Wednesday, July 27, 2011

MONTREAL

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Boulangerie Guillaume – 17 Avenue Fairmount Est (Mile End); 514-507-3799; boulangerieguillaume.com; artisanal bakery; serves coffee, too.
Café Falco – 5605 Avenue de Gaspe (Mile End); 514-272-7766; cafefalco.ca; Japanese, new school, lab-style, siphon coffee in industrio-minimalist café.
Café Sardine – 9 Avenue Fairmount Est (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-802-8899; cafesardine.com; coffeeshop; good hot-dogs at lunch.
Caffe San Simeon – 39 Rue Dante (Saint-Édouard); 514-272-7386; restomontreal.ca/en/6082/Caffe-San-Simeon; traditional Italian coffee.
Le Comptoir Vegetarien – 350 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal, at back counter in Pepin Shop); 514-844-0114; thepepinshop.com; juice bar in back.
David’s Tea – 1207 Mont-Royal East (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-527-1117; davidstea.com; high-end-ish tea boutique.
David’s Tea – 5625 Pare (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-739-0006; davidstea.com; high-end-ish tea boutique.
David’s Tea – 6801 Transcanada Highway (Pointe Claire, at Fairview Pointe Claire Mall); 514-697-3331; davidstea.com; high-end-ish tea boutique.
David’s Tea – 705 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest (Downtown); 514-284-6060; davidstea.com; high-end-ish tea boutique.
Joe la Croûte – 7024 Casgrain (Saint-Édouard, near Jean Talon Market); 514-272-9704; try chestnut-flour and Kamut baguette.
My Cup of Tea – 1057A Boulevard St.-Laurent (Chinatown); 514-861-8800; mcot.ca.
Patisserie Kouign-Amann – 322 Ave Du Mont-Royal Est (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-845-8813.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Baldwin Barmacie – 115 Laurier West (Mile End); 514-276-4282; baldwinbarmacie.com; pharmaceutically themed bar; try Pharmacien (port wine, lime juice, and tonic).
Le Belmont Sur Le Boulevard – 4483 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-845-8443; lebelmont.com; intimate club with pool table upfront and extraordinarily loud sound system in back.
Big in Japan – 3723 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-847-2222; biginjapan.ca; unmarked door into Speak-easy-ish, Japanese bar in claustrophobic environment.
Les Bobards – 4328 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-987-1174; lesbobards.qc.ca; dancing.
Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins – 4807 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-844-8467; comptoircharcuteriesetvins.ca; classic and simple wine bar with charcuterie platters.
Dieu du Ciel – 29 Laurier West (Mile End); 514-490-9555; dieuduciel.com; popular after-work drinking spot; cult brewery.
Divan Orange – 4234 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-840-9090; divanorange.org; live, local bands.
Il Motore – 179 Rue Jean-Talon Ouest (Outremont); 514-284-0122; ilmotore.ca; big sound and stage for live, local bands.
Royal Phoenix – 5788 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-658-1622; royalphoenixbar.com; gay bar that welcomes all, including roller derby enthusiasts; nice terrace, weather permitting; try poutine.
Sky – 1474 Rue Ste.-Catherine East (Gay Village); 514-529-6969; complexesky.com; floors of fun; straight-friendly fun on ground floor; vast red-lighted space great for drag show.
Velvet Speakeasy – 420 Rue St.-Gabriel (Old Port); 514-978-6385; velvetspeakeasy.com; posh club; amazing but difficult to find.



HOTELS
Auberge du Vieux-Port – 97 Rue de la Commune Est (Old Port); 514-876-0081; aubergeduvieuxport.com; 1882 inn in old Montreal; rooms have cobble-stoned streers or river views; excellent restaurant.
Boutique Hotel Le Germain Montreal – 2050 Rue Mansfield (Downtown); 514-849-2050; hotelgermain.com; avant-garde hotel.
Casa Bianca – 4351 Avenue de l’Esplanade (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-312-3837; casabianca.ca; upscale B&B overlooking Mont Royal Park.
Hotel Chez Swann – 1444 Rue Drummond (Downtown); 514 or 877-568-7070; hotelchezswann.com; features local designers’ furniture in attempted boho-chic environment; slightly pricey; Room 304 is standard double but lovely.
Hotel Le St-James – 355 St.-Jacques Street (Old Montreal); 514-841-3111; hotellestjames.com; charming, intimate hotel in 2nd Empire building; excellent food.
Pensione Popolo – 4871 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-284-0122; casadelpopolo.com; sister project to 2 nearby live-music bars (Casa del Popolo & La Sala Rosa); cheap, chic, clean.
Le Petit Hotel – 168 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-940-0360; petithotelmontreal.com; in 19th Century building in Old Montreal with 24 cozy but modern feel.
Le St.-Martin Hotel Particulier – 980 Boulevard de Maison-Neuve Ouest (Downtown); 514-843-3000; lestmartinmontreal.com; in 17-story building downtown with outdoor pool and fitness center.
Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile – 1155 Sherbrooke Ouest (Downtown); 514-285-9000; sofitel.com.
Hotel 10 – 10 Sherbrooke Ouest (Downtown); 514-843-6000; hotel10montreal.com; airy, luxurious, modern, sleek, in upscale neighborhood.
Zero 1 – 1 Boulevard Rene Levesque East (near Chinatown); 514-871-9696; zero1-mtl.com; 120 modern, sleek rooms; affordable.



