01. Feel the rhythm and watch medieval sword fights at the Tam Tams every Sunday afternoon at Mont-Royal
02. Have a picnic and give free hugs with electronic beats and funky DJ`s at Piknik Electronic, Sundays at Jean-Drapeau
03. Bike along the 14.5Km of Lachine Canal and catch the wonder of the old Port
04. Grab yourself a Beaver Tail, 127 de la Commune E
05. Join Cat’s Corner’s LARGEST PUBLIC SHIM SHAM for a free swing dance and free Charleston classes. Look for the big crowd of Lindy hoppers dancing in the streets of Blvd St Laurent!
06. Salsa it up with Salsafolie at the Old Port on Saturday afternoons
07. Have fun being green by renting a bike free in the summer at Mont-Royal metro (Desjardins info booth right outside the exit) or Bixi-ing around town
08. Jazz it up at JazzFest in the summer!
09. Walk Plateau-Mont-Royal and Village and discover shops, cafes, culture.
10. Head over to Schwartz`s on St-Catherine for a deli and smoked beef sandwich experience like no other (the cherry cola goes down real well too!)
02. Have a picnic and give free hugs with electronic beats and funky DJ`s at Piknik Electronic, Sundays at Jean-Drapeau
03. Bike along the 14.5Km of Lachine Canal and catch the wonder of the old Port
04. Grab yourself a Beaver Tail, 127 de la Commune E
05. Join Cat’s Corner’s LARGEST PUBLIC SHIM SHAM for a free swing dance and free Charleston classes. Look for the big crowd of Lindy hoppers dancing in the streets of Blvd St Laurent!
06. Salsa it up with Salsafolie at the Old Port on Saturday afternoons
07. Have fun being green by renting a bike free in the summer at Mont-Royal metro (Desjardins info booth right outside the exit) or Bixi-ing around town
08. Jazz it up at JazzFest in the summer!
09. Walk Plateau-Mont-Royal and Village and discover shops, cafes, culture.
10. Head over to Schwartz`s on St-Catherine for a deli and smoked beef sandwich experience like no other (the cherry cola goes down real well too!)
11. Explore some art and history, and/or hide from the rain, at Montreal’s museums, free:
• The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is always free
• The Red Path Museum, offering a variety of exhibitions from Ancient Times is always free
• The Contemporary Art Museum is free on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm
• The Canadian Centre for Architecture is free on Thursday evenings after 5:30 pm
• The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is always free
• The Red Path Museum, offering a variety of exhibitions from Ancient Times is always free
• The Contemporary Art Museum is free on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm
• The Canadian Centre for Architecture is free on Thursday evenings after 5:30 pm
12. Grab some fresh and organic ingredients at Jean-Talon , biggest and best farmer`s market in town. Also check out the other cool farmers markets around town.
13. Have a Bohemian experience, great ambience, cool live music, yummy and cheap food at L’Escalier (Berri-UQAM)
14. Parc and picnic it up at one of the many lovely parks in and around the city. Parc-Nature De L’ile-De-La-Visitation, Parc Angrignon, to name a few.
15. Try one of the biggest, yummiest and best presented sandwiches at Santropol, 3990 St-Urbain.
16. Get some bagel action at Fairmount Bagels or St-Viateur Bagels. No need to argue which is the best, just try both! Warning: on weekend mornings the queues can get pretty crazy!
17. Climb Mont-Royal at 5am and catch the sunrise!
18. Have a sweet maple experience at a cabane a sucre (sugar shack) in the winter time (maybe not the best place for vegetarians/vegans)
19. take advantage of the free wifi service offered in many cafes/pubs around the city
20. Sample some fave eats and/or take a food discovery tour with some CS’rs!
13. Have a Bohemian experience, great ambience, cool live music, yummy and cheap food at L’Escalier (Berri-UQAM)
14. Parc and picnic it up at one of the many lovely parks in and around the city. Parc-Nature De L’ile-De-La-Visitation, Parc Angrignon, to name a few.
