My week in Montreal, QU
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The troubles of the beginning of baking and maybe something helpful
The troubles of the beginning of baking Check out my previous blog!<— Tools/equipment As you may already know, you need equipment for baking. There’s tons of equipment you…
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MUST tries in (old and new) Montreal!
My week in Montreal, QU Pathway for this blog: – Old montreal pros and cons, convenient locations nearby – New montreal pros and cons, convenient locations nearby –…
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Stirring up new baking expedition
‘Stirring’ up new baking expedition. Haha, get it? No? I’m sorry. It was a cheesy joke. I won’t explain the joke because it’ll make the, not funny joke,…
Pathway for this blog:
– Old montreal pros and cons, convenient locations nearby
– New montreal pros and cons, convenient locations nearby
– Breakfast quality and price
– Cafes quality and price
– Dinners quality and price
– Must tries quality and price
– What I didn’t get to try
Where I stayed
Choosing a hotel was kind of a challenge.
I wanted to be near the water, but I wanted to be in a good hotel. There was plenty of opportunities to stay in someone’s home, or to stay in a decently rated inn; but my gut, and my fiancé, were telling me not to.
That’s when I came across Holiday Inn Montréal-Longueil! It’s very easy to identify because they have a plane hung in the centre of the lounge area.
About the hotel
Located in the middle of old Montréal and new Montréal.
As soon as we looked outside our window, it was facing the water with old Montréal in view.
Before I get into the hotel itself, I do want to bring attention to the service.
Before we even arrived, I noticed that we left a day early.
While we were at one of the On-Routes, I called the hotel and asked for an extension so that we could check-in that day (Saturday 11th).
Despite a holiday coming up, we were in luck. We were able to book in that day with the same request for the original room.
We booked for a one king bed; nothing special. No extra commendations, nothing special. Our room was 625; sixth floor (aka the top floor).
The view was breath-taking. A perfect view of the sunsetting over old Montreal, and over St. Lawrence river.
The only downfall is that the exterior of the building was under construction, and as we were coming and going throughout the day, getting in the building was a challenge at times.
One time we were waiting for an uber, and one of the construction workers started to snap at us.
If we aren’t supposed to be in an area at that moment, there should at least be a sign or something.
On the contrary, there was a hot tub, a pool, and an exercise room, that was still operated through the construction!
My fiancé and I went to the pool and hot tub near the end of the day, knowing that it was more likely to be empty or almost empty; especially during the week.
Inside the room
From first impression, the room was cozy. We we’re lucky enough to get the top floor, in the corner.
Our floor wasn’t noisy, despite having people in the room next to us.
The bathroom was clean and well maintained. There was no creepy mirrors that faced one another, and everything was well stocked.
There was always replenished consumables, and clean towels for whenever we returned to the room. There was no sign of mildew or watermarks in or around.
I have very sensitive skin, and the dove products that they supplied didn’t dry out my skin too much; so I’m adding that for anyone who is in a similar position.
I didn’t want to go too crazy and bring backlights and whatnot, but the beds were clean and well maintained.
It was a bit rough to sleep on, and the pillows were super thin. No wonder having extra pillows requested was a common recommendation, haha.
I loved the curtains. There were two sets of curtains, one was cloth like and the other was like blinds.
If you wanted to enjoy the light, you could roll the cloth one up. To block out the light, just roll it down.
I like fresh air so I was a bit bummed that I couldn’t open the window, but it made sense why that wasn’t an option.
To counteract that, there was an AC unit in the room that we could control to whatever we wanted, for however long we wanted!
The fridge didn’t have a freezer section, which kind of bummed me out, since I would’ve loved to relax in bed after a long day out in the sun and enjoy some ice cream or something.
But the fridge worked and we were able to store drinks in there!
Photo
Front desk/breakfast
At the front desk, the employees were phenomenal.
They were super nice and very helpful with everything that we asked for.
There was someone always at the counter, ready with a smile and politeness; unlike the breakfast area.
We were in the understanding that breakfast was free/included (no additional price), and another visitor asked that to the lounge server (the night before).
