DESTINATIONS | Montreal a deux A Valentine’s break in Montreal – what’s not to like? Ian Taylor sampled the city’s delights

ontreal can the lights appears to synchronise be cold in lamps and window blinds. It February – -15C cold – but proves impossible to switch a mundeterred, my partner and light on or off without raising I fly out on Valentine’s Day. or lowering a blind. Claire is The city has been hit by 40cm amused by my swearing until of snow the day before. The she has a go. We leave the blind Montreal Gazette informs readers: raised – it’s dark anyway. “Forecasters expect more snow in The hotel has a historic feel – the coming days. But Saturday is it was built in the 1880s and later shaping up to be a nice day.” declared a historic monument The airport is in a remarkable – and five-star features, but state of ‘business as usual’. some unnecessary technology. Driving into the city, we see cars The loo seat is heated and self- buried to the point where the raising. It lifts whenever one of us mounds merely suggest vehicles passes the bathroom to access lining the streets. Yet traffic on the wardrobe or the door to the the main roads is moving. To a room. This is funny for a time. Londoner, this seems wondrous. The doorman is still outside when we go out to eat. But first GOLDEN MOMENTS we fancy a drink in the gorgeous We arrive at our hotel, Le Mount hotel bar. We may be residents, Stephen, in Montreal’s Golden but this proves impossible. We Square Mile, where we struggle can’t buy a drink without booking across the street and clamber over a table – and there are none. the heaped snow at the roadside. No matter. We opt instead for We're greeted by a doorman in the concierge’s recommendation, a huge overcoat with upturned the Dominion Square Taverne – a collar, cap and earmuffs, and 10-minute slip and slide away. step inside a curtained entrance I check a map – no phone GPS to a sumptuous but cosy lobby. for me – deftly manipulating it I suggest he does too. while putting gloves on and off, The reception staff are slithering across streets, holding great and the bed large and on to Claire and checking street comfortable, but the touchpad for signs. Think Mr Bean on ice. ➣

44 10 OCTOBER 2019 travelweekly.co.uk travelweekly.co.uk 10 OCTOBER 2019 45 DESTINATIONS MONTREAL | CANADA top tip Sign up for Destination Canada’s travel agent training at csp.canada. travel and find out more about Montreal at mtl.org/ en/travel-professionals

CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Crew Collective cafe; St-Viateur bagel shop; Le Mount Stephen PICTURES: Shutterstock; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts/Bernard Fougères; Tourisme Montréal/Susan Moss; Commission Canadienne du Tourisme/Alice Gao

The Dominion Square Taverne is knowledgeable guy who chats We head for Mile End, where BEST THINGS TO a wonderful 1920s beer hall type amiably about his partner, parents, “you can eat your way around the of a place. Less English pub, more politics and life in Montreal. world”. I emerge from St-Viateur DO IN MONTREAL old Berlin bar – and better for it. The was bagel shop with a bag full of The place is warm and welcoming; once the wealthiest part of Canada, honey-water bagels. Claire points ❂❂Eat – food is a major the staff friendly, food great, the he explains, until the Wall Street out she is not eating carbs. Lucky feature of Montreal. The city beer and wines excellent. Crash when the elite downsized me, you might think. But really, six is second only to New York and fled. We tour Crescent Street, a bagels? I slip into the lovely Café in its number of restaurants. THE OLD AND BEAUTIFUL nightlife area; head to Mont Royal Olimpico for a sneaky coffee while Sleet falls all day Friday. After park, designed by Frederick Law our group moves off. Perhaps ❂❂Stroll – ’s coffee at the Crew Collective cafe, Olmsted, who also laid out New someone fancies a bagel… cobbled streets are home to a glorious spot in a magnificent York’s Central Park; then wander Thom leaves us at the Museum buildings dating from 1685. former bank building in the financial through art deco . of Fine Arts where we are both district, and lunch at elegant The , more captivated by a breathtaking ❂❂Shop – Marché Jean- Monarque, we brave the sleet to which splits the city, used to mark exhibition of Inuit art. Talon in Little Italy and walk the cobbled streets of Old a divide between English-speaking On our final night, a restaurant the art deco-style Marché Montreal. We visit Pointe-à-Callière west and French east. Today, Thom seems in order. We find a likely Atwater are among the city’s and Fort Ville-Marie, the birthplace says: “Montreal is where Québécois looking place where we end up best markets. of Montreal, and stop for more culture meets the world.” being the object of enquiry for the coffee at Le Panneur. Early evening, He shows us the upmarket, couple next to us for the following ❂❂Climb – scale Mont we head for Théâtre Maisonneuve English-speaking district of West three hours – cue an awkward Royal for city views, then hit in the arts district. We’re lucky to see Mount, where songwriter Leonard double date. the underground walkways a farewell performance by London- Cohen grew up, and down-at-heel Afterwards, we consider visiting that connect buildings with born Bangladeshi dancer and Saint Henry – now something of a a jazz bar, but are jet lagged and Metro and rail stations. choreographer Akram Khan. ‘hipster’ district. We see , go back to the hotel to play with the Afterwards, we have a drink the Irish Catholic neighbourhood, lights instead. in a delightful bar-diner near the which has become a centre for As we leave Sunday morning, Dominion Square Taverne, are tech companies, visit the cafes the toilet gives a final salute. It GETTING THERE seduced by the menu and decide to and boutiques of St Denis Street is a comic end to a memorable eat there. We don’t regret it. in the Plateau district, and take Valentine’s Day break. Air Canada operates in – an industrial I loved Montreal. Claire loved daily non-stop services to BONJOUR, MONTREAL neighbourhood-turned-foodie “the multicultural, New York village Montreal throughout winter, On Saturday morning, the sun hotspot. Every trendy eating place vibe and the food, and the hotel from £566 return, including shines and we are met by our tour has a ‘speakeasy’ bar at the back bar we never got to drink in.” taxes and baggage. guide, Thom Seivewright, a wry, for those in the know, Thom explains. Me too. TW aircanada.com

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