How to “Montreal” Like a Local : Recommendations from Local Colleagues

Malik Chaker-Margot:

Affiliation: Institut Courtois d’innovation biomédicale (CI²B), Université de Montréal

Recommendation: Montreal is a city of many cultures and languages, with a vibrant culinary scene and nightlife. After a lovely walk through the Mont-Royal, or perhaps a bike ride along the canal Lachine, you will no doubt find yourself famished and looking for a meal and some refreshments. As a lover of my city, it’s hard to pick just a few places but for once I will try to be succinct and share a few of my favorite spots. Near the congress center is chock full of great restaurants in part due to the proximity to the downtown area and Chinatown. Perhaps you’ll be interested in checking out the Poincaré, a hip joint on St-Laurent which features fermented foods of all kind. If this doesn’t strike your fancy, across the street is the legendary Nouilles de Lan Zhou, a classic eatery of Chinatown. To wash it all down, you can get one of the fancy cocktails over at Le Mal Nécessaire or go listen to DJs spin vinyl records at the very stylish Sans Soleil. Across the city, Verdun is a wonderful little island of fun situated near the Lachine Canal and the Saint-Laurent river. There I can recommend the wonderful Archway Verdun, a vegetarian restaurant – and one of the best breweries and beer gardens in a city brimming with them: Messorem. Closer to my neck of the woods, La Petite Patrie and Villeray are two juxtaposed neighbourhoods in the North East of the city. The Jean-Talon Market is one of their beating heart, full of restaurants and cafés within and around. The nearby Mellon brewery provides a wonderful source of refreshments in the summer. However, if you are up for some dancing, Le Système boasts one of Montreal’s finest sound system, DJ nights from Thursdays to Saturdays and a great cocktail list. Be on the lookout for a place that’s opened late for a night poutine to replenish yourselves after all this going around. Enjoy Montreal and for more on Montreal’s rave scene, get in touch!

 

Alex Palazzo:

Affiliation: University of Toronto

Recommendation: I’m Alex Palazzo, and, while I’m currently a professor of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, I grew up in Montreal as part of the Italian diaspora community. Although I moved away in 1997, I come back to the city three to four times a year to visit friends and family, and sometimes to catch a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Since Montreal is very multicultural, and the influence of “anglo”-culture is not as strong here as elsewhere, the Italian community has kept many of its traditions to a larger degree here than in other North American cities.

One of my favorite places to visit when I’m in town is the Jean-Talon Market, where you’ll find incredible food and a lively, welcoming atmosphere. To get there, just hop on le métro and get off at the Jean-Talon stop, which connects the blue and orange lines. Just south* of the market lies Little Italy, where many Italians who immigrated to Montreal in the early 20th century first settled. If you make your way there, be sure to stop by Pâtisserie Alati-Caserta (277 Rue Dante) for the best ricotta cannoli this side of the Atlantic. You might also drop into Caffè Italia (6840 St Laurent Blvd.) to chat with the locals about how Team Ferrari fared in the latest Grand Prix.

* Montreal south is different from true south. All cardinal directions are shifted counter clockwise by about 45 degrees so that they align with the St. Lawrence river. So north is actually north-west and south is south east.

 

Benoit Chabot:

Affiliation: Université de Sherbrooke

Recommendation:  As a former chair of the Meetings Committee, I was very happy that Montreal got selected for 2026. It is my birthplace, and although working 90 minutes away in Sherbrooke, I still have many reasons to return to my hometown on a regular basis. Lots of things to do in Montréal.  Stroll through Vieux-Montréal to enjoy its cobblestone streets, historic facades, and views of the St. Lawrence River, or explore Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, known for its colorful houses, independent bookshops, and lively terraces, or climb Mount Royal for a sweeping view of downtown or wander through neighborhoods like Mile-End or the Quartier des Spectacles for art, music, and great food. Here are a few pointers, mostly near the Palais des Congrès, but the subway system (metro) or city bike rental (Bixi) can get you almost anywhere easily.