RESTAURANTS
Joe Beef – 2491 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest (Little Burgundy); 514-935-6504; joebeef.ca; seafood and steaks.
Bouillon Bilk – 1595 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Latin Quarter); 514-845-1595; bouillonbilk.com; modern and trendy; Nordic-style interior (modern); French neighborhood restaurant.
Brasserie t! – 1425 Rue Jeanne Mance (Old Montreal); 514-282-0808; affordable, French bistro cuisine.
Buvette Chez Simone – 4869 Avenue du Parc (Mile End); 514-750-6577; buvettechezsimone.com; comfy brasserie menu.
Byblos Le Petite Café – 1499 Avenue Laurier East; 514-523-9396; bybloslepetitcafe.ca; Iranian; known for brunch.
Casa del Popolo – 4873 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-284-3804; casadelpopolo.com; vegetarian food, with art exhibits and live music.
Le Cartet – 106 Rue McGill (Old Montreal); 514-871-8887; part café-part grocery store; great for brunch.
Cava – 5551 Avenue du Parc (Mile End); 514-273-7772; cavarestaurantmontreal.com; Greek food; excellent.
Le Club Chasse et Peche – 423 Rue Saint-Claude (Ville-Marie); 514-861-1112; leclubchasseetpeche.com; among Montreal’s most highly reviewed restaurants.
Le Comptoir Vegetarien – 350 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal, at back counter in Pepin Shop); 514-844-0114; thepepinshop.com; carefully prepared vegetarian meals.
Dinette Triple Crown – 6704 Rue Clark (Saint-Édouard); 514-272-2617; facebook.com/DinetteTripleCrown; only few tables; American southern comfort food; buy picnic box meal and eat in nearby Little Italy park (between La Main & Rue Clark).
Le Filet – 219 Avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest (Mile End); 514-360-6060; lefilet.ca; seafood.
Gibeau Orange Julep – 7700 Boulevard Decarie (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-738-7486; roadside attraction and fastfood restaurant; famous for hotdogs.
HELM Brasseur Gourmande – 273 Rue Bernard (Rosemont-Le Petite Patrie); 514-276-0473; helm-mtl.ca; gastropub that brews 6 varieties own beer; tapas-style food; try wild boar shepherd’s pie.
Holder – 407 Rue McGill (Old Montreal/Ville-Marie); 514-849-0333; restaurantholder.com; highly regarded; located in beautiful, turn-of-century building; high ceilings & wide open space creates European atmosphere; specializes in Old World European cuisine; famous for brasserie-style seafood, pasta & meat dishes.
Hotel Herman – 5171 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-278-7000; hotelherman.com; cozy-chic restaurant with U-shaped bar and open kitchen; elegant space feels like 1930s; small, sharable plates; Scandinavian.
Labo Culinaire FoodLab – 1201 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Ville-Marie, in Société des Arts Technologiques); 514-844-2033; facebook.com/laboculinaire or sat.qc.ca; rustic meals in high-ceilinged space on performance center’s 3rd floor.
Lawrence – 5201 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-503-1070; lawrencerestaurant.com; English-French in comfortable space; hottest brunch in town.
Liverpool House – 2501 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest (Little Burgundy); 514-313-6049; joebeef.ca; Italian.
McKiernan – 2485 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest (Sud-Ouest); 514-759-6677; mckiernanbaravin.com; farmstyle atmosphere with great, locally sourced meals; try porcetta tacos.
Moishe’s Steak House – 3961 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-845-3509; moishes.ca; city’s premier steak house for over 75 years; light meals after 9:00 p.m.
Nudo – 1055 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Chinatown); 514-900-9636; facebook.com/pages/NUDO/182588091763836; best cheap Taiwanese noodle house in Montreal; you can watch while they “pull” their handmade noodles.
Park – 378 Victoria Avenue (Westmount); 514-750-7534; facebook.com/ParkResto; try “acupunctured snapper.”
Portus Calle – 4281 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Little Lisbon); 514-849-2070; portuscalle.ca; Portuguese cuisine; exposed brick, candlelight; great steak.
Pullman – 3424 Avenue du Parc (Mile End); 514-288-7779; pullman-mtl.com; high-end tapas bar.
Qing Hua – 1676 Avenue Lincoln (Downtown); 438-288-5366; 40-odd dumpling varieties; try shrimp with zucchini and egg dumplings.
Qing Hua – 1019 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Chinatown); 514-903-9887; 40-odd dumpling varieties; try shrimp with zucchini and egg dumplings.
Restaurant Alep – 199 Rue Jean Talon East (Villeray); 514-270-6396; top-notch mezze; Middle-Eastern-Syrian food; tangy moutabal (eggplant, lemon juice, and tahini puree) and spicy muhammara (red pepper and walnut paste).
La Sala Rosa – 4848 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-844-4227; casadelpopolo.com; Spanish (including paella); flamenco on Thursdays.
Toque! – 900 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle (Old Montreal); 514-499-2084; restaurant-toque.com; high-priced and uneven but highly regarded.
Le Valois – 25 Place Simon Valois (Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, corner Ontario Street); 514-528-0202; levalois.ca; French-inspired bistro creations & diverse wine list in art deco setting with large terrace.



