Montreal: Canadian City With French Twist

I am glad that I visited Montreal prior to Europe, because I had a good practice to travel Europe.  For example, I got used to seeing signs written in the language that I did not understand.  Architectures in Montreal also made me feel as though I were in Europe.  However, it was not a severe lesson, because many people in Montreal can speak English.  They can immediately switch their languages based on who their listeners were.  For example, I met a punk rock girl who asked me to join her party in French.  However, she immediately switched to English in order to communicate with me.  In addition, people in Montreal are quite nice and friendly toward foreigners, as many Canadians are.  Montreal does not present an intimidating atmosphere.  I saw many different people living in this city while they seemed to adopt themselves to the French culture existing in Montreal.  Montreal seemed to welcome many cultures and blend them well. 

The French culture heavily influences the life style of Montreal.  However, you may notice that many different cultures influence food in Montreal. Old Montreal tends to be home to French cuisine, but international food restaurants, cafes, and bakeries are located in Plateau Mont-Royal.  For example, it was the first time in my life to see the Tibetan food restaurant.  I did not search for it!  I happened to find it on rue Saint Denis, one of the most Parisian-like streets. 

So, you would probably find the food that you like in Montreal.  Based on my tasting experience in Montreal, I would like to share the following:

• Try a fresh-baked crescent at a bakery.  I visited one of the bakeries near the Mont Royal station.  Its crescent was better than the crescent that I tried in any cities including Paris and Tokyo.  You may disagree, but first try it and then decide! 
• I could not enter some French restaurants in Old Montreal because it did not give me a welcoming atmosphere.  For example, I could not see the inside of the restaurant or any staff near the entrance of the restaurant.  I felt hesitated to go inside those restaurants.  Jardin Nelson was different.  I saw many people laughing at the patio while I found customers and staff at the entrance.  So, I decided to have a late lunch there.  I entered the restaurant and loved how its inside looked like a green house.  In addition, the staff was friendly while I can relax with live Jazz music!  Crepe, shown above, looked small for its price, but it was definitely a heavy food that made me full.
• I loved sidewalk cafes in Montreal.  A cafe gave me a good break from walking.  In addition, many of the cafes were not cookie-cutter. 
• Schwartz's is must-go!  The staff may rush you because of many people inside and outside the restaurant.  However, the smoked meat was so good!  I met an American tourist here because his guidebook listed this restaurant!  Mine too! 
• I could not try their food, but I saw many people ordering takeout at the BBQ chicken place near Schwartz's.  It looked really good.  The same American tourist told me that his guidebook also listed this restaurant, but mine did not. 

Go to Top

Downtown:

In my humble opinion, downtown is mainly for shopping.  Streets between the Peel and McGill metro stations have so many shopping malls.  Watch out your wallet!

Plateau Mont-Royal & Latin Quarter:

I love those two areas!  They are so close to each other.  It is hard to find a borderline between them.  However, the Plateau may be characterized as mature and upscale while Latin Quarter gives you an impression of the "young and hip" area.  Anyway, the both areas are definitely happening! 

The Plateau has colorful Victorian houses, cafes, clubs, restaurants, fashionable clothing stores, and sweet shops.  It was just joyful to walk and see how beautiful the Plateau is.  The Plateau reminded me of Midtown and Five Points in Atlanta. 

The Latin Quarter includes theaters, international food restaurants, fast food restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs.  The Latin Quarter is gay-friendly, but it is friendly to anyone.  I did not have any problem walking alone.  The movie theaters related with the Montreal Film Festival are also located in the Latin Quarter.  So, it was very vibrant and crowded when I arrived. 

Old Montreal:

Old Montreal has different beauty from the Plateau Mont-Royal and Latin Quarter, maybe because Old Montreal is the oldest area of Montreal.  Many building and pavements are constructed using stones.  Churches and museums show the history of this town while the Old Port adds a relaxing atmosphere.  I like the following places in the Old Montreal.

• Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal - Very Beautiful!  Especially its interior is magnificent!  In my opinion, this is must-see in Montreal.  Join an English tour if possible.
• Old Port (Vieux-Port) - A nice riverfront area to walk and rest!  By the way, I could not find a segway tour which I heard should be held in this area. 
• The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel - Interesting to see many model ships inside the church as votive offerings.  It was my first time to see this kind of church, worshiped by many sailors. 
• Place Jacques-Cartier - Fun to see some works of street artists and kiosks.  Visit this square if you are hungry.  There are many restaurants in this square.

By the way, the city hall was under renovation when I visited.  Therefore, I did not go inside the city hall, but it would be interesting to hear how a guided tour describes a famous "Vive le Québec libere"speech by a former French president Charles de Gaulle and to see the balcony where the speech was delivered.

Suburbs:

Suburbs of Montreal have good attractions, too.  I visited three places:

• Parc du Mont-Royal (Mont Royal Park)
• Oratoire St-Joseph Du Mont-Royal (Saint-Joseph's Oratory of Mont-Royal)
• Parc Olympique (Olympic Park)

Each was beautiful.  However, if I have to choose one place to visit, I would choose Mont Royal Park.  The downtown view from the Mont Royal Park was breathtaking.  It gave me a sense of achievement when I arrived at the observatory.  Saint-Joseph's Oratory of Mont-Royal was good to visit, if you have some time.  You may feel the scale of the oratory when you walk from the gate to the chapel.  In terms of the Olympic Park, the Montreal Tower observatory was the only attraction that interested me.  However, if you love flowers and gardens, you may enjoy Montreal Botanical Garden next to the Olympic Park, which is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world.  One American lady who visited this botanical garden told me that she enjoyed it the best in Montreal.  I like flowers and garden, but I was discouraged to visit there due to the size of the garden where I had to walk.   

I like the place where I stayed in Montreal.  Auberge Montreal Espace Confort, this cozy hostel is conveniently located at Latin Quarter, which gave me an easy access to many sight-seeing spots.  You can even walk to Old Montreal in minutes.  The staff was friendly.  One of them tried to teach me French and speak Japanese to me.  The room is simple, clean, and inexpensive for this excellent location.  Importantly, I felt safe at this hostel.  In addition, the buffet-style breakfast, including bread, cereal, coffee, and orange juice, is free!  I would love to stay there again.   

Go to Top

Many guidebooks and sites have already stated what you should have in Montreal.  In addition, I personally recommend the following items:

• Metro map called Le Plan Du Metro (shown above) - I found it quite convenient when I planned to go next.  You would have to ask a Metro staff for the metro map.
• Maps - Free at a tourist information center in Old Montreal.  The international airport does not have a tourist information center.  So, do not waste your time, like me.
• Good sneakers - No high heels, especially in Old Montreal, because of stone-paved streets.  A good pair of shoes for walking is necessary!   

Go to Top