Montreal is truly a foodie’s paradise with an abundance of diverse restaurants. I just went to Montreal for the third time, and I can tell you that I plan on returning over and over to try all the different restaurants. If you’re a foodie like me, here’s a perfect Montreal itinerary for 2 days to help you eat your way through the city.
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🍴Foodie experiences:
- Do a food tour with Secret Food Tour (Great overview of food history + Mile End)
- Eat dinner at Sushi Momo (My favorite restaurant in Montreal)
- Lunch at Dépanneur Le Pick Up (Incredible sandwiches. Must try the veggie pulled pork)
- Explore Jean-Talon Market (Public market with diversity of vendors)
🛏️ Top Rated Hotels in Montreal
- Hotel Gault (Centrally located in a heritage building)
- William Gray: (Blend of historic charm and contemporary luxury w/ rooftop)
- Auberge de La Fontaine: (Luxury Inn located in the famous Plateau Mount Royal)
Quick tip: Be sure to check restaurant opening hours if you’re visiting on the weekdays as some don’t open until closer to the weekend
Day 1
Start Your Morning with Coffee at Structure Roasters
Your first day begins with some caffeine.
Montreal has many great coffee spots, and Structure Roasters is one of them. If you’re not staying near Structure Roasters, you don’t need to go out of your way as you can find a coffee spot near wherever you’re staying.
Since we were staying at Hotel Gault , it made sense for us. I had a delicious iced latte. They also have pastries if you want a quick bite, though you’ll be eating plenty throughout the day. Don’t worry, I won’t judge if you decide to get that pastry anyways!
There’s limited outdoor seating, perfect for nice weather. We enjoyed our drinks outside, but if the weather is bad or you prefer indoor seating, there are some spots inside as well.
Food Tour with Secret Food Tours
Your first official foodie experience on this itinerary is a food tour with Secret Food Tours. In my opinion, a food tour in any city is one of the best things you can do, especially if it’s your first time visiting. It’s a great way to get an overview of a city with a local guide and combines a walking tour with my favorite thing: food!
There are various time slots throughout the day so you can choose the guided tour that works best for your schedule. For this itinerary, I recommend doing the 11:00 AM tour.
The tour is about 2.5 hours and has 6 stops within the Mile End neighborhood where you’ll get to sample poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), gnocchi, bagels from the famous St. Viateur bagels shop, and more! The only Montreal staple we didn’t get to try on the tour was maple syrup but you can easily find some in the market on day 2 of this itinerary.
It’s also vegetarian friendly. Just be sure to let your guide know ahead of time. You can send them a message after booking. They were easily able to accommodate us.
It’s a solid amount of food so expect to be full from the tour. If it’s a nice day, during the tour, you’ll likely see people queuing up for all sorts of restaurants and other bites. I saw a line that was easily two blocks long all just for ice cream. I’m still curious about that ice cream but I also don’t have the patience to wait in that long of a line.
On your way to the meeting spot for the tour, if you take the metro, you’ll walk through a great park called Lahie Park. It’s a small park with nice shade if it’s a hot summer day. There are also covered rocking benches and picnic tables.
If you’re early to the tour, grab a beer at Siboire Saint Laurent, right across the street from the meeting point for the tour.
During warmer months, there are huge windows that open up, with a view of the street.
If you’re a food tour person, Secret Food Tour is a great way to get an overview of food in Montreal and get an introduction to the Mile End neighborhood, which is hands down one of the best places in Montreal.
Explore the Mile End Neighborhood
During the tour, you’ll likely see plenty of spots that you’ll want to revisit. Spend some time after the tour within the neighborhood walking off the food, looking at art galleries, popping into boutiques, or even going back for more food.
Mile End has great vibes and you could easily spend a lot of time here. There is so much diversity in the food scene. You’ll find restaurants from different countries all on the same block.
Grab Snacks or Food at Jean-Talon Market
Once you’ve worked up an appetite again, head to Jean-Talon Market situated in the heart of Little Italy. This incredible open-air market has many vendors offering a wide variety of food and drink.
It is open year round from 8 AM to 6 PM every day except for Sunday when it closes at 5 PM. During the winter months, walls are put up so that you can shop without being freezing cold. In summer months, it’s an open air market.
Be sure to walk around, grab snacks from different vendors, and enjoy the fun atmosphere. They also have alcohol, and it looks like you can grab a drink and take it around the market (though just double check when you’re there as I’m making a bit of an assumption)
We loved this market and could see ourselves spending a lot of time here if we lived nearby. The good music and great vibe make it a must-visit and the perfect place to spend some time. You can also grab fresh produce or snacks to take with you.
Explore Plateau Mont-Royal
After the market, your next stop is to take some time to explore Plateau Mont-Royal. This neighborhood is known for its bohemian atmosphere, street art, and a wide array of shops and cafes.
It’s a great place to wander, shop, and soak in some wonderful vibes.
Dinner or Late-Night Poutine at La Banquise
If you’re full by now, I get it. You might not want to go and grab a full dinner. If you do, there are so many amazing restaurants to choose from.
If you want to wait until you get hungry, you could always end your day with a visit to La Banquise, a popular spot that’s also a great late-night option. It’s definitely a bit touristy but I think it’s still worth a stop.
Their menu has numerous varieties of poutine, and their gravy is vegetarian by default. They also have other items besides poutine on the menu.
It’s a Montreal staple and a fun way to try poutine. There may be a line, but it moves quickly, and you can compare the poutine to the one you tried earlier in the tour.
