Eat, play, love in Montréal

EAT

Montréal’s food scene is renowned and crosses all borders and heritages, but in keeping with the Elisabeth Gilbert theme, we thought we’d focus on Italian, Indian and Southwest Asian.

Montréal’s Italian roots go way back, and our Italian restaurants scene is legit for that reason. But for truly unique Italian experiences, start with Knuckles, in Villeray, a restaurant concept that started as a panzerotti bar (the titular knuckles, or hand pies) and turned into an Italian cuisine de marché hot spot. Gentile (the original location) is a thoroughly Italian experience up in the Chabanel clothing industry area, opened in 1959 as a lunch counter for machinists and seamstresses. (Try the orange and fennel salad and the mortadella sandwich.) Finally, Drogheria Fine, in Mile End, is a local phenom for its popular $5 gnocchi: just order at the window on Fairmont and stroll the neighbourhood, warm gnocchi dish in hand. Pure Montréal.

Out best Indian restaurants range in style from northern Indian to southern, and of course you can also explore the range of Southeast Asian restaurants including Bangladeshi (Appayon), Sir Lankan (Jolee), Pakistani (786) and more.

Among the more standalone Indian dining experiences, you’ll find SpiceBros: a fast food Indian chain so famous for its tandoori fried chicken sandwiches, butter chicken poutine and Bro Bowls that it opened an outpost in Toronto. Le Super Qualité is a fantastic Montréal find downtown that serves up Indian street food (try the wada pav, a pillowy bun filled with a crunchy potato croquette dressed in three chutney sauces). In the summer months, two ice cream parlour beckon in Parc Extension: Meetha, with homemade flavours like gulab jamun and mango rasmalai, and Sara, specialists in sarbeth and royal falooda (like an Indian layered sundae packed with tropical fruit).

In terms of Southwest Asian cuisine, Montréal’s most renowned Indonesian restaurant is Satu Lagi, beloved for its sharing dishes (including crispy chicken, or fried mushrooms with curry leaves). The Satay Brothers restaurant on Notre-Dame is a whole party scene unto itself, and your source of incredible Singaporean flavours. For Vietnamese food, get an unforgettable experience at Ho Guom in the east end, not only for its crunchy seafood-packed crêpes but also for its half-price Tuesdays (VERY popular). If Thai is the taste trip you crave, Pumpui is a unique cafeteria/lunch counter in Little Italy where you can enjoy the best pad Thai (and so many other authentic dishes) on the spot or to-go.

PLAY

The divinity we’re looking for comes in the release of tension that play provides — think fun, games and wide open green spaces to breathe a deep “aaaaaaaah”. Montréal has got some incredible parks, some so large you forget you’re in a city!

One of the most unique parks is Parc Frédéric-Back, a massive expanse of land in the northern end of town that was originally a limestone quarry, then a landfill. Today it’s been manicured into an otherworldly vista with very few trees but tons of fascinating low underbrush and structures to rest and recharge. The landscape is dotted with white globes that serve as bio-gas wells: the park is one of the most ambitious urban rehabilitation projects of its kind in North America, incorporating a composting area, a leachate treatment centre, a tree nursery and an energy plant that converts the bio-gas it produces into electricity. It’s also a wonderful place to walk, cycle or cross-country ski.

Right next door to the park you can also go play at the National Circus School — the city’s circus scene is world renowned, so why not learn from the best? At any age or any level, you can learn basics like trapeze, trampoline and aerial silks.

For other unusual sports there’s no better than the utterly one-of-a-kind Ministry of Cricket and Other Homeless Sports, where you can join in on regular or pick-up games in a everything from flag football to lawn bowling.

The resurgence of arcades citywide is an exciting throwback for all Pac-Man and Street Fighter lovers, plus there are often tasty drinks of offer too! Whether for adults of all ages, there’s an arcade for you.

And because Montréal is basically a wide open playground in itself, it brings the fun to all its public spaces: from the Esplanade Tranquille at Quartier des Spectacles to all the ephemeral parcs, hangouts and chill zones that change seasonally, you can gather, party, clink glasses, share boardgames, and in the cooler months, skate and enjoy hot chocolate anywhere you like.

LOVE

Whether solo or à deux, exercise your love language of choice with some of Montréal’s most romantic walks or most lovely restaurants. Toast all of life’s good things in the privacy of one of the city’s hidden terrasses, or scope out the tastiest drinks in an underground bar. You’ll get a little seen view of the city and feel like a local in no time!

There are plenty of getaways within the city that will make you feel like you’ve had an adventure — try hiking up the hill in Upper Outremont to Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, for example, the view is worth it. But for a real, literal getaway, Montréal is the gateway to all sorts of interesting regions, from the Eastern Townships to the Laurentians to Outaouais.

Discover a new side of the city to love every day by exploring the pedestrian streets that close to cars in the warmer months, or just close your eyes, pick a metro station at random, and grab your boo for a day of discovery any season. Among the fascinating neighbourhood enclaves you can discover gems like Pointe-Claire Village, Vieux-Longueuil, Saint-Lambert, Laurier Village or the Wellington strip, to name but a few — all are packed with great eats and standalone shops you’ll only find here, in the real, one and only, inspirational Montréal.