15. Try one of the biggest, yummiest and best presented sandwiches at Santropol, 3990 St-Urbain.
16. Get some bagel action at Fairmount Bagels or St-Viateur Bagels. No need to argue which is the best, just try both! Warning: on weekend mornings the queues can get pretty crazy!
17. Climb Mont-Royal at 5am and catch the sunrise!
18. Have a sweet maple experience at a cabane a sucre (sugar shack) in the winter time (maybe not the best place for vegetarians/vegans)
19. take advantage of the free wifi service offered in many cafes/pubs around the city
20. Sample some fave eats and/or take a food discovery tour with some CS’rs!
21. Visit the Oratoire Saint-Joseph
22. Quack at the ducks at Parc Lafontaine. In the winter you can ice skate there.
23. Have some old-fashioned pancakes served plain or with one of over 20 different fillings, and brunch it up, atChez Cora.
24. Watch the fireworks of Loto-Québec either from the Old Port, the Jacques Cartier Bridge, or from l’Île St-Hélène under the bridge.
25. Look at the city at nightime from l’Île Jean-Drapeau and/or from Mont Royal
26. Find a new literary world at La grande bibliothèque Nationale
27. Go kayaking at les îles de Boucherville or just wander around…
28. People watch on St-Laurent
29. Go on a walking graffiti tour of the city. Lots of great artworks to see/photograph!
30. Spend a day in roller coasters at Six Flags (LaRonde)
22. Quack at the ducks at Parc Lafontaine. In the winter you can ice skate there.
23. Have some old-fashioned pancakes served plain or with one of over 20 different fillings, and brunch it up, atChez Cora.
24. Watch the fireworks of Loto-Québec either from the Old Port, the Jacques Cartier Bridge, or from l’Île St-Hélène under the bridge.
25. Look at the city at nightime from l’Île Jean-Drapeau and/or from Mont Royal
26. Find a new literary world at La grande bibliothèque Nationale
27. Go kayaking at les îles de Boucherville or just wander around…
28. People watch on St-Laurent
29. Go on a walking graffiti tour of the city. Lots of great artworks to see/photograph!
30. Spend a day in roller coasters at Six Flags (LaRonde)
31. Watch a hockey game at any local pub/bar/dive and watch as people go nuts with excitement
32. Walk around the financial district while NOT wearing a suit during rush hour (hehe I get a kick out a the funny looks people give)
33. Bike down any street in Westmount from the Boulevard. It’s super scary! Make sure to drop by Bilboquet in Westmount for fun, creative and yummy icecream flavors.
34. Get shitfaced (really really really drunk in other words) and eat poutine at 3am
35. Go make friends with gypsies at Café Sarajevo on Beaubien
36. Watch a Serie B at Cinema Parallèle (ex ex-centris)
37. Dance and discover at the Festival Nuit d’Afrique (in July)
38. laugh at the Festival Juste pour Rire (in july)
39. Learn new things from exposition at Centre des Sciences in the Old Port
40. Go karting “all you can drive” all night long for 75$ (at the largest indoor go-kart center in HOMA : Action500)
34. Get shitfaced (really really really drunk in other words) and eat poutine at 3am
35. Go make friends with gypsies at Café Sarajevo on Beaubien
36. Watch a Serie B at Cinema Parallèle (ex ex-centris)
37. Dance and discover at the Festival Nuit d’Afrique (in July)
38. laugh at the Festival Juste pour Rire (in july)
