Amanda Dawson

Take old-world European charm and mix it with an open, friendly bustling North American city, and you've got Montreal. It's no surprise that the city is home to one of the best neighbourhoods in the world. The second oldest city in Canada, Montreal's combination of history and landscape with twentieth-century architectural wonders results in a never-ending list of attractions (and festivals!). Try inspiring museums; hidden bars and secret speakeasies; fine dining in next-level restaurants and the top tables (plus some stellar cheap eats). Tourists are amazed by Montréal, and locals keep falling back in love with it. What is the most visited place in Montreal? The extremely walkable neighbourhood of Old Montreal, with its cobblestone streets and proximity to the Old Port, is home to some of the city's ancient history and newest attractions. What is Montreal best known for? Aside from our famous bagels and poutine, Montreal is best known for hosting the World's Fair in 1967, followed by the first Olympics ever held in Canada during the summer of 1976; for Mount Royal Park (affectionately known by locals as "the mountain"), designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the same man responsible for designing New York City's Central Park) and for being a superior city to Toronto in every way.  Where can I take tourists in Montreal? From the top 50 best restaurants in the city to the vibrant nightlife scene, Montreal is a playground for tourists and locals of all ages – sandy beaches, free c

Choose your New Year's Eve vibe thanks to this essential list of Montreal parties happening on December 31, 2025. From the huge free Grand Minuit waterfront party in the Old Port with fireworks, to club nights at Stereo (29-hour rave, anyone?), dinner parties and even pub crawls, we’ve pulled together the best list of NYE celebrations. This massive list includes some of the best restaurants in Montreal, the best bars in Montreal, and—of course—the best places to experience nightlife in Montreal. Put on your best outfit and have a blast. RECOMMENDED:Essentiual guide to the best clubs in MontrealThe complete guide to the best things to do in Montreal

Discover the iconic hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels everyone's talking about. There are few things we believe in burning the tips of our fingers for. What is worth a momentary, yet painful, cool-down toss from hand to hand, though, is a piping hot bagel from Fairmount—fresh from the oven, sesame seeds raining down as we scoop up cream cheese straight from the container. A true breakfast (lunch, or dinner) of champions. Bagels are right up there at the top of our list of iconic Montreal food alongside the best delis for Montreal smoked meat—followed closely by the best poutine. They are a cornerstone offering on the best brunch menus while ranking high among the best cheap eats in Montreal. What humbly started with Jewish immigrants bringing hand-rolled, wood-fired rings of sweet, thin, and dense dough in the early 20th century has become world-famous. But don't just take our word for it. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in MontrealWhere to find the most iconic Montreal foodBest brunch spots in Montreal

Who doesn’t love a nice bouquet of flowers from the best florists in town – especially when you can get them delivered to your doorstep in Montreal? When you take stock of all the fabulous Montreal attractions, gorgeous terraces, and world-class restaurants – all topped with these superb flower shops – this is without a doubt a city for lovers. Florists here offer all sorts of services, including last-minute bouquet deliveries and extravagant wedding arrangements, but they can also help you find something simple to liven up your apartment too. Flower shopping has never been so easy, or so rewarding. Especially as we've rounded them all up for you – seriously, this is going to be a bloomin' breeze. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the 🍷best romantic restaurants in Montreal This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Les meilleurs gyms de Montréal ont tout ce qu'il faut, qu'il s'agisse de séances d'entraînement intense pour le corps entier ou des cours de groupe avec bonne humeur, d'une pratique accompagnée de yoga et méditation ou simplement pour leur solide (et peu coûteuse) polyvalence. Certaines de ces installations sportives rivalisent avec les meilleurs spas de Montréal et comprennent parfois les meilleures piscines de Montréal. Quelque part parmi cette collection on a le choix des meilleurs lofts de yoga de la ville, des entrepôts CrossFit, des piscines de taille olympique et des studios de bien-être de luxe, etc… Il y a un endroit pour tout le monde. RECOMMANDÉ : Guide complet quoi faire à Montréal

