Dan and I spent a long weekend in Montreal, as we do almost every year, last May, but this May, our friends joined us from Virginia for a memorable birthday weekend! We had a wonderful time and great weather, enjoying fantastic meals, tasty drinks, and a bit of relaxation. This post details our 4-day itinerary for those looking for a Montreal itinerary focused on great food and drinks.

DAY ONE: DRIVING TO MONTREAL, RUM COCKTAILS, & DINNER AT CANADA’S BEST RESTAURANT.

Our long weekend began very early on a Friday morning, picking up our friends from Newark airport (they flew up from Virginia) and driving straight up Interstate 87 to Montreal. The drive is relatively easy, albeit a bit boring, and we reached the border about 5 hours later. We had a small wait at the Champlain/St. Bernard de Lacolle border crossing (also called Blackpool) before presenting out passports to the Canadian agents for inspection. The border agents asked the usual questions (where are you going, for how long, what are you doing, and if there are any guns in the car (definitely geared toward the Americans…) and then we were in Canada! And if you are driving and concerned about a wait at the border, you can follow live border crossing times here.

After crossing the border, it was a short our to our hotel in Montreal. We stayed at the InterContinental Montreal Hotel, which is located right on the edge of Old Montreal, making it a good location for walking to Old Montreal’s tourist attractions. Our room had views of the Palais de congrès, or the rainbow colored building that is quite photogenic.

After a brief nap, we got right into eating and drinking. First, we had a credit at the hotel due to how we reserved the room via one of our credit cards, so we began our evening with drinks and delicious poutine at the hotel’s Sarah B. Absinthe Bar.

We then walked 15 minutes into Old Montreal for pre-dinner drinks at one of mine and Dan’s favorite bars in the world, El Pequeño bar. El Pequeño is a Cuban-inspired cocktail bar that also holds the title of Canada’s “smallest bar”. The drinks are really incredible, and the interior of El Pequeño bar is stunning. Be sure to stop in for a photo even if you are sitting outside.

[PICOFBAR]

After our pre-dinner cocktails, we Ubered to Montreal’s chic Mount Royal neighborhood to have dinner at Canada’s 2023 best restaurant (according to the “Best 100” list), Mon Lapin (it’s currently #2 in 2025). I reviewed our dinner at Mon Lapin in full in this post. Without recapping my entire post, dinner was delicious, but I am not sure why it is Canada’s “best” restaurant? In any case, Mon Lapin is certainly a good dinner – expect a Quebecois-forward menu and natural wines. Make a reservation in advance, especially on the weekend. We waited 30 minutes and made a reservation weeks in advance.

DAY TWO: MONTREAL’S MOST INCREDIBLE BREAKFAST, BOTA BOTA SPA, AND THE MOST AMAZING DINNER AT DAMAS.

Day two began with a short, 6 minute walk to one of my very favorite restaurants ever, Olive et Gourmando. Dan and I first visited Olive e Gourmando over a decade ago, and it continues to be just as fantastic as we remember. We waited for a table and enjoyed cappuccinos, the famous Egg on Your Face breakfast sandwich, and a very decadent French toast. Pro tip – you can skip the line if you take-away, and Olive et Gourmando just opened a new location in Montreal.

We had a bit of time to stroll around Old Montreal after breakfast, as our spa reservation was not until the afternoon. Old Montreal was very cute – just opening up for the summer season. F1 was also on its way into town; lots of decorations were up for the race.

Our main activity for the day (and honestly, the entire trip) was an afternoon at Bota Bota spa sur l’eau. You can read about a prior visit here. In brief, Bota Bota is the most amazing spa made from a tugboat anchored in the St. Lawrence River, offering steam rooms, saunas, spas and cold pools overlooking Old Montreal. Bota Bota expanded from the tugboat into an adjacent garden open only in the warmer months several years ago. We absolutely LOVE Bota Bota and visit every time we are in Montreal. Unfortunately, Bota Bota doesn’t allow photos inside anymore, so all you get is the outside. Know that we spent about 6 hours in the spa, and if you find yourself in Montreal, please, please, please visit Bota Bota (advance reservation suggested).

After a brief period of down time at the InterContinental, we Ubered to Montreal’s Outremont neighborhood for dinner tonight was at my absolute favorite Montreal restaurant – Damas! Damas is a Syrian restaurant that we have been visiting consistently for years now (previous post here), and it remains one of our top 10 restaurants world wide. The food is absolutely incredible. Don’t miss it; reservations highly suggested.

