How to Spend a Long Weekend in Montreal

All of these things make summer the perfect time for a long weekend in the city, full of eating and drinking and celebrating the festival du jour. While Old Montreal is full of boutique hotels, Hotel Gault is a favorite and a great choice while visiting; so is the elegant Hotel Germain in the heart of downtown.

Once you arrive and get settled, here’s an itinerary that will show you the best of what Montreal has to offer:

Friday:
Once you've arrived and settled in, head towards the Quartier des Spectacles, a pedestrian area of downtown Montreal that is the city's "cultural heart" and where no fewer than 40 festivals and events take place each year. Great lunch options abound, including a Chinese-inspired feast at Orange Rouge in Chinatown, a market-fresh lunch at Bouillon Bilk or a typical French meal at Brasserie T!.

Around the corner on Ste-Catherine Street is Place des Festivals, where at any time during the summer months you might be able to catch a Montreal Jazz Festival concert, a Just for Laughs comedy show, or one of the many free outdoor activities taking place here. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

When dinnertime comes around, head to FoodLab on the third floor of SAT (the Society of Arts and Technologies), a hidden, magical space with an ever-changing thematic menu led by an inventive chef duo creating simple yet flawless fare. You'll eat and drink while taking in the enchanting views of downtown Montreal from the rooftop terrace.

Saturday morning: Old Montreal
With its cobblestone streets, horse drawn-carriages, and charming terrasses, Old Montreal is the closest you will come to Parisian meanderings this side of the Pacific. Start your day early with flaky pastries and a café au lait at the buzzing Olive & Gourmando then stroll around charming St-Paul Street with its many art galleries and kitschy tourist stores. Old Montreal classic stops include Basilique Notre Dame and Place Jacques Cartier as well as a stroll along the piers, which are usually brimming with Montrealers and visitors alike enjoying the beautiful views over the Saint Lawrence River. You won't get a better view than from the Bota Bota, spa-sur-l'eau complex. The award-winning, floating thermal spa is housed inside a repurposed ferryboat and features a relaxing water circuit as well as breathtaking new gardens where you can spend time poolside sipping on one of their refined alcohol-free cocktails.

Saturday afternoon: Saint-Henri and Little Burgundy
Grab a Bixi (the Montreal bike sharing system) from the station adjacent to Bota Bota and ride along the Lachine Canal to the Atwater Market in the Saint-Henri neighborhood. The Southeast Asian flavors of the Satay Brothers within the market are a great lunch option, as is Patrice Pâtissier, which offers some of Montreal's best desserts. Walk around Montreal's second largest market and chat with the many vendors displaying colorful mounds of produce and you will most probably end up discovering something new.

Stop by Vin Papillon for an early dinner to avoid the crowds; this tiny wine bar doesn't accept reservations. The vegetable-centric menu and the wine list are both outstanding. After dinner, head back to Old Montreal and to Mimi la Nuit, an award-winning speakeasy where the cocktails are as fashionable as the crowd.

Sunday AM: The Mile End
Lawrence Restaurant stands right in the middle of Montreal's hippest neighborhood. It serves one of the city's best brunches so get there early if you don't want to wait in line and, whatever you order, don't skip their doughnuts. Sparrow and its sister spot Salon Cardinal across the street are also great brunch options. After brunch, head out on an exploration of the Mile End by zigzagging through Fairmount, St Viateur and Bernard streets. You'll discover a slew of vintage shops like Annexe Vintage, bohemian stores like Lo Well, recycled industrial homeware purveyors like Style Labo, independent bookstores like Drawn & Quarterly as well as other unique businesses that constitute the very fabric of this neighborhood. Stop for coffee at hip Café Myriade or the more classic Café Olimpico, a true Montreal establishment. Once you're done touring the Mile End, you might be able to answer the age-old question that sends every Montrealer into a heated debate: Fairmount or St Viateur bagels? Buy some of each for an on-the-fly taste test and take the rest home. They freeze well and will be a delicious reminder of your Montreal stay. If you are itching for a taste of Montreal's famous smoked meat, head to Lester's Deli where the line-ups are scarce and the meat tasty.

