Go on over to the travel section on Sympatico.ca to read up on my latest Luxury for Less piece, spotlighting one of my favorite cities in the world, Montreal!
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| Rooney. One of the many chic shops featured in Luxury for Less. |
As
Canadians, we’re lucky to have one of the most culturally rich and aesthetically
stunning cities in the world- Montreal. Lauded as Canada’s “little Paris”, you
cannot deny the European allure of Montreal, without the Euro currency. Once in
the bilingual city, and after you’ve indulged in La Banquise poutine and both St-Viateur and Fairmount bagels, grab a Bixi
bike and hit the 500-plus kilometers of bike lanes that cover the city. There
are over 400 Bixi stations around
Montreal where you can rent a bike for 24-hours for only $5. Check out bixi.com for a full map of all the
stations. With the best and most inexpensive way to explore Montreal in tow,
here are some must hits to live it up in the city of style:
SHOP
LOLA & EMILY
Located on Boulevard Saint Laurent, Lola
& Emily has been a stand-by shopping stop for chic labels like Sweden’s
Filippa K and Denmark’s Designer’s Remix since it’s inception in
2001. Decorated with antique furniture from India, Lola & Emily carries everything you need from jewelry, bags,
and shoes to make your outfit complete.
EDITORIAL
South of the Boulevard Saint Laurent shopping
strip, on Stanley, is a boutique that hits all the right stylish notes. Editorial’s MO is to mix high-end street wear labels with affordable fashion and
jewelry lines, creating an eclectic look that many celebrity stylists strive
for. Brands from all over the world include Vince,
One Teaspoon, and Brandy & Melville.
ROONEY
If there’s going to be one men’s clothing store to hit, it’s Rooney. In Old Montreal, near the Old
Port, Rooney specializes in emerging
designers that provide everyday classics from the perfect button-down to the
perfect pair of jeans with the utmost quality in manufacturing.
LITTLE SHOP
For rare finds and big designer names, it is worth the trek to the
vintage haven that is known as the Little
Shop. Prior to a few months ago, Little
Shop operated privately, specifically to set-designers for music videos and
huge films like The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button. Now, the public can search this tiny house that’s filled
to the brim with antique figurines, Victorian hats and lace, and of course the
labels… in one go, don’t be surprised to lay your hands on vintage Pierre
Cardin, Sonia Rykiel, Valentino and YSL. For prices as low as $25 a top, it’s
no wonder that many high-end shops get their supply here.
EAT
LAWRENCE
Further west of the heart of Boulevard Saint Laurent is a new restaurant
that prides itself on fresh farm to table ingredients. Lawrence has a new menu daily that will make it tortuous for you to
just select one item when ordering. The brunch is particularly spectacular-
watch out for the homemade lemon curd donuts.
LE COMPTOIR
Le Comptoir is a
small and vibrant restaurant with an extremely friendly and hip wait-staff. The
menu is written on a large wall-to-wall blackboard in French but don’t worry if
you don’t know what a Tarte de Homged is, your waiter will be more than happy
to translate. A dinner for 2 with drinks, including the stand-out charcuterie
board and at least 3 more items from its fresh daily menu, will come to less
than $50 each.
LE BREMNER
Off the cobblestone streets in Old Montreal, hidden below street level,
is TV chef sensation, Chuck Hughes, newest restaurant, Le Bremner. The beautifully decorated space with dark woods and
vintage lighting serves an incredible menu of seafood, including Chef Hughes’
obsession, oysters. The brilliantly concocted cocktails like the Pineapple
Mojito and Rhubarb Manhattan are also not to be missed.
DRINK
PHILEMON BAR
For a night out in Old Montreal, Philemon
Bar is a fun spot to lounge and people watch as the clientele varies from
the business-like to artsy types.
SPARROW
Music lovers can basically live at the Sparrow, a favorite of Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, as on any given
night, you will no doubt bump into one of the many talented musicians that live
in this fine city. The low-key and friendly vide makes the Sparrow a great spot to relax and catch-up with friends.
DO
BOTA BOTA
This unique spa is anchored right on the water of the St Lawrence River
in the Old Port.
Bota Bota’s
innovative floating spa offers the relaxing and energizing benefits of a water
circuit (two saunas with views of the river, a eucalyptus steam bath, and whirlpool
baths) as well as massage therapy, body treatments, facial treatments, and manicures
and pedicures. During the weekday, with a treatment booking, the water circuit
is free of charge, and on Tuesday’s it’s 2-for-1 pricing.
MUSEE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN
Running at the Musée d’art
Contemporain from October 6 until January 3, 2012 is the triennial
exhibition, now in its second edition. It is the largest event devoted to
Québec contemporary art and features 40 artists. On Wednesday evenings after 6pm,
the Musée d’art Contemporain provides
free guided tours. Located in Montreal’s Quartier
de Spectacles, after hitting the Musée
d’art Contemporain, you can visit the Théâtre
du Nouveau-Monde, Le
Monument-National, and Place des Arts.
SNOW TOURS MONTREAL
For the more athletically inclined, during the winter months, Snow Tours Montréal guides visitors
through the city while enjoying activities like ice skating, snow tubing,
cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Winter clothing and boot rentals are
available and each tour includes a delicious Québécois lunch and a trip to the
farmer’s market.
STAY
ZERO1
Located in the Quartier de
Spectacles, the brand new ZERO1
has 128 rooms with a modern touch that combines top design with incredible
comfort. Rooms start at a stunning $140/night.
LE PLACE D’ARMES HOTELS AND SUITES
Right in the heart of Old Montreal is Le Place d’Armes Hôtel & Suites. You can conveniently walk
almost anywhere you need from this location- the Palais des Congrès convention
centre, Multimedia City and downtown Montreal is only a three to 10-minute
walk. The cosy contemporary rooms include free wi-fi so you can stay in the
loop.