DAY THREE: CLIMBING MONT ROYAL, A FOOD TOUR THROUGH MILE END, A BOAT RIDE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE, AND DINNER AT AU PIED DU COCHON (OF BOURDAIN FAME).

Despite our cocktails and large dinner the evening prior, our third day began with a steep hike up Mont Royal for stunning views of Montreal. Mont Royal is a hill in the middle of Montreal, from which hill Montreal gets its name. Mont Royal is well-maintained, and guests hiking up are treated to views of old Montreal and the St. Lawrence River, and a small building holding a snack shop and a gift store. The “hike” is easily accessible from downtown Montreal, and its basically a straight up walk covering many stairs. It took us about 20 minutes to walk up. We spent a bit of time at the top taking photos and drinking coffee before heading back down.

This afternoon’s activity was a food tour through Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood. Mile End was originally home to many immigrants from all over and has numerous shops and cafes from various cultures that immigrated to Montreal (think Italian, Jewish, Chilean, Vietnamese immigrants, the list goes on!). This all leads to fantastic restaurants. You can read my detailed post of our food tour here. Hiowever, hghlights were finally trying St. Viateur Bagel and Drogeria Fine (of Anthony Bourdain fame!).

After our food tour, we ventured back to Old Montreal for a tiny bit of sightseeing and a boat ride on the St. Lawrence River. Now, a lot of companies do these types of boat tours – they basically depart in Old Montreal and take you down to Bota Bota and then back up to a portion of the river that is quite rough. Some also offer lunch/dinner and others entertainment. We opted for what I think is the most French option – Le Petite Navire. Le Petite Navire is a small wooden boat that makes this trek. It’s open air, so everyone has good views and there is a small bar on board where guests can buy drinks before departure (at an extra cost). The ride lasts about 40 minutes; I would do it again.

Our evening ended with dinner at another of my favorite Montreal restaurants, Au Pied du Cochon. Au Pied du Cochon has been around for a long time. Bourdain went there on his first Montreal episode. Au Pied du Cochon (or “PDC”) features decadent, rich Quebecois fare. Think duck, foie gras, seasonal things, and very delicious. We eat here almost every time we are in Montreal. This year’s dinner began with a seasonal Rhubarb cocktail, foie gras poutine, and a tongue appetizer. Weird, but really great. Also, don’t miss the French fries, which have sugar on them.

DAY FOUR: ANOTHER OLIVE ET GOURMANDO BREAKFAST, ANOTHER ROUND OF BOTA BOTA, AND A LONG DRIVE HOME.

Our fourth and final morning because with an early morning breakfast at Olive et Gourmando. Yes, it is just that good. We visit twice almost every trip, ha. The food was as great as ever.

We then spent another 3 hours at Bota Bota. Bota Bota was much less crowded (and therefore, enjoyable) on a Monday morning.

We left and drove back home in the late afternoon, making a quick stop at the duty free shop at the border. All in, it was a great weekend and a very easy long weekend trip.

STEAL OUR TRIP

InterContinental Hotel Montreal:

Sarah B. Absinthe Bar: Inside the InterContinental Montreal. Open daily 4 – 12.

El Pequeño: 401a R. Saint-Vincent. Open daily 5 PM – 1 AM, opens at 4 PM on Friday and Saturday.

Mon Lapin: 150 Rue Saint-Zotique Est. Open 5 PM – 10:30 PM Tuesday – Saturday. Closed Sunday & Monday. Reservations necessary.

Olive e Gourmando: 351 Saint-Paul St W. Open daily 8 – 6 (take out from 9 – 5). No reservations at Old Montreal location.

Bota Bota: Entrée McGill et, R. de la Commune O. Open daily 10 – 10, opens at 9 Friday – Sunday. Booking in advance is recommended.

Damas: 1209 Ave Van Horne, Outremont. Open daily 5:30 – 10:00. Reservations necessary.

Mont Royal:

Secret Food Tours Montreal: We did the Mile End tour for $100 CAN/person.

Le Petite Navire: Open daily 10 – 7. Advance tickets probably not required.

Au Pied du Cochon: 536 Av. Duluth E. Open Wednesday – Sunday 5 – 11. Closed Monday & Tuesday. Reservations necessary.