Shopping in Montreal
Shopping on St Laurent Boulevard
If you�re looking for an excellent mix of food, furniture, and the latest in fashion- St Laurent Boulevard is the place to go. As one of the city�s main thoroughfares, this street offers some of the best of Montreal shopping. Primarily between Sherbrooke Street and Mont-Royal Avenue, it�s the kind of 20 minute walk that could take you a week to finish.
St. Laurent, once affectionately known as � the Main� is a hotspot for some of Montreal�s dining institutions, like Schwartz�s Montreal Hebrew Delicatessan (http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index2.html) where you�re guaranteed to see a line down the street any time of day. Whether you�re in the mood for a delicious Montreal smoked meat sandwhich or some awesome shoe shopping at La Godasse (http://www.lagodasse.ca/home_en/)- Saint Laurent Boulevard (http://www.boulevardsaintlaurent.com/en/home.aspx?sortcode=2.18.18) is most certainly a street to visit, and with people out and about into all hours of the night- you can go there anytime.
Shopping on St Denis Street
If you like vintage shopping, you�ll love St. Denis. Some people think that if a trend is about to make an appearance, it happens on St Denis first. Found in one of the 15 hippest neighbourhoods in North America, according to Utne magazine (http://www.utne.com/1997-11-01/hip-hot-spots.aspx?page=3), St Denis street, located in the Plateau, is the home of charming boutiques and vintage clothing and furniture stores, art shops, little French cafes, and an abundance of treasures for the home and closet. Because St. Denis features mostly unique and exclusive wares, you likely won�t find �must-haves� available like this anywhere else in Montreal, or most other places, for that matter.
With some of the best cafes, cool restaurants, and amazing shopping opportunities in Canada- St. Denis is the perfect street to spend an afternoon.
Check out Wikipedia�s comprehensive guide to Saint Denis Street (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Denis_Street) for more info.
Shopping on Crescent Street
Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, Crescent street is a slice of culture found no where else in city. Famous for its specialty stores, fine eateries and incredible art galleries, Crescent street is a mecca for visitors.
With designer stores like Hugo Boss (http://www.hugoboss.com/), and Matt Baily (http://www.mattbaily.ca/) lining the streets, a slew of terraced restaurants, clubs, hotels and some crazy street festivals- Crescent street (http://www.crescentmontreal.com/english_main.htm )hails as a must visit on any tour of Montreal.
Shopping in Downtown Montreal
Sainte-Catherine street west, between Atwater and St. Urbain Street is an excellent all-round shoping experience. As the primary commercial artery of downtown Montreal, Sainte-Catherine�s is the host of many major department stores, and shopping malls- including the Eaton Center (http://centreeaton.shopping.ca/cambridge/jsp/index_flash.jsp?mallid=eat), and high end fashion destinations like Les Cours Montreal (http://www.lcmr.ca/english/index.php).
With people out and about at all hours, tons of stores, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and more bars than you could drink at in one night- you cannot miss Sainte-Catherines, even if you wanted to.
Eating in Montreal
Montreal�s diverse cultural features and European flavours have fostered a dinning culture unparalleled in Canada. From some of the most high-end, high-priced, restaurants, to hole-in-the-wall take out joints, this city has some of the best dining choices your pallete will encounter. Truthfully, picking the restaurant you would like to eat at in Montreal is difficult- there are so many good ones, and not enough meals in the day to hit them all.
For those on a budget-minded trip, here are some places you shouldn�t leave Montreal without having a meal from first (in no relevant order):
Schwartz�s Hebrew Delicatessen - One of the best smoked meat sandwiches you will ever have, and for around five bucks a pop, most surely worth the wait in line (and you will wait in line).
Alto�s � If you�re planning on eating poutine anywhere in Montreal (a Quebec specialty- heart stopping French fries, gravy and melted cheese) Alto�s is the place. Delivery almost anytime of the night, and for eight bucks a late night meal any partier can appreciate.
Marven�s Restaurant This spot has some of the best greek food you can find in Canada. Heaping plates, delicious meals, reasonably prices- Marven�s is a bastion for big appetites and slim wallets.
Boustan Lebanese Cuisine Nobody makes a schwarma in Canada like Boustan. Because of the dense middle-eastern population in Montreal, middle eastern fast food is available all over the place. None of them, however, compare to Boustan: for under 6 bucks a sandwhich, Boustan is a hallmark of delicious, authentic, fast, and easy schwarma pitas, and its on Crescent street- this place is a no brainer.
Place Milton Restaurant () - Located in the heart of the McGill Student �ghetto�, as it is affectionately called, Place Milton is one of the best breakfast/brunch spots in Montreal. Hearty servings, lots of variety, a quaint little spot with lots of flavour, and reasonable prices, Place Milton is a real joy to eat at.
For more restaurants and dinning ideas, be sure to visit resto-montreal, a reviewed and trusted online source for Montreal Restaurants (http://restomontreal.ca/) as well as the official Tourism Montreal site for more Montreal food information.
Read about visiting the city in the Montreal Travel Guide.
