Montreal City Guide
Our
Montréal.
We've called Mile End home since 2013. This is our Montréal: old favourites, newer discoveries, neighbourhood institutions, and a few good friends. No definitive rankings. Just places we'd happily send you.
Eat & Drink
Beauty’s
A Montréal breakfast institution since 1942. Go for the classics, the bustle, and a proper old-school diner experience.
Noren
A tiny Japanese counter on Rachel. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and not much room to overthink your order.
Larrys / Lawrence
Local ingredients with a seasonally changing menu. Coffee, wine & small plates. One of our regular stops, run by friends of the shop.
Renzo Sandwich
A sandwich worth planning lunch around. Even better when you know the people making it.
Le Violon
Both Michelin and neighbourhood approved. Danny Smiles and team are great restaurateurs, even greater people.
Mano Cornuto
Eat more pasta. Italian food with plenty of personality. Run by friends, and they might have the best merch in the game.
Alma
An easy place to settle in for a great dinner and another glass.
Réservoir
A neighbourhood favourite for a drink that turns into dinner.
Park
Special-occasion sushi, straight from Japan. Friends of the shop, Antonio is #1.
McKiernan
Big room, good food, and the kind of meal that doesn't need to end quickly.
Le Vin Papillon
Vegetables get their moment, wine gets its due, and everybody wins.
Mon Lapin
A place where it's best to let the kitchen take the lead. One of the best rated restos in the country.
Garde Manger
A lively Old Port dinner with our pal Chuck Hughes and company. Good friends, good nights. Doesn't get much better than this.
Cadet
Small shared plates, good wine, and plenty of reasons to order one more thing.
Cabaret l'Enfer
A restaurant that takes its cooking seriously without taking itself too seriously. Chef Massimo is punk rock and a great dude.
Kitano Shokudo
Hiroshi's place. The sort of spot we'd recommend even if he weren't a friend.
Montréal Plaza
Playful, ambitious cooking. A meal that's never short on surprises.
Au Pied de Cochon
Rich, loud, and unmistakably Montréal. Come hungry, leave in a food coma.
L'Express
A classic for a reason. Sit at the bar, order something French, and don't rush.
Nora Gray
Italian-inspired cooking and the kind of room that makes dinner feel like an occasion.
Gia Gia Gia
A lively option when dinner should feel like going out, not just eating.
Chou Chou
On our shortlist for a closer look. Details to confirm before publication.
Quick Bites
Fairmount Bagel
One half of the neighbourhood's longest-running argument. Best eaten warm.
St-Viateur Bagel
The other half. We suggest trying both and keeping your verdict to yourself.
Lloydie's
Caribbean comfort food that hits the spot when a sandwich won't do. Get a Beef Patty.
Falafel Yoni
A very good falafel, no elaborate plan required.
Pizza Bouquet
A slice, a quick stop, and you're on your way. Unless you go back for another.
Schwartz's Deli
Smoked meat, pickles, and a line that's practically part of the experience.
Ma Poule Mouillée
Portuguese chicken and generous portions. Bring an appetite, and get the poutine.
Maison Kam Fung
Dim sum is better with a table full of people. Order accordingly.
Dobe & Andy
Chinese barbecue and a quick game of NBA Jam.
Wilensky's Light Lunch
A tiny counter and a sandwich with its own rules. A proper Mile End institution.
Drogheria Fine
A little window, gnocchi, and a remarkably efficient lunch plan.
Kem CoBa
Ice cream worth taking a detour for. But you won't be because it's beside CSM.
Pizza Toni
A dependable answer when the question is pizza.
Lester's Deli
Old-school deli energy, with the classics exactly where you want them.
Coffee & Bakeries
Café Névé
A Plateau coffee stop on Rachel. Good espresso, excellent cookies.
Café Olimpico
Espresso, soccer, and a terrace that has seen it all. Some things don't need changing.
Club Social
A neighbourhood coffee stop where lingering is part of the point.
Butterblume
Coffee and something good from the kitchen, in a room worth sitting down in.
Fame Coffee
Right across the street. Grab a cup and come see us.
Café in Gamba
Good coffee and a useful place to reset between stops.
Café Alphabet
Greek coffee instagram celebrities. Very much worth the hype.
Boulangerie Guillaume
Bread, pastries, and the usual problem of buying more than you planned.
Bernie Beigne
Doughnuts. That's already a pretty convincing argument.
Independent Shops
Clark Street Mercantile
Our home on Clark Street since 2013. Clothes, objects, good conversations. Come say hello.
Style LABO
Furniture and vintage design pieces worth spending time with.
Livestock
A stop for sneakers, streetwear and the things you read about on the blogs.
Boutique Archive
Sébastien's a friend of the shop and is the nicest. Always worth a stop in.
Palmo Goods
Good objects and good people. Another friend we're happy to point you toward.
Boutique Unicorn
Independent women's fashion with a point of view.
Rooney
A considered selection for people who like looking good, great roster of brands.
Nota Bene
Paper, pens, and the pleasure of a proper stationery shop.
Paperole
Prints, illustration, and more nice things you'll really love.
Marché Saint-Laurent
Perfect for a café and a souvenir you actually will love. Say bonjour to Florence for us.
Books & Records
Joie de Livres
A bookshop to browse slowly. A stonesthrow from CSM.
Drawn & Quarterly
Books, comics, and plenty of good reasons to leave with a stack.
Aux 33 Tours
For people who still enjoy the hunt through the record bins. They have it all here.
Phonopolis
A proper record shop. Go looking for one thing; leave with something else.
L'Oblique
A longtime independent record stop, with lots to discover.
Cheap Thrills
A Montréal record-store institution. Dig in.
Sonorama
Another stop for the record-store route. Bring some time.
CCA Bookstore
Architecture, art, and design books worth making room for.
Le Port de tête
A proper independent bookstore. The kind where browsing is the whole point.
Maktaba
Books and ideas with a distinct point of view.
See & Do
Restaurant Île de France – Le 9e
A remarkable restored dining room above the city. Come for the architecture; stay for a meal.
Cinéma Moderne
A small independent cinema in Mile End. A very good rainy-day plan, and the coffee is good too.
Cinéma du Parc
Independent films and repertory screenings. A reminder that a night at the movies can still feel special. An Institution.
Canadian Centre for Architecture
Exhibitions that make you look at buildings, cities, and everyday life a little differently.
PHI
Art and moving-image experiences that reward curiosity.
Musée d'art contemporain
Contemporary art with a Montréal perspective. Check current exhibitions and location before visiting.
Marché Jean-Talon
Go hungry, browse the stalls, and buy something you didn't know you needed.
Marché Atwater
A market visit with the canal close by. A solid way to spend a morning.
Parc du Mont-Royal
Yes, the obvious one. Still worth the climb.
Parc La Fontaine
A good place to do absolutely nothing for a while. Maybe while enjoying a poutine...
Lachine Canal
Walk, ride, or sit by the water. No reservation required.
Where to Stay
Hôtel William Gray
A polished base in Old Montréal, with plenty within walking distance.
Auberge du Vieux-Port
Old Montréal character, close to the waterfront.
Hôtel Nelligan
A classic choice for staying in the old city.
M11
Apart-hotel in the Mile End. One of the only hotel options in our hood.
W Montréal
A downtown base for anyone who likes a little energy in the lobby.
Le Mount Stephen
Historic architecture and a more dressed-up stay. Classy and very old-MTL.
Hôtel Le Germain Montréal
Comfortable, considered, and well placed for exploring downtown.
