Montreal Hotel and Travel Advice
 

We are are going to Montreal for the first time in February! Debating Hotel Gault or Loews Vogue...both seem nice - not sure which to choose, if either. Which area is better for walking and poking around? Advice about where to stay and where to browse or what to do is greatly appreciated!

The Gault is in the Old City, the Vogue is downtown. Both areas are very nice, but since you are going in winter, the Vogue might be a better choice. Montreal can be unbelieveably cold in winter, and there is a lot more to see and do downtown, where you can go into the underground city if it gets too cold to walk the streets. The Old City will be beautiful with snow, but after a day or two there isn't much to do in the winter, and you'll need to catch a cab to get to the always busy downtown.

What about any other suggestions for places to stay. It's our first getaway from all three kidsin a long time - so a nice place. What about the St.Denis/Plateau area?

Nope.

No more hotel suggestions.

Those are fine places.Pick one.

If we told you more (and there are lots of good places) you'd get confused.

I'd pick the Vogue, forthe same rasons as Zootsi.

Now your next questions should be about food. At four meals a day, for several days, you'll have vast choices.

What do you like to eat?

Okay, onto food. We love a good coffee/pastry shop for breakfast, good for lingering. Lunch could be picnicing from a gourmet shop or simple and we'd love a couple of great dinner places. Not necc. fancy, but great food plus/minus interesting area. Of course, we'd also like to know where to walk ( I know t will be v. cold, right?) and shop and hang out with the paper...

Cold, unless it is ridiculous, is solved by going inside to have a snack.

You can do this five or six times in a day.

When I lived in Montreal the Cafe Vienna chain was a great place for excellent coffee and pastries. The branch I frequented had a kitchen, too, so there were more breakfast items available.

Perhaps someone still in Montreal can provide some locations for you

Dining options in Montreal are overwhelming - it's hard to find a mediocre meal. If you are going to be downtown, a good lunch spot is Le Grand Comptoir on Square Phillips (right off St. Catherine)- a real French bistro, and quite inexpensive. If you like Italian, Hosteria Romana on Metcalf is a cozy place with strolling musicians. Crescent Street is lined with interesting places to eat and shop. As for coffe shops, the Second Cup is Montreal's version of Starbucks and they are found everywhere. As for the Plateau area - this neighborhood is the place to be for small cafes, eclectic shops, ethnic byob restaurants, etc. It is however quite spread out, and best explored on foot. For that reason, it may not be the best place to stay when it's 0 degrees f. However, if the day is nice, catch the Metro to the Sherbrooke or Mt. Royal stop and explore the area. Of course don't miss spending some time in the Old City, it's very charming.

Thanks, Zootsi and BAK. Those suggestions are helpful.. of course, the idea of snacking multiple times perday sounds just our speed. Any special nights out for dinner? Other activities we should try (or avoid)? And what about desserts? I have a big sweet tooth...

Agreed the Vogue is great choice. If you are into authentic Irish music go over to Rue Crescent and then to Hurley's Irish Pub. They have live music most every night and it is always good. The food there is pretty good too, and the Guinness is always tasty as well. It is a very fun place and nice and toasty on a cold winter night. One note, music usually does not start until about 9pm or so.

There is a very good pizza joint on Rue Crescent close to the Hard Rock Cafe (I assume it still there) that has excellent wood fired pizza but I do not recall the name.

Forget to mention that Rue Crescent and the places I mentioned are all within walking distance of Vogue, regardless of cold or not.

ttt so I can find this again.

When in February will you be coming to Montreal? There is the "Montréal en Lumière" Festival from 16 - 26 February that you may want to check out. Here's a link to see if anything interests you: http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/indexEn.php

I'm sure you will NOT be disappointed with Hotel Vogue! It is where a good number of the Formula 1 race car drivers, team managers, and other important F1 people stay while in Montreal for the annual Grand Prix.

As for food: there's no shortage of places to eat here and there's all kinds of ethnic choices if you want to try something new. For a fantastic, mind-numbingly great steak or filet mignon, you must try "Queue de Cheval" on the corner of Drummond St. and Rene-Levesque Blvd. It's walking distance from Hotel Vogue (one and a half blocks south and one block east), but if it's really cold you can hop in a cab and pay $5-6 CAD to get there cozily.

Have fun!

For the BEST coffee in town, absolutely scrumptious pastries (with real Varlhone chocolate) and delicious sandwiches, don't miss Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal. You won't regret it ! http://www.oliveetgourmando.com
If visiting the Plateau, I really recommend La Brunoise for supper (added bonus is a walk in the nearby Parc Lafontaine, snowy white skating rink surrounded with tress filled with lights!)http://brunoise.ca/

Brunoise!
Had our best meal there during a 3-night long weekend trip last year. Great food, excellent service and we can't wait to return.

The pizza restaurant is called La Pizzaolle - it's on Crescent St. There are so many good restaurants in Montreal. You have to go to Schwartz for smoked meat sandwiches. It is a classic Montreal experience. Legendary. The place is a dump but it is well-known and is widely considered the best smoked meat in Montreal (and therefore in all of Canada). It's on St.Laurent street (or The Main). There's always a line-up but it's worth it. Also, best bagels in town at St.Viateur Bagels (on St-Viateur street).

Thanks for all the ideas! We have Fri. night res. at Brunoise. It seems as though most places are closed on Mondays...what to do for dinner then? Also, what about L'Express, Joe Beef, Le Chou...we have four nights and needs lots of snacks, lunches, and coffees!

Pizzaiolle, with three locations, is no longer on Crescent. The Crescent restaurant has moved to the foot of McGill Street at rue d'Youville (where Union Station/Once Upon A Time used to be).

Joe Beef had an excellent review in the local paper on the weekend. You will need to reserve at least a week in advance. JQ

Another good place for lunch is Reuben's on St-Catherine Street. When you're out shopping, this is a great place to go to get out of the cold. Order a hearty Reuben's sandwich. Smoked meat is also good here.

Definitely l'Express! It has an authentic French bistro feel, and the confit de canard en salade is diviiiiiiiiiiiiine! :)

Bill_boy, so glad you enjoyed La Brunoise. I keep saying that it is one of the best in town... The owner really should stard giving me a discount! :) Strauss, you won't regret it!