39. Learn new things from exposition at Centre des Sciences in the Old Port
40. Go karting “all you can drive” all night long for 75$ (at the largest indoor go-kart center in HOMA : Action500)
41. Do speed boating, rafting or Jet boating on the St-Laurence River
42. Discover the silophone on the old port
43. Pay what you want and have a decent meal at Taverne Crescent @ 1433 Crescent (press: http://ow.ly/h1WL)
44. Cycling the Island by it’s cycling path web
45. Join some CS events, take some snaps and add them to the CS Montreal Flickr pool
46. Swimming and tanning at Parc Jean-Drapeau’s pool
47. Run through the dancing fountains just outside Jean-Drapeau Metro
48. Shop ridiculously inexpensive curiosities on Bazaar, church sales and garage sales
49. Having a floating bath at Ovarium
50. Breakfast at a restaurant (wearing jogging pants!)
42. Discover the silophone on the old port
43. Pay what you want and have a decent meal at Taverne Crescent @ 1433 Crescent (press: http://ow.ly/h1WL)
44. Cycling the Island by it’s cycling path web
45. Join some CS events, take some snaps and add them to the CS Montreal Flickr pool
46. Swimming and tanning at Parc Jean-Drapeau’s pool
47. Run through the dancing fountains just outside Jean-Drapeau Metro
48. Shop ridiculously inexpensive curiosities on Bazaar, church sales and garage sales
49. Having a floating bath at Ovarium
50. Breakfast at a restaurant (wearing jogging pants!)
51. Walk the Nouvelle-France style streets of Old Montreal
52. Offering no resistance to a gigantic Tonkinese soup (Vietnamese “Pho”) at Pho Viet on Amherst or Pho somethin! on ste-catherine, close to Foufounes
Électriques…that one that looks like a cafeteria! (and dare to resist the fried banana!!)
53. Catch a show (dance, musical, concert, theater, circus, opera, ballet…there are of all taste)
54. Feel the vibes of freshly arrived Spring on Avenue Mont-Royal and the Mountain. There are many wonderful cafes and restaurants such as Le Pistou dejeuner, Cora’s, l’Avenue du Plateau
55. Dine at O’NOIR (rue Ste. Catherine) – you eat your meal in complete darkness! Seriously, you can’t see a single thing. They play live music, also. Interesting experience. Also support a great cause as all the waiters are blind.
56. Sample dragon’s beard candy & bubble tea in Chinatown
57. Get your Mexicana fix – delicious & inexpensive at Chipotle & Jalapeno (1481 rue Amherst)
58. Help somebody move their couch on Moving Day – July 1 (which is also Canada Day!)
59. Chocoholics – Go to Juliette et Chocolat, have an old fashioned hot chocolate and smile. There’s one on St Denis and another at Laurier (less busy, and nicer interior).
60. Go to one of Montreal’s Sidewalk Sales (Vente de Trottoir) It’s a mix between a fair and a sales event. Lots of great deals, music, open terraces, performances, face paint for kids (and adults!). Wonderful experience!
52. Offering no resistance to a gigantic Tonkinese soup (Vietnamese “Pho”) at Pho Viet on Amherst or Pho somethin! on ste-catherine, close to Foufounes
Électriques…that one that looks like a cafeteria! (and dare to resist the fried banana!!)
53. Catch a show (dance, musical, concert, theater, circus, opera, ballet…there are of all taste)
54. Feel the vibes of freshly arrived Spring on Avenue Mont-Royal and the Mountain. There are many wonderful cafes and restaurants such as Le Pistou dejeuner, Cora’s, l’Avenue du Plateau
55. Dine at O’NOIR (rue Ste. Catherine) – you eat your meal in complete darkness! Seriously, you can’t see a single thing. They play live music, also. Interesting experience. Also support a great cause as all the waiters are blind.
56. Sample dragon’s beard candy & bubble tea in Chinatown
57. Get your Mexicana fix – delicious & inexpensive at Chipotle & Jalapeno (1481 rue Amherst)
58. Help somebody move their couch on Moving Day – July 1 (which is also Canada Day!)
59. Chocoholics – Go to Juliette et Chocolat, have an old fashioned hot chocolate and smile. There’s one on St Denis and another at Laurier (less busy, and nicer interior).
60. Go to one of Montreal’s Sidewalk Sales (Vente de Trottoir) It’s a mix between a fair and a sales event. Lots of great deals, music, open terraces, performances, face paint for kids (and adults!). Wonderful experience!
