Montreal is a wonderful city with so many fun activities, great food, and amazing views! Montreal is also the home to the ever so growing Ice Dance Academy (formerly known as Gadbois). In this article, we will be sharing some of the recommendations given to us by ice dancer Lilah Fear who trains in Montreal. This article is a complementary piece to our Montreal Guide episode for Montreal Worlds 2020. We go more in-depth from what was discussed in the episode.... and by that we mean we will include addresses (which will be easier for you to copy and paste onto google maps 😂) and some commentary from your very own Montreal local™ from ITL. However, feel free to use this as a bookmark for any future Montreal trips outside of skating!
A few things to note before we start:
if a location is followed by three asterisks (***), that means that there are multiple locations… sometimes too many to name them all,
If a location is followed by one single asterisk (*), that means this location is the closest to the Bell Center when walking. We’ll usually add one of these if there are many locations listed in case you want to chose a location to go to for a quick snack or lunch during the competition!
Apologies in advance if this article seems long. We swear it isn’t! We just like switching to the next line a lot because we don’t want to smush all the location names, addresses, and extra commentary all in one line 😂
First off, coffee…
1. Campanelli
4634 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1S4
“It's Italian, it's family-run, and it's very charming and rustic and the coffee is fantastic! It’s more on the simple side so you wouldn’t go there for something elaborate but you can buy ground coffee there too!” — Lilah
2. Cafe Bazin
380 Victoria Ave, Westmount, H3Z 1C3
“It's small but very elegant, beautiful, bright and airy on the inside. They have a beautiful selection of pastries as well that they make right in front of you behind a glass case. The staff is so warm and friendly!” — Lilah
3. September
2471 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N6
“A favorite among the skaters.It's very hipster, artsy, it's a cool place to bring a book or laptop and work on weekends.” — Lilah
Cafe Olimpico***
124 St. Viateur Ouest, Montréal, H2T 2X8
419 Rue St. Vincent Montreal, H2Y 3A6
1333 Boul. Robert Bourassa Montreal, H3A 2A4 *
“The Mile-End (St-Viateur) location is the original. It has great coffee though I think my favorite part of this place is that they have a really good affogato!” — Gabb
360 St Jacques St, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2N1
“If you want to feel boujee, go here. This used to be the Royal Bank of Canada headquarters (built-in 1928) until it was renovated to be a cafe. The coffee is pretty good and there's good pastry foods to eat at the rink.” — Gabb
251 Rue Saint Viateur O, Montréal, H2V 4K6
65 Avenue Fairmount O, Montreal, H2T 2M3
5135 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal H4A 3M6
2051 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 1Z8
“Very cute cafe!! Plus, they sell plants!!!!! Sometimes they have deals on "if you buy xx we'll give you a complementary plant" I used to come here a lot when I was in college because their lattes are quite pretty. I had good priorities at the time.” — Gabb
Lili and Oli
2713 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H3J 1N9
200 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1T3
“Great place to grab pastries and coffee. I really like this place just because the ceiling is covered in hanging leaves which is a nice contrast to the snowy outdoors of winter.” — Gabb
2483 Centre St, Montreal, Quebec H3K 1J9
And then we brunch!
4. Barley
2613 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N9
“It's a cereal bar and it's so cool. The staff there are so wonderful and they have delicious lattes. This is the place you go if you want a beetroot latte or turmeric latte or a cereal latte. Also the brunch menu is very unique and delicious!“ — Lilah
“I originally went here because of Lilah! She posted about the Lilah Jo porridge on instagram (which, unfortunately, the first time we ordered it, it wasn’t in season, and then the second time it just didn’t exist anymore) but great variety of fun lattes and also really fun and good food choices for brunch. They have many gluten-free/vegan options too!! Lilah is right that this place is great!” — Gabb
351 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, H2Y 2A7
“It's amazing for brunch. It's so cozy. Definitely get there early because there's a huge lineup, rightly so. It's just a classic I couldn't recommend it more.” — Lilah
Arthurs
4621 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1S5
4126 Saint-Catherine St, Westmount, H3Z 1P4*
9299 Park Ave, Montreal, H2N 2A2
922 Avenue du Mont-Royal E, Montréal, H2J 1X2
3612 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, H4C 1P5*
“This place has a bit of a lineup on the weekend (past 9:30 am) but should be okay on the weekday. They have large brunch portions and some yummy freshly squeezed orange juice. And most importantly… take a look at their bathrooms! Just do it!!” — Gabb
3900 Wellington St, Verdun, H4G 1V3
1940 Centre St, Montreal, H3K 1J2
195 Rue Young, Montréal, H3C 2E9
4615 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, H2T 1R2
“This place is an Australian inspired brunch place though, personally, I don’t know enough about the Australian brunch scene to know how accurate they are… but they have fun latte options (lucky charms latte!!) and the interior is really cute and funky!!” — Gabb
Maman Griffintown
1524 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3C 1L1
3001 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H4C 1N9
“This place has brunch and dinner though this is usually my go-to brunch place when catching up with friends. It does have a line up on the weekends but their food is so good! They also have a menu for dinner so that is worth checking out too if brunch time is too early.” — Gabb
…Or maybe some bagels.
