Decided spur of the moment to go away for the holiday weekend. Have about 2.5 days to sightsee in Montreal. Staying at the Crowne Plaza in the Latin Quarter (made a successful bid through Priceline for $60 per night). Have read a lot of Fodorite reviews that this hotel is fine and that the area is very nice. Arriving at Dorval in the early evening -- what is the best way to get to the hotel -- I've read about a bus from the airport that is $20 CDN roundtrip, but don't know if it will get me close to the hotel. Would it be better to take a cab?<BR><BR>Haven't been to Montreal in 20 years. So, what would be your recommendations for the best cafes/restaurants to eat in -- looking for fun and casual places, and also some places for breakfast. Am game for anything but sushi.<BR><BR>Being that this trip is totally unplanned, what would be the best museums to go to? Is the museum pass worth the money, or should I just pay as I go? Plan on exploring Old Montreal and going to Notre Dame -- anything else that I should make sure to see, or would I just be better off walking and taking in the atmosphere?<BR><BR>Recommendations for evening activities are welcome. My boss recommended the jazz club, Upstairs, which I understand is downstairs and think it is in the area of the hotel.<BR><BR>Also, I understand that there is a Jewish neighborhood in Montreal that is worth exploring, and a very old bagel shop that is worth stopping into. Any ideas about the name of this shop and where it is?<BR><BR>Thanks, I promise to start doing my research as soon as the Department of Tourism sends me some brochures, but I just decided to do this last night.<BR><BR>

The bagel shop is St-Viateur bagel. (Rue St-Viateur, near Avenue du Parc)

The Montreal of Duddy Kravitz has about disappeared. In the early 1900s, Jewish immigrants settled in the area on St-Laurent/St-Urbain between Ste-Catherine and Fairmount. However, later generations moved to suburbs such as C&ocirc;te-St-Luc. Today, this is a multi-ethnic area. However, there is a sizeable Hassidic community in Outremont, just west of there.<BR><BR>There remains only a few Jewish landmarks such as Schwartz's on St-Laurent, St-Viateur Bagel on St-Viateur and Beauty's on St-Urbain (corner Mont-Royal), which is still a great place for breakfast. A few blocks east (towards St-Denis) is "Le Plateau" a large hip area, full of restaurants, bars and interesting boutiques.<BR><BR>The bus terminal from the airport will leave you at a $10 taxi ride from the Crowne Plaza. Given that the taxi fare from Dorval is a $29 flat fee, you might as well take a taxi all the way from the airport.<BR><BR>Excellent, but casual places to eat:<BR><BR>Le Petit Extra: 1690 Ontario est<BR>L'Express: 3927 St-Denis<BR>L'entrec&ocirc;te St-Jean: 2022 Peel<BR><BR>Another good jazz place: Biddle (2060 Aylmer)<BR>

The Crowne Plaza is in a very nice part of the city, a few blocks from the skyscrapers of downtown, and very near St. Denis and St. Laurent. Just behind the hotel on Cherrier is one of the best French bistros in Montreal - Cafe Cherrier. Stroll up the hill away from Sherbrooke about 4 blocks on one of the residential streets ( a very pleasant neighborhood), until you come to Duluth. Duluth is lined with interesting, casual byob restaurants of every description. Enjoy! As for museums, the Museum of Fine Arts is a world class art museum on Crescent St. There are several smaller historical buildings in Old Montreal. I wouldn't say that museums are one of Montreal's strong points, however. The Botanical Gardens near the Olympic Park are not to be missed!

Have a cab take you up St. Denis St. The top is the Plateau Mont Royal area others are talking about. It's okay, mainly shops and restaurants but there are good places to eat all along that area and on St. Denis. St. Laurent is a block of two west of Denis (parallel), It is also hip and fun.<BR><BR>The old port is nice, if you go to that Bagel place, Parc is fun. There is the Cinema du Parc-Independent Movies from all over the world in the underground mall across from the Second Cup. There is a guide at the Second Cup. The underground shop is underneath the Marriot.<BR><BR>Also great Belgian Chocolat shop across from Second Cup. Parc is a wonderful area, I think they call this area Milton-Parc. Every kind of food is good in Montreal except for pricey French restaurants. There is a difference between French and Quebecois.<BR><BR>Have fun.<BR><BR>