SERVICES
La Vitrine – 2 Rue Ste.-Catherine East (Arts District, in Le 2-22); 514-285-4545; le2-22.com; Montreal’s “cultural window”; in atrium of avant-garde glass building; atrium-like lobby houses high-tech information center with touch-screen computers that provide current event listings (concerts, exhibits, performances).



SHOPPING
Antiquites Curiosites – 1769 Rue Amherst (Gay Village); 514-525-8772; little treasures.
Arterie – 176 Rue Bernard (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-273-3393; arterieboutique.blogspot.com; boutique that sells used clothing as well as that of local designers.
Simon Blais – 5420 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-849-1165; galeriesimonblais.com; modernist Quebecois masters, such as Paul-Emile Borduas, Jean-Paul Riopelle, as well as contemporary artists, such as Carol Bernier, Eliane Excoffier, and Peter Hoffer.
Michel Brisson – 1074 Laurier West (Mile End); 514-; michelbrisson.com; designer-wear boutique; sleek, stark store.
Citizen Vintage – 5330 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-439-2774; citizenvintage.com; vintage clothing.
DHC Art – 451 Rue St.-Jean (Old Montreal); 514-849-3742; dhc-art.org; 1 of city’s leading contemporary art gallery.
Editions de Robes – 178 Rue St.-Viateur Ouest (Mile End); 514-271-7676; editionsderobes.com; stocks primarily dresses designed by owner; reasonably priced.
Les Etoffes – 5253 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-544-5500; lesetoffes.com; hand-crafted, local designer-wear.
Formats – 2 Rue Ste.-Catherine East (Arts District, in Le 2-22); 514-842-5579; formatsbookstore.org; art tomes and local magazines.
Boutique Denis Gagnon – 170B Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-935-6360; denisgagnon.ca; locally produced, hard-edged but sensuous clothing.
Galerie Christian Lambert – 372 Rue Ste.-Catherine West, Suites 501-502 (Arts District, in Belgo Building); 514-638-3994; galeriechristianlambert.com; conceptual art.
Galerie Roger Bellemare – 372 Rue Ste.-Catherine West, Suites 501-502 (Arts District, in Belgo Building); 514-871-0319; rogerbellemare.com; heavyweights like John Cage, Joseph Beuys.
Headquarters Galerie + Boutique – 1649 Rue Amherst (Gay Village); 514-678-2923; hqgalerieboutique.com; novelties.
Labo – 5765 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-658-9910; stylelabo-deco.com; “antiques” and knick-knacks.
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly – 211 Rue Bernard Ouest (Mile End); 514- 279-2224; drawnandquarterly.com/211Events.php or 211blog.drawnandquarterly.com; art book and graphic novel shop.
Little Burgundy – 705 Rue Ste.-Catherine West (Downtown); 514-844-3226; littleburgundyshoes.com; accessories and shoes.
Monastiraki – 5478 Boulevard St.-Laurent (Mile End); 514-278-4879; monastiraki.blogpot.com; local artists’ gallery and “curated” antique gallery.
Montreal Modern – 1851 Rue Amherst (Gay Village); 514-293-7903; mtlmodern.com; mid-century jewel box.
Montrealite – 51 Rue Bernard (Mile End); 514-510-9907 or 877-254-8676; montrealite.com; local clothes designers.
Les Montures – 174 Rue Bernard Ouest (Mile End); 514-507-8282; lesmontures.com; dead stock and vintage eyewear.
Pepin Shop – 350 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-844-0114; thepepinshop.com; carefully selected home decor items; owned by artist Lysanne Pepin; counter at back serves vegetarian meals.
Quai 417 – 417 Rue St.-Pierre (Old Montreal); 514-419-3848; quai417.com; subversive, Canadian designed men’s wear.
Pierre-Francois Ouellette Art Contemporain – 372 Rue Ste.-Catherine West, Suite 216 (Arts District, in Belgo Building); 514-395-6032; pfoac.com; conceptual art.
Reborn – 231 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-499-8549; reborn.ws; homegrown fashion design.
Ssense Boutique – 90 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-289-1906; ssense.com; locally-based, online destination for fashion finds’ 1st boutique.
A Table Tout Le Monde – 361 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-750-0311; atabletoutlemonde.com; exquisitely crafted ceramics and housewares.
Three Monkeys – 1445 Peel Street, Suite 207 (Downtown, Les Cours Mont Royal); 514-284-1333; threemonkeys.ca; indie boutique with locally produced denims and t-shirts.
Uandi – 215 Rue St.-Paul Ouest (Old Montreal); 514-508-7704; boutiqueuandi.com; updated American labels.
Visual Voice Art Gallery – 372 Rue Ste.-Catherine West (Arts District, in Belgo Building); 514-878-3663; visualvoicegallery.com; conceptual art.
Vox Gallery – 2 Rue Ste.-Catherine East (Arts District, in Le 2-22); 514-390-0382; voxphoto.com; art exhibitions.