I feel like most people do not know that Montreal bagels are a popular thing. Well… They are. Here are two of the most popular places to get fresh bagels. Constantly competing against one another so we’ll let the readers who are in town decide which one is best 😂 Chose your fighter: Fairmount or St-Viateur?
Fairmount
74 Avenue Fairmount O, Montréal, H2T 2M2
St-Viateur
1127 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, H2J 1X9
And for a sweet treat…
6. Dalla Rose Ice Cream
4609 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1S5
“It's an ice cream shop and it's tiny, but all of the flavors are made in shop and they are so unique. They have tons of different flavors; they have seasonal ones, so for example in the Summer, they have raspberry from Quebec and incorporate that into their ice cream. They have vegan options too! They recently came out with little ice cream sandwiches and they’re vegan or they do gluten-free cookies, and then you can put vegan ice cream in the middle, and you're golden”— Lilah
7. Boulangerie Le Fournil
4910 Sherbrooke St W, Westmount, H3Z 1H3
“It just gives me Christmas vibes every-time I go. The windows are always foggy from the inside and you go in and it's really kind of cramped, but it just smells - the aroma of baked goods is so overwhelming and delicious. You have to order the coconut blondie.”— Lilah
8. Rustique
“They're known for their pies. Once again, the cozy atmosphere - you can go for a cup of tea and just relax and it's a great place to check out.”— Lilah
4615 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1S3
La Diperie***
1986, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, H3J1M8
2230, rue Guy, H3H2L9*
"Ice cream place that specializes in having cool flavours to dip the ice cream!" — Gabb
150 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, H2T 1P1
"Frozen yogurt place that is very retro and funky!! They have great menu items that are great for large groups (like frozen yogurt/ice cream in a watermelon, huge sundae, ice cream with churros!!!)." — Gabb
60 Avenue Fairmount O, Montréal, H2T 2M2
"Sorbet place with lots of cool seasonal flavours!!!" — Gabb
For some sustenance, here are some places to dine
1. Jatoba
1184 Place Phillips, Montréal, H3B 3C8
“It's out of this world. But it's one of those places that you'll go for a special occasion. For example, I had my birthday dinner with my mom and sister there this year.
Specific menu items you need to order: To start with, the Chinese eggplant. It’s so good. For the main course, the black cod, It's just very fresh and the quality of the fish is delicious For dessert, you have to order the Caramel Dream and thank me later.” — Lilah
2. No.900 Pizza***
444 McGill, Montreal, H2Y 2G1
280, rue Ste-Catherine O., Montreal, H2X 2A1
2049, rue Peel, Montreal, H3A 1T6*
“It's a safe bet for anyone no matter your tastes. I have to recommend a specific pizza, it is called the porcini and it has hazelnut cream, white truffle oil, and mushrooms. It's so good. This is what got me into truffle because I'd never liked it before and ever since that pizza I'm a changed woman. Gluten-free crust options too!” — Lilah
3. Makro
1726 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1M3
“It’s in Griffintown which is a really cool area to visit. So I would recommend going simply for the location of Griffintown. It's where all of the young professionals live. It used to be where a lot of factories were but now it's very cool and artsy.” — Lilah
Moretti Italian
1059 Wellington St, Montreal, Quebec H3C 1V6
Foxy
1638 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1M1
Le Vin Papillon
2519 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N4
3721 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1P8
“It's literally a hole in the wall. You would walk past and never dare enter because it's so unassuming from the outside. I would recommend the papaya salad and also they have these pork buns. It’s a classic you definitely need to check it out.“ — Lilah
3618 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H4C 1P5
Orange Julep
7700 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, H4P 2H4
“"Iconic giant orange orb along the highway, with hot dogs, creamy orange drinks & fries for takeaway." is the immediate description you get from Google. It’s one of those iconic Montreal places where you can buy hotdogs and burgers. However, if you are there, try their Julep juice which is their signature item!” — Gabb
Shop ‘til you drop
4. Indigo Books***
1500 McGill College Ave, Montreal, H3A 3J5
“A classic chain that many people know in Canada, and I could spend hours in there. I usually just go, walk around for an hour and leave empty-handed, because it's so fun. It's a classic bookshop but I think the amount of books is what makes it so special, and the range and diversity there. It's one of those places where you just feel happy and inspired”— Lilah
5. Roots***
1025 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, H3B 1H1
