Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello friends to the north! We are coming to Montreal for 6 full days next week -- staying at the Hyatt downtown. We do not speak any French and are upper middle age. I know the usual things to do for first time tourists -- but can anyone recommend a list of good, authentic food at cafes or small places rather than expensive stuffy restaurants? We are watching our food budget so are hoping to eat more casually -- sandwiches, soups, etc. And a great bakery?
Also -- are there any great boat cruises of Montreal? I love seeing a city from the water. And your Biosphere -- I take it that is what we call an aquarium?? is it worth a visit?
Any special little treasures you care to recommend would be most welcome. We are very excited to see your beautiful city and escape the ghastly HEAT here in the mid-Atlantic states.
Old Port is also a good venue for seeing Montreals old architecture and dont miss the science center.
Best bet is to Google search top 10 things to do in Montreal.
heres a preview i like to post =Summers in Marvelous Montreal | Explore the Beautiful City
Speaking English shouldn't be a problem.
Doodwise, there are plenty of options and your dollar goes a long way to that end. A couple of places come to mind in the straightforward category and inexpensive. An old standby on the Main is La Cabane; a Portuguese pub with very reasonable menus that change daily. Big plates of fish or meat/poultry fashioned many ways and beer or wine will set you back 25 bucks a person and will fuel you for a long walk.
There is a small chain of French Bakeries called Mamie Clafoutis and one of them is near my house in Little Burgundy. They are good for sandwiches and regular pastries are excellent. There are plenty of high end places that do extraordinary stuff. Another bakery chain that is cheap and serves daily specials you will find in Public markets and some major streets in the city; "Première Moisson" or First Harvest.
If you walk around the Old Lachine Canal you will find one at Atwater Market. Have a great trip!
OP, the Biodome is way cool and you can spend hours there. It's not an aquarium. Check out the link that another poster provided.
When I was in Montreal about 11 years ago, my friends and I were watching our dining dollars as well. I don't recall the names of the places where we ate, but we had no problem finding reasonably inexpensive food. Have a chocolate-filled croissant while you're there. A bit of heaven!
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
Hello friends to the north! We are coming to Montreal for 6 full days next week -- staying at the Hyatt downtown. We do not speak any French and are upper middle age. I know the usual things to do for first time tourists -- but can anyone recommend a list of good, authentic food at cafes or small places rather than expensive stuffy restaurants? We are watching our food budget so are hoping to eat more casually -- sandwiches, soups, etc. And a great bakery?
Also -- are there any great boat cruises of Montreal? I love seeing a city from the water. And your Biosphere -- I take it that is what we call an aquarium?? is it worth a visit?
Any special little treasures you care to recommend would be most welcome. We are very excited to see your beautiful city and escape the ghastly HEAT here in the mid-Atlantic states.
1. Get a weekly metro pass, metro has great connectivity.
2. You'll be fine with English, Montreal is bi and multilingual
3. If you want amazing cafes and small restaurants with amazing food, I'd recommend walking in Le Plateau/Mile-End area, check out Jean-Talon market and Rue Jean-Talon for amazing ethnic food
4. Old Montreal, although cliche tourist area, has amazing atmosphere, events, culture and history
5. As mentioned before, do check out the biodome or anything around Olympic parc. You can take the green line metro and get off Viau or Pie-IX
6. Mont-Royal is a must, hike up and enjoy the park and views of downtown.
7. You're coming up next week, you can attend Just for Laughs fest, Nuits d'Afrique, International fireworks festival, circus events in the eastern part of downtown (near St. Denis street), there's also light shows happening in Old Montreal by the water, and on buildings as well.
If you want more suggestions, do feel free to send me a PM and I'll help out further!
It's good you're staying in the Hyatt as many hotels have issues. Food is generally cheap, not high like Nyc. Don't expect to avoid all the heat. Yesterday was very humid and hot. Try a poutine restaurant. There's also a zoo. Eaton center mall is a huge shopping complex downtown with all kinds of stores. There's an unofficial barbie museum there if you walk the whole place.
Thank you ALL so much for the wonderful suggestions. I have copied down almost all of them and I promise to report back our experience. We leave tomorrow.
We are especially excited about your beautiful city park -- we love to walk and we love nature so that is high on our list.
It's good you're staying in the Hyatt as many hotels have issues. Food is generally cheap, not high like Nyc. Don't expect to avoid all the heat. Yesterday was very humid and hot. Try a poutine restaurant. There's also a zoo. Eaton center mall is a huge shopping complex downtown with all kinds of stores. There's an unofficial barbie museum there if you walk the whole place.
What kind of "issues" are you talking about. The Hyatt doesn't get the greatest rating but we have points and it is a good location.
What kind of "issues" are you talking about. The Hyatt doesn't get the greatest rating but we have points and it is a good location.
The Hyatt (on Ste-Catherine in the Complexe Desjardins) is fine. I stayed there with my family about a year ago. And the location as you said is great.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
