Montréal winter fun, party of one!

Montréal is the definition of an accessible city, ranked as one of the most walkable cities in Canada and linked by easy-to-navigate bus, REM light rail and underground Métro systems. The local bus system’s iconic routes traverse both Montréal’s most well-known and touristed quartiers and some of its more up-and-coming districts, offering an unbeatable way to discover Montréal. And this year, the city’s iconic BIXI bike share system stays available all year long, featuring upgraded studded tires, spiked pedals and bike path snow removal. We’d also suggest tackling some of Montréal’s smoothly packed cross-country ski routes, epic skating rinks and winter trails on the elegiac Mount Royal.

Downtown Montréal is so much more than just the city’s urban and financial heart. Punctuated with iconic skyscrapers like architect I. M. Pei’s Place Ville Marie, Downtown’s shopping streets, cutting-edge museums and wide open park spaces like Dorchester Square and Place du Canada are always bustling all winter long. Wander through the Golden Square Mile, Quartier des Spectacles and the Village for some of the city’s best people watching and must-see locales. And lace on some skates for a spin or two around the Esplanade Tranquille!

GET YOUR SHOP ON:

• Boutiques, shopping malls and flagship stores line Sainte-Catherine Street.
• Downtown’s major shopping complexes Centre Eaton, Complexe Desjardins, Place Montréal Trust, Les Cours Mont-Royal, Place Ville-Marie and Holt Renfrew Ogilvy are all linked up by the underground city to guarantee a toasty and warm shopping experience.

FILL YOUR HUNGER:

• Food courts get fancy at Downtown’s food halls the Time Out Market, LE CENTRAL—MANGER MONTRÉAL and Le Cathcart Restaurants & Biergarten.
• Refuel above the city at the classic art deco marvel Le 9e restaurant.
• Warm up with a cup of matcha and a bowl of noodles at Tsujiri.
• Grab a caffeine and sugar boost at Melk on Stanley Street.
• Explore the gourmet offerings of Marché Artisans.
• Hit culinary heights at Hiatus restaurant and bar (at the top of Place Ville Marie).
• Discover sandwiches galore at Italimenti Épicerie Fine.
• BYOB and swoon at the flavours of O’Thym.
• Savour the flavours of Vietnam at Le Red Tiger.
• Chat up the fashionistas at Bar Renard.

LET’S GET CULTURAL:

• Take in arts both old and new at the Museum of Fine Arts.
• Delve into local history at the McCord Stewart Museum.
• Push some boundaries at the Musée d’art contemporarain de Montréal in its temporary home in Place Ville Marie.
• Follow architectural trends at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
• Probe neighbourhood history at the Écomusée du fier monde.

A world-class beauty throughout the year, Old Montréal and the Old Port's stately winter wardrobe is a true stunner. While daytime Old Montréal is a bustling sector, filled to the brim with gourmet restaurants, trend-setting galleries and SSENSE, one of the city’s most forward-looking fashion boutique experiences, by night the pace slows and things really glow. All a-twinkle with lights, seasonally decorated shop windows and 20 foot tall glowing star installations in the epic shadow of Notre-Dame Basilica, there’s a glimmering surprise waiting around every corner. The sights and sounds of Cité Mémoire tell the stories of some of Montréal’s most infamous residents throughout history via cutting-edge projection technology across some of the neighbourhoods grandest façades. There’s few experiences quite so iconic as skating the Old Port Skating Rink with unbeatable views of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and La Grande Roue de Montréal (which also offers some unparalleled vistas of its own)! But Old Montréal and the Old Port aren’t just a historical snow globe—each winter the sub-zero electronic music fest Igloofest sees costumed revellers dancing through the chill, in an unending party that must be seen to be believed.

NOSH + SIPS:

• Don’t miss Crew Collective & Café, one of the world’s most beautiful co-working spaces and cafés.
• Get hella picturesque at Le Petit Dep.
• Believe the hype at Olive et Gourmando.
• Step into a little piece of Japan via MTL at Flyjin.
• Caffeine up at Café Olimpico.
• Get fresh (and healthy) at Venice MTL.
• Marvel at the vegan creativity on show at LOV McGill.
• Every day is cheat day at Bar à Beurre.
• Grab an epic-sized pizza slice at Slice + Soda.
• People watch through Tommy's grand windows.
• Raise a toast to solo adventures at BreWskey’s Pub, Taproom or L’Annexe.

DIVE INTO CULTURE:

• Look up, way up, at Fonderie Darling's large-scale installations in a former foundry.
• Take in a virtual reality experience perfect for one at PHI Centre.
• Discover artworks from Québec’s Indigenous communities at Galerie d’art Images Boréales, Heritage Gallery and Galerie Le Chariot.
• See tomorrow’s contemporary art stars first at PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art.

Those seeking a genuine Montréalaise experience should look no further than the prime time hot spot trio of neighbourhoods Outremont, the Plateau and Mile End. These quartiers are where locals come to chat in cafés, fuel up in mainstay restaurants and pick up the latest at their favourite boutiques. And its all made doubly photogenic thanks to the annual MURAL Festival, who commissions international artists to spruce up building façades throughout the area.

