Atwater Market

Atwater Market is the elegant sister of Jean-Talon Market, smaller, more compact and set in one of the most beautiful buildings in the southwest of the city. It has been operating since 1933 in an art deco hall with a central tower, at the corner of Atwater Avenue and Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, right on the banks of the Lachine Canal. Inside the main hall, the ground floor is lined with specialist food shops: butchers and charcuterie makers, fishmongers, cheesemongers with deep selections of Quebec cheeses, bakers and pastry shops, and specialty grocers. Outside, along the long covered aisles, farmers and growers sell fruit, vegetables and flowers in season; in spring, horticultural producers take over with plants and seedlings, and in summer the Pole des Saveurs adds ready-to-eat food stalls with picnic tables and a terrace overlooking the canal. When the cold arrives, walls go up around the outdoor stalls so shopping stays sheltered, and they come down again in spring. The market hosts seasonal events, including maple-themed activities at sugaring time in spring. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at weekends. Entry is free, of course, and the market is a perfect place to assemble a picnic, buy edible souvenirs such as maple products, ice cider and cheeses, or have a casual lunch before continuing along the canal.

Why go: Montreal's public markets are among the best in North America, and Atwater combines good food with a lovely setting. The art deco hall is a landmark of the Saint-Henri area, and the market's position on the canal makes it the natural stop on a bike ride or walk along the water. Compared with Jean-Talon, it is more focused on butchers, cheese and prepared foods, and it feels more neighbourhood than tourist attraction. It is particularly good for meat and charcuterie, and for Quebec cheeses you will not find outside the province.

How to visit well: come late morning, buy bread, cheese, charcuterie and fruit, and take your picnic across the footbridge to the grassy canal banks. In summer the Pole des Saveurs terrace makes this even easier. Weekends are busiest, especially Saturday mornings in summer and autumn when the produce is at its peak. Ask cheesemongers for tastings; they are generally happy to help you choose. If you have a kitchen, buy fish or meat from the specialists, who are among the best in the city.

Practicals: the market is a short walk from Lionel-Groulx metro station, where the green and orange lines meet. There are around 440 outdoor parking spaces (the first fifteen minutes free, then paid) and many bike racks. The Lachine Canal path runs right behind the market, so it is easy to combine with a bike ride from the Old Port, about 4 km to the east. Saint-Henri's restaurants and Notre-Dame Ouest's antique shops are close by. On cold days, the indoor hall is a warm refuge, with cafes and counters where you can sit for a coffee or a bowl of soup.