Why has it taken me so long to revisit Montreal? I have no idea! For some reason, I had the idea that it would be boring. But when my girl hit me up and said let’s take a quick road trip and get away for my birthday I was like why not?
So I packed my bag, cleaned my place, got myself together and off we went. I actually have another vacation coming up (I’m actually on it now so look out for that soon) so I had to work. So thankful my job is flexible and I get to adjust my schedule as needed plus it’s almost Easter so honestly, people weren’t working that much anyways.
It is actually way after Easter now, because in full transparency- life happens. I’ve been travelling, and working full time, and I got sick, and I got injured. But things do not need to be perfect and late is better than never. So, this is also a reminder to everyone that while we may want to push on just to get something “done”, we should always listen to our bodies and trust that everything is happening at the right time.
Sooooo here we go! Into the details…
You can watch a quick recap here.
Where we stayed
Montreal’s a 5-hour drive from where we live so we made it to our Airbnb in the evening. Our Airbnb was super cute and aesthetic and we had a nice view of the cathedral. We were located right downtown and we were pretty much able to walk anywhere which was incredibly convenient. Also because I absolutely hate driving in Quebec. I’ve driven all over Canada and for some reason driving through Quebec is worse than driving through Downtown Toronto during rush hour.
It’s a brand new building so parts are partially unfinished. The bedroom looks into the building which is a bit awkward and you’ll definitely need to keep the curtains closed. But we went there to explore Montreal and there’s other rooms to hang out in so it wasn’t an issue.
If you’re interested you can check it out here.
They had a full kitchen, a dining table, a desk (which was perfect for me), washer, dryer, and a cute living room with a TV. It also makes for a great space for a little photoshoot.
What we did
The only downside is there was an ice storm the second day but that’s not really anything anyone can control and we still went out and braved the storm.
Honestly, we mostly ate haha! But here’s where we went…
Scandinave Spa
We had a great time here and the space is gorgeous and super relaxing. They have a eucalyptus steam room, pool, relaxation room with music, smoothies, apples, and a shop in case you forget anything. There’s also lots of stuff to do in the area either before or after you head over there.
Montreal Eaton Centre
I know a mall is not special at all. Like I said it was freezing rain so we had to pivot to do indoor activities. It’s actually a pretty nice mall and we did some shopping so that’s a win.
Explore Downtown
And of course, we explore downtown. We walked around and looked at the sights and we tried to go to the museum but it was closed.
Where we ate
I can’t believe I didn’t know how good the food was here. We tried to hit up as many Black restaurants as possible (we gotta support our people). So let’s get into the list.
Anything with a * next to it is one of my fave things.
Neo Tokyo:
We just happened to walk by this place and it looked so interesting so we went back the next day. We had a great time here and I literally still think about that ramen at least once a month. P.S. This is a great spot for photoshoots
- Pork Gyoza
- Spicy KaraAge
- TanTan Ramen Soup*
- Neotokyo Taiwanese maze soba
Chifa:
Chifa is a Peruvian Asian fusion restaurant. It was like a 2-minute walk from where we were staying. The service, drinks, and food here were soo good. It’s a cute moody vibe.
What we ate:
- Pisco sour*
- Maracuya sour
- Chifadito
- Kam lu wonton
- General Bao
- Soft shell crab
- Lomo Saltado
The Farsides:
This is a Black-owned restaurant. The service wasn’t amazing (but I think that’s a normal Montreal thing) but the food was really good. Also obsessed with the decor here.
What we ate:
- Shook One
- Blue Thaiwaian
- Remixed fries
- Peking duck rolls
- Kalbifornia love*
Tropikal Restobar:
Black-owned. This place was really good and I believe they have events and also have a speak-easy which was unfortunately fully booked when we went. The drinks were so good here and the bartenders were really knowledgable.
- Bon Bagay
- FRE
- Calypso
- Oshun
- Oxtail tacos
- Shrimp rasta pasta
- Curry goat plate
India Rosa:
This was easily one of my favourite places. I mean every single part was on point. They have 2 locations but we went to the Giffintown location. I HIGHLY recommend coming here. It’s not near where we stayed but it was absolutely worth the visit.
- Paneer Tikka*
- Aloo Tikki
- Cheese Naan*
- Samosas
- Onion Bhaji*
- Also got some mocktails but I’ve forgotten which ones
