Frommer's Favorite Experiences in Montreal
- Enjoying an Afternoon or Evening of Jazz: In downtown, Vieux-Montréal, and the Plateau, jazz is a favorite pastime of locals and visitors—especially in July, during the renowned Festival International de Jazz.
- Savoring Gourmet Meals at Affordable Prices: Experience all of French cuisine’s interpretations—traditional, haute, bistro, Québécois—the way the locals do: by ordering the table d’hôte specials. You’ll get to indulge in two or more courses for a fixed price that is only slightly more than the cost of a single main course. Most restaurants offer the option.
- Exploring Vieux-Montréal: The city’s oldest quarter has an overwhelmingly European flavor. Place Jacques-Cartier is the central outdoor square, and in every direction from there, you’ll find museums, bistros, and boutiques worth savoring. A revitalized waterfront just adjacent also inspires strolling or biking.
- Pausing in silence at the Basilique Notre-Dame: Once you see this basilica's ornate and breathtaking altar, you might understand why the church's Protestant architect converted to Catholicism.
- Indulging in a plate of poutine: Unofficially the comfort food of the province, poutine is french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It's packed with flavor...and calories.
- Smelling the flowers at the Jardin Botanique: The city's marvelous botanic garden spreads across 75 hectares (185 acres) and is a fragrent oasis 12 months a year.
- Marveling at art from every period known to man at the extraordinary Musee des Beaux-Arts: Truly, this is one of the finest art museums in the Americas.