surprisingly delicious. Down the street, Le Comptoir is a prime example of the small-scale charcuterie trend: Peek downstairs to see a cold room of pig carcasses waiting to be butchered and cured by talented young chef Segue Lepage. His refined but rustic meats are complemented by a wine list of small, organic labels.
If there has never been a better time to eat in Montreal, there’s also never been an easier way to work it off. Bixi, the city’s credit-card-activated public bicycle system, will take you from one meal to the next with minimal pedal power and a lot of pleasure in between.
Guide to Montreal
EAT
Downtown
BRASSERIE T
1425 Jeanne Mance St.; 514-282-0808;
dinner for two, $80*
TAVERNE DOMINION SQUARE
1243 Metcalfe St.; 514-564-5056; dinner
for two, $80
Old Montreal
KITCHEN GALERIE POISSON
399 Notre Dame St. W.; 514-439-6886;
dinner for two, $110
LES 400 COUPS
400 Notre Dame St. W.; 514-985-0400;
dinner for two, $100
OLIVE & GOURMANDO
351 St. Paul St. W.; 514-350-1083;
lunch for two, $30
Mile End
LAWRENCE
5201 St. Laurent Blvd.; 514-503-1070;
dinner for two, $90
LE COMPTOIR CHARCUTERIES
ET VINS
4807 St. Laurent Blvd.;
514-844-8467;
dinner for two, $60
ST. VIATEUR BAGEL SHOP
263 St. Viateur St. W.; 514-276-8044;
bagels for two, $1.50
*Prices throughout have been converted to U.S. dollars.
Meal prices do not include drinks, tax or tip.
SHOP
LES TOUILLEURS
152 Laurier St. W.; 514-278-0008;
lestouilleurs.com
BOUTIQUE UNICORN
5135 St. Laurent Blvd.; 514-544-2828;
boutiqueunicorn.com
LES ÉTOFFES
5253 St. Laurent Blvd.; 514-544-5500;
lesetoffes.com
DRAWN & QUARTERLY
211 Bernard St. W.; 514-279-2224;
drawnandquarterly.com
RELAX
BOTA BOTA
358 de la Commune St. W.;
514-284-0333; botabota.ca
EXPLORE
MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS
DE MONTREAL
1380 Sherbrooke St. W.; 514-285-2000;
mbam.qc.ca
MUSÉE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN
185 Ste. Catherine St. W.; 514-847-6226;
macm.org
BIXI
montreal.bixi.com; bike rentals from
$5 per day
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts near Montreal include:
GEO GROUP AT LAC MORENCY
Activities range from rigorous to relaxing:
tennis, sauna and spa are all on-site.
42 Rue
de la Chaumine, St. Hippolyte (50 miles
north of Montreal)
Member Reviews:
“This resort was just gorgeous. The staff
was amazingly friendly and very helpful.”
“We hiked near the resort, and enjoyed
the pool and hot tub. The restaurant has
a wonderful chef.”
CLUB GEOPREMIERE AT LAC MORENCY
Feeling adventurous? Rent an ATV on-site
and make your way to St. Sauveur. Canoes
and paddleboats are also available.
42 Rue
de la Chaumine, St. Hippolyte
Member Review:
“A very relaxing vacation at a family-oriented
resort with beautiful scenery. We would
definitely go back.”
LA VOLIERE DU MONT TREMBLANT
Near Mont Tremblant, La Voliere offers studios
and suites of one, two, three or four bedrooms.
2140 Chemin du Village, Mont Tremblant
(90 miles northwest of Montreal)
Member Reviews:
“Our one-bedroom unit featured a full kitchen,
gas fireplace, TV with DVD player and a grill
outside. The unit was cleaner than a four-star
hotel!”
“Our balcony had a beautiful view of the lake
for evening cocktails or a meal.”
CLUB INTRAWEST-TREMBLANT
This resort is in the heart of the Laurentian
Mountains, overlooking Lake Tremblant.
200 Chemin des Saisons, Mont-Tremblant
(95 miles northwest of Montreal)
Member Reviews:
“The resort was beautiful, with impeccable
grounds. The staff was helpful and spoke
both English and French.”
“We had a one-bedroom unit with a full
kitchen and two bathrooms—more than
enough space for myself and my husband.
I would definitely return.”
For complete member reviews
(as member reviews have been condensed)
and additional resort listings,
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476
Club Members, please call your specific
Club or RCI telephone number.
Non-RCI Affiliated Resorts:
OPUS
A blend of vintage and modern architecture
in a strategic location halfway between Old
Montreal and Mile End. 10 Sherbrooke St.
W.; 514-843-6000; opushotel.com; doubles
from $225 per night
LHOTEL MONTREAL
A heritage building on Old Montreal’s financial
row combines a stunning Second Empire decor
with modern comforts. 262 St. Jacques St. W.;
514-985-0019; lhotelmontreal.com; doubles from
$185 per night
HOTEL NELLIGAN
Hung with verses by beloved Quebec poet Emile
Nelligan, this airy centennial edifice in Old Montreal
softly blends wood, stone and brick for a feeling of
Old Europe. 106 St. Paul St. W.; 877-788-2040;
hotelnelligan.com; doubles from $235 per night
LOEWS HOTEL VOGUE
A solid downtown address with a polished if
petite lobby, generously proportioned rooms
and professional service. 1425 de la Montagne
St.; 514-285-5555; loewshotels.com; doubles
from $249 per night
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: Fall 2011
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Photos: MTOQ/Benoit Cecile; Jean Longpré
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