Montreal
BIENVENUE!
The largest city in Quebec and second largest city in Canada known for its European charm.
WHERE WE STAYED
Le Mount Stephen, a luxury boutique hotel and Michelin key holder, located in the Golden Square Mile District and housed in an 1880 neo-renaissance mansion originally built for Lord George Stephen (the first President of the Canadian Pacific Railway).
WHERE WE ATE & DRANK
Bar George, the restaurant and bar inside Le Mount Stephen, focuses on classic British cooking using local and seasonal ingredients.
Joe Beef, the famous Montreal restaurant serving classic french cuisine in a relaxed and rustic atmosphere with high quality service and unapologetic portions.
St Viateur Bagel Shop, the original bagel shop in Montreal baking hand-rolled and wood-fired bagels since 1957.
Beba, an intimate restaurant melding the flavors of Spain, Italy and Argentina by two brothers.
Elena, a contemporary Italian restaurants serving sourdough wood-fired pizza, homemade pasta and natural wines.
✈ If you’re visiting in the summer, request to sit on the patio.
Moccione, a charming Italian restaurant serving seasonal dishes and handmade pastas.
Cloakroom Bar, number one on Canada’s 100 best bars list and number 56 on the world’s best bars list, this 25 seat speakeasy features rare and vintage spirits.
Bar St-Denis, a stylish 70-seat art deco cocktail bar serving bites inspired by French and Lebanese cuisines.
Damas, a Syrian restaurant rooted in traditional dishes blended with the ingredients of Montreal set in a space filled with red booths, glass lanterns, intricate tile work and warmth.
OUR ITINERARY
DAY ONE: After a quick flight from Chicago, we arrived and checked into our hotel. Since we traveled for our birthdays, we decided to grab a seat at the hotel bar, Bar George, for some caviar and cocktails to celebrate. Then we decided to take a stroll around our neighborhood and of course, stop for a coffee. After exploring a bit, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Moccione.
DAY TWO: This was a free day in terms of having no scheduled plans, so we headed down to the waterfront and Place Jacques-Cartier to walk around the historic town square. This area is lined with street performers, restaurant terraces and cafes. We spent the afternoon going into boutiques, enjoying the beautiful weather and stopping for a glass of wine and snack. Post exploration, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Elena. This neighborhood pizzeria has a lovely patio that feels as if you are eating in someone’s backyard.
DAY THREE: Our favorite day by far - we spent all afternoon at Bota Bota, which is a floating spa located in the Old Port. We enjoyed a massage, facial, and lunch; filling our time with laying out on the deck chairs, dipping in the pools (water circuit), and the sauna. Afterwards we felt relaxed and refreshed! For dinner that evening we headed to Beba and dined at the bar.
DAY FOUR: After a bit of afternoon shopping, exploring, and a lunch not worth mentioning, we took the 90 minute La Bateau Mouche River Cruise for a little waterfront site-seeing. As Chicagoans, we love the architectural boat tour in the summer, so this was right up our alley! That evening we had dinner at the famous restaurant, Joe Beef in the Little Burgundy neighborhood. We started off the meal with dirty martinis and escargot and in classic Mark & Rebecca fashion, over-ordered because we had to try everything. This restaurant is a must visit when in Montreal (if you like french food).
DAY FIVE: For our last day in Montreal we explored the Jean Talon Market. It was sunny and perfect for kiosk hopping and enjoying a cocktail in the sun. We always love to walk around local markets when we travel - marveling at the produce and wishing we lived nearby. For our last meal, we had dinner at Damas and enjoyed middle eastern cuisine and wine, with a cheers to our vacation and future returns to Montreal.
DAY SIX: We ate breakfast in the hotel, Bar George, checked out and flew home.