Thanks so much for the replies thus far. Lots of good ideas for me. Found out that the Crowne Plaza has a free shuttle and will take me anywhere within a 12 mile radius of the hotel, so I guess I won't need a cab to get to the top of St. Denis.<BR><BR>By the way, my parents have told me that both Montreal and Toronto have the absolute best Chinese restaurants in North America (even better than San Francisco), so I'd appreciate your suggestions for great Chinese restaurants -- even ones with buffets so that I can sample a variety of things, and is there one for dim sum (might be a good idea for breakfast one morning).<BR><BR>Also, anywhere else that is special for breakfast (other than Beauty -- I'll get there too), and what about pastry shops/coffee bars? I'll definitely get to St-Viateur Bagel and bring back some bagels. A friend of mine brought me back bagels from St-Viateur about 2 years ago.<BR><BR>And, I will certainly go to Cafe Cherrier, and at least one other of Louis recommendations.<BR><BR>I'm so glad that there are good suggestions for jazz clubs -- Upstairs and Biddle. Maybe I'll take in a movie on the third night.<BR><BR>I love chocolate, so I will also get to the shop across from the Second Cup. Is the Second Cup a good place to go for coffee?<BR><BR>Again, thanks so much. I will definitely print out this thread and take it with me. And, if anyone needs any information or suggestions about Bostonn, please ask -- I work in the city!

The Second Cup is a chain but that one is nice. They do have a lot of students so the music is French and they used to have big chairs shaped like hands. I think those are gone now because people hung out there too much. However it's a nice one, they are all a little different. It's nice and the neighborhood is quiet and friendly. yes the coffee is very good and very strong as the Cinema is open late. People may disagree with me about Second Cup but each IS different. Montreal coffee in general is very good.<BR><BR>I have heard the Chinese restaurants are good on St. Denis and St. Laurent. I have only had Chinese in Chinatown and it was not the best. But then I ate at the Holiday Inn-it was airconditioned. It wasn't bad, only the buffet was mostly American food. St. Denis has lots of restaurants, more than any other place. St. Laurent also has one<BR>that one is open 24 hours and is okay. It's also right next to the Bank of Nova Scotia which has no exchange fee. That part of St. Laurent is a couple blocks East of the Second Cup on ave. du parc. Get a really good map of Montreal.<BR><BR>You should be able to see the best parts of Montreal with a quick trip to the St. Denis/St. Laurent area (go all the way up), the Old Port Waterfront, and maybe a quick trip to downtown to a Museum on Sherbrooke. If there is a festival or something else going on Downtown you may prefer to go to that if the Museum (Beaux-Arts-Fine Arts) does not have an interesting exposition. Check tourism-montreal.org. Ask your hotel front desk as well, they are great with directions and local events and know everything. I find the front desk knows more than the Concierge and are less busy with questions.<BR><BR>You may think you've seen it all on St. Denis and St. Laurent (warning the traffic just stops on weekends-you will have to walk at some points are wait patiently), because there are so many shops crammed together and people, but it keeps going all the way up to maybe Laurier? You can see on the map where the Plateau Mont Royal area ends. Each area of the city is written in bold. There once was an Italian section in that area and to the East but it's mostly gone now to the suburbs, still there are few Italian cafes, but that's too far away. If you start to see a lot of signs in Italian then you've gone too far.<BR><BR>Friendly cab drivers (truly friendly) are willing to take you on short tours. You may want to go somewhere that requires extensive driving, they are trustworthy.<BR><BR>Have fun, and review some Chinese restaurants when you get back.<BR><BR>

Outstanding Chinese restaurant: Le Piment Rouge (Peel & Cypress, across from Dorchester Square). A bit expensive, but worth every $.

Louis, you are becoming my hero. Do you live in Montreal?

Leslie, there is a very nice Chinatown in Montreal on St. Laurent below St. Catherine. It can be walked from your hotel in about 1/2 hour if you are a walker (walking in Montreal is half the fun). We have had lunch at the Crystal Saigon, a no frills local luncheonette type place in the heart of Chinatown on St. Laurent that serves some great Vietnamese soups. I would also advise walking up St. Denis from your hotel, as the whole street is very lively and interesting - you'll miss half the experience if you take a cab.

Leslie:<BR><BR>Yes I live in Montreal. Been here all my life (50 years). I understand you live in Boston. We go there quite often, as my son in a grad student at MIT. He lives in Cambrideport. We do like Boston a lot.