CELEBRITY-SPOTTING IN MONTREAL

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The who, where, and why you might care.

A few days ago after a few late night cocktails at Barroco Restaurant (312 rue St-Paul ouest) in the Old Montreal, gal pal Mary* and I moseyed over to Le Papillon Rose (1071 côte du Beaver Hall) to fete our buddy Josh’s birthday (forever 39, right darling?) Josh – despite being PR man for Hype energy drinks – is a decidedly laidback dude. Mary, then, was a perfect study in contrast when actor Owen Wilson walked through the doorway and she shrieked, “Owen Wilson!” (In her defense, it was a very ladylike shriek; I don’t think everybody noticed.)

Much after the fact, I learned that Mr. Wilson had taken in a Habs’ game at the Bell Centre the evening before – which explains the Canadiens shirt he had on under his jacket – before chilling out at Le Vauvert (355 rue McGill) for drinks. When we spotted him the next night, he was arriving from semi-subterranean supperclub L’Orignal (479 rue Saint-Alexis). On the following Saturday, I heard that O.W. and his entourage went cycling around the Old Port of Montreal; he on his own bike, the others on public Bixi rentals.

If by now you are wondering why does all this matter? Well, frankly, you can just give up on this blog post right now. American celebrities, you see, are common here in Montreal thanks to our local filmmaking industry. And when they go out to play in our quaint little city, for some it’s the next best thing to actually hanging out with the A-list crowd – if that’s your thing. Going out where famous people go can be a way of getting close to those we admire, idolize or obsess over – without trespassing into stalker territory. Isn’t this why Lennon fans make pilgrimages to the John and Yoko Suite at the Hotel Queen Elizabeth, or why the Celine Dion-obsessed add the Notre-Dame Basilica to their bucket list? It’s why I’m buying a new Habs shirt and will wear it with newfound pride: Owen and I will have that detail in common.

Anyway, if I had you at “Owen,” this blog just gets juicier. (FYI: His movie credits include Wedding Crashers. Did you not love that movie?) While I can’t claim to have seen all these cooler-than-thou celebrities myself, I like to store these “facts” in my brain as if I did. Read on for more Montreal star sightings.

THE DETAILS

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

Bono at Café Méliès
3520 boulevard St-Laurent,
Plateau

Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger at L’Auberge St-Gabriel
436 rue St-Gabriel,
Old Montreal

Dustin Hoffman at Beauty’s Luncheonette
93 avenue du Mont-Royal ouest,
Plateau

Ben Stiller at Holder
407 rue McGill,
Old Montreal

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart at Club Chasse et Pêche
423 rue St-Claude,
Old Montreal

Jake Gyllenhaal and Isabel Lucas at Garde Manger
408 rue St-Francois-Xavier,
Old Montreal

Halle Berry (and model boyfriend Gabriel Aubry – whom since their breakup has apparently moved back to Montreal and has been spotted all over the Plateau neighbourhood) and Johnny Depp at Da Emma
777 rue de la Commune ouest,
Old Montreal

HOTELS

Brendan Fraser at Auberge du Vieux-Port
97 rue de la Commune est,
Old Montreal

Samuel L. Jackson at Place d’Armes Hotel & Suites
55 rue St-Jacques ouest,
Old Montreal

Matt Damon, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt at Hotel Vogue
1425 rue de la Montagne
Downtown

Janet Jackson at Opus Hotel
10 rue Sherbrooke ouest,
Downtown

Bryan Adams at Hotel Le Germain
2050 rue Mansfield,
Downtown

Cate Blanchett at Hotel St-Paul
355 rue McGill
Old Montreal

Madonna at Hotel Le Crystal
1100 rue de la Montagne
Downtown

Mick Jagger and Chris Martin (separately) at Hotel St-James
355 rue St-Jacques
Old Montreal

Axel Rose at Marriott Chateau Champlain Hotel
1 place du Canada
Downtown

NIGHTCLUBS AND SUPPERCLUBS

Owen Wilson at Le Papillon Rose 1071 côte du Beaver Hall,
Old Montreal

Georges St-Pierre at Med Grill
3500 boulevard St-Laurent,
Downtown

John Cusack at Le Vauvert
355 rue McGill,
Old Montreal

Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan at Bains Douches (formerly Tribe Hyperclub)
390 rue St-Jacques ouest,
Old Montreal

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