Find Romance, Eclectic Culture in Montreal

If you want to spend a romantic long weekend in say, Paris, but you don’t have the time or finances for a European trip, there’s a terrific alternative – Montreal, Canada.

Approximately a seven-hour drive from Buffalo, Montreal has a European feel with a decidedly eclectic edge. The locals are friendly and facile in their switch between French and English. Once they realize you’re American, they immediately engaged in fluent English with a slight accent. What’s not to love?

Whether you’re snuggling up in cozy café, browsing through an art museum, or eating in a four- star restaurant, Montreal is the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway.

photos from top left clockwise: laplateaucondo, blog.viarail.ca, toeuropeandbeyond.com

Where to stay:

If you want to save money and stretch out, there are myriad Airbnb options in funky, traditional, and safe neighborhoods. One of the artsier neighborhoods is Plateau-Mont Royal. Located west of downtown, Plateau Mont Royal comprises fresh markets, trendy bars and restaurants, and upscale shopping. It’s perfect for roaming day and night. Public art is plentiful. Montreal loves its bright colors and nowhere is this more evident than in Plateau-Mont Royal. And it’s not just the artists who contribute to the artful flair of the place. Residents paint their doors, shutters, and roofs in hues that wouldn’t pass code in some more-staid cities. Think turquoise, orange, and violet. Airbnb options can run for as little as $50 a night. Most include a living room and a full kitchen. Stock up on coffee, milk, and a few staples and you’ll save on eating out. You won’t want to spend too much time inside, though. There is much to see and do!

original photo of La Majestique: montreal.eater.com

original photo: pagesjuanas.ca

Places to eat and drink:

• La Majestique, 4105 Saint-Laurent Blvd.: Quirky and filled with random decorations like a

row of huge Heinz Ketchup cans filled with spiky ferns and a pink stuffed bunny’s head, the size a football team’s mascot might wear, perched on a shelf next to a silver knight, Majestique is an oyster house and cocktail lounge. It fills up quickly on a Friday night with a youngish and definitely hip crowd. It has friendly wait staff who will quickly bring you an English menu if you request. Along with oysters, menu items range from a hot dog to salmon confit to a delicious quinoa salad replete with olives and nuts. Majestique also offers a wide variety of drinks. Try the Bloody Mary.

• Café Chez Jose, 173 Avenue Duluth E.: This cozy and colorful café is the perfect spot for breakfast and people-watching on the plaza below. Its Americana coffee is out of this world and the food is just as good. Choices include crepes, an assortment of hot and cold sandwiches and omelets that rank among the best ever. For a healthy dessert, try one of the café’s fruit smoothies. With names like Vampire, Pacifique Dream, and Psychadelick, you’ll feel adventurous.

• Engaufrez Vous, 8 Rue Rachel East. Another cozy breakfast place, Engaufrez Vous, is known for its made-to-order waffles, including sweet or savory waffles (stuffed with hearty choices like bacon, goat cheese, walnuts, and honey). All are served with a generous helping of fresh fruit. And they have a good selection of fresh juices, including rhubarb.

• Patati Patata, 4177 Saint-Laurent Blvd. This is a cute little deli where you can sit at the counter and watch the cooks prepare your burgers, BLTs and poutine, the famous Montreal that combines fried potatoes and cheese curds smothered in gravy.

• Vertige, 540 Rue Duluth E: A romantic, upscale French restaurant, tucked among the shops and restaurants of the Plateau, Vertige provides a culinary experience as much as a lovely meal. White tablecloths, candles, an extensive wine list and attentive wait staff. Listen to the familiar piped in music with a twist. (Think “Hotel California” and “On the Boardwalk” performed with a French accent.) The entrees are moderate in price and deep in flavor. Choose from beef, duck, chicken, and seafood, along with a few pasta dishes. And save room for the Crème Brulèe.

original photo: flickr by Muhhamad Ali

Things to Do

• Basilique Notre-Dame, 110 Rue Notre-Dame Quest, You can’t go to Montreal without stepping

foot into Notre-Dame. Yes, it’s in all the tour books, but this 19th-century gothic revival church, with its soaring architecture and beautiful craftsmanship, is totally worth the hype. Located in Old Montreal, Notre-Dame is breathtaking and vast. It can hold up to 3,200 worshippers and has housed more than a few celebrity weddings, including Celine Dion’s. Once you step inside, you’ll feel a spiritual vibe, regardless of your faith. Take a moment to listen to one of the staff members explain the historic stained glass windows and the congregations of old. Light a candle. Take pictures. You won’t forget it.

• Parc du Mont-Royal: The large green hill looming in the distance from the streets of Plateau Mont-Royal is actually a small mountain. Mont-Royal is a doable climb eased by intermittent flights of stairs, one of which numbers 500 steps. (Just remember to wear proper footwear) Beginning with a forest right off a busy street, it includes some 700 stairs, plus sloping trails. Once at the top, you’ll be rewarded with a stunning view of downtown Montreal. There’s also a plaza where you can rest among well-manicured flowers and a building with restrooms and a gift shop. Curiously, a piano somehow made it up that mountain and it’s out in the air available to play. The park below, designed by New York’s Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874, is perfect for picnicking, jogging, biking, or taking photos next to the impressive Sir George Etienne Cartier Monument topped by the winged Goddess of Liberty.

• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1380 Rue Sherbrooke Quest in downtown Montreal.Founded in 1860 as the Art Association of Montreal, this enormous museum contains some 43,000 artworks. It rivals storied museums such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Art Institute in Chicago and is filled with old masterpieces and contemporary treasures spread out over four pavilions. Special exhibits come often, such as am African influences on Picasso, which opened in May and ran through the Summer of 2018. Give yourself a day to wander through the magnificent paintings, sculptures, textiles, glass, and furniture that comprise this gem.

• Picnic in the Park: If you want something a little different, stop by the Dinette Triple Crown,670 Rue Clark, and pick up lunch or dinner to go and a bottle of wine for a relaxing and romantic picnic in the park across the street.