  • Want to see a piece of the Berlin wall? 450m from the Palais des congrès is The Montreal World Trade Centre which is a large glass atrium that unites several Victorian-era buildings. In addition to its beautiful architecture highlighting the old facades of what used to be the Ruelle des Fortifications, the World Trade Centre has a remnant of the Berlin Wall on display. This concrete piece is covered with graffiti and was offered to the city of Montreal for its 350th anniversary. The place also houses a magnificent statue of Amphitrite in front of a black granite pool. Entrance to the promenade is on rue St-Antoine across the street from Place Jean-Paul Riopelle.
  • Great food nearby but somewhat expensive : Moishes (a steak house at 1001 rue du Square-Victoria); Gibbys (another great and a bit cheaper steak house at 298 Place d’Youville), Toqué (900 Place Jean-Paul Riopelle), Monarque (406 rue St-Jacques).
  • Cheaper food options. If you go down McGill Street or rue St-Pierre direction Old Montréal, you will find lots of nice choices. While the Food court Le Central on St-Laurent/Ste Catherine is also popular, I prefer The Cathcart located in Place Ville-Marie (16 min from Palais des congrès, on René-Lévesque between Mansfield and Robert-Bourassa streets) (try Arthur Nosh Bar).
  • Have a drink. A little walk but worth the visit. Bar George at 1440 Drummund St (25 min walk). While in the area also try to find the Cloakroom Bar which is a stylish speakeasy bar hidden at 2175 Rue de la Montagne #100.
  • Café: one the best coffee is served at Olympicoin Old Montréal 12 min walk (419 rue St-Vincent). Also near the Palais des Congrès (7 min) in a nice old building is Crew(between Dollard and St-Pierre on rue St-Jacques).
  • Walk the Main(St-Laurent street). You will find a lot on this street including the famous Schwartz Deli(30 min walk to sample Montreal famous smoked meat, but there is always a wait!). Walk St-Denis street on your way back.

 

Maureen McKeague

Affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Department of Chemistry, McGill University

Recommendation: I’ve lived in Montreal for seven years, and what I love most is how the city hides small surprises in plain sight. You can explore the city’s murals on a self-guided walking route. From the top of Mount Royal, if you look at the skyline, you can spot the KPMG Tower, which looks exactly like a giant glass cat (or batman) watching over downtown. And near McGill, there is L’Anneau (The Ring), a huge suspended ring that many people pose with as if they are holding it up. My favourite way to see it is from the sidewalk along René-Lévesque on the Fairmont side, a hotel famous for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in for peace in 1969. From this view, L’Anneau perfectly frames the old Royal Victoria Hospital against Mount Royal.

  • Walking tour of murals

https://bumblingtourist.com/2022/08/03/montreal-street-art-tour-self-guided-walking-tour/

  • Hike up Parc du Mont-Royal

https://montreal.ca/en/places/parc-du-mont-royal

  • Electric boat tour (Old Port – with some good food trucks near by)

https://lepetitnavire.ca/our-tours/old-port-tour/

  • L’Anneau (The Ring) at Place Ville Marie

https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/culture-arts-heritage/ring-esplanade-place-ville-marie-montreal

 

Maria Vera Ugalde

Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, McGill University

Recommendation: I’m originally from Spain and moved to Montreal after a postdoc in New York. What I love most about this city is how you can find flavors from both Europe and North America. My favorite neighborhoods are Mont Royal and Mile End, ideal for a relaxed walk and discovering cozy spots. If you enjoy books, tea, or chocolate, I recommend Librairie Drawn & Quarterly in Mile End, Café Tere on Prince Arthur, and Les Chocolats de Chloé on Duluth. To unwind, I like practicing yoga at Innocere Yoga or walking on Mount Royal. For a nice dinner, Luna, a Korean apportez votre vin restaurant, is a wonderful choice, and for a drink afterward, I suggest Big in Japan for cocktails or Dieu du Ciel for excellent craft beer, both in the Plateau.

