Transportation

The rubber-wheeled Metro ($2 a trip) lacks the convenience of our subway and stops running most nights from 1am to 5am, but paired with the buses, you can easily navigate the boomerang-shaped island. Taxis (comparably priced to our own) can be hailed from any corner.

Neighborhoods

Head west to Little Italy, which bustles with new apartment buildings and restaurants. The nearby Jean-Talon Marché (7075 Casgrain Ave, 514-277-1379) dwarfs the Union Square Greenmarket with its myriad stalls of maple syrup, cheese and produce. For Brooklyn flavor, we liked the Mile End district, which is home to Hasidic Jews, strong espresso, a gentrified, boho crowd and a slew of cutting-edge boutiques. Our picks: local print-loving designer Renata Morales (5392 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-271-5061); Moss-like design shop Commissaires (5226 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-274-4888); and reworked vintage depot Preloved (4832 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-499-9898). Sherbrooke Ouest is lined with chichi department stores like Holt Renfrew (1300 Sherbrooke Ouest, 514-842-5111).

Dining

Like us, Montrealers are fanatical about bagels. Skinnier and less dense than H&H, the saltless rings are challah-sweet and slightly smoky at 24-hour rival bakeries Fairmount (74 Fairmount Ave Ouest, 514-272-0667) and St-Viateur (263 St-Viateur Ouest, 514-276-8044). Schwartz’s (3895 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-842-4813) might convert diehard Katz fans with its tender, hand-sliced brisket, cradled between two slices of mustard-laced rye bread. Poutine—cheese curds, gravy and frites—reigns at dives and fancy restaurants alike. We loved chef Martin Picard’s over-the-top rendition at Au Pied du Cochon (536 Rue Duluth Est, 514-281-1114), where seared foie gras tops a gooey, greasy mound.

Drinking and nightlife

Thanks to a smoking ban in all bars and restaurants, your eyes won’t suffer from a long night out. A drinking age of 18 does make the after-hours scene feel young, but you can escape the student crowd at the low-key microbrewery Dieu du Ciel (29 Laurier Ave Ouest, 514-490-9555), which offers nine types of local suds on tap, or at Barmacie Baldwin (115 Laurier Ave Ouest, 514-276-4282), a pharmacy-themed lounge that serves martinis in vintage syrup bottles. In line with local band-gone-big Arcade Fire, Montreal pop ranks as a major indie force. Peep local acts at the chandelier-lit La Sala Rossa (4848 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-284-0122). If you forgot earplugs, cross the street to Casa del Popolo (4873 Blvd St-Laurent, 514-284-3804) for relaxing jazz. Non–French speakers should keep a dictionary handy since this is, after all, Quebec.

THE TAB

Hotel 300
Airfare 560
Subways and taxis 90
+ Meals 110

TOTAL COST $1,060
(two nights, two people)

By plane Swap the seven-hour drive north for an hour-and-a-half flight to Trudeau airport.

TRAVEL TIME 1hr 30mins

Settling the score

Nineteen major Gotham chefs—Daniel Boulud, Anita Lo, Bill Telepan, among others—are bringing it to Montreal’s kitchens for the eighth annual Montreal High Lights Festival (montrealenlumiere.com), from Feb 22 through Mar 4. Canada strikes back on Mar 4 when the staff of gourmet emporium Europea Espace Boutique attempt to set the world’s record for biggest pot of applesauce. Beyond the competition, bargain $12 prix-fixe lunches abound at 40 establishments, and modern dance performances provide you with a cultural fix. Don’t miss the all-night party on Mar 3, when you can ice-skate, gawk at fireworks, groove to live beat-boxing and feast on breakfast at dawn—all for free.