- Smoked meat at Schwartz's Deli (medium fat, with a pickle and a cherry cola).
- Bagels from St-Viateur or Fairmount, eaten warm from the bag.
- Poutine at La Banquise in the Plateau (open 24 hours); Jean-Talon Market for the day's produce.
Montreal City Guide
The exterior of Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Montreal is the world's second-largest French-speaking city and Canada's cultural capital: festivals all summer, bagels and smoked meat all year, and a nightlife that runs late. Old Montreal's stone streets sit at the foot of the glass downtown.
Climb Mount Royal for the view, eat your way through Jean-Talon Market, and ride the metro between the Plateau's murals and Mile End's bagel shops. In winter, the Underground City keeps downtown moving.
What to do in Montreal
Old Montreal and downtown
- 1
Notre-Dame Basilica The 1829 basilica: carved wood, gold stars and the famous blue vault. - 2
Old Port of Montreal The waterfront promenade, the Grande Roue and the Clock Tower beach. - 3
Mount Royal Park Olmsted's mountain park and the Kondiaronk Belvedere lookout. - 4
Underground City (RÉSO) 33 km of tunnels linking downtown's malls, metros and offices.
Neighbourhoods
- 1
Schwartz's Deli The 1928 smoked meat institution on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. - 2
Jean-Talon Market Little Italy's great public market, at its best in harvest season. - 3
Saint Joseph's Oratory The domed basilica above Westmount, with the city at its feet. - 4
Biodome Five Americas ecosystems under the Olympic Park's roof.
Montreal Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Montreal. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
The downtown icon above Central Station; Lennon and Ono's 1969 Bed-In suite.
View on Booking.com
Luxury
Ritz-Carlton Montreal
The 1912 grand hotel on Sherbrooke, garden courtyard and all.
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Luxury
Hotel Nelligan
Boutique luxury in two 19th-century warehouses in Old Montreal.
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Mid-range
Hotel Bonaventure Montreal
Downtown classic with the rooftop pool garden.
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Where to eat
Getting there and around
Montreal Trudeau (YUL) is 20 km west; the 747 bus runs downtown 24/7. Central Station (Gare Centrale) is the VIA Rail hub for Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec City. The metro's four lines cover the core.
Eating in Montreal
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Montreal eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.