SIGHTS & SITES
Habitat 67 – 2600 Avenue Pierre-Dupuy (Marc-Drouin Quay); 514-866-5971; habitat67.com; Brutalist-style experiement in modular housing designed by Moshe Safdie.
Jean-Drapeau Parc – 1 Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (Old Montreal); 514-872-6120; parcjeandrapeau.com; east of downtown, in St. Lawrence River; comprised 2 islands, Ste-Helene’s Island and artificial island, Ile Notre-Dame (constructed for world’s fair); Expo 67 World’s Fair site; renamed in late mayor Jean Drapeau’s honor; contains Montreal Casino, Beach, Olympic Basin, Floralies Gardens, and Canada pavilion; great public swimming pool; amusement park belonging to 6 Flags, as well as Complexe Aquatique de l’Ile Ste-Hélène; many outdoor concerts.
Lachine Canal – 500 Chemin des Iroquois (St. Henri); 011-514-637-7433; parkscanada.gc.ca; former industrial waterfront transformed into lush green-belt; path dotted with architectural gems like Habitat 67.
Montreal Roller Derby – Arena St.-Louis (Mile End, 5633 Rue St.-Dominique) or Taz (St. Michel, 8931 Papineau Avenue); mtlrollerderby.com.
Mount Royal Park – 1260 Chemin Remembrance (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-843-8240 or 514-872-6559; montreal.com/parks/mtroyal.html; originally landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted; jewel of Montreal’s city parks; 101-hectares on mountain that lies in Montreal island’s center; includes city’s highest spot.
Notre Dame Basilica – 110 Rue Notre-Dame Oust (Old Montreal, on Place d’Armes); 514-842-2925; basiliquenddm.org; of 100s churches on Montreal Island, Basilica’s interior is most stunning, with exquisite detail in profusion, most carved from rare woods that have been delicately gilded and painted; altar, with 32 panels representing birth, life, and death, cast in bronze; 10-bell carillon resides in ast tower, while west tower contains single massive bell, nicknamed “Le Gros Bourdon,” that weighs more than 12 tons; church among world’s most dramatic; interior is grand and colorful, ceiling deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and sanctuary’s remainder is polychrome of azures, golds, purples, reds, and silvers; stained-glass windows along sanctuary walls not biblical, but depict Montreal’s religious history.
Plateau Mont-Royal Neighborhood – Mount Royal; borough located northeast of downtown; Wallpaper says it is coolest North American neighborhood.
Sherbrooke Street West – Mount Royal (Plateau Mont-Royal); off Mount Royal Park; high-end hotels, restaurants, and shops.
St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal – 3800 Queen Mary Road (Plateau Mont-Royal); 514-733-8211; saint-joseph.org.

No comments:

Post a Comment