Hoofing it: Montreal

Description:

This extremely popular breakfast chain offers well-above-average quality and huge portions, the menu includes choices for both the health-conscious and for those who eat as if they are heading to the woods. Dishes include the usual bacon and eggs, crepes, waffles and maple syrup on each table.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Underground City is a great way to meander through the city’s shopping areas when it is rainy, snowy or otherwise unpleasant outside.

Description:

The Underground city is one of Montreal's claims to fame. Its kilometers of passageways under the city allow shoppers and tourists to get to where they are going without the hassles posed by the sometimes seemingly interminable winter snows and slushy streets. One particularly interesting bit of this subterranean maze is in the Cours Mont-Royal, near Peel Street. At one point the atrium of the mall extends several stories high and the facades of the stores facing the atrium (inside the mall) are made to reflect exterior building design.

Description:

Founded in 1821 with a bequest from Montreal fur trader and merchant James McGill, this world-renowned English-language university is located on 80 acres of land in downtown Montreal. The downtown campus consists of a fusion of modern architecture with turn-of-the-century landmark buildings. It is also a pleasant expanse of green in the otherwise urban landscape, with playing fields, large trees and benches where both visitors and students can sit to soak in the sun and the ambience of higher learning.

Our Local Expert Says:

Go to the Mount-Royal on a Sunday in the early afternoon to see what locals do on a summer afternoon. Bring a Frisbee, a hacky-sac or a friend and relax in the sun. Don’t show up too early- Montrealers take their time waking up on the weekends.

Description:

"The mountain", as Mount-Royal Park is known to locals, is the largest green space on Montreal Island. It was designed by Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York City. Mount-Royal Park is the playground for the city. During the week people traipse up and down the paths constantly: cutting across the mountain to work, running late to class toward McGill University and just taking the time to enjoy the moments of privacy that the mountain's hidden paths offer. Sundays during the summer the East side of the Mount-Royal (near the statue) explodes with activity and music. Crowds gather to play music, lounge in the sun and relax with friends in the sweetly hazy heat.

Description:

Amid a ramshackle décor of mismatched furnishings and 25 years of knick-knacks, this western-Plateau institution serves gargantuan gourmet sandwiches to a crowd of students, bohemian types and a few tourists. The backyard terrace is perhaps its most delightful feature. Vegetarian sandwiches dominate (the Killer Tomato, with fresh and sundried tomatoes, garlic, cream and cottage cheese), but carnivores can try to wrap their mouths around the towering St-Urbain Corner (chicken, cream and cottage cheese, honey, nuts and olives). No alcohol is served; try the fruit drinks and herbal teas. Cash only.

Our Local Expert Says:

Remember when you go out on St Denis Street in Montreal: a little bit of scruff is in style.

Description:

St Denis Street is a more upscale shopping and dining street. From Sherbrooke Street to Mount Royal Avenue boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants are packed together; and pedestrians clutter the sidewalks. The keyword here is location. People walk along St Denis Street to see and be seen. There is something for everyone along this street. The overall ambience is of affluent consumerism during the day; however, this merges seamlessly into the traditionally more grungy scene of the Montreal nightlife as the sun sets.

Our Local Expert Says:

From St-Denis, walk through Carré St-Louis at the end of which you will reach Prince Arthur street, a pedestrian street where you will find restaurants, bars and cafes as well as street performers and arts and crafts stalls.

Description:

The cultural and social heart of the western Plateau, this beautiful park is centered around a magnificent fountain. The textbook Montreal architecture surrounding it is among the most coveted in the city, and singer/poet Leonard Cohen is said to maintain a residence on the Square. Situated one block north of Sherbrooke Street, between Rue Saint-Denis and Avenue Laval, its beautiful old trees, ornate park benches and patches of grass provide the perfect setting in which to waste a summer afternoon. You won't be alone!

Description:

In summer, the portion of this southern Plateau between St-Laurent street and St-Louis Square is bustling with tourists. They come for the sidewalk cafes, street performers and all-around good cheer. Most restaurants on the street are bring-your-own-wine, relatively inexpensive, spacious enough to accommodate large groups and serve passable if not exceptional food. Culinary standouts include Mazurka, while the Caverne Grecque serves mountains of Greek food every night. Barflies can check out Café Campus and Vol de Nuit, which rock late into the night.

Our Local Expert Says:

Great Greek! Mountains of food await.

Description:

One of seemingly dozens of Greek restaurants on Prince Arthur Street, it is easy to confuse this spacious, raucous spot with any number of others that look, feel and taste the same. That said, they all provide quick, hearty food from a menu with something to please everyone, and the Cabane is no exception. Two-for-one deals, a bring-your-own-wine policy, a charming sidewalk patio in summer and the accompanying street scene are major attractions.

Our Local Expert Says:

Sit on the terrace in front of this place if you want to make new friends; because by 11 pm everyone has had enough to drink they don't remember if they have met you before- or don't care. Never too raucous- it can get a little rowdy- this place never disappoints.

Description:

During the day this venerable watering hole is good for its sunny terrace, just steps from the action on St-Laurent. The evening hours bring out scores of young people in search of cheap drinks, and it can get a little rowdy by 3a. Though it advertises itself as "Un bar inédit" (original or novel), the interior is eminently forgettable.

Description:

Located on a quiet street at the corner of St-Louis Square and the Sherbrooke Métro station, this Victorian B&B still boasts original wood floors and woodwork. It has been chosen by a Boston Globe reviewer as his favorite ned and breakfast and classified as a "4 Suns" bed and breakfast (equivalent to 4-Star hotels). A 10-minute walk to Montreal's vibrant downtown area and in the heart of the Plateau's most picturesque area, the beautiful décor, caring staff and five beautifully appointed guest rooms make this a charming accommodation option.