Day 2
Coffee and a Donut at 49th Parallel Cafe & Lucky’s Doughnuts
Start your second day with a visit to 49th Parallel Cafe & Lucky’s Doughnuts. If you’re craving a donut, this is the spot for you, with a great variety of options.
I had the lavender latte, which was perfectly balanced. I ordered it a little less sweet, and it was just the right amount of sweetness for me.
Walk Around Old Montreal
After your coffee and donut, take a stroll around Old Montreal and its cobblestone streets and admire the historic architecture. Here are a few highlights:
- Crew Cafe: Once the Royal Bank of Montreal, a historic building, it’s now a cathedral-style co working space. It’s worth popping in to admire the architecture, though it was too crowded for us to get coffee when we visited.
- Montreal World Trade Center: A beautiful building with modern architecture and a piece of the Berlin Wall. It’s worth a quick walkthrough.
- Rue Sainte-Paul: This street is buzzing with people, shops, and cafes. You’ll also walk past the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. It was a little underwhelming when we walked by because it was under construction.
Lunch at Dépanneur Le Pick Up
For lunch, head to Dépanneur Le Pick Up. This spot is potentially life-changing. It’s also an adorable neighborhood spot and you’ll find yourself thinking “maybe I should move to Montreal so I can come here all the time”.
It’s the perfect spot for vegetarians and meatatarians alike. They have a veg pulled pork that is all plant-based and out of this world.
It’s really exciting for me when I get to try things like this since I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life and I have no idea what a pulled pork sandwich tastes like. My fiancé, who used to eat meat, was really impressed by the sandwich and said the texture and flavor was spot on.
If you eat meat, don’t worry—they also have the real deal, though maybe you’re curious enough to try the veg version.
The grilled halloumi is also to die for. If you’re traveling with someone, why not get both and split them ½ and ½?
These are easily some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Grab a couple of cookies and sit either inside or outside. It’s more of a casual spot, but the food is incredible.
Cocktails at Le Mal Nécessaire
Before dinner, treat yourself to cocktails at Le Mal Nécessaire.
This tiki-style bar has some of the best cocktails that might ruin you for good. Hey, at least I warned you. There was also live music when we were there, making it 100% worth the visit. We truly had the best time here.
I had an incredible espresso martini (maybe the best one I’ve ever had??) and negroni, both with a coconut twist, and an amazing piña colada. The cocktails are well balanced and complex and you can really taste how all the flavors complement each other. Plus, this place has some really neat sustainable practices which you can read all about in the menu.
I ordered an espresso martini the other night and all I did was sit there and go, “Man, I wish this was the one from Le Mal Nécessaire.” Will I make a trip back just for that cocktail? Maybe.
Dinner at Sushi Momo
End your day with dinner at Sushi Momo. When I looked at the menu, I thought there was no way it was plant-based, but the waiter assured us it was.
Sometimes plant-based restaurants can really be a hit or a miss. I’ve been to so many that lack flavor, creativity, or a general ambiance. They just feel like something thrown together for those of us who are plant-based and are often at the outskirts of a neighborhood.
This is where Sushi Momo really sets itself apart. Located in a bustling area, the restaurant exudes a lively atmosphere from the outside. The moment I walked in, my jaw dropped with how stunning the restaurant was and the cozy ambiance.
And the food you ask? Beyond delicious, with a wide selection of options from sushi to fake pork dumplings and flavors that will have you closing your eyes, stifling a moan and nodding your head in ecstasy. Too much? Sorry not sorry.
This was easily one of the highlights of our trip and one of the best restaurants I’ve been to. How does Montreal have such great food!?
I would say that it was the most unique veggie sushi I’ve ever had, and it’s easily a win for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike.
The menu can be overwhelming because there are so many great options so don’t hesitate to ask the waiter for recommendations.
Tips to Make the Most Out of Your 2 day Itinerary
Restaurant Hours
If you’re visiting Montreal on weekdays, be sure to check the hours of the restaurants you want to try. Many higher-end restaurants don’t open until later in the week, so you might find some of your top choices closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. When I visited on a Monday, several restaurants I wanted to try were closed.
Getting Around
The best way to get around is via public transportation. Montreal has an efficient public transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), including buses and the metro. We used the metro for a majority of this itinerary and only called an Uber once (after that late night poutine).
Beyond that, it’s also a walkable city and you can explore each neighborhood by foot. There are also bike paths around the city if you prefer to rent a bike.
Language
While you can get by with English in Montreal, knowing a little French is always appreciated and polite. Simple phrases like “bonjour” (hello), “bonsoir” (good evening), and “merci” (thank you) are helpful.
Tipping
Tipping is customary in Montreal, with a standard rate of 15-20%. This applies to restaurants, bars, and services like taxis.
Weather
Montreal’s weather can be quite variable, so it’s important to pack accordingly. Summers are warm and can be humid, while winters are cold with plenty of snow. Spring and fall can be unpredictable, so layering is key. Always check the forecast before you travel so you can pack appropriately.
Currency
The currency in Montreal is Canadian dollars (CAD). We used a credit card the whole time, but if you do need cash, there are ATMs throughout the city.
Bottom Line
Montreal is a foodie’s paradise, offering a diverse array of flavors and experiences. With 2 days, you have enough time to sample some of the city’s best culinary spots while making the most of your visit.
For more tips, recommendations, and to connect with fellow food and wine enthusiasts, join my Facebook group. It’s a great spot to share your experiences, get advice, and find inspiration for your next culinary adventure. I hope you have a great time on your trip to Montreal!
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