Montreal

Notre-Dame's twin towers have served as an Old Montreal landmark since the neo-Gothic basilica was finished in 1829. Today they continue to be the focal point, where tourists disgorge from buses and calèche drivers line up for passengers. The interior glows with gilded statuary and gold-leafed fleurs de lys, and is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra performs its Christmas production of Messiah here. Admission is free.
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Open Hours: Labour Day-Jun 24: 7a-6p, Jun 25-Labour Day: 7a-8p

The historic city centre is rich in museums, shops, restaurants and grey stone architecture spread out along narrow, cobblestone streets. It is also home to the Vieux Port attractions and lively public squares like Place Jacques-Cartier. Exploring Old Montreal means exploring the very heart of one of North America's greatest cities, a multi-faceted place where the past and the present come together in exciting and unexpected ways. Major attractions include City Hall (275 Notre-Dame St E), and the Old Customs House (400 Place d'Youville, featured in "The Score").

Roger Taillibert's magnificent building takes a beating in the court of public opinion, but it remains Montreal's most stunning architectural achievement. The enormous bowl features a perpetually disintegrating roof that was originally meant to be retractable, while the inclined tower affords an incredible view over the city.French tours at 11am and 2pm daily; in English at 12:40pm and 3:40pm daily: CAD5.50 Adults; CAD5 Seniors; CAD4.25 Children and Students. The tower and its observatory are accessible by cable car at CAD10 Adults; CAD7.50 Students and Seniors; CAD5 Children.Information by WcitiesOpen Hours: (Tower) Nov 1-early Jan, mid-late Feb: 11am-5pm Tue-Sun, noon-5pm Mon; late Feb-end Apr: 10am-6pm Tue-Sun, noon-6pm Mon; May 1-mid Jun: 10am-5pm daily; mid Jun-Labour Day: 10am-9pm daily
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You will only need about an hour to an hour and a half to take the tour and go to the top of the tower.
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This thriving, bustling nerve centre of Montreal's Chinese community teems with restaurants, unique craft shops, martial arts emporiums, exotic foods, herb and traditional medicine stores, Asian medical services and acupuncturists. Designed with pedestrian traffic in mind, the narrow streets are constantly packed with visitors and those who work in the area. Dozens of restaurants dole out weekend dim sum brunches and late-night victuals. At the entrance to the district are large arches, replicas of Imperial gates.

Housed in what was the Olympic velodrome, this science centre and ecological zoo is home to four distinct ecosystems. You will find a lush Tropical Forest, the temperate Laurentian Forest, the St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem and the Polar worlds of the Arctic and Antarctic. Plenty of interpretative panels and staff are on hand to help you on your self-guided tour. The Environment Place amphitheatre presents films, performances and lectures, all related to conservation and environmental protection. Admission: CAD10 Adults; CAD7.50 Seniors and Students; CAD5 Children 5-17; free Children under 5.

Frederick Law Olmsted, of Central Park fame, designed this park in 1876. It is easy to forget that you are in the middle of a huge metropolis when walking or cross-country skiing on the park's many well-signposted trails: chief downtown access points are from Parc Jeanne-Mance (Parc Ave northwest of Ave des Pins), and at Ave des Pins and Drummond St, just west of Royal Victoria Hospital. Beaver Lake features skating, tobogganing, and even a small ski hill and chairlift, while Mount Royal Cemetery is one of the continent's largest.
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Open Hours: Dawn-dusk daily

This west-end park is one of the truly relaxing pieces of greenspace that make Montreal such a wonderful place to live. The gardens on site include the shady arboretum, which features willows and chestnuts among hundreds of other species. Numerous enormous greenhouses display a further 12,000 species, while the Medicinal Plant Garden offers a fascinating glimpse into the curative powers of the plant world. Guided tours and workshops are held for adults, children, gardeners and scientists. Admission (summer/winter): CAD10/7.25 adults; CAD7.50/5.75 seniors and students; CAD5/3.75 children 5-17.

