Things to do in Montreal
Old stone, smoked meat, Plateau bistros and a cocktail bar worth staying up for.
This is a Montreal for people who eat first and sightsee second. You move through three distinct neighbourhoods over three days, spending money where it counts and keeping the rest casual. One proper splurge dinner, a couple of acclaimed spots, and enough time on foot to feel like you actually know the city.
Day 1: Old Montreal, stone to plate
Start with pastry and Gothic architecture, dig into real archaeology at Pointe-à-Callière, then earn a classic French dinner at Bonaparte and a nightcap cocktail at Knox.
- 9:30 AM
Olive et Gourmando
Old Montreal institution beloved by locals, grab a coffee and a pastry before hitting the streets.
Map - 10:30 AM
Basilique Notre-Dame
Basilique Notre-Dame is the landmark heart of Old Montreal, soaring Gothic interior, worth every minute.
Map - 12:30 PM
Arthur's Nosh Bar (Le Cathcart)
Arthur's counter in the Le Cathcart food hall: latkes, a schnitzel sandwich or a bagel with lox.
Map - 2:00 PM
Pointe-à-Callière: Pavillon de l'Ancienne-Douane
Pointe-à-Callière's Customs Pavilion digs into Montreal's founding layer, genuinely interesting archaeology right in Old Montreal.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurant Bonaparte
Old Montreal French classic in a stone townhouse: duck, lamb and a well-priced table d'hôte.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 2: Plateau days, Mile End nights
A slow neighbourhood morning around Square Saint-Louis and Parc Jeanne-Mance leads to Schwartz's at lunch and a properly good bistro dinner at Bouillon Albert, closing at Bar Henrietta.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Square Saint-Louis
Fountain square ringed by colourful Victorian row houses at the foot of Rue Prince-Arthur.
Map - 12:30 PM
Schwartz's Deli
Montreal smoked meat since 1928: order it medium-fat on rye with a pickle, and expect a line.
Map - 2:00 PM
Parc Jeanne-Mance
Wide lawns at the foot of Mount Royal; walk up the mountain from here if the legs allow.
Map - 7:30 PM
Bouillon Albert
Bouillon Albert is a buzzy French bistro on the Plateau, the one memorable dinner the day calls for.
Map - 9:30 PM
Bar Henrietta
Bar Henrietta in Mile End is a proper cocktail bar locals love, wrap the night here, well before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Little Italy and Jean-Talon market
The market anchors the morning, Chez Tousignant keeps lunch cheap and honest, and Parc Jarry buys you the appetite for Restaurant Parapluie, the quiet standout of the whole trip.
- 9:30 AM
Café Olimpico
Mile End's Italian espresso bar, family-run since 1970: a cappuccino at the counter with the regulars.
Map - 10:30 AM
Marché Jean Talon
Wander the stalls of Marché Jean Talon, Montreal's best open-air market for local produce, cheese and snacks.
Map - 12:30 PM
Chez Tousignant
Classic Little Italy diner steps from the market, honest, cheap and packed with locals.
Map - 2:00 PM
Parc Jarry
A proper afternoon stretch in Parc Jarry, big green space beloved by locals for a post-lunch walk.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurant Parapluie
The main table of the day and the best reason to be in this part of town, acclaimed French cooking done right.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel Le Germain Montreal
Le Germain sits between Old Montreal and the Plateau, close to both Day 1 and Day 2, at a price that matches the trip's value-over-flash tone.
Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection
Humaniti is a short walk from Old Montreal and well-placed for Day 1 dinners, with the design and service of a mid-range hotel that doesn't perform luxury it can't deliver.
Make Montreal your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal: weeks ahead
- Biodôme de Montréal: a few days ahead
- Bota Bota spa-sur-l'eau: a few days ahead
- Bell Centre: weeks ahead
- Club de golf de l'Île de Montréal: a few days ahead
- Rafting Montréal: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Old Montreal square-front restaurants on Place Jacques-Cartier, where you pay for the square, not the cooking.
- La Grande Roue Ferris wheel, a fine view you get better and free from Kondiaronk and the Oratory.
- The Underground City as an attraction. Walk it for function, not a sightseeing morning.
- Chain or airport poutine. The real dish needs squeaky curds from a casse-croute, diner or poutinerie.
The full Montreal travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around