{"id":18849,"date":"2017-10-10T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/?p=18849"},"modified":"2025-08-19T14:29:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T21:29:04","slug":"montreal-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/montreal-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY MONTREAL SHOULD BE ON TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your new number one city-trip destination, Montreal. Just off the border with the US in Canada, conveniently located in the Quebec province and only a short flight from NY, is the beautiful island of Montr\u00e9al (I know, island, mind blown!). Where Canada is famous for bears catching salmon upstream, handsome bushmen chopping wood (or maybe that\u2019s only my fantasy) and winters being evil, is Montr\u00e9al a city of it\u2019s own.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

I could give you a million reasons to visit Montr\u00e9al, like the charming French\/English slang, a giant glass ball that hovers above the city but is actually an environmental museum or the mouth watering bagels, but I\u2019ve tried to compress the endless list to the most important reasons (bagels, bagels and bagels) to visit Montr\u00e9al before wintertime when the sun sets at noon (not really noon but you might as well stay in bed all day anyway, days are short).<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

A FRENCHY IN CANADA<\/h3>\n

Montr\u00e9al or Mon-real (pronounced the French way when you let the r roll on the back of your tongue while trying to cough up your last dinner), is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. But it\u2019s a type of French where this Dutch, conversational French speaking girl got lost in translation.<\/p>\n

With a strange mixture of English slang and an odd, somewhat nasal, dialect I tried to throw in some \u2018je parle un peu fran\u00e7ais\u2019 but the essays I got as a response never made it to my linear brain. So unless you are a true Frenchy and you\u2019re up for a little puzzling while conversing, just stick to your basic English. To order the traditional heart attack on a well decorated plate, Poutine, a mixture of French fries, gravy and cheese curds, or to find your way to the closest Jazz bar and sip on a bourbon cocktail.<\/p>\n

\"Montreal,<\/p>\n

ON THE GO INFO<\/h3>\n

The airport of Montr\u00e9al, Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (you gotta love an airport with the name of Trudeau in it) can easily be reached by bus and train or a short taxi ride. Bus\/train tickets can be purchased at the airport and taxi\u2019s are everywhere! If you have a US cell you can probably get your provider to cover Canada as well.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

Just like other big cities around the world, Montr\u00e9al has a great bike system called the Bixi Bike<\/a>. The city is full of stations to dock your bike and streets are wide enough to have cars and bikes drive side-by-side. Get a three-day pass for only $14 CAD but be aware of getting out of downtown Montr\u00e9al. The climb to get to the more neighborhoody parts of town like the hip Mile End and traditional Rue Fairmont can be brutal if not in the right \u2018I\u2019m-going-to-bike-my-ass-off\u2019 mindset. Public transportation in Montr\u00e9al is as easy as my love life (food being my only love), with a great bus- and metro-system.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

And now without further adieu I present you the main reasons to go to a city where you get to start your days with the most delicious bagel after you\u2019ve indulged in too many cocktails, burlesque shows and jazz the night before.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

BAGELS FOR LIFE<\/h3>\n

Since food is my number one love in life this could also be my only reason to visit Montreal. Maybe it\u2019s because of the French way of life, enjoying every meal like it\u2019s your last, or because of the many influences, food in Montr\u00e9al is just pure greatness. Act like a local and start your day with a bagel from one of the two most famous bagel shops in Montr\u00e9al, St. Viateur<\/a> or Fairmount<\/a> in the Mile End area.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

St. Viateur and Fairmount, is a battle, a duel, a great big deal in Montr\u00e9al which one you choose and it\u2019s important to stay loyal to the shop of your liking. But since I have huge commitment issues I swayed between St.Viateur and Fairmount and found myself some mornings devouring the beautifully hand made bagels of St.Viateur, where some nights I stumbled into Fairmount for the perfect night-cap-bagel.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

VEGAN OPTIONS AND CHOCOLATE<\/h3>\n

Apart from the traditional Quebec dish, Poutine, a heavenly (for some people deathly) mixture of fries and gravy, is Montr\u00e9al full of vegan and vegetarian restaurants and caf\u00e9\u2019s like Chu Chai and Le Kitchen<\/a>. Chu Chai is a vegan Thai restaurant that plays with \u2018meat\u2019 and \u2018seafood\u2019, in a way that will have you stunned. Try the most delicious \u2018faux chicken\u2019 dishes or one of their killer signature cocktails. Le Kitchen is a downtown laid-back daytime eatery offering a menu of vegan, gluten-free & organic fare, baked goods & juices. Try their to-die-for-brownie and you\u2019ll never look at chocolate the same way.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

FOOD LOVERS UNITED<\/h3>\n

For the meaty monsters among us, you\u2019ll be able to enjoy some great carnivore-cuts at Lawrence<\/a>. Their shop is a locals\u2019 favorite with two restaurants just down the street, Lawrence and Larry\u2019s. For the best pizza, locals swear by Magpie<\/a> in the Mile End area: \u2018Largely based on traditional Neapolitan- style pizza, by using authentic Italian Tippo \u201800\u2019 flour and by adding a touch of Montr\u00e9al \u2018je ne sais quoi,\u2019 Magpie provides a unique twist on a beloved classic.\u2019 Go for a classy high tea to Salon de Th\u00e9 Cardinal <\/a>and you\u2019ll feel reborn with their ultra delicious scones.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

Get your taco fix at Mais where tequila is poured like it\u2019s water. Pho Tay Ho<\/a>, for the best traditional Asian food. Don\u2019t leave this Vietnamese gem without trying their big fish dish with dill. For a great atmosphere, amazing cocktails and cute bar staff go to Sparrow<\/a>. The list can just go on forever, so hereby a short list of restaurants\/bars and cafes for anyone that want to make their taste buts do cartwheels in their mouth.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

Everybody loves a little list:<\/p>\n