Enjoy these streets in Montreal with outdoor dining before summer ends

You've already enjoyed dozens of summer picnic spots in Montreal. You've wined and dined on the best terrasses in Montreal. You're thinking of ordering takeout, but you want to enjoy eating outside for as long as possible before we've all stuck inside in -40°C weather. That's why it's high time to take advantage of the best streets in the city for outdoor dining, neighbourhoods that have set up long, sprawling terrasses available for public use. Eat and drink to your heart's content when the sun's shining at these spots as you make a game plan for how to handle the incoming snow.

Verdun: Wellington Street

It's hands-down one of the best approaches any borough has handled the demands of the pandemic: Located between LaSalle Boulevard and 6th Avenue, the "Well" has turned totally pedestrian, servicing locals—and local tourists—with a lot of performances and spots to take your meals. Before or after your meal on one of the pop-up terrasses, there's a wealth of local shops to check out as well. If you're not used to traveling this far to the southwest of the city, check out the best ways to get there safely from the source, in addition to a lot of other helpful tips and tricks for visitors.

Plateau Mont-Royal: Mont-Royal Avenue 

Montrealers may be used to when Mont-Royal Avenue annually shuts down for street sales, but the year has had the strip experiencing increased pedestrianization alongside a lot of installations, ranging from blocks with seating to street art by five artists and designers. Grab a treat from a bakery here, a coffee there, maybe shop for some choice cheeses and breads to take home, and then—come dinner time—grab a table on one of the street's large terrasses set up for the summer.

Chinatown: Corner of Rene-Levesque Boulevard and Saint-Laurent Boulevard

If there's one neighborhood that's in need of love lately, it's Chinatown. Aside from De La Gauchetière, where it's possible to sit down to eat some dumplings and bao on the go, the main attraction this summer is the beachy Shā Tān terrasse at the corner of Saint-Laurent and René-Lévesque. An initiative of La Pépinière, in collaboration with the City of Montreal, find picnic tables or seats with both feet in the sand, savoring one or more dishes that can be ordered directly on the spot from any of the restaurants in the neighborhood. Act fast; they're closing this down in the fall.

Downtown: Peel Street, Sainte-Catherine Street and the Urban Forest

Whether it's to spend a lively evening on Peel Street , enjoy food from Time Out Market Montréal on the XP_MTL terrasse at Square Phillips, the Quartier des Spectacles, one of the pop-up installations on Sainte-Catherine Street or planning an escape to the Urban Forest, the downtown core is definitely deserving of your next afternoon or evening on the town. The city's efforts to revive its businesses downtown are clear; if you want to show our city some love beyond your neighbourhood's haunts, this is the place to do it.

Old Montreal: De la Commune

Try dining out this summer while discovering the city from a different perspective. This season's free of international tourists, so now's the perfect time to reclaim Old Montreal by walking it in its entirety from east to west. Starting with Notre-Dame, go strolling there before hitting Saint-Paul, then spend the rest of the day on the now-pedestrianized De la Commune until the fall. If you don't want to stop on a terrasse for a snack, grab some takeout to enjoy on one of the public seating setups available or right on the green by the Saint-Lawrence River.

Little Italy: Castelnau Street

If you want to get away from the city without ever having to leave it, just go north of Little Italy's main strip to stop at the Jean-Talon Market (optional) before heading to Castelnau Street. Walk it from west to east to enjoy plazas, play areas for kids, comfy impromptu seats, and of course, the many local shops where you can find the perfect ice cream, gourmet sandwiches or the superb cups of coffee on offer. Be sure to check out the Salon Urbain installation while you're there.

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