Food, Glorious Food!!

Last week, I was lucky enough to have my family come across and visit me from the UK and, as any good student will know, the best thing about a visit from your parents is that you get to eat whatever you want! So essentially, as a family, we conducted a thorough eating-tour of Montreal and checked out the sites in between to work up an appetite.

Sandwich Shop- I walk past this little sandwich shop a few times a week since it’s actually on my street and yet I’ve never been in! Out back they have the most adorable courtyard with coloured fences, fairy lights and a fountain that is just gorgeous. Inside is a mismatch of tables and artwork with big windows looking out to the courtyard. The place is cosy, yet not too crowded and wonderfully warm for the winter. The soups, as discovered by Mum, are delicious and the monster sandwiches are definitely good-value for money. There were some really cool posters on the wall of Montreal, which I’m attempting to purchase as we speak…

La Banquise- Not my first time to this one, but a definite Montreal-Must for all first timers as it sells the famous Quebecois Poutine. A fancy French version of chips and cheese, La Banquise is the only place to go for poutine if you’re sober. The dish comprises of chips, cheese curds and gravy, which whilst not sounding too appetising, is delicious, so long as you don’t think about what it’s doing to your insides- I like to think of it as getting me ready for the winter! At this restaurant, the traditional dish is spiced up a bit and served with a variety of toppings which are delicious and make it feel like more of a meal! It is certainly worth waiting in the queue that stretches out the door without fail to experience your first poutine!

Schwartz- Another Montreal hotspot that shamefully I hadn’t made it to yet, Schwartz is famous for it’s smoked meat and has been since… Again, there is a permanent queue stretching out the door for this diner since it is the only one of its kind. The place itself is tiny so you end up elbow to elbow with other customers as you eat which only adds to the atmosphere. The owners have persistently refused to open any more in the city, which has only increased its popularity, demonstrated by the pictures of celebrity guests that stretch across the walls! The dishes here are very simple really- meat, meat, meat and more meat! In hindsight it was a great idea to leave this one to experience with my brother since no one appreciates a good meat sandwich quite like him!

Juliette et Chocolat- Again, I walk past this place nearly everyday and every day the sweet smell of chocolate drifts out onto the street and makes me reconsider my decision to head to lectures but I ventured in here for the first time on a very rainy Tuesday with my family. After an aborted mission to Parc Jean Drapeau it was agreed that what we really needed was a café and a hot chocolate to warm us up- Two hours later we emerge, fit to bursting after one of the most delicious lunches ever! I had a pear and goats cheese crepe followed by a chocolate brownie with caramel sauce that was to die for. Between us we also had a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake, a chocolate fondue and a white hot chocolate, and despite some mild temperature issues, no one was disappointed! I can see myself venturing back here during the exams to study and eat my cares away!



St Viateur Bagels- Yet another Montreal favourite that has escaped me thus far, I had my first St Viateur Bagel with the family and again I was not disappointed! Luckily the shop was just around the corner from where they were all staying so I ventured round there for brunch one day. The shop itself is so cool. J and I went to pick up them up, and you could see them making the bagels fresh, there and then! One guy was making the dough and rolling it out, whilst the other was sliding batches in and out of the huge pizza oven. The smell was delicious and we brought them back to the house still warm and devoured them with cream cheese! They really were so tasty- now all that’s left for me to do is try some from the rival store, Fairmont Bagel, to see where my allegiance truly lies! 

As you might be able to tell, it was pretty hard to say goodbye to them all as when they left, so did my free meal ticket- back to home-cooked dinners for me!!

Jokes aside, it was absolutely amazing to have them all come out to Montreal and see the amazing city that I’m calling home this year and it has made me even more excited to see them all at Christmas!