GET YOUR WANDER ON:

• You haven’t seen Montréal until you’ve seen the epic vistas of the city from the top of Mount Royal.
• Enjoy a skate on frozen Beaver Lake near the mountain’s summit.
• Browse Mont-Royal Avenue and take in its opposing views of Mount Royal and the Olympic Stadium on opposite ends.
• Flip through the bins in some of the city’s best record shops.
• Stroll local-style along the parallel shopping streets Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Denis Street.
• Get chic and haute couture at Laurier Avenue West's ateliers and boutiques.

ICONIC EATS:

• Next to hockey, Montréalers favourite sport is arguing over which bagel is best—is it Fairmount Bagel Bakery or St-Viateur Bagel? We call a tie, but you’ll have to try for yourself!
• It’s all about embracing your well-deserved cheat day at Boulangerie Guillaume.
• The $5 gnocchi with sauce at Drogheria Fine is served right through their front window.
• Schwartz’s Montréal smoked meat sandwiches and Wilensky's Light Lunch’s Wilensky Specials are unmissable #mtlmoments for your tastebuds.
• It’s worth waiting for a coveted spot at Lawrence for some of the neighbourhood’s best eats (and be sure not to miss their sibling spots larrys for drinks and Boucherie Lawrence for farm fresh products to take home all within close proximity).
• Explore a world of taste and aesthetic at Le Nigiriz onigiri cafe.
• A true place of gathering, the queer-friendly Pastel Rita serves up hot drinks and sandwiches so good you’ll want two. 
• Toni knows pizza while Yoni's falafels are not to be missed.

Long home to Montréal’s vibrant Italian community, Little Italy and Villeray know a thing or two about good eats, and their unique flavour has even earned a spot on the list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. Grab a hot snack and beverage and wander Parc Jarry, where winter revellers come to skate, sled and ski.

WHO IS HUNGRY?:

• Pizza lovers will flip for neighbourhood corner favourite Pizzeria Napoletana—serving up hot Neapolitan pizza since 1948—and San Gennaro's expertly made square Roman-style slabs.
• The classic cannoli at Pasticceria Alati-Caserta is legendary for a reason!
• Find food Mecca at Jean-Talon Market.
• Devour the sinful creations at État de Choc, Avanaa and Boulangerie LOUISE.
• Part traditional Québécois casse-croûte fast food restaurant, part Japanese anime castle, Le Château Maneki’s pressed sushi and tartars are a feast for both the eyes and stomach.

MOVIES AND MORE:

• The hand-made and locally designed Anfibio Boots and bags make for the ideal Montréal winter keepsake.
• Bring home something local from the arloca design boutique.
• There’s kitchenware galore at Quincaillerie Dante.
• Warm up at a screening at Cinema Public.

The Lachine Canal National Historic Site runs through the upstart neighbourhoods of Les Quartiers du Canal: Griffintown, Little Burgundy and one of the coolest kids on the block Saint-Henri. Here, Montréal’s startup community and artists set trends and make waves, but not everyone in these historic districts is just looking ahead—these upcoming hoods are also home to the Antiques Shopping District.

BON APPETIT!:

• It’s always time for munchies at Atwater Market—just look for the iconic clock tower!
• Food gets fine and flirty at Foxy (while you're there, check out espace | MTL the city’s flagship store of the iconic brand Ciele Athletics!)
• Embrace Montréal’s diner past at Greenspot Restaurant, open since 1947 and Paul Patates, famous for its poutine since 1958 (located in Pointe-Saint-Charles).
• Brunch it up at Perles et Paddock (with unbeatable boozy options too).
• The unique tastes of Lebanon come alive and on-point at Sumac.
• Recharge at the namesake Saint-Henri café.
• Indulge in a multi-course meal at the stylish Foiegwa bistro.

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve's working class history brought these twinned districts some of the city’s biggest, most relaxing park spaces. Now, its blend of open natural refuges and thriving high streets is a meeting point between hipster hangouts and old school Montréal charm—with the arching Olympic Stadium towering over the district. Up-and-coming Hochelag is the place to be.

MEET US IN THE PARK:

• Join the cross-country skiers, skaters and snowmen in mammoth Parc Maisonneuve.
• Sniff the blossoms in the Botanical Garden's greenhouses.
• Explore the world’s diverse biospheres at Biodôme.
• Be thankful for the protective glass between you and the specimens at the Insectarium. 😱

WHEN HUNGER STRIKES:

• The stately Maisonneuve Market is the city’s third largest public market and well stocked.
• The Atomic Café turns back the clock to the space age 1960s (including some great throwback artwork from Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympics).
• Who says dinner for one can’t be romantic? Voila, État Major!
• Bakery fans rejoice at Arhoma! 
• Ride the third wave at Hélico Café Pâtisserie.
• Take your tastebuds skyward at Restaurant Hélicoptère.
• Gorge on the mouthwatering veggie options at Resto-Bar le Pick Up.
• Chat up a local over a fresh pie at Pizzeria Heirloom.
• Commemorate your Montréal visit permanently (or maybe with just a T-shirt) at Wolfgang Atelier.

Built from the land removed to make way for Montréal’s Métro, Parc Jean-Drapeau promises a winter wonderland smack dab in the waters of the St-Lawrence River. After hosting Expo67 (remnants of which are still visible in some pavilions, the Place des Nations and Habitat 67), these twin islands are also home to the Casino de Montréal and the epic Espace 67 where several of the year’s biggest festivals take place. Take a walk through the forested areas keeping an eye out for local animal life, and don’t forget that final #mtlmoments selfie with the backdrop of Montréal’s glittering skyline across the water.