“You need to buy stuff at Roots to feel like a Canadian person. It's basically the epitome of Canadian living.”— Lilah
6. Peridot
2509 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N6
“They have a huge mix of different things, so they have candles, jewelry, postcards, cards, artwork, random pieces of furniture, and beautiful pajamas. That was the selling factor for me. I went in and they had these gorgeous pajamas, so cozy”— Lilah
7. Le Petit Dep
179 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, H2Y 1Z5
“As Lilah said in the episode, it has lots of touristy Montreal goods, some food things, and is a very cute dep… but most importantly, the exterior is a pretty teal colour that reminds me a lot of my favourite Kpop group 😂 It’s the small details that makes you appreciate things I suppose.” — Gabb
2621 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N9
516 Rue Thérien, Montréal, H4C 3A4
Silk Laundry
2465 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, H3J 1N6
Some fun activities that do not revolve around food
1. Walk along the Lachine Canal
“ it's beautiful. It's surrounded by industrial buildings because that's where all the factories used to be and now they are apartments so it's more of an industrial vibe, and there's an old train track next to it, but in the summer it's so beautiful. In the winter too because the canal's covered in snow, so if it's a sunny day, it's just a great experience. Go to the market, get your snack- fresh fruit or whatever, get a coffee- and then go walk along the canal. And then from there you could actually stop off at Barley because that's all in a similar area”—Lilah
2. Skating on Beaver Lake
“Skating on a frozen lake in a park sounds like a really fun time! One thing to note is that this rink closes on March 15th (unless the weather is really warm and all the ice melts before then...) so this is an activity to consider pre-Worlds if you come in early.” — Gabb
3. Walk in Mont Royal
4. Explore the plateau
“ Definitely the coolest part of Montreal, I'd say. It's very artsy, eclectic, there's so many random things to do there; I was there today and I went and painted pottery. (Karly: Oh that's so cool) It was so cute. So can do that if you want -- it's called the Ceramic Cafe. But it's fun to wander around and there are so many vintage shops and different markets going on.”—Lilah
5. Musee Des Beaux Arts
1380 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3G 1J5
“If you go downtown definitely check out Musee de Beaux Arts, which is the art museum here in Montreal. They have some really great exhibitions, for example they had the Thierry Mugler one recently, so I could see a bunch of the costumes that he did for Madonna and all of the various celebrities and the beautiful designing that he did throughout his career” —Lilah
6. Walk around the old port
“Many cool buildings, feels very different from downtown, many good foods, and cafes!!” — Gabb
“you can find so many boutiques there. There's a lot of tourist shops if you want the classic souvenirs, but then there's also a lot of just a random assortment of boutiques, so it's fun to explore, give yourself a lot of time to walk around. Definitely stop off at the Cathedral-- it is so beautiful. “—Lilah
Atwater Market
138 Atwater Ave, Montreal, H4C 2H6
“It's a beautiful indoor/outdoor market - not so much outdoors when it's minus 30 and snowing, but mostly in the summer outdoors. It's beautiful as the seasons change to see fresh flowers and pumpkins, and Christmas trees and now everything’s shut off and it's inside because it's so cold, but we all go for our fresh groceries every day and they have specialty pie stands and maple syrup stands. They have a butcher and a bakery and everything you would need. It's just an array of flavors and scents and sights and colors. It's a tourist attraction for sure, but also for a local favorite.”—Lilah
Marche Jean Talon
7070 Henri Julien Ave, Montreal, H2S 3S3
Randolph’s Game Bar
2041 St Denis St, Montreal, H2X 3K8
“It's a cool bar where you can go and get board games, and it's very fun just to go with friends. So if you want to experience nightlife in some way in Montreal, Randolph's is very fun. There will be a line up though so definitely factor that in.” —Lilah
Bota Bota (floating river boat spa)
Vieux-Port de Montreal, Entrée McGill de la Commune Ouest &, McGill St, Montreal, H2Y 2E2
“It's the best! So, they have 3 different floors and there's water circuits. So you do a sauna or steam room, then there's a eucalyptus steam room, then you do a cold plunge, and then there's a relaxation area with a hot tub — it's indoor or outdoor—and then they have hammocks, so you can basically pass out and just spend all day there. They also have a restaurant, and you can book massages and different treatments there too, so it's unbelievable. I know it's going to be a busy week for everybody, but if you need to relax at the end or just to prep for the week ahead, make sure you go to Bota Bota.” — Lilah