For those of you working through the holidays, or perhaps not with family, we wanted to give you an itinerary to keep you joyous and festive throughout this 2011 Christmas weekend. We will point you in the right direction to the most festive (and open on Christmas) restaurants and bars, as well as some daytime activities and last-minute holiday shopping
Friday night, we’d like to suggest a big night out. Start off with dinner at L’Express on St. Denis. The most notable French bistro in the city, and quite possibly one of the most well-known restaurant landmarks, L’Express transports you to a Parisian bistro, fit for a Parisian no less. Order yourself the beef tartar with frites and bottle of red wine to get the night started. After dinner, head down to Old Montreal for a night of dancing, beer, and more holiday celebrations at Confessional.
Wake up on Saturday and head for a holiday brunch at Le Pois Penche. Festive even outside of the holidays, this Centreville restaurant (owned by the same restaurant group as Montreal’s popular steak house Que De Cheval) has black and white checkered floors, red velvet drapes, a cold fish bar in the center of the restaurant, and a brunch menu to absolutely die for. Treat yourself to a lobster benedict and latte and then head into the streets for some last minute holiday shopping.
Check out Ogilvy and Holt Renfrew for your high end department store needs, and perhaps do a dash into the Cours de Montreal, Montreal’s premiere underground shopping mall with one of a kind clothing boutiques and underground access to the Eaton Center. Dining out on Christmas Eve is never easy, but luckily Montreal’s most high end and famous restaurant, Club Chasse et Peche is open. For appetizer try their Venison with beets, pears, and crème fraiche. For a main worthy of salivation over (and more appropriate for a holiday meal), order their Roasted Duck Margret served with nameko, purslane, and jus. After dinner walk a few blocks over to the Hotel Nelligan and have drinks at Mechant Boeuf.
Sunday prepare yourself for a classic holiday brunch at the Beaver Club in downtown Montreal, and then take in an afternoon holiday flick at the AMC. Lounge the day away and bask in a lazy Christmas Sunday!
Image courtesy L’Express