I’d like to believe I am speaking for everyone in the Ontario-Quebec area when I say we are all done with winter and would like it to end. I consider myself resilient to cold weather, but this winter has dragged on for so long, I have forgotten what it feels like to enjoy the sun and see people in bright colours. It’s April, but if I didn’t own a calendar and simply went by the weather the past few weeks, I’d assume we are stuck somewhere in the clutches of February. Regardless, life goes on.
Last week, I was in Montreal for work with two of my colleagues. My first trip to Montreal was a solo trip, and while I had fun, I concluded that I would not return there on a solo trip (except I absolutely had to). Don’t get me wrong, I has a great time. But, like most places, I figured Montreal is more fun when you visit with other people, or know people in the city. I tested that theory last week, and I’ll leave it to you to decide at the end of this post if you think this second trip was more fun than the first.
This excellent hotel offers everything you need for a comfortable stay in Montreal.
I took the VIA Rail service from Ottawa to Montreal. It’s a little over two hours; pretty much the same amount of time it would take if you drove. But I prefer the train. The Business Class service is excellent, and I got to bury my head in Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers for the second time. My colleagues and I stayed at Le Centre Sheraton – a six-minute walk from the Montreal VIA Rail station. I love this hotel and would recommend it to anyone. It is clean, the beds are comfortable, has excellent amenities, and is centrally located. From Le Centre Sheraton, you only have to walk 11 minutes to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It is a 25-minute walk from the Notre Dame Basilica, and it is close to a lot of excellent restaurants.
On our first day, we headed out to Ferreira Cafe on Peel Street for lunch. Ferreira is a Portuguese seafood restaurant with a Mediterranean approach to wholesome dining. Here, we tried the duck risotto, some oysters, octopus, and cod. Everything was delicious! I was so impressed, I almost returned later in the day for dinner. But we had other plans. After a few work meetings, we headed out to Bar George for pre-dinner drinks. Bar George is located inside the Le Mount Stephen Hotel, about five minutes from Le Centre Sheraton. It has the feel of old-style high-end bars, with wooden panels enveloping the room, and paintings on the walls to draw you in. It made me feel like I was walking into an olden-day salon where I would sit with the brightest minds of the time, musing over philosophical questions. For dinner, we visited Mama C, a Greek restaurant in Old Montreal with a joyful atmosphere. Here, the spanakopita salad, bread and tzatziki, and shrimp in tomato-lobster bisque had me wanting to applaud the chef. Everything was light, fresh and delicious! Even though we all agreed we had had too much to eat, we could not stop!
The next day was mostly work meetings and hotel food, which was good. After work, we went out to Cirque Éloize, where we were treated to a show of a woman spinning with very little support from a hanging lamp. I have to say my core felt sore just watching her. I collapse more times than I should in Pilates. I cannot imagine myself spinning in the air without clutching at something for dear life. There were canapés at Cirque Éloize, but for dinner, we wanted more. We headed to Le Violon. As soon as we entered the restaurant, I fell in love with the mint green wood panels, the quintessential French decor and layout, and the lively atmosphere. Even though we had planned to have a light meal, we were drawn in by the unique offerings on the menu – blood orange, fennel and Cloutier; beef carpaccio; guinea fowl ballotine; seabream, freshly made tagliatelle, affogato tiramisu… and that’s just the food. They had an extensive wine list that took me back to the days I could enjoy wine without worrying about my sleep. For me, a non-alcoholic cocktail was the best choice, and it did not disappoint. The food at Le Violon was so good that at the end, my colleagues and I began to share the things we were grateful for. It felt like we had just had the best Thanksgiving dinner. We left Le Violon feeling content. If you plan to visit, note that the menu changes every season. I am intrigued and want to visit during the summer to see what’s on the menu.
The next day was our last day in Montreal. It was one meeting after the other, a few coffee shops in between and sushi at Rosa Sushi for lunch. As we walked around, I noted some restaurants that caught my eye, and I hope to be back in Montreal soon to try them. Overall, this was a great trip. It was different from my solo trip. I got to see more of Montreal outside the touristy bits we see on the internet. I am looking forward to visiting again. If you have any thoughts on things to do and places to go in Montreal, please share in the comments.
