Montreal: A Mountain, a River and a Lot of Brunch

An island in the Saint Lawrence River holds the city, with a modest mountain at its centre and streets that fan out around the slope. Quebec's biggest city is also the world's second-largest French-speaking one, and locals flow between French and English without a second thought. The old quarter has kept its cobblestones and stone warehouses, while the Plateau is known for three-storey apartment houses with outdoor iron staircases. Here you will find a few hotels, sights, family-friendly restaurants and some background on the city. Every neighbourhood is walkable, and the metro fills in the gaps.

Places to Sleep

• Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth: A downtown hotel that sits above Central Station and has operated since 1958. In 1969 Yoko Ono and John Lennon staged a week-long bed-in in room 1742 and made a recording there; you can still reserve that room.
• Hotel William Gray: A glass-fronted building rising from two stone houses of the 1700s in Old Montreal, with the original walls visible indoors. Its rooftop terrace has a direct view of the old port.
• Le Mount Stephen: A Victorian mansion on Drummond Street, formerly the residence of a financier of the Canadian Pacific Railway, now a hotel with a contemporary wing at the back. The fine arts museum is a brief walk away.

What to See and Do

• Old Montreal: Cobbled lanes, stone warehouses and Notre-Dame Basilica, whose interior glows in deep blue with touches of gold leaf. Place Jacques-Cartier slopes down to the old port, and in summer it is crowded with street performers and outdoor tables.
• Mont Royal Park: The hill that gave the city its name, planned by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also created Central Park in New York. Climb to the lookout for a view across downtown to the river. When snow arrives, locals ski, skate and snowshoe there.
• Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA): The oldest art museum in Canada, spread over five connected buildings along Sherbrooke Street. It holds Old Master paintings, Inuit sculpture and work by Quebec artists, and a former church there now serves as a concert hall.

Kid-Friendly Places to Eat

People in Montreal dine out all the time, and most places are fine with children. Brunch is practically a civic ritual. These spots rarely let anyone down:

• La Banquise:
  Where: 994 Rachel Street East, Montreal, Quebec H2J 2J3
  Always open, with about thirty types of poutine ranging from simple cheese curds and gravy to ones topped with smoked meat, peas or merguez sausage. Expect a line at three in the morning and another at midday.
• Tommy Café + Apero:
  Where: 200 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1T3
  A plant-filled café in the old quarter, furnished with reclaimed pieces, offering brunch, sandwiches and excellent coffee. Tall ceilings and bright light make it hard to stay sleepy.
• L'Avenue:
  Where: 922 Mont-Royal Avenue East, Montreal, Quebec H2J 1X1
  A brunch favourite along Mont-Royal Avenue with graffiti-covered walls, odd chairs and pancakes as wide as dinner plates. Arrive early or be ready to wait outside on the sidewalk.
• Pizzaiolle:
  Where: Several branches, one at 758 Saint-Catherine Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1B7
  Among the earliest restaurants in town to put a wood-fired oven in the middle of the dining room. Thin-crust pizzas, pasta and salads, served by staff who are completely at ease with kids.
• St-Viateur Bagel & Café:
  Where: Several branches, one at 263 Saint Viateur Street West, Montreal, Quebec H2V 1Y1
  Local bagels are simmered in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven, giving them a smaller, denser and sweeter bite than the New York style. Ask for sesame, fresh from the oven, and eat it on your feet.
• Ben & Florentine:
  Where: Several branches, one at 901 Square-Victoria Street, Montreal, Quebec H2Z 1R1
  A breakfast chain serving eggs, crepes, fruit platters and sandwiches until the middle of the afternoon. Reliably consistent, which is a blessing with a hungry five-year-old.
• Le Warehouse:
  Where: Several branches, one at 1446 Crescent Street, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2B7
  Low-priced food and even cheaper beer, with burgers, tacos and poutine on a compact menu. The room is so loud that nobody notices the racket from your table.

Good to Know

• Multicultural Hub: People from all over the world have settled here for generations, and the cuisine and the event calendar reflect it. The Montreal International Jazz Festival, the biggest of its kind anywhere, shuts several downtown streets for ten days each summer.
• Bilingual Identity: Only Paris has a larger French-speaking population. French is Quebec's official language and the norm on shop fronts, in offices and on street signs, yet most people downtown will change to English before you finish your question.
• Underground City: The RESO network joins malls, offices, hotels, universities and metro stations along more than twenty miles of passageways. In February you can get across much of downtown without stepping outdoors, and plenty of locals do exactly that.