2 Days in Montreal With My Best Friend. Here's What We Did.

I spent most of this past summer living abroad with my dog named Bear in Montreal, Canada. I built a real appreciation for the city during this time. So, when one of my closest friends on the planet, Mariah, came to visit me, I was thrilled to show her all the stuff I’d found.

With only two days to spend in Montreal, however, she only had a fraction of the time I had to get familiar with the area. That’s why I crafted a packed weekend itinerary to give her a quick dose of Montreal’s food, nightlife, and best neighborhoods.

Here is everything we did:

An old photo of author Sky and her friend as kids — *Mariah and I in pre-school where our love of pizza started*

The older I get, the more I realize how rare a friendship like mine and Mariah’s is. I have known her since I was one single year old when our parents became buddies at a baby play group.

Knowing each other for decades has cultivated a sibling-like relationship. Even though we only see each other for a couple of days every year or so, the bond always feels natural.

I laugh with her more than almost anyone else. I knew we were going to have a lot of fun in Montreal.

Saturday – Vintage shopping, photo booths, nightlife, and more

Brunch at Arthurs Nosh Bar

Plates of Confetti waffles and the latke smorgasbord — *Confetti waffles and the latke smorgasbord from Arthurs Nosh Bar*

Our first stop to fuel up for a long day in Montreal was Arthurs Nosh Bar. It’s a popular brunch spot in the Saint Henri neighborhood that serves delicious Jewish-inspired dishes. When I say popular, I mean that it’s one of those places with an hour wait minimum on a Saturday.

But, we didn’t mind walking around for a bit and it was 100% worth sticking around for. Everything on the menu looked so good that we decided to split two dishes. A special of confetti waffles and Arthur’s famed latke smorgasbord plate.

To say that the food exceeded our expectations would be an understatement. Mariah actually said these might be the best waffles she’d ever had in her life.

Vintage shopping at Marche Floh and Club 777

Author's friend wearing a bunny sweater and looking at the mirror — *Mariah trying on a bunny sweater*

Old Playboy magazines on display — *Old school magazines at Marche Floh*

Montreal has one of the best thrift shopping scenes in North America and I knew Mariah would love browsing all the trendy stores. We scanned the racks at spots like Club 777, Le Ninety, and Mariah’s favorite of the bunch, Marche Floh.

It was a complete success. I found a gorgeous purple slip dress and Mariah grabbed a bunch of cute stuff to wear on her honeymoon in Greece.

Wandering around Plateau Mont-Royal

A building covered with vines on the Streets of Plateau — *The streets of Plateau*

Most of the city’s best vintage shops are situated around the beautiful neighborhood of Plateau Mont-Royal. Also known as one of the best places to stay in Montreal. Once we were finished shopping, we decided to do a bit of wandering and chatting around to take in the area.

Drinks/Lunch at Ukiya Izakaya

We worked up some hunger around an hour into the walk, so we popped into Ukiya Izakaya for a quick bite and a drink. It had a really charming atmosphere and friendly staff.

We got an order of fried tofu and a few vegetarian skewers. On the side, we each ordered one of the izakaya’s specialty drinks featuring Japanese liquor and unique flavor combos. Mine was citrus forward, while her drink was heavy on the passionfruit. Both were delicious.

Photo booth/Pinball machines at North Star

A photo strip of Travel Lemming Author Sky Ariella and her friend taken from North Star bar — *Our photo strip from the North Star bar*

One of the main stops on my Saturday night itinerary was the North Star bar near Mount Royal Park. I had previously discovered that North Star is one of the last places in Montreal with a functioning classic photo booth that prints film strips on the spot. I needed it.

The dive bar was filled wall-to-wall with old-school arcades and pin-ball games. But, of course, the main draw was the photo booth.

The second roll of photos came out adorable, but we were completely unprepared for the first round. So, if you ever find yourself at the North Star photo booth, get ready before you feed it your money!

Cocktails at Urbanista Bar

At this point, it was around 1 am and we had been prancing around Montreal since the early afternoon. We decided to get one last cocktail at a nearby spot called Urbanista Bar.

It had a homey, dimly-lit atmosphere with colorful lamps and artwork lining the walls. Urbanista was the ideal spot to close out a fun-filled Saturday night.

Sunday – Montreal food specialties & exploring the Mile End neighborhood

Montreal-style bagels from Fairmount

Packs of Fairmount Bagels — *A wall of bagels at Fairmount*

Holding a Poppy seed bagel from Fairmount — *My poppy seed bagel from Fairmount*

Mariah and I woke up Sunday morning feeling the consequences of enjoying the nightlife and needing a bite to eat. It was time to show her a local specialty: Montreal-style bagels. Unlike NY bagels, these have a slightly sweeter taste and denser texture.

There are a few good places to get them, but my favorite is Fairmount Bagel in the Mile End neighborhood. You get them warm and fresh out of the oven. Plus, they only cost $1 USD each (cash only), making them the perfect morning snack if you’re traveling on a budget.

Gnocchi from Dougheria Fine

Gnocchi in tomato sauce in a take out container — *To-go gnocchi*

Right next to Fairmount Bagel is another iconic Montreal eatery, Dougheria Fine. This walk-up window only has one thing on the menu – piping hot, saucy gnocchi served in a to-go container. We couldn’t help ourselves and got one to share.

Mariah was such a fan of the sauce that she bought a jar of it to bring home as a present to her fiancé.

Affogato from Cafe Olimpico

In need of an afternoon pick-me-up, we stopped at Mile End’s Cafe Olimpico. This busy cafe has three locations across the city, but it’s so well-loved every one has an eternal line out the door.

This cafe is another case of ‘worth the wait’ because their affogato is a must-try for anyone in Montreal. It comes with vanilla, hazelnut, or pistachio (Mariah’s choice) ice cream drenched in rich espresso and topped with a piece of wafer cone.

Wandering around the Mile End neighborhood

A woman looking at the drawings in the art pop-up — *Mariah walking around an art pop-up*

A woman petting a cat — *Mariah petting a friendly cat in Mile End*

After our little Montreal food tour, we embarked on a stroll to take in the rest of the beautiful Mile End neighborhood. This part of the city is very chic with lots of boutique shops, greenery, and street art that is all terrific for travel photography.

Along the way, we stopped to check out anything that pulled our attention. A friendly orange cat eager for pets, a pop-up art gallery with sketches, and a home store called Ex-Voto that reminded me of a real-life Pinterest board.

We spent a few hours like this doing my favorite travel activity, simply walking around and seeing where the city takes you.

Hot honey pepperoni pie from Pizza Toni

Honey pepperoni pie from Toni Pizza — *A delicious hot honey pepperoni pie from Toni Pizza*

By the early evening, we were both ready to head back to my apartment and enjoy one last tasty Montreal meal to close out the weekend. We settled on a large pie from Toni Pizza.

This joint became a fast-favorite for me because of their hot honey pepperoni pie. As a seasoned, pizza-eating New Yorker, I can whole-heartedly say that this was almost as good as a true New York slice for me. Mariah agreed Toni Pizza is hard to resist.

***

In just a couple of days Mariah and I had a full Montreal experience. We ate all the best food, explored a few of the top neighborhoods, and even got a retro film strip as a memento of the trip.

Even though it was a simple itinerary, we had even more fun than I anticipated. Mariah left saying how she felt so connected to the city that she’d even consider moving there one day.

Montreal is a stunning Canadian city and easily accessible from the United States East Coast. If you’re looking for more destinations in the country, be sure to read Taylor’s list of her favorite places to visit in Canada.