Since Montreal is a city that best suits the flâneur, you get the most out of this city when you walk around. The plateau and the Latin Quarter in particular are neighborhoods best seen and experienced on foot. There aren’t particular sites or ‘must sees’ but rather good food, cafes, shopping, basically a taste of everyday life.
Avenue du Mont-Royal
On Avenue du Mont Royal there are always people, whether they are grabbing some food, buying flowers at the local florist, or shopping in one of the many shops along the avenue. For interesting clothes made out of recycled material go to Moly Kulte, a brand created by two Quebecois designers. Food is plentiful, what with all the bistros and cafes around. You can try Montreal’s famous bagels at St-Viateur Bagel one of the best known bagel shops. The pastry shop Première Moisson is worth a visit just to taste their crème brûlée which is absolutely incredible, although I may be biased. Also the macaron shop Point G is along this road. My friends and I would always enjoy happy hour (cinq a sept) at Le Boudoir, a bar that is usually packed close to the weekend with people watching a hockey game, meeting friends or looking for an inexpensive beer and a relaxed atmosphere.
Rue Saint Denis
Saint Denis is one of the main roads in Montreal that cuts right through the Plateau neighborhood. If you start at UQAM, the heart of the Latin Quarter and walk all the way to Avenue du Mont-Royal you will see a great deal. Near UQAM there is Juliette et Chocolat, by far the best dessert place in Montreal. So good in fact, a friend and I had thoughts of approaching the owner to ask her what her secret is. She drove a Juliette et Chocolat car which would make the stalking fairly easy. Just across the street from Juliette et Chocolat is Le Saint-Suplice, the biggest beer garden in the city. In the summer, there is nothing better than spending a great deal of your sunday at Le Saint-Suplice, since beer gardens don’t exactly count as a bar there is no guilt for drinking most of the day. A little further on Saint Denis, past Rue Sherbrooke, you no longer are in Latin Quarter, but rather the Plateau. Renaud Bray is the largest French book chain in North America and is located on St-Denis between Rue Marie-Anne and Mont-Royal.
Rue Rachel
Rue Rachel runs perpendicular to Rue Saint Denis and has a very conveniently located bicycle route. On the east side of Rue Rachel, close to Parc Lafontaine you can have your choice from many different types of poutine at the 24 hours La Banquise. Right next door to La Banquise is a bar called La Quicaillerie which has long table perfect for a large party. The best part of this bar is that you can bring in poutine from next door, very convenient after a happy hour.
Rue Saint Laurent
St- Laurent is what you might expect from a street in the middle of a hipster neighborhood. The end of this street runs into Mile End, the up and coming trendy section of Montreal. This street has many shops, clothing boutiques, yoga studios, and hair salons. The famous smoked meats of Schwartz’s Charcuterie cause lines to spill out the deli door. For the best burgers in the area go to Patati Patata on the corner of Saint Laurent and Rue Rachel. You know the food is good if people are willing to wait to eat, before sitting in the cramped locale. If you eat at the bar you can watch the cooks frantic pace as they flip burgers, collect orders, and charge customers all at the same time. The proximity of St-Laurent to the various universities in the area, means that a lot of university students will be out at night. Expect a young crowd at the various bars and lounges that line the street, such as Rouge on the corner of St-Laurent and Prince Arthur.
Rue Duluth
One of the very few cobblestone streets left in Montreal, this street cuts through various ethnic neighborhoods, or at least what is left. Many of the immigrants may have moved to the suburbs but their restaurants and shops have remained. Portuguese and Greek restaurants scatter this area, although the Portuguese are definitely more prominent. On the corner of Duluth and St-Laurent there is the bistro Le Reservoir. The food is good with unique spin on bistro favorites. In warmer weather they open up the front windows as well as the upstairs terrace. If you continue to walk a couple streets past St. Denis towards Parc La Fontaine, you will find the indulgent restaurant of Chef Martin Picard, Au Pied de Cochon.
Rue Prince Arthur
Prince Arthur is known for its policy of apporter votre vin (BYOB) however the restaurants on this strip are nothing to get excited home, except for the whole being able to bring your own wine. The interesting part about this street is that from St-Laurent to Square St-Louis it is a pedestrian walkway. In warm weather there usually are street performers and tons of people sitting outside the restaurants. It is a pleasant place to walk around on your way to Square St-Louis which is very much worth a look, at least to see the architecture of the buildings surrounding the square. My one suggestion would be Gelateria Pagliacci, located on the corner of Prince Arthur and Rue Bullion. They make homemade gelato with fresh ingredients. When I lived in the McGill Ghetto I was a frequent visitor to this shop.
Rue Laval
When you are at Square St-Louis you stroll up the nearby Rue Laval. This is a purely residential street, however it is one of the prettiest in Montreal. The houses are typical Montreal architecture with protruding stairs on the outside.
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