With its motto of "pâtes universelles" (universal pastas), this unique concept restaurant invites you to match many different pasta choices with dozens of available sauces. From the humble napolitaine (CAD4.95) to the extravagant Stroganoff (filet mignon, onions, mushrooms, lemon, white wine and fresh cream, CAD10.95), it is hard to go wrong. Ceramic tables, chalkboard menus and helpful, talkative staff highlight the pleasant, pastel-coloured decor. The terrace, slightly recessed from the bustle of St-Denis Street, is a perfect place for a summer evening meal.
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Open Hours: 11a-10p M-Tu, 11a-11p W-Sa, noon-10p Su
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good pasta, good choice, fast.

Chilly nights are made much warmer for diners at this rock-solid Polish cafe in the heart of Old Montreal. Indeed, this is a culinary sanctuary, evidenced by pews from an old chapel and refectory tables from a convent. Dishes include all the rib-sticking, hearty standards from a traditional Polish kitchen: pork chops, duck, hot borscht, perogies, cabbage and sausage. Dinner for two, excluding wine or tip, comes to between CAD40-CAD60.
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Open Hours: 11:30a-11:30p daily

One of Montreal's great culinary institutions, this cramped, somewhat dingy deli makes the smoked meat (Montreal's version of pastrami) to which all others are compared. The queue can be horrendous on weekends, the service is impersonal at best, and you are likely to be shoehorned into a table with a gaggle of total strangers. That said, the classic meal of a smoked meat sandwich, fries, pickle and a Cott's Cerise Noire cola (around CAD10) is a genuinely transcendent experience. If the line seems unreasonable, takeout is a perfect alternative. Cash only.
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Open Hours: 9a-12:30m M-Th, 9a-2:30a F-Sa, 9a-midnight Su

In French, the expression "restez zen" means to stay cool or stay calm. At Zen in Montreal, beneath the Hotel Omni Mont Royal, you will restez in heaven. Chinese food that dazzles and surprises is hard to find. Zen is surprising. Among the best Chinese dishes I have ever had in my life are two of Zen's: the Szechuan green beans and the General Tso's chicken. (Yes, I know General Tso's is a staple everywhere, but you've never tasted it like this.) Many people love the crispy duck. Service is fast and efficient. You pay one price and are brought freshly prepared plates of whatever you like on the menu (and can get as many additional plates of any dish as you like). I have taken many guests here to eat on Montreal visits. Typically, people ask if we can eat there every night of the visit. That should tell you something. Enjoy.

With a huge menu of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese specialties, this bare-bones noodle house has quickly become a neighbourhood standby. The most expensive item runs only CAD8 ("Stir fried shrimps or squids with garlic sauce"), while the enormous Tonkinoise soups (noodles, broth, beef or chicken and vegetables) are a boon to the budget-conscious at only CAD5.50. The decor is non-existent and the music is treacly Asian pop, but you'll be in and out so fast that you won't have much time to look around. Cash only.
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Open Hours: 11a-3a M-Sa, 11a-11p Su

Billed as Montreal's largest Indian buffet and set inside a former residential building, Maharaja offers more than 20 main dishes. The decor consists of mirrored walls, giving it a spacious feel surrounding comfortable seating. The menu covers the entire expanse of typical Indian fare, from various meat curries and Tandoori Chicken to bean and lentil dishes; there are also plenty of vegetarian curries and other non-meat dishes. The wine list is limited but beer is plentiful. Dinner for two, excluding beverages or tip, comes to about CAD25.
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Open Hours: 11:30a-11p
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very good review.

Not quite in Chinatown, this Cantonese-style restaurant located within the Days Inn Centre-Ville is good enough to attract queues on weekends for its dim sum brunch. This menu, served between 8a and 3p, offers such delicacies as steamed cuttlefish in ginger, seafood dumplings of shrimp and scallops, and a wide assortment of vegetarian dishes. The surroundings are nondescript, but the service is courteous and the prices compare well with other dim sum restaurants.
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Open Hours: 8:30a-11:30p