Montreal is one of the greatest cities in Canada for food, site seeing and entertainment. What's even more dangerous is when you live 2 hours away and wish every weekend was one spent in #Montreal discovering restaurants and finding other hidden gems.
Of course, life happens and the reality is you only get 1 or 2 vacations a year, consisting of 3-day weekends (unless you work for the government and get 15+ carry-over vacation days, 4-day work days, sick days, mat leave, and full health benefits…)
ANYWAYS, if you’re like me, you want to spend every minute of your vacation time enjoying it. The worst thing is going with a group of friends and you end up spending 60% of the time waiting for each other and figuring out where to eat and what to do.
So in preparation for my trip, I spent way too many hours googling the best “hidden gems” in Montreal. Easy right?! It was a challenge. Not only did reddit have a ridiculous messy column, but sites like mtlblog were only posting restaurants that paid for ad space.
My research took longer than I expected BUT I managed to visit a few badass places. I hope you guys will enjoy this just as much as I did when/if you go visit ;)
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, put on this jam. While at the Montreal Jazz Festival, an awesome band that I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time named "Ginkgoa" played for an hour where I danced until my feet were sore. Turn this up, wayyy up.
**Note: Since I just learned about Steemit, I didn’t get a chance to take my own photos. Some of the pictures below were taken from the web **
OK, BACK TO BUSINESS.
I’M HANGRY – WHERE DO I GO EAT?!
Below are my top 4 hidden gems in Montreal that won’t break the bank.
1. Agrikol
Type: Caribbean – Haitian
You know it’s a good place when you have no idea it’s a restaurant. The old white house, 80’s red front door carpet, and neon pink illuminated sign are all so easy to miss, the only cue you have is the entry lineup before the place opens!
**Killer combo alert!** The food is explosive, the rum cocktails are dangerous and the patio is beautiful (so are the staff, seriously). They don’t take reservations so head there on time so you can get a table or even a spot at the bar! I’ve never had Haitian food before but it sat so well in my belly, it felt like mom’s cooking. Here’s what I ordered (for two people):
Accras (Haitian beignets) $7 (5-6 pieces- they’re like golden nuggets packed with flavour), Griot (Fried pork- similar to pork belly but 1000x better) $12, Queue de boeuf, sauce pois (Oxtail – pure happiness) $16, Drink: DARK AND STORMY $10 rhums / lime / biere de gingembre
Site: www.agrikol.ca
#2 Junior
Type: Filipino
Affordable food with a hip twist. This place makes you feel like grandma just threw on her retro suit and served you the bombest dishes. No complaints here – all I want to say is that I never thought I would like cooked salmon ceviche, but I do now! If you’re the type of person who orders ceviche at every resto…or not…please do so here.
I missed out on brunch (weekends only), but I heard their chicken and coconut waffles are AMAZING! Whoever goes there next, please send me some.
Adobo Manok (Lemongrass, ginger, coconut chicken) $13, Pancit Bihon (Rice noodles sautéed veggies, chicken, shrimp) $11, Lechon Kawali (crispy pork belly) $11, Salmon Ceviche (price not listed)
Site: www.facebook.com/juniorsnackbar (Photo from FB)
#3 Olive & Gourmando
There’s always a lineup here. Every time I visit Montreal I have to stop by here for the artisanal sweets and a delicious brunch. I’ve ordered too many items on the menu and it changes all the time. Go, and you won’t regret it.
PS. It’s a hot celebrity spot. Jake Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst and Megan Markle have all stopped for a bite here!
Site: www.oliveetgourmando.com
#4 Le Mal Necessaire
Where to go for late night drinks? Look for the bright neon green pineapple lit up behind a welcoming open doorway just outside Chinatown. Maybe all great places have neon signs, but this hidden basement joint had good-looking people consuming drinks out of coconuts and pineapples, awesome music, and overall just a feel-good vibe.
The drinks are a pricey but fully loaded. I had one and that was more than enough for me.
Site: www.lemalnecessaire.com
I still haven’t found the best poutinerie in town. I’ve been to Poutineville (at 2am so I can’t judge and/or remember how good it is). If you guys have suggestions on other hot spots to eat, PLEASE POST BELOW!
Stay tuned for Montreal episode 2. I have some good ones for you guys :)
Laters, baby.