city guide.
montreal
NEIGHBOURHOODS
OLD MONTREAL
Home to Robson Street, one of Vancouver’s oldest commercial streets situated in the heart of Downtown. Emerging luxury retail district on Alberni Street.
DOWNTOWN MONTREAL
North America's third-largest Chinatown, known for its buzzing food scene, vivid colours and vibrant culture. Some cool boutiques, but not tons of shopping.
PLATEAU-MONT-ROYAL
This stylish neighbourhood is one of Vancouver’s most vibrant and distinctive areas, known for its narrow cobblestone lanes. A diverse mix of retail and dining options plus a bubbling creative and tech scene.
WESTMOUNT/SAINT-HENRI
Situated right under the Granville Bridge. The Granville Island Public Market is a hub of activity, in one of the city’s most important cultural districts, with theatres and artisan workshops.
MILE END
Close to Downtown and the beach, West 4th Avenue is a well-known shopping destination with specialist food stores, cool fashion boutiques, gift shops, endless yoga studios and trendy baby boutiques.
GRIFFINTOWN/LITTLE BURGUNDY
Busy thoroughfare of East Vancouver, connecting residential neighbourhoods Mount Pleasant and Riley Park. Vintage shops, lots of breweries, and some of the best craft beer in the city.
NOTRE-DAME-DE-GRÂCE
Former industrial warehouse district that has been converted into one of the city’s chicest neighbourhoods, filled with residential loft spaces, pavement cafes, cool restaurants, unique shopping and leafy parks.
GAY VILLAGE/QUARTIER LATIN
Innovative dining concepts and inspiring cafe culture; diverse nightlife; trend-driven shopping hub
MILE-EX
Industrial area; new home for the creative crowd; factories full of art; growing vintage retail scene
48-HOUR RECOMMENDATION
MONTREAL CITY GUIDE | 48 HOURS
Wake up at...
The new and highly inventive Hotel Monville in Downtown Montreal. Here you can order room service using an autonomous delivery robot that carries orders directly to guest rooms. If robo room service seems too hi-tech, head over to Olive & Gourmando in Old Montreal, where dishes such as homemade sweet ricotta on toast or spicy poached eggs are served. After eating, stroll over towards the Rue Saint Paul area for a dose of Montreal-centric design from Rad Hourani and Philippe Dubuc. Pop into Phi Centre for an innovative art experience or step into the shop to browse the assortment of design objects, books and other knick-knacks. Keep exploring Old Montreal, stopping into stores such as Ssense, Cahier d’Exercices and The Pepin Shop.
Spend the afternoon...
Heading back towards Downtown to Sainte-Catherine Street and check out Off the Hook and Atelier Lolë before popping up to Holt Renfrew on Sherbrooke Street. Scan the assortment of luxury designs for men and women before grabbing a bite at the new Colette Grand Café, housed within Holt Renfrew. From here, head to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for a cultured afternoon of permanent collections Hotel Monville inclusive of many international contemporary works.
Spend the evening...
Want Apothecary beforehand for an impeccable range of premium leather goods from own label Want Les Essentiels. Here you'll find apparel from the likes of Acne, Maison Kitsuné and Tomorrowland and beauty products from Aesop, Byredo and Astier de Villatte. Head back Downtown to Hotel Monville to freshen up before heading to dinner at the recently opened Ibérica. The Catalonian cuisine is tenderly cooked on a wood-fired grill imported by the owners from Barcelona. You can’t go wrong with any of the seafood offerings. For some late-night action, head over to Apartment 200 for a cocktail and two-step, or stop by Hydan for a tamer speakeasy experience.
Wake up at...
Le Cartet, a gourmet shop and cafe hybrid, for a to-die-for brunch menu or a takeaway cafe au lait before walking along the port. Head toward Habitat 67, an inspiring architectural site and housing complex originally designed by architect Moshe Safdie for his thesis, and later realised as the pavilion for the Expo 67. Head back to the Old Port and take the metro toward Montmorency to Mile End. From Rosemont Station, walk to Saint Laurent Boulevard, making sure to pop into Le Falco along the way, a Japanese cafe serving the only siphon brew in the city.
Spend the afternoon...
At Sparrow, a famed brunch spot and pub in Mile End, known for its fried eggs with sage or PB&J doughnuts, and blood orange mimosas or Bloody Caesars. After lunch, walk along Saint Laurent Boulevard, popping into Lowell's new store, Citizen Vintage and Général 54 for men's and women's apparel, as well as Monastiraki, Piorra Maison, Vestibule and V de V for knick-knacks and interiors inspiration.
Spend the evening...
At Petit Seoul, for a flavourful extravaganza of Korean eats – but only after having explored further south in Le Plateau- Mont-Royal. The menu here features dishes such as yukhoe, a Korean version of beef tartare, and haemul jeon, the traditional Korean seafood galette. After dinner, head to Bar Waverly for late-night dancing to live music and DJ sets, or to Le Saint-Édouard for a strong nightcap.
MONTREAL CITY GUIDE | FAST FACTS
MONTRÉAL-PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (YUL):
Montréal-Trudeau Airport is 13 miles (20km) southwest of Downtown. It is accessible by the Air Connect/Via Rail shuttle and train ($23/20-minute trip), the 747 Aéroport PE Trudeau/Centre-ville shuttle ($10/45- to 60-minute trip) and taxi ($40 flat rate plus tip/25-40 minutes).
GETTING AROUNDMontreal’s Métro is clean, efficient and affordable. One round-trip fare is $6. The cheapest option is to buy an unlimited one-day pass ($10) or three-day pass ($18). Unlimited evening and weekend passes are also available for $5 and $13.75, respectively. Métro tickets and exact change can be used on buses, which run throughout the city, although not as regularly as the Métro. Montreal taxis have an initial charge of $3.45 at the flag drop, $1.70 per kilometre (0.6 miles) and $0.63 per minute of waiting. Tip is typically 10-20%. Ride-share app Uber is also available.
tipping guide
It’s a good idea to tip in hotels, and not just to the staff who
collect your luggage. For example, if the valet service is used to
park a car, it is customary to leave a tip. If you are in and out with
your vehicle several times a day, many valets refuse a tip. When
they refuse, it’s a nice touch to leave a little extra on top of their
next tip. It’s also appreciated when a tip is left for the hotel room
attendant. Gratuities are seldom included in Canadian
restaurants, but many restaurants may charge 15% gratuity for
larger groups.
Waitstaff: 15-20%
Bartender/Cocktail waitress: $1 per drink
Porter/Doorman: $1-2 per bag, $1-2 for hailing a cab
SHOPPING HOURS
Stores are open Monday to Wednesday and Saturday
10am-6pm, and Thursday to Friday 10am-7pm. Most
shops, department stores and shopping centres are also
open on Sunday 12pm-5pm. Opening hours can vary,
particularly with smaller, independent speciality shops.*
* This is a general guideline as hours are flexible and different
for each store. Please check store websites or call for more
specific information
other
Time Zone: Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Electricity: 120V
Common Language: English and French
