Any ST’ers in Montreal or nearby or have been there and can give a bit of advice on some decent cafes, restaurants and cool bars, etc to spend some time in this weekend… Heading up there for the Canadian GP and will be there Fri-Mon. We are staying downtown…I think at the Fairmont (friend made the reserves…)… Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks
Carter
Any ST’ers in Montreal or nearby or have been there and can give a bit of advice on some decent cafes, restaurants and cool bars, etc to spend some time in this weekend… Heading up there for the Canadian GP and will be there Fri-Mon. We are staying downtown…I think at the Fairmont (friend made the reserves…)… Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks
Carter
You’ll find everything and anything on St. Catherine’s Street (or Rue Ste. Catherine). 
Cheers!
For the most amazing cheap, wonderful french dinner of your life, head for Rue St. Dennis and Rue Duluth, L’acadamie resturant. Its a bring your own wine with a wonderful SAQ immediately beside it…my personal favorite would have to be the Pasta Carbonera, and might i recommend a bottle of Phillipe Von Roschild chardonay to go with that…ohhhhh montreal. My favorite place in the world. If you can make it up Mount Royal on sunday be sure to bring lots of wine with you, drink as much as possible, then go enjoy/participate in the giant drum circles further up the mountain. Also, the McGill campus is a good place to go take in a summer football practice at the McGill field.
Cheers, and enjoy!
Graham
Thanks Graham…We’ll check out L’academie…I like the "bring your own wine "thing… a couple of my friends “think” they are quite the wine experts , so they’ll llike that…
Hopefully it wont be raining all weekend…the forecast doesnt look great…though that should help the Bridgestone and the Red cars…catch up the flying McClarens and Renaults!.. Though if its raining that may mean more cafe/bar time!!!
Don’t go to Club SuperSex, total waste of money.
“The Downtown” (I think), further down Saint Catherine is the bomb. Hot girls and very loose rules…
Peel Pub, drunk american College kids
Ben’s - smoked meat sandwiches.
Kaizan - Award winning sushi
Casa de Mateo - Mexican place that makes guacamole for you at your table and they have a mariachi band. Pretty good food, Margarita’s could be bigger.
Cosmos on Sherbrooke St. W, west of Decarrie. An INCREDIBLE greasy-spoon. Phenomenal hamburgers, hash browns, etc.
Globe, on St. Laurent. Fancy and very good.
Jacques Villeneuve’s restaurant/club is Newtown on Cresent.
I would also suggest Milos, on Park, for a good, albeit, a bit expensive, Greek/seafood dinner.
There are some great clubs along St. Laurent Blvd. (aka “The Main”) - pick pretty much any, they’ll be fine. The lounges along Prince Arthur St., off St. Laurent, are also usually pretty good.
Steer clear of Cresent St bars, other than Newtown, as they’re jam packed full of tourists.
Another good place, but more pub/bar-ish is Brewtopia - usually has live music.
McKibbons for the whole Irish Pub scene.
Reservoir on Duluth St. has a great brunch in the AM.
So does Liaka (also on Duluth at St. Laurent).
There is sometimes/usually a dress code - no jeans, no cargos, no sneakers at MANY of the nicer places. Just an FYI…
My understanding is that Montreal has some of the better stripclubs in North America. It would be a shame not to research this.
There is a place called the Grand Prix - just outside Montreal - worth the drive.
As for restaurants … soooo much good food. #1 try Coeur de Cheval - awesome steak house, but expect to pay $$$$$$$!!
My understanding is that Montreal has some of the better stripclubs in North America. It would be a shame not to research this.
Caesar’s Palace … trust me.
Thanks to all…this shold keep us busy until the wee hours of the AM…
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As for the race itself, if you have general admission tix, the best place to view is beside the grandstand just after the hairpin.
I was up there from Boston last weekend and I am a true convert. The beautiful weather didn’t hurt my impressions at all but the food was amazing.
My best pick for the weekend was Boris Bistro in old Montreal. In addition, others have already mentioned smoked meat but it seems like the “done” thing. We sampled the Schwartz butchery which seems the most famous of all the pastrami houses.
Have fun!
Thanks to all for the advice on MontreAL…got back late last night…and now the detoxification process will begin!! Wow…an awesome weekend from start to finish…with a great GP thrown in there as well… Ill post more details later …L’academie was wonderful!..Thanks Graham!
Also went to Buononotte (sp) another unreal restaurant…frequented by almost all the F1 drivers, teams…etc… The GP closing party was there on Sun night…the night we ate there. Got REALLY lucky and got a table for the 8 of us with no waiting…
Also…what luck …its the closing of Fashion week in Montreal so the place is crawling with supermodels…! Food was unreall…maybe better the L’academie…but the atmosphere at L’academie was better…Buononotte (On St laurent) was also about 2-3x more $$., but worth it. Ill try to post some pics…never have before…butIll try to give it a shot later.
Thanks again for the advice
I have to say…that GP week is the BEST week in Montreal!!!
I was there two years ago, and I still remember it as one of the best weeks of my life!! 
Definitely something that everyone should try if the opportunity comes up.
Nice thread…my wife and I are going to Montreal and Quebec City for some vacation in about a month. Can anyone recommend some nice, not too expensive hotels/motels/B&B/inns in which to stay?
Cant really give you specifics on other Hotels other then the one we stayed …Le Nouvelle Hotel… which was decent not super fancy…but the rooms were very big and comfortable… You might try some places down towad the Old Port area of old MOntreal, a more historic area, maybe a bit more romantic if your with your wife.
I can recommend two VERY good places to eat…L’academie (directions in a previous post) , it was super…nice atmosphere as well…its bring your own wine…if your so inclined.
Bounonotte is excellent as well, on St Laurent if I remember. Some of the best food Ive had in a LONG time. A bit more of a trendy bar type atmosphere, very modern and cool. VERY attractive staff as well. A bit more expensive, full bar, I really liked this place and will go back. A littel bit more expensive .