Next month we will be spending a weekend in Montreal purely for pleasure.
We’re already signed up for a walking tour of the historic district.
Also on our list is Schwartz’s deli, Fairmount’s bagels, and poutine.
What else should we do/see/eat?
Yes to both of the above. (Biodome and the botanical Garden; I didn’t see the third.) The bioodome is spectacular. Also there is a wonderful open air market that sells all kinds of fresh fruit and cheese and stuff. I can’t think of the name at this moment but I’m sure you could find out. It was held downtown in the southern part of the City, and all open-air, and it was delicious fruit.
I live in Ottawa, 2 hours west of Montreal, and all I can say is there is something for every taste in Montreal. Try their website at http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/. Do you have any particular areas of interest? Sports, culture, museums, shows, naked lap dancers (male and female), beautiful churches etc. etc.
Seriously, if you like Gothic Church Architecture, go see Notre Dame Basillica in old Montreal. The outside looks like an ordinary Gothic Church but the inside is something not to be forgotten.
Go to Chinatown which is right in the downtown area. Ever see a fotune cookie in French? I’m not joking.
If you do not yet have a hotel, check out Hotel des Gouverneurs. They often have last-minute deals where unrented luxury rooms go cheap.
If you go to Schwartz’s, either go in the middle of the afternoon or expect a looooong wait. Don’t get Fairmont’s (or any other Montreal bagels) unless you like your bagels sweet. I think the market referred to but not named above was the Atwater market. I have never been there but the Jean-Talon market (officially the Marche du Nord) is wonderful and is open every day of the year. Great local produce especially this time of year.
There are many fine restaurants–really too many to start mentioning. My wife and I will celebrate her birthday at Alep on Jean-Talon, near the market. It is some kind of Middle East, Syrian I think.
Let me add that a day at the Biodome and Botanical Gardens is wonderful. They sell a combined ticket and you can easily walk from one to the other. The Biodome is divided into four (I think) habitats: a tropical rain forest, an arctic scene complete with polar bears and penguins, a local habitat, I think a sea habitat. The botanical gardens are huge and feature a greenhouse with interesting exhibits. But in nice weather it is just great to walk around the outside and maybe have a picnic (of the lunchroom, the less said the better).
Thanks for all the help.
For food, we might go to a swanky place once, but what we’re really interested in is cheap food that is unique to the area – what do the locals enjoy that the rest of us don’t know about? We’re fairly adventurous when it comes to food. So long as there are no insects involved, I’m game. I am a dedicated carnivore and I love organ meats and other unusual animal-based foods.
Is Montreal/Chinese food different from American/Chinese? I know that Calcutta/Chinese is very characteristic of the local area.
We love local market type things, but preferably there should be stuff we can eat on the spot, because it’ll be too inconvenient to bring back fresh foods/ingredients to use later.
However, cheese is very special to us. It is likely that we will be stuffing our baggage with good, artisanal cheese if we can find it. Also cured meats.
We love museums, but we don’t want to use any of our short time looking at things like history museums or dinosaurs or second-rate stuff. What are the world-class museums in Montreal?
We have no interest in sports or rollercoasters and I doubt my wife will be very interested in lap dances. Although, both sexes, you say? Hmm … no, I don’t think she’ll go for it. (Maybe if it was a night out with the girls, though.)
I know the jazz festival is that weekend, but I don’t know enough about jazz to risk that kind of money on tickets. Are there any more Montreal-focused cultural events?
Don’t know if the dates would suit you but Just for Laught Festival July 16 to 26
Also, go to Kim Foo’s for Chinese, Reuben’s Deli for food and grab a late-night burger at Mister Steer’s! All yummy.
A large portion of the jazz fest is free, just walk around to the different stages and enjoy. You also get some truly kick-ass jazz in the clubs around that time. My favorite is Upstairs, to which many of the performers come for some jam sessions with each other. I believe during the festival there’s a cover charge, maybe $15-20, but believe me, it’s worth it.
Cheese and cured meats can most definitely be had at all the open-air markets; Atwater, Jean-Talon, Maisonneuve. I like Atwater market because I can go there easily when visiting a friend (rather than having to plan to go to the other markets specifically), and it’s close to the Lachine canal, which is just lovely to walk along (and paddle on, but that’s just me!)
Montreal has afine arts museum that I’ve actually never been to, but I know the display structures are nice because my uncle makes a lot of them 
Other museums in the city that I’m familiar with tend to be a little more specific in their focus; the McCord Museum is a smaller museum of Canadian History, and due to it’s size tends to have very focused cultural displays rather than large all-encompassing ones. Their current big thing is Being Irish O’Québec, and I keep meaning to go. It’s located right downtown in front of McGill University (a nice campus to walk around in).
On the McGill campus there is the Redpath Museum, though I get the feeling that’s not really what you’re interested in seeing.
I highly recommend wandering around the Old Port and visiting the shops and restaurants there. The Old Port is also home to the Pointe-à-Callière museum which focuses on the history of Montreal. It goes underground around some excavations of original settlements, and is really a rather nice museum.
Here is the website for the Jazz Fesitval. Stevie Wonder for Free!
If you like shopping, walking along St-Laurent (“The Main”) is recommended (and that’s where you’ll find Schwartz’s), as is St-Denis andMont-Royal Avenue (website in French).
24-hour poutine (in traditional or more varied versions) can be had at La Banquise on Rachel street…see the “What to see in Canada” thread for beer/brewery recommendations as well.
I love this city - I hope you’ll enjoy your trip!
Thanks! I’m really looking forward to it. I just with it wasn’t so short.