We will have several days here on a comb. leisure/business trip and will be staying at the St. James and Sofitel. What are the must-sees for 3 full days in the winter? Also, is there a good bistro near the St. James for our first night when we will be exhausted? Thanks!

There's a million good restaurants in Montreal, so just ask at the hotel.

It's not like some cities where you hve to travel quite a way to eat well.

Must-sees vary by your interests, but overall, get to Old Montreal; walk along Sherbrooke near Guy; walk up St. Laurent from Sherbrooke.

BAK

Check out Holder's on McGill Street for a upscale brasserie, it's on the border of old montreal so should be good for your exhausted soiree.
You can walk downtown and see plenty of sites, Mont Royal (mountain on the north tip of the city) is very pretty to walk and to get a view of the city

It sounds like there are plenty of beautiful walks, just don't know about too much walking in January-I'm hoping it will at least make it up to the 30's F.

Not much chance of temperatures in the 30s in Montreal in January. The average high is 17F and low is 7F. You might hit an unusual January thaw, but I wouldn't count on it.

Yes, count on Montreal being cold in January! It is the coldest month of the year, very typically known for freezing weather and the infamous "wind-chill factor" (meaning the temperature it actually feels like with the wind). But please don't let it discourage you -- it is part of the frozen beauty of this city in the winter. Just dress warmly and keep ducking into cafes to warm up when it gets to be a little too much.

Also, just to echo rallen's comment, Holder restaurant on McGill Street is delicious. Definitely give it a try!

Thanks all and I'll be very happy to duck into cafes to warm up-hopefully, there are lots of them!