The first morning was smooth, we went in, grabbed breakfast and went about our day.
There was quite a variety compared to other hotels I’ve stayed at, which was nice.
But the next morning, there was a new set of staff, which made us pay for breakfast.
We were confused and kind of upset about this. It didn’t mind paying, but it was brought on so suddenly.
Not only that, the worker was giving us weird vibes.
Bar & Lounge
For starters, the food was “out of this world”. The portions were perfect, and the flavour will leaving you saying “wow”.
We ordered the Beef & Yorkies, Sweet Soy Salmon, Chocolate indulgence. I highly recommend it.
The server/bartender and manager were the only two employees in the lounge whenever we went. They were both fantastic and extremely nice.
On the last day in the hotel, we decided to have dinner in the lounge, and it was horrible. It was a Friday night and a new swarm of hockey children with their parents checked in.
While we were ordering, the children were running around, jumping between floors, literally acting like animals. Howling and screaming, which echoed through the entire lobby; meanwhile the parents could care less in their circle, sharing drinks with one another.
The manager was trying to yell at them, as the children were disturbing every guest in the hotel. His attempt failed until he started writing something down while he was on the phone.
While this was happening, we were conversating with the server/bartender. He told us that sometimes the children would throw stuff at him from the balconies on various floors.
They would throw stuff like ice cubes and shoes, and sometimes it would actually hit him. It’s horrible.
Old Montreal
Oh old Montreal. Once a tragically beautiful piece, now tainted with shades of black and white.
Aside from all the crime and homeless littered everywhere, it’s also very dirty and smelly; in most areas.
Maybe we just went at a bad time, or in the wrong areas.
Pot holes greeted the drivers around every corner.
We tried scavenger hunting for some historical markings, such as Le Plateau (what seemed to be a stream of vibrant, colourful houses), which ceased to exist now.
It turned into the modern, brick building with faded colours, that in fact did NOT resemble the photos in any way; so we moved onto the next thing on our list.
Gibeau orange julep
The orange julep was by far one of my most memorable experiences, and would definitely go back.
I know it’s a huge tourist spot and is known for being good for beginner photographer. But I mean it when I say I would go back!
We got a poutine, an orange julep, and a hotdog. It was unbelievably good for what seemed to be a fast paced joint.
This place perfectly resembles the photos, and the food lives up to its standards. The orange julep alone would make you want to come back!
Now maybe I’m over-hyping it since the food from the city I live in isn’t all that special, but this place was a definite hit!
There’s plenty of parking and benches, so you don’t have to worry too much about not having somewhere to sit or park, but I wouldn’t go on a rainy day if you don’t like getting wet.
ps. The photo below is not mine. I got it from a free photo sight (unsplash).
Kyo bar japonais
This place was more on the expensive side.
The food was good, but our drinks were definitely an acquired taste.
If I’m not mistaken, I think we got the Kyo Sour. We didn’t like it for many reasons, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t! But the food was definitely delicious.
I wouldn’t have added this place to the list, if I didn’t think it is worth the visit.
I don’t remember the names on the menu that we got food related, but we definitely got some sushi.
The location was nice since it was just down the street from the Notre-Dame Basilica, which is a huge tourist attraction.
Gyu-Kaku japanese grill
Located near the downtown of old Montreal, we came across this beauty of a place.
There was literally nothing bad I can say about this place.
It was more on the expensive side, but if you have the money, I highly recommend coming here.
The atmosphere is perfect for a date night.
All the ingredients were fresh, the customer service was out of this world amazing!
The food will leave you saying “wow” with every bite! The drinks were also really tasty!
We ended up getting one of the big meal bundles. We ate and drank everything so quickly that we forgot to take any photos.
Overall I would definitely visit this restaurant again, if I had the chance.
The photo isn’t from the restaurant, but it’s the closest photo I could find, without stealing someone else’s photo.
New Montreal
I already know what you’re probably thinking. “That photo isn’t from new Montreal!” Yes, I know. I couldn’t find a good photo of new Montreal, so I had to make do.
