Montreal in February is not exactly everybody's dream destination, but if you can bear the bitter cold winds and the opious amounts of snow, then you can (actually) have a wonderful wintery adventure. Now I've been to Montreal a handful of times over the years, but my mom has always wanted to see this magical French province in it's white winter charm. We were on our way to Quebec City but still had time for a quick 20-hour stop over in Montreal, so I wanted to show her some of the highlights in winter. If you've only got a day, or even a long layover in Montreal, this is your quick guide to the city:
We drove downtown and managed to find a parking lot (parking is atrocious downtown, you're much better off parking and walking if possible or taking public transportation if you have a longer stay in Montreal). The first stop: Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal.
After our time through the Cathedral we walked down the main thoroughfare (Rue Notre-Dame Ouest) and debated about where to have lunch. There are tons of cute little restaurants and cafes down this thoroughfare; both local and chains like Subway, Starbucks and McDonalds. We ended up stopping at a little pizza shop called Pizzeria Bros. They make custom-order pizzas and they're ready in less than 10 minutes. If you go here...get the rose sauce, my mom still talks about it!
Oh- and they have a (pretty good) gluten free crust for all you fellow #gf foodies out there.
After stuffing ourselves with yummy pizza, we bundled up and spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the streets of downtown historic Montreal. You'll want to stick to Rue Notre-Dame Ouest and down towards the river, this is the cutest area with old architecture, little cafes and restaurants and bars. Now if you come back in the summer, this area is dotted with outdoor tables and bustling with people. In the winter, it's a bit more quiet.
After a bit of wandering around the town, we decided to stop for a coffee and a treat at a little place I stumbled across about a year and a half ago. It's called Le Petit Dep and it's the most adorable gourmet grocer, cafe, coffee bar. I'll let these pictures do the talking! However, they have breakfast items as well as bakery items (gluten free and vegan options) as well as a coffee and wine bar.
We could have easily sat there the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed all the treats and coffee, but we had to start our 3-hour drive eastward to Quebec City for the Carnval de Glace! Hopefully, even if you only have a few short hours, you'll be able to enjoy Montreal and come back to explore even more of this charming European-American town.
