As the F1 Grand Prix approaches in Montreal this weekend, we have created the best weekend guide to ensure you have the best experience. In this guide, we will connect you with top hotels, excellent restaurants, and exciting activities throughout the weekend. Expect high-octane action on the track with the world’s fastest drivers battling it out. Beyond the race, the city will be buzzing with special events, concerts headlined by The Chainsmokers and Pitbull, and a free festival at the Old Port with food trucks. Get ready for an unforgettable time in Montreal!
Tag: Montreal
12 French Bakeries – Fuego Fuego Montreal
Hello from Montreal!
Festival Fuego Fuego is coming up (May 27 – 29), so today we thought we’d post about what Montreal is known for: its bakeries.
Before we dive deep, let’s just put it out there that it’s not a true Montreal visit without going to a bakery. K.
There are SO MANY bakeries here. No really. Bakeries are considered a cultural institution here.
A day in the life of a Montrealer: Montrealers will visit their favorite bakery for a coffee and breakfast or an afternoon snack. And they will also keep fresh bread, pastries, and other baked goods to eat at every meal at home. No joke, it’s a huge part of daily life in this city.
Anyways, save this post so you don’t miss out on visiting some of the best bakeries while you’re in town for Fuego Fuego. Trust us when we say that you’ll have even fonder memories of your trip if you include an occasional stop-in at a bakery while you’re here.
*And if you’re still looking for a place to stay for Fuego Fuego, stay with one of Crewfare’s partner hotels and book now and pay later here.
Let’s get into it. Here are 12 MAJOR bakeries in Montreal where we go into the style of each bakery, what to order, when they’re open, and where to find each place.
**And side note, for anyone with allergies, skip this read and head straight to Le Marquis. This French baker and pastry chef turned his space into a French gluten-free bakery when his partner was told she could no longer eat what he made. Yum!
The 12 Best Bakeries In Montreal
La Cave à Manger
@rhya.ad Finally tried New York rolls in MTL #montreal #montrealtiktok #montrealfoodie #montrealfoodie #montrealrestaurant #montrealvlog #montrealvlogger
Type of bakery: French
Order: the viral Lafayette Suprême Croissant, flavors change daily. Expect to try either Mascarpone, Pineapple, Rum and Vanilla, French Apple Pie, Chocolate-Caramel, Strawberry-Guava, Pistachio and Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Lemon or Strawberry Cheesecake
Hours: 7 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week
Address: 386 rue Saint-Paul Est
Olive et Gourmando
Type of bakery: French Canadian, located in Old Montreal
Order: the Cuban or the chicken melt sandwich
Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week
Address: 351 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2A7
Premiere Moisson
Type of bakery: European and Canadian-influenced chain
Order: one of their sandwiches on any of their bread
Hours: 7 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week
Address: various locations, see website
Mamie Clafoutis
Type of bakery: Grandma’s kitchen vibes, inspired by French and Quebecois traditions
Order: brioche, croissant, or chocolatine
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to 5 pm
Address: Various locations, see website
Cafe Bazin
Type of bakery: a combination of cafe, pastry shop, and French-Parisian style bistro
Order: shakshuka if you’re there at breakfast
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 8 am ago 5 pm
Address: 380 Victoria Ave, Westmount, Quebec H3Z 2N4
Cheskie’s Bakery
Type of bakery: Jewish bakery
Order: the chocolate Babkess
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 7 am to 11 pm, Friday 7 am to 3 pm, and Sunday 8 am to 11 pm
Address: 359 Rue Bernard O, Montréal, QC H2V 1T6
Louise Bakery
Type of bakery: French
Order: a chocolatine or a bakery-style slice of pizza
Hours: 7:30 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week
Address: 6835 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3C8
Boulangerie Mr Pinchot
Type of bakery: French, retro style, homey neighborhood bakery
Order: croissants and coffee
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 7:30 am to 7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 5 pm
Address: 4354 Brebeuf St, Montreal, Quebec H2J 3K9
Les Co’Pains d’Abord
Type of bakery: French cozy neighborhood bakery
Order: their palmier
Hours: hours vary by location, see website
Address: various locations, see website
Chez Fred Bakery
Type of bakery: artisanal bakery
Order: croissant and a side salad
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm
Address: 5338 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H4A 1V5
Toledo Bakery
Type of bakery: breads and pastries made with local flours
Order: the cruffin – a croissant made in a muffin tin with a soft caramel interior made with maple syrup
Hours: 7 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week
Address: various locations, see website
Cafe Dei Campi
Type of bakery: Italian inspired neighborhood bakery
Order: amaretti biscuit and espresso
Hours: Friday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm
Address: 6201 Rue Chabot, Montréal, QC H2G 2T3
-Crewfare
5 Chicest Hotels In Montreal: Metro Metro Edition
Who else is heading to Montreal, Canada for Metro Metro Festival (May 19-21)?