Sunday PM: The Jean Talon Market and Little Italy
Walk or Bixi north along The Main (or St Laurent Street, which divides the city into east and west) until you reach the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal's Little Italy neighborhood. This open-air market is bustling with vendors and purveyors of all things delicious. Graze your way through the many flavors of the market, from duck poutine to artisanal ice cream. A must stop is Le Marché des Saveurs, a great spot to purchase edible and drinkable (ice wine anyone?) local products to consume on the spot or to take home. Don't forget to stock up on Quebec maple syrup: it really is the best in the world!

Bon voyage!

Hotel Gault
449 Rue Sainte-Hélène
Montréal, QC H2Y 2K9, Canada
(514) 904-1616

Hotel Germain
2050 Rue Mansfield
Montréal, QC H3A 1Y9, Canada
(877) 333-2050

Orange Rouge
106 Rue de la Gauchetière O
Montréal, QC H2Z 1C3, Canada
(514) 861-1116

Bouillon Bilk
1595 Boul St-Laurent
Montréal, H2X 2S9, Canada
(514) 845-1595

Brasserie T!
1425 Rue Jeanne-Mance
Montréal, QC H2X 2J4, Canada
(514) 282-0808

Quartier des Spectacles
1435, Saint-Alexandre St., Suite 500
Montreal, (Quebec) H3A 2G4
(514) 879-0009

FoodLab
1201 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal
QC H2X 1K4, Canada
(514) 844-2033

Olive & Gourmando
351 Rue Saint Paul O
Montréal, QC H2Y 2A7, Canada
(5140 350-1083

Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau
Vieux-Port de Montréal, Entrée McGill Coin De la Commune et McGill
Montréal, QC H2Y 2E2, Canada
(514) 284-0333

Atwater Market
138 Avenue Atwater
Montréal, QC H4C 2H6, Canada
(514) 937-7754

Satay Brothers
3721 Notre Dame Ouest
Montréal, QC H4C 1P8, Canada
(514) 933-3507

Patrice Pâtissier
2360 Rue Notre-Dame O
Montréal, QC H3J 1N4, Canada
(514) 439-5434

Vin Papillon
2519 Rue Notre-Dame O
Montréal, QC H3J 1N4, Canada

Mimi la nuit
22 Rue Saint Paul Est
Montréal, QC H2Y 2A6, Canada
(514) 507-5449

Lawrence
5201 Boul St-Laurent
Montréal, QC H2T 2L9, Canada
(514) 503-1070

Sparrow
5322 Boul St-Laurent
Montréal, QC H2T 1A5, Canada
(514) 507-1642

Salon Cardinal
7010 Avenue Casgrain
Montréal, QC, Canada
(514) 271-4002

Annexe Vintage
56 Rue Saint Viateur Ouest
Montréal, QC H2T 4K6, Canada
(514) 903-4404

Lo Well
5364 Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 544-6518

Style Labo
5765 Boul St-Laurent
Montréal, QC H2T 1S9, Canada
(514) 658-9910

Drawn & Quarterly
400 Avenue Atlantic, Suite 800
Montreal, Quebec H2V 1A5
(514) 279-2221

Café Myriade
1432 Rue Mackay
Montréal, QC H3G 2H7, Canada
(514) 939-1717

Café Olimpico
124 Rue St-Viateur Ouest
Montréal, QC H2T 2L1, Canada
(514) 495-0746

St Viateur Bagel
263 Rue Saint Viateur O
Montréal, QC H2V, Canada
(514) 528-6361

Fairmount Bagel
74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest
Montréal, QC H2T 2M1, Canada
(514) 272-0667

Lester’s Deli
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), 975, boul Roméo-Vachon N
Dorval, QC, Canada
(514) 631-0007

Jean-Talon Market
7070 Avenue Henri Julien
Montréal, QC H2S 3S3, Canada
(514) 277-1588

Le Marché des Saveurs
Jean-Talon Market, 280 Place du Marche du N
Montréal, QC H2S 1A1, Canada
(514) 271-3811