61. Have a creation sandwich or Mish Mash at the ever famous “Cosmos” in NDG
62. Go to the “Comedy Nest’s” open Mic night and cheer some folks on
63. Go see the lemurs at the Biodome and do the dance from Madagascar…I like to move it, move it! I like to move it, move it!!
64. If you’re at the Biodome anyway, then why not go next door to Stadium Olympique and get one of the best 360 views of the city?
65. Try your luck on locals with some french pick-up lines (click on this link and scroll to the bottom of the page)
66. Go to Westmount Library, it’s wonderful. And visit the greenhouse close to it. Specially in wintertime.
67. Have a walk in Saint Henri. Discover G-Etienne Cartier Square.
68. Have a drink at Burgundy’s pub, and enjoy the terrace
69. Taste the best Ice Cream in Montreal at “Le havre aux glaces” (Jean Talon and Atwater markets).
70. Taste the best beer in Montreal at micro-brewery “le dieu du ciel“. There are many other micro-breweries in town too, or if you’ve got transport and time why not take the Quebec Microbrewery tour?
62. Go to the “Comedy Nest’s” open Mic night and cheer some folks on
63. Go see the lemurs at the Biodome and do the dance from Madagascar…I like to move it, move it! I like to move it, move it!!
64. If you’re at the Biodome anyway, then why not go next door to Stadium Olympique and get one of the best 360 views of the city?
65. Try your luck on locals with some french pick-up lines (click on this link and scroll to the bottom of the page)
66. Go to Westmount Library, it’s wonderful. And visit the greenhouse close to it. Specially in wintertime.
67. Have a walk in Saint Henri. Discover G-Etienne Cartier Square.
68. Have a drink at Burgundy’s pub, and enjoy the terrace
69. Taste the best Ice Cream in Montreal at “Le havre aux glaces” (Jean Talon and Atwater markets).
70. Taste the best beer in Montreal at micro-brewery “le dieu du ciel“. There are many other micro-breweries in town too, or if you’ve got transport and time why not take the Quebec Microbrewery tour?
71. Go to René Lévesques Parc at the end of canal Lachine
72. Discover the “musée en plein air” (outdoor museum) and the St Lawrence Shore in Lachine.
73. Enjoy a chocolate tea in “Cha Noir” teahouse, in Verdun. Just sit there, relax and understand that life is beautiful
74. Discover Montreal’s “network of large parks” (“le réseau des grands parcs”)
75. Go dancing and admire the panoramic view at (Altitude) 737 top terrace
76. Have a peaceful walk in “Notre dame des neiges” cemetery
77. Discover the new festival place of the season
78. Challenge yourself at the “defi de l’île de montreal” : a 128 km roller blade race all around Montreal Island. Third saturday of october. This one is just crazy.
79. If you survive the previous one, challenge yourself at the “24 hours Inline Montreal” as a solo skater.
80. Buy a last minute ticket at “la vitrine” lot of nice events for a good price there.
72. Discover the “musée en plein air” (outdoor museum) and the St Lawrence Shore in Lachine.
73. Enjoy a chocolate tea in “Cha Noir” teahouse, in Verdun. Just sit there, relax and understand that life is beautiful
74. Discover Montreal’s “network of large parks” (“le réseau des grands parcs”)
75. Go dancing and admire the panoramic view at (Altitude) 737 top terrace
76. Have a peaceful walk in “Notre dame des neiges” cemetery
77. Discover the new festival place of the season
78. Challenge yourself at the “defi de l’île de montreal” : a 128 km roller blade race all around Montreal Island. Third saturday of october. This one is just crazy.
79. If you survive the previous one, challenge yourself at the “24 hours Inline Montreal” as a solo skater.
80. Buy a last minute ticket at “la vitrine” lot of nice events for a good price there.
81. Discover all the free stuff in “maison de la culture” network” (lot of amazing free show, but you’ll need a proof that you leave in Montreal).
82. Go to the “Diese Onze” bar any tuesday and enjoy a Jam session (jazz) with a nice cocktail. Just go there any other day to enjoy very good live music.
83. Every sunday evening, from october to may, go see the Ligue d’Improvisation Montréalaise (LIM – in french) at Lion d’Or. They are just amazing.