Montreal is known for being the most European city in North America; you can expect a unique blend of French and English culture on your visit.
This city is also known for its restaurant scene, its great nightlife, and its hotels.
So today, we get into all of the specifics on where to book your hotel. We’ve stayed at literally some of the chicest hotels in this city and we go into detail on why they’re so special.
Let’s get into it. Here are the 5 chicest hotels to stay at in Montreal to make your Metro Metro festival visit even more memorable.
The 5 Chicest Hotels In Montreal: Metro Metro Edition
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
What’s so special about this hotel: Room 1742 in the hotel is where Yoko Ono and John Lennon had a week-long “bed in for peace” in 1969, raising awareness about the anti-war movement and recording the song, “Give Peace a Chance”. The Rolling Stones wrote their song Memory Motel here, Muhammad Ali, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip also all stayed here.
Location: 900 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montreal, Quebec H3B 4A5
Book Your Stay Here
Four Seasons Hotel
What’s so special about this hotel: Montreal’s newest luxury hotspot (opened in 2019), known for its exceptional service, the interior is designed by Parisian-based firm Gilles and Boissier in collaboration with Philip Hazan. This hotel also offers contactless 24-hour room service using instant messaging on the room’s in-room tablet
Location: 1440 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 1Z5
Book Your Stay Here
The Ritz-Carlton
What’s so special about this hotel: this is the first Ritz-Carlton in the world (opened in 1912) and remains iconic
Location: 1228 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1H6
Book Your Stay Here
Hotel Omni Mont-Royal
What’s so special about this hotel: Celine Dion held her wedding reception here, 24-hour sauna, and the location (everything is within walking distance – the underground mall, museum, downtown, and Old Montreal)
Location: 1050 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2R6
Book Your Stay Here
Hotel William Gray
What’s so special about this hotel: you’ll be staying in an 18th-century greystone on a narrow cobblestone street in Old Montreal, with a rooftop garden, and the Italian cafe Olimpico is an institution in Montreal right around the corner
Location: 421 R. Saint-Vincent 8e étage, Montréal, QC H2Y 3A6
Book Your Stay Here
-Crewfare
16 Places To Eat In Montreal: Metro Metro Edition (May 19-21)
Festival Metro Metro!
This year, Festival Metro Metro runs May 19-21, 2023. Metro Metro is known to feature rap, hip-hop, and R&B artists.
And of course, you’re gonna want to fuel up between performances.
So today we wanted to get into all of the granular details on where to eat in Montreal.
Specifically, we get into where to find local fine dining establishments, where to take advantage of late-night menu prices at fancy bistros (expect to pay 50% less off of a late-night menu), and where to pick up foods that Montreal is famous for (poutine, smoked meat, and bagels), plus we list off some vegetarian spots (because French food can be quite heavy on all of the proteins ya know).
Let’s get into the Montreal dining scene:
*Access flexible payment options and discounted accommodations when you book your hotel through CREWFARE.
16 Places To Fuel Up In Montreal
Special Occasion Restaurants / Fine Dining
Damas
Known For: Syrian food and an unforgettable dining experience. Every.single.detail is well thought out. The food and atmosphere are incredible. You’ve never seen more beautiful traditional Syrian tiles than here. Seriously go for these details alone
Order: hot and cold mezzes for the table like the fattouch, hummus, falafels, rice, and anything from the grill
Location: 1201 Ave Van Horne, Outremont, Quebec H2V 1K4
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Toque!