The best gyms in Montreal have got it all, whether it’s intense full-body training sessions and group classes for good spirited vibes, guided yoga and meditation or just a solid (and inexpensive) all-rounder. Some of them sport facilities that rival the best Montreal spas and at times include the best Montreal pools. We’ll admit finding the right gym to workout at can be difficult, though; we’ve visited enough to know some aren’t worth a membership, so this guide aims to cover all fitness needs.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Montreal

Ever since Ilya Rozanov and his smouldering Russian accent made “I’m coming to the cottage” the sexiest phrase on television, the internet has been a-buzz with Heated Rivalry shooting location chatter.  Top cottage country destinations in Ontario include iconic lakes, rugged, island-filled bays and bustling family-friendly shores. From luxury getaways to dramatic, scenic landscapes, these regions offer year-round experiences — like boating in the summer and skiing in the winter. We’ve rounded up our three favourite Ontario cottage country escapes where you can get your rural getaway fix. 1. Muskoka While the backdrop for Shane Hollander's idyllic lake retreat poses as Quebec’s Lanaudière region on the show, episode 6 was actually shot at Barlochan Cottage in Central Ontario’s Muskoka. (Montrealers: test your Heated Rivalry trivia here.) Known as the Hamptons of the North, this iconic cottage country destination is famed for its countless pristine lakes (Muskoka, Rosseau, and Joseph being the most well known), swish waterfront properties, vast forests, rocky Canadian Shield shorelines, and quaint, small towns. Read more: Best weekend getaways from Montreal Photograph: Shutterstock / Alessandro Cancian Do this: This is an all season destination for nature lovers. In warmer months, paddle the many lakes and rivers or hike and cycle in the provincial parks. In the winter, get into the hockey spirit and lace up to skate down Arrowhead Provincial Park's 1.3 km tree-lined skating

As mother nature continues to have its fun with us in Montreal – will I be donning the polar parka or the rain slicker today?– hibernating by a fire with a good book is feeling pretty darn appealing.  I spoke to Cassandra Keating, co-owner of the independent, English-language Librairie Saint-Henri Books (located in Saint-Henri, recently ranked one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world), and Rachael Palmer, store manager and curator, about their favourite soon-to-be-released titles. Photograph: Librarie Saint-Henri Books Located across the street from one of our favourite brunch spots (Arthurs Nosh Bar) and bakeries, Librairie Saint-Henri Books is a must-visit bookstore in Montreal — also conveniently located next door to Tuck Shop (one of the city’s top tables).  Photograph: Librairie Saint-Henri Books Want to join a book club? The next LSHB Book Club meets on Thursday, February 19, 2026. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Librairie Saint-Henri Books (@saint.henri.books) What are the best books to look forward to in 2026? Here are the top 6 picks according to the stellar staff at Librairie Saint-Henri Books: 1. Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash  For fans of: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh and Animal by Lisa Taddeo. Madeline Cash’s Lost Lambs promises a sharp look at family dynamics and feels like the kind of book that will spark strong opinions and conversation.  Release date: January 13, 2026. View this post on Instagram A post shared by

I knew making friends with the trio of lambs that ambled up the pasture to bleat hello at Littlejohn Farm might be a mistake.  Photograph: Amanda Dawson | Time Out Perhaps I should have lavished more attention on the decidedly less adorable chickens as now, seated at a long family style dining table lit with candles and festooned with fall root vegetables, I have a plate of said new friends in front of me. Steaming and succulent-looking. One look and all my vegetarian resolutions are out the window. I am a hypocrite and I don’t care — it's maybe the most delicious lamb I’ve ever tasted.  I am on a farm just outside the small town of Wellington in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, a short drive from Toronto, to soak up the best of the season. As the vibrant reds, yellows and rusts of the fall foliage recede behind the setting sun, Luhana Littlejohn guides us through the rows of kale, corn, and squash that she and her husband Zach raise and cook up on their agrotourist property.  Check out: I visited the oldest rum distillery in the world and it was bucket list The pair have a meet-cute story right out of a rom com. Picture two young strangers, she a girl from Salvador, Brazil and he a boy from Stouffville, Ontario striking up a conversation one night at a train station in Bayonne—a chat that continued over 34 days walking the El Camino del Santiago trail together. What emerged was a shared dream to one day own and live on a sustainable farm… and the rest is history. The couple