Weekend Escape: Montreal

This year Thomas and I decided to celebrate New Year’s in a much more colder place than last year ( we went to Cuba last year!). We drove up to Montreal with my cousin and her boyfriend for 3 nights to welcome the year in a new place that wasn’t too far from NYC.  A 7-hour drive and a temperature drop to -5, Montreal felt like a world away from the United States. This was my first time in Montreal and I’m almost mad that it took me this long to go! Have any of you been? If you’re a foodie who loves European architecture then grab your passports and hurry because you will love it as much as we did. I admit that we couldn’t spend more than 15/20 minutes at a time walking because it was literally that cold but the city was still beautiful in the frigid weather. If you want to walk and explore then going in the winter might not be the best idea, however, if you’re into the whole Christmas village vibe then you might have to just suck it up and go in the winter. As you can see my recommendations are about eating and drinking because it was all we did to stay warm. My only regret was not heading up to Quebec City because it’s supposed to be a winter wonderland for the holidays – so maybe we’ll have to do that next year! If any of you are planning to visit soon and have specific questions, please feel free to leave a comment or just email me!

STAY:

WESTIN – You already know that we love our Starwood hotels and this one, in particular, was in the perfect location! If it’s your first time visiting Montreal, you will want to stay near Old Montreal which was only a few blocks from the Westin! The concierge was also very helpful in assisting us with reservations etc.

LE MOUNT STEPHEN  – Our friends stayed here and really recommended it! Check it out – the hotel design is so beautiful and fitting for Montreal. They also loved the hotel bar called, Bar George.

 EAT: 

La Societe Montreal  –  We came here on our first night and it was sooo good. My cousin couldn’t stop raving about it during our entire trip ( and she’s a foodie like me!) – This French restaurant will have the classics and more…our favorites were the pan-seared salmon or the duck confit.

Modavie – This gem of a restaurant is in Old Montreal – if you like Jazz then add it to your list! I recommend having anything with lamb on the menu since it’s their specialty. On a cold night, there’s nothing better than having a great meal with great company and live jazz playing in the background.

Barroco Montreal – Okay, this was definitely my favorite NYE dinner of all time. I always feel weird about eating out on specific holidays because the service is not always the best but Montreal seemed to be the exception! The food, drinks, and service at this local spot were fantastic! Thomas – who is a serious cocktail snob ( shhh, don’t tell him I told you haha) was obsessed with the drinks. If you visit ask for Antoinette – she’s the French waitress who served us – she was such a doll!!

Tommy Cafe – Two blocks from our hotel is this cute Instagrammable cafe. We sat here for our green juice fix and avocado toast – go early because it’s not too big and can get packed. Best seat in the house is the corner window. 🙂

Eggspectation – At first you’ll think, how great can the food be at a chain restaurant that looks like a regular ol’ diner – well, well, don’t judge because the breakfast was delicious!! I had my first lobster eggs benedict and boy was it good…didn’t actually know that was a thing. Haha!

Joe Beef  –  We did not eat here because it was closed for the holidays but the reviews for this place are crazy good. Put it this way, people have called the best meal they’ve EVER had. Please, please make sure you make reservations months in advance and then come back and tell me how much you loved it! I’ll try not to be jealous – haha. xo

 

DRINK: 

Cloakroom Bar – This was hands down our favorite speakeasy. Cloakroom is inside a men’s tailor shop called, Maison Cloakroom and seats about 25 people. Be prepared to wait in line for some time but it was so worth it. There’s no menu so you will have to tell your waitress what you like – but trust me (approved by my hubby lol ) – visit this cocktail bar.

The Coldroom – In true speakeasy form, this bar is easy to miss because the door is unmarked and hidden. But press the buzzer and someone will come get you. You will then be taken to downstairs to the bar -the drinks and service were great. Don’t get the drink called, Sex Chocolat – it sounds good but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Atwater Cocktail Club – After our NYE dinner, we went to their “sister” bar Atwater. This speakeasy is not as centralized as the other two but worth the cab ride. The drinks were incredible – and very creative – unlike Cloakroom, this spot had a menu full of interesting drinks whose presentation will make it to your Instagram, for sure!