Things to do in Montreal, splurging
Notre-Dame, the Beaux-Arts, Jean-Talon market, lunch at Europea, wine at Le Vin Papillon.
This is Montreal for people who eat and drink well at home and want to do better here. The three days move from the cobblestones and grand interiors of Old Montreal through the Golden Square Mile's museum and grand-cuisine landmark, and up into the neighbourhood energy of Little Italy and Mile End. Expect long lunches, late wine bars and very little time wasted.
Day 1: Old Montreal at full stretch
Stone streets, a jaw-dropping Neo-Gothic basilica, archaeology underground, a destination Italian lunch and a French dinner rounded out by natural wine in Little Burgundy.
- 9:30 AM
Olive et Gourmando
Beloved Old Montreal café, grab a great coffee and a pastry before hitting the streets.
Map - 10:15 AM
Basilique Notre-Dame
Deep-blue and gold Gothic Revival interior; entry is ticketed, so book a time slot online.
Map - 12:30 PM
Marcella
Italian lunch in Old Montreal, a few steps from the basilica: fresh pasta and an Italian glass.
Map - 2:00 PM
Pointe-à-Callière: Pavillon de l'Ancienne-Douane
Archaeology museum on the exact site of Montreal's founding, genuinely impressive underground ruins.
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
Le Vin Papillon
Joe Beef's wine bar on Notre-Dame: vegetable-first small plates and a natural-leaning list.
Map
Day 2: Golden Square Mile, done properly
A design-forward coffee start, Jérôme Ferrer's Europea for a grand French lunch, an afternoon in one of the best art museums in Canada, then cocktails and an Italian dinner downtown.
- 9:30 AM
OSMO X MARUSAN Café-Terrasse
Bright café with a terrace for a specialty pour-over before the walk down to the Golden Square Mile.
Map - 10:30 AM
Square Phillips
Downtown square with Edward VII's statue, framed by the old Birks building and Christ Church Cathedral.
Map - 12:30 PM
Restaurant Jérôme Ferrer - Europea
Jérôme Ferrer's Europea is an acclaimed landmark of French grand cuisine, the destination lunch the itinerary calls for.
Map - 2:30 PM
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
World-class collection spanning Old Masters to contemporary Canadian art, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is a genuine destination.
Map - 7:30 PM
Café Il Cortile
Hidden courtyard trattoria off Sherbrooke: pasta and veal under the trees, a calm downtown dinner.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 3: Little Italy and Mile End
Impasto for a serious midday Italian, Jean-Talon market for local cheese and produce, then Birbante and a nightcap at ALMA with some of the best natural wine in the city.
- 9:30 AM
Café Olimpico
Mile End's Italian espresso bar, family-run since 1970: a cappuccino at the counter with the regulars.
Map - 10:15 AM
- 12:30 PM
Impasto
Impasto is a top-rated Little Italy institution, bold Italian cooking worth every visit.
Map - 2:30 PM
Marché Jean Talon
Marché Jean-Talon is the best market in Montreal, browse the stalls, pick up local cheeses and produce.
Map - 7:30 PM
Birbante
Mile End Italian for handmade pasta and a bottle from a mostly Italian list at a lively bar.
Map - 9:30 PM
ALMA
ALMA is a well-regarded wine bar close by, ideal nightcap with a great natural-wine list, well before midnight.
Map
Where to stay
The Ritz-Carlton Montreal
The Ritz-Carlton sits right in the Golden Square Mile, putting you within walking distance of every day-two stop and a short ride from everything else.
Le Mount Stephen
Le Mount Stephen is a converted Gilded Age mansion with serious design credentials and a bar worth drinking at before you even leave the building.
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