For almost 10 years, Time Out has been mapping the world’s coolest neighbourhoods — places packed with nightlife, culture, creativity, and great food and drink, where diversity thrives and local character shines.
This year, our writers and editors nominated the most exciting districts in their cities, which we ranked based on culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food, and that hard-to-define “nowness.”
From close-knit enclaves and reinvented industrial zones to emerging culinary hotspots, each of the 39 neighbourhoods on this year’s list shares a DIY spirit, a creative edge, and a unique energy that captures the soul of its city.
What is the coolest neighbourhood in the world?
According to Time Out’s 2025 ranking, Jimbōchō, Tokyo was ranked the number one coolest neighbourhood in the world.
A historic university hub and haven for book lovers, Jimbōchō is home to 130 second-hand bookstores, classic cafés, and curry houses. Its timeless charm meets youthful energy, with new indie shops, cafés, and music clubs adding fresh buzz — a perfect escape from Tokyo’s fast-paced digital life.
What is Montreal’s coolest neighbourhood?
Plateau-Mont-Royal and its Mile End enclave was ranked number 22 on the coveted list, surpassing Toronto’s Davenport neighbourhood (number 26).
“Le Plateau”, and particularly the iconic Mile End, blends hip, artsy vibes with charming residential streets and lively nightlife.
What’s so special about Plateau Mont-Royal?
You know that postcard image of Montreal? With spiral staircases, colourfully painted frontages and leafy streets? That’s the Plateau.
But the ever-evolving Plateau-Mont-Royal and its Mile End enclave are also where Montreal’s cool factor comes alive.
The neighbourhood gets its name from its location at the foot of Montreal’s central Mount Royal Park, in a literal plateau that stretches to the east and north for miles. It’s a huge area with tons of different subsections to discover.
What started as a working-class residential hood in the 1800s has become one of the most expensive places to buy property today, beloved for its block parties, cafés, intimate izakayas and year-round late-night buzz.
It’s an absolute destination for music fans, with clubs like Sala Rossa, L’Escogriffe and Théâtre Fairmount making it the epicentre of festivals like Pop Montréal and Suoni Per Il Popolo. It’s where Arcade Fire, Grimes and Half Moon Run come into their own and it’s still where Montreal’s newest (and oldest) indie bands come to play.
The borough is a magnet for artists, musicians, and even former prime ministers—Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau recently hopped from bar (Taverne Atlantique) to table (Le Violon) across the trendy neighbourhood.
From May to September, the Plateau’s car-free streets turn into a runway for the cool crowd, offering everything from open-air markets to book fairs and week-long arty block parties.
One of the annual highlights is the MURAL street art festival, which invites international artists to beautify walls across the neighbourhood during a multiday party in the streets. Lucky for locals, the results are left to be enjoyed year-round, complementing the many backlane play areas and family-friendly community initiatives.
The shopping scene in Laurier Village or along Mont-Royal East, St. Lawrence Boulevard, St-Viateur Street and Saint-Denis Street attracts crowds for its unique, only-here brands and shops.
Love vintage wares? You’ve got a couple of dozen destinations here, from Inédit.e to Citizen Vintage to Le Ninety and Marché Floh.
Bookworms can mix a browse with a break at coffeeshops-slash-bookshops Joie de Livre and Café Éclair. De Stiil on pretty Duluth Street has got to be one of the most aesthetic bookstores in town.
Year round, wander past centuries-old churches reimagined as start-ups, step into industrial buildings-turned-art gallery compounds, and snack your way through a mix of beloved Montreal food institutions (hello, Schwartz's Deli) and buzzy new hotspots spilling onto the sidewalks—including one of Canada’s hottest new sushi joints.
The neighbourhood is allergic to big chains (it famously ousted both a McDonald’s and a Starbucks) and instead supports mom-and-pop restaurants and cafés from all over the world. Enjoy Sub-Saharan cuisine at Le Virunga, French classics at L’Express or Chinese flavours at Oncle Lee.
For coffee, our faves include Myriade on Mont-Royal Avenue, Dispatch on Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Café Alphabet in Mile End, where each new drink is likely to go viral.
For a snack, decide for yourself who wins the best-croissant war between Le St-Louis and Croissant Coissant (so nice they named it twice) or even better, the Montreal bagel war between St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel.
And while you’re in Mile End, pick up some $5 gnocchi from the storefront window and go watch the skaters do loop-de-loops near Parc Lhasa-de-Sela.
What’s a perfect day on the Plateau | Mile End?
Pick up a Freddo matcha from Café Alphabet, a glazed donut from Bernie Beigne, and a bag of piping hot Montreal bagels before making your way to Parc La Fontaine—popping into Librairie Drawn & Quarterly and Au Papier Japonais along the way. (Don’t forget to grab some smoked meat for lunch).
Come evening, sip on a pornstar martini with a side of ceviche at Rouge Gorge (or order champagne and caviar at Molenne) before watching something fabulous at Théâtre Rialto—the Beaux-Arts-style architectural gem—or Théâtre Fairmont. And end the night at retro-diner Chez Claudette for a taste of Quebec’s iconic poutine.
When’s the best time to visit?
The international 10-day street-art festival MURAL (held every June) turns the whole borough into an open-air art gallery year-round, so anytime is a good time to go mural hunting in Montreal.
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