The Best Montreal Bucket List You'll Ever Find!

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I used to think writing Bucket Lists was easy, but lately we’ve really become serious about the criteria required for an item to be placed on THE LIST. It becomes particularly interesting when you’re in a foreign land with so much to see, so much to do and at the same time you’re star-struck by all the newness that’s whirling around you…

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Giant murals, purple doors, awesome architecture, tons of French, art and cultural celebrations, delicious food and some of the kindest most wonderful people that we have yet to meet along our travels. After being in Montreal for nearly 2 weeks now, we have let the stardust settle just enough to be able to clearly share with you our must-do Montreal Bucket List!

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Let’s start with COFFEE. Though I have recently been converted into a tea drinker, I can smell a good roast from miles away, and Drew is more than happy to try a latté wherever my nose may lead. His fave? Hands down, the warm and frothy bowl of latté at Café Saint-Henri (which is also an awesome wifi spot, where we were more than happy to stay cooped up in for hours):

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Bonus tip: If it’s hot out, hit up Café Névé, located just off of the popular Boulevard Saint-Laurent, for the best cold brew in town. It seriously tasted more like DARK CHOCOLATE.

Now that you’re energized and ready to conquer, grab a friend and go for a hike/bike ride/run through the trees and up the trails to Le Chalet on top of the stunning Mont-Royal! This is one of Montreal’s most popular green spaces and for good reason:

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First summited by Jacques Cartier, the famous explorer responsible for discovering Canada in 1535, this lush park offers absolutely stunning views of the city, among other things…

We were pleasantly surprised to find a public piano placed at the summit for anyone to play at anytime of day!

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We even met this cute, little guy! Though we are not sure what he was doing hanging out all the way up here, he sure did make for a unique photo op:

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In addition to the people (and puppet) watching, breathing in the fresh, cool air and reflecting on all the beautiful things in life that we have to be grateful for, our favorite discovery was the 103-foot tall Mount Royal Cross located just a short distance from Le Chalet:

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After a visit to Mount Royal, it’s time for a signature smoked sandwich from the famous Schwartz Deli. Don’t be surprised if there’s a line of people (including celebrities) weaving out the door. For 80 years this historic landmark, which is now owned by THE Celine Dion, has been smoking meat the old-fashioned way.

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Using a secret blend of fine herbs and spices (known only to 1 man), the meat is marinated for 10 days and smoked daily in the original cooker, which has never been washed!… creating a JUICY, mouthwatering sandwich that Drew had to consciously pace himself while eating:

While you’re on Saint-Laurent Street, aka The Main, grab your camera and go on a walking graffiti tour, seriously you don’t want to miss this:

The art work is incredible. In fact, we happened to be in town for Mural Fest, an annual celebration where artists come out to paint the walls of the city and revamp famed creations from years past:

Another thing we noticed was the multitude of cool thrift shops, known as Friperies. You’ll definitely want to stop in to peruse, and if you’re lucky, you might even score a one-of-a-kind treasure:

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For a delicious and thoroughly satisfying veg meal, take a date to the fantastic Lola Rosa, where customers are invited to open the table drawers and read, write and leave behind sweet nothings for future diners to enjoy!:

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Our recommendations: Lola’s nachos (huge!) and the green curry with homemade tempeh (SO good):

For dessert?: the thick and creamy mason jar cheesecake or l’incroyable, a vegan, gluten-free masterpiece…

L’incroyable, or “the incredible,” mentioned above consists of a crumbled date and almond crust layered with a thick slab of chocolate-banana ganache, topped with a thin later of coconut milk frosting and organic, dark chocolate shavings and sauce. Oh yeah, and no sugar is added to this perfect natural beauty:

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Another must-stop spot, open 24/7, is St. Viateur Bagel (rival of the equally famous Fairmont Bagel). These world-famous bagels have been “enjoyed by millions of people worldwide,” using the same wholesome recipe since it’s debut in 1957!

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Hand cut and rolled before before your eyes, these bagels are boiled in honey water (drool) before being cooked to a warm, soft crisp in their original wood fired oven:

This carefully designed process results in a chewy, slightly sweet bagel that is absolutely incomparable to any other bagel being made in the world today!

Insider tip: Go for sesame! St. Viateur Bagel’s most popular variety.

Next up is the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. It’s nothing short of magical around sunset, the lighting dims, the guitar players come out, families and lovers are strolling down the sidewalks and if you get there at the top of the hour, you’ll even get to hear the bells sing their song.

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Looking for a bit more adventure? A hidden gem we were totally stoked to find was “the Habitat Wave,” a standing river wave located on the North side of the Saint Lawrence River behind the architectural landmark known as Habitat 67:

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Much like the Eisbach wave in Munich, what makes this wave different is the fact that it’s a natural phenomenon. Imagine 2.6-million gallons of water per second rushing over and around underwater boulders on the mighty river’s floor. What results is an awe-inspiring, chill-inducing wave that Canadian’s flock to from near and far to catch a ride (cool article on the wave worth reading here):

Other faves include Nutrimania and Cruddesence for awesome vegetarian ops and juices, strolling along Rue Sainte-Catherine to window shop and watch a hockey game at one of the student bars (Peel Pub had the best vibes and drink prices) and you MUST go to La Banquise for a heafty serving of poutine, the traditional Québécois dish of french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds (or whatever your heart desires really!):

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Montreal has something wonderful to offer everyone, and after doing any number of the things listed above we can guarantee that you will leave Montreal loving it just as much as we did.