Leslie

I just returned from spending 3 nights at the Crowne Plaza at the corner of Sherbrooke and Berri in the Latin Quarter, and I must say that I had a wonderful experience at this hotel. The hotel is away from the noise and the traffic of the downtown area, and it is located right next to a metro stop and across the street from a bus stop. One block away from the hotel is Rue Denis, where there are many quaint shops and wonderful restaurants. The neighborhood the hotel is in is very pleasant and safe to walk in at night.<BR><BR>Actually got this hotel through Priceline, for $67 USD per night, and the service was excellent. The room I had on the 21st floor was very spacious with a queen-sized bed, 27" color TV, large bathroom, nice linens, extra pillows, coffee pot, candy dish full of hard candy, nice little amenities in the bathroom, blow dryer, and iron and ironing board. A newspaper was delivered to the room each morning. There is also an indoor pool and sauna at this hotel. There is also an ATM machine in the hotel lobby.<BR><BR>The people working at the reception desk were very pleasant and helpful, and the concierge, Christian, was delightful. He gave excellent directions to all of the sites, and also excellent restaurant recommendations. He also gave me a complimentary pass for the metro and buses for the weekend -- which was worth $14.<BR><BR>I used the airport bus to get from Dorval Airport to the hotel, and that trip took about 40 minutes, but it was a bargain at $20 CDN roundtrip ($11 one-way). The flat fee for a cab is $28.<BR><BR>Had dinner the first two nights at the Chez Cherrier at the corner of Rue Denis and Rue Cherrier; and dinner on the third night at Ristorante Lombardie at the corner of Rue Duluth and Rue Denis (get there early, there was a line at least 40 deep the first two nights I passed by the restaurant, and one as deep the night that I left the restaurant). Had breakfast at Chez Cora, which is a delightful breakfast spot with an enormous menu on St. Laurent near Sherbrooke. Also had a wonderful smoked meet sandwich at Reuben's on St. Catherine's -- go hungry, the sandwiches are enormous.<BR><BR>Anyway, had a wonderful time in Montreal -- its the perfect get away for 3 days. Thanks to everyone that gave me advice for this trip.

zootsi

Nice report on one of my favorite parts of Montreal. We have never actually stayed at the Crowne Plaza, but know the are very well. We will try the Plaza next time we go up, especially at $67 a night! Lombardi's on Duluth is also one of our favorites, along with Eduardo's right across the street.

Leslie

zootsi, did you try the fried cheesecake at Lombardie's? I've never had a dessert like it -- a slice of cheesecake deep fried like fried ice cream or fried mozzarella sticks. Warm and crunchy on the outside, smooth and creamy on the inside, and topped with a scoop of the creamiest vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce and sliced fresh strawberries. Never had anything like it before. Dinner was absolutely awesome (veal in a red sauce with anchovies and olives), but this dessert was to die for. I swear I had gone to heaven.

kate

OMG Leslie! that sounds so bad for you and so good! <BR>We are hopefully going back to Montreal this October. I will be on the lookout for Fried Cheesecake...I can just see the look on my husbands face when I ask for that! LOL~<BR>

Leslie

Kate, Lombardie's is a BYOW restaurant -- there's a liquor store across the street. Get there by 6:30pm, or be prepared to stand on line for an hour. There is also a fixed price menu -- starter, entree, and coffee for about $16. Going ala carte is not much more expensive.<BR><BR>Also had dinner at Chez Cherrier at the corner of Rue Denis and Rue Cherrier -- very nice bistro -- had broiled salmon topped with goat cheese. Price was very reasonable, and the staff was very nice. This restaurant had regulars in it, not just tourists. Lombardie's also seemed to be a local's restaurant, with a few tourists. <BR><BR>Had breakfast at Chez Cora on St. Laurent near Sherbrooke, about a 10 block walk (down hill) from the Crowne Plaza. Delightful little place, with too many choices for breakfast. Had French toast topped with fruit -- must have been a pound of assorted melons and citrus on top of the French toast. And the orange juice was fresh squeezed, and the coffee cup was always full.<BR><BR>Also, had a smoked meat sandwich at Reuben's on St. Catherine -- go hungry, the sandwiches are enormous.<BR><BR>What is vacation for except to enjoy yourself -- I've gone back to eating salads and yogurt since I've returned.<BR><BR>My best guesstimate is that I spent about $50 CDN on all of that food, and that was over 3 days. Actually, don't worry about the calories, you'll be doing a lot of walking in Montreal.

kate

We usually eat out somewhere really nice a couple of times and then just casual locals places after that. My favorite "nice" places are Toque and Cafe Ferraire(sp) on Peel. Portugese seafood and a great atmosphere, you must make reservations a few days in advance!<BR>But now I will add Lombardies to my list, Thanks so much.<BR>Kate