 

Jérôme Waldispühl

Affiliation: School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada

Recommendation: I grew up in the south of France and studied in Paris before crossing the ocean to do my postdoctoral studies in Boston. In 2009, I started my research group at McGill University and thus moved to Montréal, where I can enjoy a perfect mix of French and North American cultures.

Culture: Discover the history of Montréal from its founding up to now at the Archeological museum of pointe-à-callière (350 Place Royale). On a sunny day, plan a visit to the botanical garden (4101 Sherbrooke Street East) and take a stroll through in the alpine, first nations, Chinese or Japanese gardens. If it rains, you can opt instead for a visit of the Redpath museum at McGill University (859 Sherbrooke Street West) which hosts diverse collections of minerals, fossils, and even a mummy in a beautiful Victorian style building.

Food: Au Pied de Cochon (536 Av. Duluth E, Montréal, QC H2L 1A9) and Joe Beef (2491 Rue Notre Dame Ouest) are among the most iconic and representative restaurants of Québec cuisine. But you may also want to try alternate dining schemes with Bring Your Own Wine (BYOW) restaurants such as O-Thym (1257 Rue Atateken, Montréal, QC H2L 3K9). In this case, do not forget to stop by a SAQ (Société des Alcools du Québec) store to pick up a nice bottle of wine before dinner. If you are heading for a walk on Mont-Royal, you can stop by Santropol café (3990 Rue Saint-Urbain) for a bite in their garden (high-piled sandwiches are their specialty). Finally, Montrealer’s love brunches. L’Avenue (922 Mont-Royal Ave Est) or Régine Café (1840 Rue Beaubien Est) are two popular and original places to try.

Pastries: The pastry’s scene greatly benefits from the French influence. If you have a sweet tooth, you should try Pâtisserie Mélilot (1062 Av. Laurier Ouest) or a meringue cake at Au merveilleux de Fred (4200 Rue Saint-Denis). On a warm day, you may prefer to have an ice cream at Kem Coba (60 Av. Fairmount Ouest).

Drinks: There are many excellent microbreweries in Montréal. If you willing to go off-track try Messorem (2233 Rue Pitt). There, you’ll find all types of beers and the menu is constantly updated, and most importantly their selection of IPA is always fantastic. For stronger drinks, the Pub l’Île Noire (1649 Rue Saint-Denis) has a very large selection of whiskies!

 

Roman Sarrazin Gendron

Affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal

Recommendation: I am currently an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Université du Québec à Montréal, and I’ve lived in Montreal my entire life. I think enjoying Montreal over a few days trip is more about the overall atmosphere than specific must-go places, so I thought I would recommend a few spots to stop by in areas you may already be visiting.

If you wander around the plateau, you must stop by Patati Patata (4177 St-Laurent). They have the best poutine in Montreal, including vegan options. If that is not your thing, there is The Dumpling Hut (3591 Clark) close-by. To help you digest, good drinking options in the area include Le Majestique (4105 St-Laurent) and Café Miracolo (3891 St-Laurent).

If you enjoy older things, Old Montreal is very close to the venue and offers several good museums. The Musée Pointe-à-Callière (350 Place Royale) has great exhibits on the founding of Montreal, the first settlers, and indigenous peoples from the area. For the city’s slightly more recent history, Château Ramezay (280 Notre-Dame E) is the place of reference. Eating in Old Montreal can be difficult due to the very touristic nature of the area, and the safest bet around there is Stash Café (200 St-Paul W), a traditional Polish restaurant loved by locals.

Closer to the venue, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1380 Sherbrooke W) is going to be hosting the Torlonia collection of Roman sculptures, the largest private collection of ancient art in the world. For a quick break, Café Aunja (1448 Sherbrooke W), a cozy Persian tea house, is a few steps away.