From what me and my Fiancé experienced, new Montreal was more calm compared the old Montreal. Not a lot of noticeable history, and it seemed to be where people resided, along with your typical mall complexes and shopping centers.
I wouldn’t say it’s safer, because both sides of the river felt just as dangerous as the other. But the beautiful sightings makes it a bit forgivable.
Brulerie café crème
This lovely café was in walking distance from our hotel.
It’s about a 23 minute walk, but we walk pretty fast, so it was about 20 minutes.
We didn’t get any food because we weren’t hungry, but I got a matcha and my fiancé got coffee.
It was as expected for a matcha drink and coffee, so it was tasty. Their food looked great, but we already had breakfast at the hotel that day.
The atmosphere was cosy and fitting, and the service was good. I would definitely come back to try the food.
Unfortunately, we didn’t take any photos.
la piazzetta vieux-longueuil
This place was also in walking distance from the hotel. About 32 minutes.
A great place for a date night. Amazing food and service for a good price!
The food was drool worthy good, along with the drinks.
I don’t remember what we got, but our drinks were a nice grapefruit colour, with a dried citric slice in it. I do remember that we ordered something that was kind of like a roll.
Ben & florentine
This was one of the first breakfast places we went to.
I don’t remember exactly what we got, but I think one of us got one of the eggs benedict.
The servers were kind and sweet. The food was good, and there are multiple locations.
Allo mon coco place Longueil
This place was the last one we went to. We were making our leave, but stopped for breakfast and gas beforehand.
This place happened to be on the way and near a gas station! It’s also kind of in a mall complex, for those who like shopping.
We ordered too many drinks from this place. My fiancé got a matcha latte and a matcha smoothie, where as I got a lavender smoothie and a matcha smoothie.
To eat, I think he got some sort of eggs benedict, and I got one of the parfaits. The portions were huge, so they were hard to finish.
I ended up being too full to finish mine.
Outside of Montreal
Some treasures that we stumbled upon shortly outside of Montreal, was a
zoo,
a Nordic spa experience,
an observation tower,
and a recommend sub joint that died in popularity over the years.
Strøm spa nordique
For starters, there is many locations, so I couldn’t find the one we went to.
There are a lot of things you can do, but we only went there for a massage and then dinner; since there’s a restaurant attached to it.
This is definitely an experience that isn’t worth missing.
They do have a little shop, so if you forget anything related to the spa portion, you can easily buy sandals or something there.
The food was very fancy and different, but it tasted really good.
We both got red wine, which is pretty standard.
We got to choose whether we wanted men or women to give us a massage (when we filled out our reservation online). The rooms were nicely lit and private.
They were really good at their jobs and even gave us cream for our specific needs.
All of the employees we encountered were polite and considerate.
Granby zoo
Located an hour from Montreal.
Sure there’s always food you can by at the zoo, but I didn’t add this in here for the food. For the matter of fact, we didn’t get any food from the zoo.
But, that doesn’t mean that this place isn’t worth the visit. If anything, I would love to come back here.
Personally, my visits to a variety of zoos are limited, but this zoo definitely has a huge variety.
I’m no animal expert, but everything that resided in this zoo, didn’t seem trapped or in distress.
They all seemed to be content in some way. Sure some of them were getting annoyed from all the crowded attention.
What really made this a highlight is that you get to pet manta ray! And they all looked so happy, they were like water cats!
They were so adorable!
Observation tower
About 2 hours from Montreal.
A great tourist attraction! It was a little sketchy at first because online it said that they were closed, but on the ticket page, tickets were available for purchase.
We went for it anyway and it was definitely worth it.
The view at the top of the tower was breath-taking.
Chez Emile restaurant
Just at the base of the observation tower, is this cute little restaurant.
We grabbed a quick drink, but no food. The drink alone was good enough to want to come back.
Mr. sub
Although there are multiple locations spread out, we stopped at the one in Bowmanville, ON.
The food was just another sub, but something about it made it more enjoyable.
I definitely prefer Mr. sub over firehouse or subway.
But unfortunately, all the locations are too far.