We have hit on so many notable spots in Montreal thus far, but somehow we have ignored the Latin Quarter (and for no good reason, might we add). Located east of downtown below Sherbrooke, the Latin Quarter is the most bohemian and probably one of the more youthful neighbourhoods in the city.
Friday night, settle in for dinner at Au Petit Extra. More a brasserie than a bistro, this neighbourhood landmark has the Parisian look down pat. Sitting on simple lacquered wooden chairs and eating off of midnight-blue tablecloths (or perhaps in one of their claw-footed bourgeois banquettes), feast from their chalkboard menu of oysters and Quebec game. After dinner, head for beers at Le Cheval Blanc. Open since 1986, it was the first licensed brewpub in Quebec. Its beers were so successful from the onset that the bar then turned into a microbrewery a year later and merged with two others to form Les Brasseurs RJ.
On Saturday, hit the pavement on Amherst Street and check out many of the used (but amazing) furniture shops. There are plenty of them to choose from, and we must forewarn you: they are not cheap. For lunch hit up La Paryse for one of the best burgers in Montreal. We recommend their simple standard house burger – topped with lettuce, tomato, raw mushrooms, cheese and mayo. For dinner we are more than excited to recommend La Guadalupe, one of Montreal’s rare but amazing authentic Mexican restaurants. Located on Ontario East, in a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood, La Guadalupe is a family-style Mexican restaurant serving ceviches, mole pablanos, margaritas, and much, much more. Spend the rest of the evening dancing at Jello Martini Lounge. This hot spot always has an amazing DJ playing awesome beats and the bar boasts a really cool and beautiful crowd.
Sunday. hit Marche Saint-Jacques, the Latin Quarter’s fresh-food market since 1875. It was renovated in 2010, and is now known as a smaller Atwater Market. Spend some time filling up your grocery bags with fresh produce and specialty goods from local suppliers and farmers. Grab a crepe from the stand in the front of the building and spend the rest of the day walking the streets and enjoying the fall weather.
Image courtesy stock.xchang.