Hubby and I are spending two nights at the Marriott Chateau Champlain in October for our anniversary WITHOUT our 6 yr old. Yipee!!! We're driving, but plan to park the car and get around by foot or metro for the weekend.

We love old buildings, leisurely shopping (as opposed to power shopping. That I do with my girlfriends!), nice, slow dinners with good wine, maybe a museum, especially if the weather is cold and/or rainy, people watching over a nice bottle of wine.

I've been to Montreal once, probably 20 years ago and don't feel the need to see the Olympic stadium or the Biodome again. It's our anniversary and we don't want to "run" all weekend. Just get a good flavor of the city, relax and enjoy each other. I'm thinking an afternoon in Vieux Montreal. We don't mind touristy as long as it's not "kitchy". Is it kitchy? And if we can stay awake late enough, it might even be fun to try a little night life. Nothing too raucous, but someplace where two 40-somthings won't feel like everyone's grandparents.

Suggestions?

Thanks so much!

Sounds dreamy; I can so see you having a glass of wine in the lobby of the Nelligan on one of the couches, their lobby is their bar area; they put out cheese and crackers.

There is some fun shopping on st paul street; just to situate you, get dropped off at the corner of st paul and st sulpice; the nelligan is on one corner. There's a row of galleries between st sulpice and st laurent, a designer accessories shop, a great book store, a kitchen shop , all amidst 7 great art galleries.

That's my first suggestion for your afternoon in the vieux.

Oooo, that sounds right up our alley. Nice galleries, book stores, and shops. Doesn't sound kitchy at all! LOL

From what I've read, Vieux Montreal is about a 10 min metro ride from the Marriott. Will the stop be right in or near the Vieux? Or would a cab from the hotel be a better bet? I think we'll plan that for Sat afternoon.

I think we should be arriving in town around 2 - 3PM on Friday so we may do a bit of exploring on foot right around the hotel and then get some dinner. Any suggestions for a nice restaurant near the Marriott Chateau Champlain for dinner Fri night?

You are centrally located so you could walk to old montreal in 20 minutes or it's a 7$ cab ride.

For friday night, Guy & Dodo restaurant would be my suggestion, it's cozy and elegant, no need to dress up, the website is www.guydodo.com if you want to have a look.
It's accessible from les Cours Mt Royal, which is the start of the

If you want something else, there are lots to pick from so you can specify and I'll suggest others.

mitchdesi, thanks so much for all your help!

Cozy and elegant sounds good. We like classy, but not stuffy. We do dress nicely to go out for dinner, but certainly not cocktail gowns or anything like that. Probably a skirt or slacks and a blouse or light sweater for me and slacks and a light sweater or polo shirt for DH. Would that be acceptable at most nice restaurants? We also like quiet, no kids (we've left ours at home!). Guy and Dodo looks nice. We like seafood, italian and good wine. And DH loves his steak. Does that help narrow it down?

Would one of the BYOB restaurants be a good option for either evening? Are they mostly in one area of town or interspersed throughout the city? Are there upscale BYOB's or are they for the most part burgers and simple fare?

So many questions!

I had a great Italian meal off of St-Denis and... Rue Duluth I believe, but the last I heard the restaurant had a fire, so they've been closed. I seem to recall lots of BYOB in the area. It was definitely not pub food, but it wasn't haute cuisine either - the perfect balance.

I was going to say though, be sure to stroll up St-Denis for more of a local leisurely shopping/restaurant district. St-Laurent is also good.

Hmmm . . . here's a random thought. Would it be worthwhile to bring our bikes along with us? First, do you think the Marriott Chateau Champlain will have storage or can we keep them in our room? Second, are there good bike trails between the hotel and in and around the areas we'd like to vist (Vieaux Montreal). Or should we leave them home?

Maybe wine and people watching doesn't go with biking? You think? LOL

For a museum in Old Montreal you might try the Chateau Ramezay, built in 1705 as a residence for the governor of Montreal.
It has a nice garden in back to explore even if you don't want to tour the museum.
http://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/eng/nouvelles.htm

The archeology museum Pointe a Calliere is also very interesting.

You'll probably want to at least wander into Notre Dame (basilica).

there is a good view of the port area from the tower of Notre Dame de Bonsecours Chapel (the "sailor's church&quot

It is an easy Metro ride from the Marriott to the area of Old Montreal (Place d'Armes or champs de Mars stop). If you buy strips of 6 tickets it is about $2/ride so you can compare that to the cost of a taxi)

We just got back from our 20th trip to Montreal. Yes, there are many good to excellent (it's hard to find a bad one) byob restaurants in the city, particularly in the Plateau area, with a string of them on Duluth. Many of them are ethnic - Greek, Italian, Thai, etc. If you are going to be there for a few days, you may consider bringing your bikes. You can easily get from one end of the city to the other on bikes, and it's the way to go for many locals. The free tourist maps given out at the hotels now show many of the bike paths. I don't know what the deal is as far as storage in the big hotels, since we usually do b&b's where bikes can be left in the back yard.

I actually like the Vieux Montreal Museum. Walk about otherwise. If the Lantern Festival is up at the Botanical Garden -go!

BTW~Check out Garde Manger as a place to eat. We are 50 somethings and felt "among the young" when dining there.

Thanks everyone! These are some great ideas. I'm going to print this whole thread and bring it with us! I'll be sure to post a trip report when we return.

Anyone else care to throw their 2 cents in?

Last chance! We leave Friday morning. LOL I can't wait for a few days with DH exploring the city. And it looks like the weather is going to be nice too.

Anyone else care to add comments?

Lunch atop the archeology museum Pointe a Calliere is divine. Have fun.

I recommend going to Olive et Gourmando on St-Paul on Saturday for the most delicious sandwiches and coffee in town. It's walkable distance from your hotel. It's on the historic part of St-Paul and is a sure hit! http://www.oliveetgourmando.com/index_flash.cfm