84. go to Bistro a Jo-Jo on Saint-Denis; any night but especially Friday and Saturday. Listen to some very loud, very good blues-rock.
85. Celebrate Quebec’s national holiday – St-Jean-Baptiste – with a parade and many parties around town. The biggest of which is at Parc Maisonneauve (near Olympic Stadium).
86. Go on a Vegetarian food tour around town
87. Window-shop and people-watch along Rue St-Denis.
88. Get a Free Tour of Montreal’s City Hall, From May through October, the Hôtel de Ville, Montreal’s majestic City Hall, built 1872 – 1878, offers a free 45-minute guided tour.
89. Learn to dance! On Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday nights throughout the summer, dance instructors lead free ballroom dancing lessons in Parc Jean Drapeau.
90. Find your balance on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., the Centre Bouddhiste Kankala offers free guided meditations (Méditations guidées gratuites).
82. Go to the “Diese Onze” bar any tuesday and enjoy a Jam session (jazz) with a nice cocktail. Just go there any other day to enjoy very good live music.
83. Every sunday evening, from october to may, go see the Ligue d’Improvisation Montréalaise (LIM – in french) at Lion d’Or. They are just amazing.
84. go to Bistro a Jo-Jo on Saint-Denis; any night but especially Friday and Saturday. Listen to some very loud, very good blues-rock.
85. Celebrate Quebec’s national holiday – St-Jean-Baptiste – with a parade and many parties around town. The biggest of which is at Parc Maisonneauve (near Olympic Stadium).
86. Go on a Vegetarian food tour around town
87. Window-shop and people-watch along Rue St-Denis.
88. Get a Free Tour of Montreal’s City Hall, From May through October, the Hôtel de Ville, Montreal’s majestic City Hall, built 1872 – 1878, offers a free 45-minute guided tour.
89. Learn to dance! On Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday nights throughout the summer, dance instructors lead free ballroom dancing lessons in Parc Jean Drapeau.
90. Find your balance on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., the Centre Bouddhiste Kankala offers free guided meditations (Méditations guidées gratuites).
91. Grab your bike and join the Critical Mass, last Friday of every month. 17h30 at Phillips Square, Ste-Catherine @ Union.
92. If you prefer to ride after dark, there’s the Midnight Mass and also the weekly Thurs night bike ride, gather at 22h30 @ parc Lahaie on the corner of St-Laurent and St-Joseph.
93. Head to meetup.com, find a group for whatever you’re into, meet some new people and have fun!
94. Get some Montreal’rs out and up early to continue the sunrise bike ride tradition!
95. Meet some friendly CS’rs at the Montreal Weekly Pub Meeting (Location may change from week to week, so refer to keep an eye on these forums)
96. Grab a very tasty orange-cream soda drink (add some of their vanilla soft ice cream to it for an extra special drink mmm) at The Orange at Namur metro.
97. Go to the Free feast at the Krishna Temple at 5pm on Sundays
98. Explore abandoned building sites in the Mile End
99. Go to a to yoga class on Friday nights for a $5 donation (Moksha Yoga, St Laurent)
100. And don’t forget a good poutine (there are 25 varieties to choose from at last count) at La Banquise! It’s recommended you have beer before *and* afterwards
92. If you prefer to ride after dark, there’s the Midnight Mass and also the weekly Thurs night bike ride, gather at 22h30 @ parc Lahaie on the corner of St-Laurent and St-Joseph.
93. Head to meetup.com, find a group for whatever you’re into, meet some new people and have fun!
94. Get some Montreal’rs out and up early to continue the sunrise bike ride tradition!
95. Meet some friendly CS’rs at the Montreal Weekly Pub Meeting (Location may change from week to week, so refer to keep an eye on these forums)
96. Grab a very tasty orange-cream soda drink (add some of their vanilla soft ice cream to it for an extra special drink mmm) at The Orange at Namur metro.
