Bienvenu à Montréal

Montreal Plateau in autumn. Photo by: Eva Blue, Montreal Tourism

Montréal will always hold a special place in my heart. It is a city that became a gateway to international life for me and where I spent formative years from eighteen to twenty-five—growing, exploring, and meeting some of the most important people in my life today.

Although the city has changed since I lived there back in 2017, the heart of Montréal remains the same. When I returned in 2025, I immediately felt the quirkiness of the city, which blends the cosmopolitan vibe of eccentricity with the neighbourhood feeling of a small town where you run into people you know and you get to know your local barista or bartender or boulanger. Many people in Montréal don’t lock their front doors because there is this feeling of knowing your neighbours, and a general friendliness and ease in the city. In the summer, you can stroll endlessly through the many parcs and quartiers without much aim and in the winter you can tuck away for hours in the corner of a small café until the jazz band starts to play. You don’t feel the same sense of urgency as other North American cities. This dynamic mix of vibes of expansive yet cozy extends also to the city’s unique blend of European and North American lifestyles.

Leonard Cohen mural in downtown Montreal

There is something very liberating about how you can dress in Montréal. You can always find your niche, whether it be punk underground, bohemian festivals, clowning, burlesque, or LARPing. The unique blend of alternative cultures makes Montréal a particularly interesting city for vintage shopping. One of the staples of Montréal’s vintage scene is Eva B’s, where you can trade old clothes and books for cookies and coffee. Simply wandering around the Mile End and Le Plateau, you will find hidden gems of vintage clothing boutiques scattered throughout the neighbourhoods, especially between Saint Joseph and Bernard.

Given the city’s creative aesthetics, it’s unsurprising that Montréal has attracted musicians and artists like Leonard Cohen and Grimes. The underground scene is the mainstream in Montréal and it is painted over the city’s walls with amazing murals, adding to its exaltation of individuality and alternative culture. Beyond the array of street art, the city offers a variety of music festivals throughout the year. You can even find an outdoor festival in the middle of winter called Igloofest from January to February (bring your 80s snowsuit)!

However, winter is not for the frileux or the faint of heart. Although I absolutely loved ice skating on frozen lakes and skiing nearby the city, winter in Montréal literally changed my personal definition of cold. If you aren’t willing to face chilling winds, mounds of snow, and treading lightly over sheets of ice, then I personally suggest visiting from May to October.

Kat’s Compass to Montréal

Best months to visit:

• Spring/Summer: May - August

  • Some of my favourite festivals and events during the season

    • Piknik Electronik (every weekend May-October)

    • TamTams (drum circle, LARPing, and slack lining at Mont Royal parc every Sunday when it’s not snowing)

    • International Jazz Festival

    • Osheaga (eclectic indie-rock-pop-rap festival in August)

    • Mural (street art festival)

    • Juste Pour Rire (comedy festival in July)

• Autumn: September-October (autumn foliage)

  • Celebrate Halloween in MTL! The whole city is dressed up for about a week and there are always multiple Halloween-related events to attend, just be sure to have more than one costume ready!

  • Hike up Mont Royal to enjoy a panoramic view of the city, fall colours, and Beaver Lake! You can simultaneously tour the class McGill campus and the Observatory.

  • Great time for trips in surrounding nature in Québec and Vermont! I personally recommend Mont Tremblant and Mont Owl’s Head, as well as Québec City.

Beaver Lake in October

Food & Nightlife

Montréal is not only a great place to explore cultural activities, but it is well-known for its diverse gastronomy. The city offers some traditional, long-standing staples that characterise the flavour of Montréal with renowned poutine, bagels, and smoked meats. In the winter, you can find sugar shacks or cabanes à sucre outside the city limits for fresh maple syrup straight from the tap to pour over ham, bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, and whatever else you can think of! In the city, you can also find maple lollipops rolled over ice during the winter and bloody Caesars for hangover brunch (think bloody Mary, but with clamato juice).

The food scene isn’t all about maple syrup and poutine though. There is also a wide range of diverse international cuisine throughout the city. Living in Montréal during those formative years, I met so many different people from all over the world and it was the first place I tried new cuisines like Ethiopian, Peruvian, Korean, and Chinese hot pot!

Looking for the best bagels in town? Head to the hasidic neighbourhood in Mile End and Outremont. Looking for Korean barbeque? Head down rue de Saint Catherine nearby Concordia University.

The diversity of communities in Montréal brings flavours from all around the world, with many now established as institutions of the city. While some have come and gone over the years, here are some of my top spots for restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and bars:

Longstanding Institutions of Montréal:

• Schwartz Smoked Meats (Aside from the smoked meat, the dill pickles and peppers are amazing, but I can live without the coleslaw)

• Fairmount Bagels

• Saint Viateur Bagels

• La Banquise (My favourite: Le BOM - bacon, onions, merguez)

Restaurants:

• Chez Jose (Portugese brunch, churrasco sandwiches, smoothies)

• Arepera (Venezualan known for its special avocado sauce)

• Romados (Portugese rotisserie chicken)

• Los Planes (Papusas / El Salvadorian)

• Au Festin de Babette (Quaint brunch menu)

• Le Gros Luxe (Fried pickles & Caesars)

• Le Nil Bleu (Ethiopian)

Boulangeries & Cafes:

• Santropol (Great place for a coffee on a nice garden in the summertime)

• Cafe Neve (Strong coffee and chocolate chip cookies)

• Farine et Vanille (Amazing boulangerie for bread, croissants and other pastries)

• Kouign Amman (The place I discovered a classic pastry from Bretagne. To this day, I’ve never had a better one, even in France but it is hardly ever open so you have to check the hours before you go)

Arepera

Bars & Nightlife:

• Else’s (Small bites and drinks in a dimly lit, creative setting)

• Majestique (Small, kitsch bar serving oysters and great cocktails)

• Le Darling (Large bar full of greenery and mood lighting, but can be very noisy if crowded)

• Bily Kun (Ostriche heads on the walls and absinthe)

• La Distillerie (Classic microbrewerie in Mile End with Quebec-made beer for all seasons)

• The Wiggle Room (Burlesque shows in an intimate venue off Saint Laurent)

• Casa del Popolo (DIY music venue with benefit concerts and local acts)

Else’s

Although the city has change over the years, it will always hold a special place in my heart for its uniqueness, quirky sense of style, and its effortless mix of urban and natural life. To me, Montréal represents such an interesting intersection of cultures and different ways of life that allow for truly authentic self-expression in ways that most places don’t afford. You can find something unexpected here, while also maintaining a comforting sense of familiarity. While the city will continue to change, its heart will go on (as will Québec’s pride in Céline Dion), and there will always remain a little unique spark in this city that you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Montréal, je t’aime.