The Plateau and Mile End

To understand how Montreal lives, leave the old town and spend an afternoon in the Plateau and Mile End, the neighbourhoods on the eastern slope of Mount Royal. The Plateau-Mont-Royal is famous for its rows of colourful duplexes and triplexes with exterior wrought-iron staircases, a uniquely Montreal design, and for its streets of restaurants, bars and boutiques: Avenue du Mont-Royal, Rue Saint-Denis, and Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the Main, the historic dividing line between the French east and English west of the city. Parc La Fontaine, with its pond, is the Plateau's green heart. Saint-Laurent is also home to Schwartz's, the deli that has served Montreal smoked meat since 1928 and still draws queues. North of Avenue du Mont-Royal, Mile End is the city's most creative neighbourhood, roughly bounded by Avenue Van Horne, Avenue du Mont-Royal, Rue Durocher and Avenue de Gaspe. Historically a landing place for Greek, Italian, Jewish and Portuguese immigrants, and later for artists and musicians, it is known above all for its bagels: St-Viateur and Fairmount, the two legendary rivals, hand-roll and bake them in wood-fired ovens around the clock. Add Wilensky's for a classic sandwich, Cafe Olimpico for Italian-style espresso, the graphic-novel publisher Drawn and Quarterly's bookshop, vinyl stores, vintage shops and a strong bar scene, from craft beer at Dieu du Ciel! to natural wine and live music. The walk is free and the area is safe and easy to navigate. Take the orange metro line to Mont-Royal or Laurier, or bus 55 along Boulevard Saint-Laurent, then simply wander, eat and stop for a coffee. Allow at least half a day.

Why these neighbourhoods matter: the Plateau and Mile End are where Montreal's identity as a francophone, multicultural, food-obsessed city comes into focus. The Plateau was the working-class French-Canadian heartland described by writers such as Michel Tremblay, then a bohemian and student quarter, and is now one of the most desirable places to live in Canada. Mile End layered Jewish bakeries and delis, Italian cafes and Greek and Portuguese families, then artists, musicians and tech studios, onto its grid of brick triplexes. The result is a dense, walkable tapestry of everyday life, with residential alleys, many greened by their residents, behind the busy commercial streets.

A route that works: start at the Mont-Royal metro station and walk west along Avenue du Mont-Royal, then detour south along Rue Saint-Denis or the side streets to see the staircases. Head to Boulevard Saint-Laurent for smoked meat, or save your appetite and continue north into Mile End along Saint-Laurent or Avenue du Parc. Do the bagel test at both St-Viateur and Fairmount, a few blocks apart, eat them warm from the bag, then browse the bookshops and record stores on and around Rue Bernard, Avenue Fairmount and Boulevard Saint-Laurent. End with a drink in one of Mile End's bars or a dinner reservation on the Plateau. In summer, add Parc La Fontaine or the Tam-Tams on Mount Royal; in winter, the cafes and bagel shops are cosy refuges and the park pond becomes a skating rink when conditions allow.

Practical notes: the streets are flat to gently sloping, distances are walkable, and BIXI bike-share stations are everywhere from spring to autumn. Many restaurants in the area are small and popular, so book dinner ahead, and note that some smaller places close one or two days a week. Bring your own wine restaurants, a Plateau tradition, let you carry a bottle from a nearby shop. The two neighbourhoods also make a good base for a stay if you prefer local life to downtown towers, with short-term rentals and a few small hotels nearby.