Living la Belle Vie in Montreal, Canada
Last month I had the chance to attend my first Formula 1 race at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal. If you are new to the sport like I was, you may be surprised to find the event is less red neck tailgate, than premium bottle service. Formula 1 is a global event, with different pit stops (pun intended) across some of the world’s largest and most extravagant metropolises, such as Abu Dhabi or Monaco, for different courses and races. And it’s not just a party at the racetrack… Formula 1 transforms Montreal for a weekend into an even more bustling, party-centric version of itself. Massive street festivals shut down main thoroughways like Peel Street and St. Laurent and the crowds turn out. A former Formula driver recently told me Montreal was his favourite Formula racetrack, not just for the course but for the atmosphere of the city. It was an amazing weekend to explore Montreal’s reputable food and drink scene, as well as do a little shopping, as F1 street parties also mean amazing deals.
Straight from landing at the airport, we beelined to our first stop: lunch at the Vietnamese hotspot, Le Red Tiger. Each day, Le Red Tiger has a different lunch special, with a choice between a soup and another classic Vietnamese dish. As it was a Friday when we arrived, we both got the Vietnamese vermicelli (maybe my favourite meal of all time) and a Vietnamese coffee to counter the effects of an early morning flight.
From Le Red Tiger, we walked through the Gay Village, under the hanging rainbow ball art installation (there are other ways to say this but none of them are as cheeky), and eventually up St. Laurent to our AirBnb. As we were walking along, I was struck again by how incredible it is to be able to live in a place like Canada where so many cultures collide and escaping to Quebec for a weekend feels like you've gotten away to another country. The Quebecois are rambunctious and artistic and bold. They dress more adventurously and eat more extravagantly. And there's nothing that puts you in a vacation mindset quite like hearing everyone speak another language.
Up St. Laurent, all the restaurants had patios extending on to the street and the mood was jovial. It was finally summer in Canada! Vendors sprawled along the sidewalks selling everything from locally made art and jewelry to summer dresses. We ended up doing a little perusing - I bought some resin barrettes from Aveda and a dress from a small boutique called La petite garçonne, which had tons of flirty, feminine jumpsuits and dresses. I also snagged the most adorable chunky knit cardigan similar to one which I had been coveting on Instagram and Pinterest bloggers.
Our AirBnb was this beautiful minimalist apartment which felt like walking into a Japanese onsen minus the hot springs bath (although it had a stunnnning bathtub which I would've soaked in for hours if we weren't there for work)! The sheets were soft AF (Amazon makes nice bedding apparently!) and location could not be beat. 5 stars overall. Would definitely recommend for a weekend in Montreal.
Dinner that night was up the street at this funky little restaurant bar called La Majestique. It reminded me of the French approach to style - beautiful quality pieces that would seem dressy if not for a twist to balance the look. La Majestique is one of Montreal’s top restaurants - the menu is full of premium dishes like oysters and octopus (one of the best dishes I’ve had in a long time) - but the decor feels like a klepto grandmother’s dream, decorated with all sorts of antique kitschy collectables. We had a great meal here, enjoying the ambiance and Aperol Spritzes into the night.
After an evening of cheering on the Raptors to their Game 4 win, we had an early night and woke well rested, ready to experience a day of fast cars and engine revving. Breakfast was at a spot called Cafe Osmo, which can only be described as a Scandinavian nuclear bunker. The concrete, underground space was somehow made welcoming with splashes of teal and white, and a lovely little back patio. We got the BLT sandwiches and both exclaimed that the bread was top notch.
After an afternoon at the track, watching some of the qualifying races, exploring the grounds, and eating Pogos for lunch (as good now as they were at 11), we headed back into the city. Dinner was at Escondite, one of a trio of tropical restaurants along Union Ave. road. Escondite was Mexican, but its sister restaurants La Habanera and Koa Lua Union were Cuban and Hawaiian if you'd like a different approach to similar ingredients. We ate very well at Escondite - stuffed nachoes, guacamole, mango salads, tacos and Sol.
On our third and final day in Montreal, we stopped at Hof Kelsten, my favourite bakery serving up Jewish delicacies like schnitzel (my go-to order), challah bread and the insane latkes. It was a weekend well spent eating, drinking, and wandering a beautiful city. If you ever find yourself in Montreal, I hope you end up doing the same. Hopefully these suggestions can help along the way.