97. Go to the Free feast at the Krishna Temple at 5pm on Sundays
98. Explore abandoned building sites in the Mile End
99. Go to a to yoga class on Friday nights for a $5 donation (Moksha Yoga, St Laurent)
100. And don’t forget a good poutine (there are 25 varieties to choose from at last count) at La Banquise! It’s recommended you have beer before *and* afterwards
It is a fairly diverse and interesting list although some of them are definitely not going to be achieved. Considering how much time I have in the last 10 days I have not done that many but here's my experiences so far:
10. Head over to Schwartz`s on St-Catherine for a deli and smoked beef sandwich experience like no other (the cherry cola goes down real well too!)
So on my birthday last week I got taken on a tour of Montreal to enjoy all the typical sights and tastes of Montreal. Part of this walk was a stop for lunch at Schwartz's which is actually on Rue Saint Laurent Boulevard. Now any visitor to Montreal is told to eat three things-Bagels, Poutine and a Smoked Meat Sandwich from Schwartz's (all of which are on this list and all I have done). Because of this there is usually a line up to get into this famous deli especially at Lunch and Dinner time, this was also the case on my birthday so after a short wait in the line we discovered the take out section of the deli where you can usually get your sandwich straight away and then take it away or eat it in the back. We decided to eat this chocker filled sandwich in the back. If you have never seen or tasted this sandwich it is probably at least 5cm of smoked meat (aka as Pastrami in the rest of the world) sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a little bit of mustard. As it was my first experience with this delight I knew what to expect but I wasn't prepared for just how much meat there was. Quite yummy but not the place for vegetariens. Next time I go there I will have to brave the line and try it in the traditional deli setting.
16. Get some bagel action at Fairmount Bagels or St-Viateur Bagels. No need to argue which is the best, just try both! Warning: on weekend mornings the queues can get pretty crazy!
So also as part of my Birthday walk we also stopped at St-Viateur Bagels so I can only judge on one of these famous places so far. Basically though Montreal Bagels are made differently to New York Bagels as the dough is different and in Montreal they get rolled into a ring then put on a stick and cooked in a wood fire oven so the shapes are never the same. When we got to the shop we just asked for the freshest which were nice and warm Sesame Seed Bagels. We enjoyed these delights in nearby park and they were definitely worth the hike to get there. Now I just have to try Fairmount's Bagels for some comparison.
Last Sunday was International Museum Day so as part of this Montreal has free admission and special activities at 34 museums across the city. Our 1st stop of the 4 museums we saw was the Biodome which is west of downtown Montreal. The Biodome is home to 5 different ecosystems-Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, Gulf of St Laurence, Labrador Coast and Sub Antarctic Islands. These ecosystems are all inside a building with a huge glass roof. On the day we were there it was chockerfull of people so the Animals were either hiding or you couldn't see past the sea of people in front of you but on a quiet day you could definitely sit and observe some pretty cool creatures. Biggest disappointments for me were not finding the Sloth and seeing the Beavers massive dam but no Beaver.
100. And don’t forget a good poutine (there are 25 varieties to choose from at last count) at La Banquise! It’s recommended you have beer before *and* afterwards
This was my most recent accomplishment. So I have obviously eaten Poutine before, in Montreal and in Canada but I had not been to Montreal's most famous location. So stuck away near Parc Lafontaine on the Mount Royal Plateau is La Banquise, a 24 hr Poutine place that offers you way too many ways to have Poutine with everything from Vegetarian options to Bacon, Chicken, Sausage and any other combination they can think of. Poutine to the uninitiated is Chips with Gravy and Cheese Curds piled on top but here they offer you that with a whole lot more options. After a lot of umming and ahhing I decided to go with the La Matty which was a combination of Bacon, Onions, Mushrooms and Green Peppers. Now Poutine is typically fairly hard to eat a full plate of on your own just because it is so rich so it was even more of a struggle with all these extras. Its hard to describe the taste but it is good but you do feel like you have eaten something pretty bad and unhealthy for a while afterwards. My next test is to eat it with a beer before and after it.
Till my next experience, Au revoir!
