Summer is here. School is driving me insane and the Swiss bore me. Hence I am really looking forward to being back home in Montreal and go to all my favorite hang outs. What I lack here is a good drink, a good coffee and good ethnic food. I am sick of cheese and endives! (well not really but you know, i miss my international cuisine and affordable luxuries!)
First of all, Baldwins. Everybody who knows me is aware this is MY PLACE to go. Any day of the week I know I will have fun here (except maybe certain Saturday's when the place is invaded by suburban folk). But even if the crowd sucks, the place is always gorgeous, the music amazing (mix of old school, some hip hop and a bunch of really cool hipstery new stuff, it usually gets more upbeat later in the night) and the drinks are the best in town. And the service is also great... but that is maybe because I have been going there for 3 years... sometimes thrice a week....
Buvette chez Simone. Wine bar, cold cuts, cheese. So fun all the time, much more relaxed atmosphere and beautiful people to watch! Their salads are also quite delicious, Audrey loves the greek salad with its HUGE slabs of feta.
Verses Sky terrace at the Nelligan hotel. I just discovered this spot last year with my friend Chloe and we spent many sunny afternoons drinking bubbly there, admiring her boyfriend working in the outdoor kitchen (best kitchen setup ever... minus the bees) and the stunning view. Try the "Piscine", a huge glass of Prosecco on ice with raspberries. Extremely refreshing, fabulous looking and gets you pretty tipsy!
McKiernan lunchonette and wine bar. In St-Henri a walking distance from Atwater Market and my apartment, super cute place to have lunch in a vintage-y setting with KILLER sandwiches and old school desserts (mmmm pudding chomeur). They also have an adorable terrace in the garden during summer months.
Mas Cuisine is a tiny fine dining restaurant in Verdun right around the corner from where I live. Chef/owner Michael Ross and his wife prepare EVERYTHING from bread to desert for the prix-fixe menu. It is my absolute favorite restaurant in Montreal, you can have an impeccable 3 course dinner for around 40$.
Chez Bong is my favorite asian restaurant. Its a Korean place on St Laurent in Chinatown. Try not to be too confused. It is in a basement with cedar planked walls and looks kind of suspicious, but all the dishes are super authentic and prepared by a little old Korean granny that smiles at you all the time. You can eat like a king for about 10$, which includes a chicken soup and all the traditional Korean kim chi side dishes. My absolute favorite thing to eat is the jap chae, a super slimy and stretchy sweet potato noodle stir fry. Mmmmm.
Café Myriade. Best. Coffee. EVER. Order a latte and don't you even DARE put sugar in it. (Award winning baristas, known as one of the best coffee houses in AMERICA.)
Fairmount Bagel. Cream cheese. Mmmmm. The best in the whole wide world, I don't care what people say, Fairmount bagels beat out St-Viateur because they are less dense and still have all the flavour (I used to be a St-Viateur fan but I was shown the light... and the place is much cuter, the experience of getting a dozen bagels is just so fun).
The urban chalet and rooftop pool at Imperial Lofts. Cannot wait to spend days roasting in the sun at Audrey's new place! Screw Hotel de la Montagne, this is way better, cheaper and closer to home.
Chez Bong : 1021 blvd St-Laurent
