Visiting Montreal
So you're in Montreal for the Battle Hardened. Maybe you’ve visited before, maybe you haven’t. Maybe you’re a Quebec local or from further afield. Either way, this map & list of locations can help you out this weekend! Note that some of these recommendations are a bit further away, so you might not have time during the busy tournament weekend, unless you 0-2 drop and decide to do something else. I’ve tried to provide a list with a range of cuisine types, price points, and in a variety of areas. Hopefully this helps you find a place to have dinner!
Locations pinned on the map are bolded, while other place names are presented in Italics.
Check out my Visiting Montreal map here!
Downtown Montreal
Note: There is a bike race (Tour de l’Ile de Montreal) taking place on the weekend of the Battle Hardened. Traffic may be impacted on Sunday due to road closures. Keep this in mind when planning how long it will take to get to the venue.
The Battle Hardened is taking place at the Best Western on Drummond Street. Escondite Drummond happens to be one of my favourite taco places of all time, and is just steps out the door.
Boustan & La Belle Province are cultural institutions in the fast food space. You can get a shawarma from Boustan that completely meets expectations any time of the day, and La Belle Province will serve you an authentically greasy poutine or hot dogs. Shawarmaz is also a great option for exactly what it says in the name.
Le Pois Penche and Maison Boulud are some upscale dining options if you’d like to splurge on French cuisine while in Montreal. Sushi Okeya Kyujiro is also in the area if you’re looking for an omakase experience.
Bar Caffeteria (Italian), Pikolo Espresso Bar (hipster), and TSUJIRI (matcha & desserts) are nice cafes to check out if you need an excuse to walk in a random direction.
We may also be convinced to put you on as the feature match if you bring the casting team bubble tea from one of the many bubble tea shops in the area. I’ll take a regular milk tea with pearls, half ice.
If you go down St-Catherine Street southwest, you’ll find plenty of retail stores, while most of the restaurants are on the cross streets, with clusters at Crescent and Peel.
Past the student hub of Guy-Concordia metro station, standout restaurants for me are Kazu’s Izakaya and COQCOR Korean fried chicken.
Northeast along St-Catherine Street, is the Silver Goblin (aka Gobelin D’Argent), but all Flesh and Blood singles and events will be at the Battle Hardened this upcoming weekend! Next to the actual store is a convenient Sansotei Ramen, and across the road is a great tea shop called Plentea.
La Baguette Farcie nearby has a slightly different take on baguettes and sandwiches, and neighbouring restaurants are a good place to stop in as well.
BOSSA Sandwicheria Pret a Manger’s Italian sandwiches & a few other quick bites are in the Time Out Market, a slightly fancy food court in the Montreal Eaton Centre.
Nouilles Zhonghua is next to McGill campus, and has great bang for the buck.
Bar Le Mal Necessaire is a tiki bar quite close to the venue, with excellent cocktails (& mocktails). One of their signatures is served in a full pineapple, 11/10, would light on fire again.
Nouilles de Lan Zhou - Noodle Shop in Montreal’s Chinatown is great for a bowl of dandan noodles. Restaurant Dobe & Andy is another highly recommended Chinese food joint.
Quartier des Spectacles is a large district in downtown that often has the large Place des Arts venue, plazas with street festivals and performances, public art installations, and a nice hustle and bustle.
Past Place des Arts, LE CENTRAL is a ‘festival’ style food court with a bunch of different restaurant stalls and beer, perfect if you have a group that’s a little bit indecisive. Not really food, but Cafe Bloc across the street is the preferred bouldering gym for those in the downtown area.
Up in the direction of Milton Park and towards the Plateau, Mae Sri Comptoir Thai has excellent Hainan chicken, and my stomach is growling as I write this. Darbar nearby is the go-to for Indian food.
Vieux-Port (Old Port) area
It’s worth a trek to the Old Port just to check out the cobblestone streets and shops in the area! It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the city.
Notre-Dame Basilica is a classic Montreal tourist destination, they do a light show called AURA as well in the evenings.
Jacques-Cartier Pier is a central location between the Clock Tower, Ferris Wheel, Bonsecours Market’s various boutiques, and Place Jacques Cartier, a nice walkway with restaurants like Jardin Nelson and ice cream shops.
If you’re up for a decadent meal, Garde Manger is the best seafood restaurant in town, and the event weekend happens to hit the tail end of peak snow crab season.
Kwizinn is a Caribbean restaurant with excellent cocktails that was formerly located in my neighbourhood before tragically upgrading their space to the Old Port.
Crew Collective & Cafe is a cafe that’s inside an old bank. Really cool spot!
OASIS immersion is a large gallery with a fun series of art exhibits projected onto the walls.
The Plateau-ish
There is a sizeable Jewish community in Montreal, which is reflected in the next two entries -
Schwartz’ Deli smoked meat sandwiches are one of the icons of Montreal, and the originator of Montreal steak spice. Definitely make sure you try the pickles.
St-Viateur Bagel is my preferred bagel shop in Montreal, sesame is the way to go. They’re absolutely exquisite, I recommend hitting this up on your way out of town so you can buy a dozen.
Bistro Tôt ou Tard is a cute diner with great eggs benedict.
La Banquise - Poutine was mentioned earlier, but La Banquise has an impressive menu of customizable poutines, and also serves beer. Ma Poule Mouillée is just across the road, and has top notch Portugese chicken.
Sightseeing
MUST DO:
There’s really only one sight I would consider a must see. Go to the top of Mont Royal - the mountain that the city is named after. Kondiaronk Belvedere is an amazing lookout over the city skyline. You’ll be able to see a mural of Leonard Cohen, as well as my old apartment building from up there. Access by car up to the parking lot 3/4 of the way up the mountain, or trek all the way from the bottom on foot up a series of switchbacks. Daytime and nighttime visits are both great.
Other sightseeing:
Honourable mention to the McGill campus area and the beautiful stonework buildings.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - great if you’re into art, and has a lot of sculptures displayed outside as well if you only have time to just walk through the neighbourhood.
Parc Jean-Drapeau is where the amusement park is located, and also a pretty cool park to just walk around, accessible via metro.
The Biodome is also accessible via metro, and has a bunch of exhibits, and is right next door to the Botanical Gardens.
Feel free to stop by the caster's booth during downtime during the Battle Hardened if you want to chat about Flesh and Blood, food, cosplay, or your bad beats story. Hopefully this list will help you dip your toes into the many things that Montreal has to offer!
