Originally, I was going to visit Switzerland and Italy this spring, but because of an event happening in Montreal, I went there instead for the first time. The other Canadian cities I’ve been to were only Toronto and Edmonton. I was really looking forward to the French culture in Montreal!
Growing up in Vancouver, I had to learn French in high school, too, so it was very interesting to hear the language spoken there. The flight there from Vancouver was longer than expected.
Quick tips: There was a lot of English spoken in Montreal and definitely a lot of French.
Must-eats: Smoked meat, maple syrup, poutine, bagels, pastries, French cuisine
Here’s a brief summary of my itinerary:
🗓 DAY 1 – Flight, McGill University, Chinatown
We arrived at around 6pm and wanted to explore the McGill University area as well as try the famous Schwartz’s Deli.
- Evening
- Schwartz’s Deli: A very famous smoked meat place. It was about a 30-minute walk from Old Montreal area. There was a dine-in line that was longer than the takeout line so we went to the takeout line instead. They still had separate area for seating! The meat tasted like brisket and wasn’t too salty in a good way. It was a bit bland at first but with ketchup on top, it was delicious!
- Poutine: There are many places to get poutine, and one spot even offered tofu poutine.
- McGill University: When visiting Montreal, making a stop at a famous university is a must! The building looked really beautiful.
- Pigeon Cafe & Bar: Had a carrot cake and juice here!
🗓 DAY 2 – Downtown, Malls & Europea Fine Dining
This day involved a lot of walking and exploring the downtown area.
- Morning
- Olive et Gourmand: Tried their famous The Cubain panini that had pancetta, roasted pork, and other toppings. It was so flavourful! It was slightly spicy as well. I also got a croissant and latte.
- La Finca Cafe: A cute cafe in downtown Montreal that has pastries and lattes. I had a matcha here.
- Amea Cafe: This cafe was very crowded and has a wide selection of pastries, meal options, and drinks. Everything looked yummy but I didn’t feel like having a pastry.
- Afternoon
- Complexe Desjardins: Big underground shopping mall.
- Eaton Center: Walked around some stores here.
- Evening
- Restaurant Jérôme Ferrer – Europea (1 Michelin Star Restaurant): While in Montreal, we wanted to try French fine dining. This was highly recommended online, so we made a booking. Initially, I wanted to do the $95, 12-course tasting menu, but I ended up opting for the full experience at about $200 per person.
- It was a very fun experience! There was unique storytelling, accent pieces, and hints of nature throughout the dishes. At one point, they even had you hold a VR headset!
- There were a few ingredients that I wasn’t too fond of but that was on me to have checked it more beforehand.
- Restaurant Jérôme Ferrer – Europea (1 Michelin Star Restaurant): While in Montreal, we wanted to try French fine dining. This was highly recommended online, so we made a booking. Initially, I wanted to do the $95, 12-course tasting menu, but I ended up opting for the full experience at about $200 per person.
🗓 DAY 3 – Old Montreal
The last day was spent exploring Old Montreal with all the beautiful architecture.
- Morning
- Old Montreal was perfect for souvenir shopping! There were a lot of maple syrup products.
- Cafe Olimpico: Stopped by this small coffee shop for a latte. Very strong coffee flavour!
- Jardin Nelson: We had a small lunch here—getting the French onion soup and duck poutine!
- Afternoon
- Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal: Very nice harbour area.
- Crew Collective & Cafe: Cafe hidden inside an old building that used to be a bank.
- Flight back to Vancouver!
The architecture in Montreal was spectacular. I love the mix of modern and historic buildings! I felt like after two-and-a-half days, I had accomplished most of what I wanted to do. If you want to see historic French architecture and eat delicious food, this is a must-visit!
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