Known For: this place received a Michelin star in 2020 for their French dishes inspired by Quebec ingredients
Order: if you plan on going all in, yes to ordering the tasting menu
Location: 900 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, QC H2Z 2B2
Hours: open for lunch and dinner, closed Sunday and Monday
Au Pied De Cochon
Known For: head-to-tail cooking, hearty and comforting Quebec classic fare done in only the way this chef – Martin Picard – can. This is Anthony Bourdain’s buddy, Martin Picard’s restaurant. Watch a clip of from Parts Unknown that features this restaurant and the next one on this list here
Order: PDC dinner
Location: 536 Av. Duluth E, Montréal, QC H2L 1A9
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Joe Beef
Known For: Quebec classic fare, steak, and seafood in an old-school setting
Order: lobster spaghetti
Location: 2491 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec H3J 1N6
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Late Night Menus
In Montreal, upscale restaurants Are Not Out Of Reach!
After 10 pm, you can fine dine at less than 50% off the main menu at certain fine dining bistros.
Here are a few spots to check out and take advantage of their late-night menus:
Estiatorio Milos
Known For: the best Greek taverna in Montreal
Location: 5357 Park Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2V 4G9
Hours: late-night menu runs from 10 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Saturday
Ferreira Café
Known For: traditional and upscale Portuguese cuisine
Location: 1446 Peel St, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1S8
Hours: Late night menu – Monday to Saturday after 10:00 pm
Chez Victoire
Known For: contemporary French cuisine
Location: 1453 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2J 1Z1
Hours: the late-night menu from 10:00 pm to midnight, 7 days a week
Leméac
Known For: popular French bistro
Location: 1045 Av. Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2L1
Hours: the late-night menu from 10:00 pm to midnight
Vegetarian Restaurants
Lov (3 locations, see website)
Known For: a vegan restaurant specializing in comforting, nostalgic plant-based cuisine
Order: the mushroom risotto and kimchi fries are a must
Hours: open for brunch, lunch, and diner
Mandy’s (various locations, see website)
Known For: being the Quebec equivalent of SweetGreens
Order: we love the habibi salad (romaine lettuce, mixed greens, quinoa, parsley, mint, chickpeas, roasted sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Aux Vivre (2 locations, see website)
Known For: Montreal’s first vegan restaurant
Order: it’s got to be the dragon bowl with house sauce
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Institutions
Bagels
There is a longstanding rivalry between Fairmount, St. Viateur Bagels, and NYC-style bagels. Do not expect to an NYC-style bagel here. Expect a bagel that’s denser, thinner, chewier, and has a crispier exterior than NYC style bagel
Where to grab a Montreal-style bagel:
Fairmount Bagels
Location: 74 Fairmount West Montreal, QC, H2T 2M2
St. Viateur Bagels
Location: 263, rue St-Viateur O., Montréal, QC, H2V 1Y1
Smoked Meat Sandwich
Schwartz’s Deli
The legendary smoked meat house is known as one of the oldest smoked meat houses in Canada.
Tip: make sure you have enough time to wait in line. Lineups run at minimum of 30 minutes on a good day
Location: 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1X9
Hours: 10:00 am until after 10:00 pm most days
Poutine
Poutine – a combination of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds – was invented in Quebec.
If you’ve tried poutine anywhere besides in Quebec, it’s not the same. Quebec-style poutine is made with “squeaky” cheese curds (cheese that has not yet been aged so quite fresh and it actually squeaks as you chew)
La Banquise
Known For: more than 30 types of poutine on the menu
Order: the classic poutine
Location: 994, rue Rachel Est, Montréal, Quebec, H2J 2J3
Hours: open 24 hours
Chez Claudette
Known For: comfort food like burgers, poutine, and a beer
Order: classic poutine
Location: 351 Laurier Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1G7
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and Friday to Sunday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
-Crewfare