Since you’ll probably want to check out Imagine: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, I put together a few ideas onhow to make the most of Montréal while you’re in town.
Start your day at one of two places: MBCO, a restaurant/bakery on Stanley, which serves up a variety of flavourful omelettes and Viennese pastries, or Café Vasco da Gama on Peel, noted for their bagels, croque-matin (a delicious take on a cheese and egg breakfast sandwiches), and Portuguese-style tosta mixta.
Afterward, you’re off to Imagine at the MMFA. This one-of-a-kind exhibition features more than 140 works, including drawings, unpublished photos, videos, films, and interactive materials. You’ll be able to play “Imagine” on a white piano, tie wishes to Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree, read works of Nobel Peace Prize winners and stamp “Imagine Peace” on maps of the world.
Worked up an appetite from all that inspiration? Around the corner on Peel Street, try Alexandre, a combination café-bistro that features classic French fare. Mussels in white wine, goose foie gras, steak tartar… All this is served up in a Parisian-styled brasserie on the first floor or a stylish pub upstairs. And when the sun shines, you can even enjoy lunch on their outdoor patio!
What’s up next? Hop on the metro and get off at Mont-Royal station. Both Mount Royal and Saint-Denis Streets are alive with second-hand music shops teeming with LPs, CDs, collector magazines and posters. If you’re a poster aficionado, don’t miss À l’affiche and Montréal Images.
Then set off along Saint-Laurent Boulevard, where you’ll find an abundance of boutiques ranging from chic, urban wear to quirky deco to high-end furniture. One of my favourites is M0851, with their understated leather bags, but with so much variety on this street, you’re guaranteed to find something you weren’t even looking for.
Still on Saint-Laurent, Maestro SVP is great place to do dinner, especially if you’re a seafood lover. While their oyster bar is a definite must, the menu also features many other temptation-worthy dishes: tuna tartar with wonton chips, sautéed scallops with a Madagascar green peppercorn sauce, and poached clams with white wine and garlic.
To top off the evening, the Scottish pub Île Noire offers some 140 varieties of scotch, rare whiskeys and assortment of local and imported beers in a warm, welcoming décor featuring mahogany trim and stained-glass windows.
