DEEP DIVE
Montreal: An App Lover’s Guide
It has cobblestone streets and I. M. Pei architecture. It’s a cultural hub—and a popular bachelor party destination. Montreal has history, edge, art, and a culinary scene that ranges from the most traditional bistros to innovative Japanese spots. It’s a travel cliché to say that a city has something for everyone, but in Montreal’s case it also happens to be true.
One unique thing
‣ Starting at dusk, “Cité Mémoire” comes to life in the Old Montreal neighborhood: The monumental ongoing art installation projects 25 images inspired by the city’s past onto buildings, streets, and even trees (think Jackie Robinson playing for the Montreal Royals and the 1849 burning of the Parliament Building). The accompanying app, Montréal en Histoires, triggers your viewing circuit and provides the soundtrack. Go into the app’s settings to choose a 30- or 60-minute tour (the latter requires a 1.2GB download, so use Wi-Fi). Don’t forget headphones.
What to do
‣ Start with Montreal’s official tourism app, My Official Montreal City Guide. Pop through a series of questions—why and when you’re visiting, for instance—and it will offer recommendations that you can add to a custom itinerary.
TripAdvisor isn’t just hotel reviews anymore: Use it to get to know Montreal neighborhoods with crowdsourced photos, and browse travel guides focused on food, museums, the outdoors, and more.
Where to eat
‣ Dinr is a must for serious foodies—especially those who don’t plan ahead. It gives you access to last-minute tables at tough-to-book hot spots like Joe Beef (famous for its lobster spaghetti) and traditional-with-a-twist Bocata.
RestoMontreal is a comprehensive guide to Montreal’s diverse and vibrant food scene. Filter by standard features like location and cuisine—or add on specifics such as BYO spots, good-for-kids eateries, or all-you-can-eat menus. The app provides details and a growing number of user reviews for each spot.
‣ If it’s a coffee shop you’re after, Th3rd Wave is a directory of good ones. The company started in Montreal and is only in a small handful of other cities. The app uses helpful tags such as “Cozy Hangout” or “Impress a Date” to let you know exactly what you’ll find at each location.
Where to stay
‣ Whether you prefer high-end chains or budget-friendly boutique properties, you’ll find something that feels right in Montreal. Short-term rentals are legal here, so there are also plenty of Airbnb options. Here are three areas to consider for your home base.
Popular
· Old Montreal is where the tourists gather—for good reason. The area around the Old Port has lovely cobblestone streets, 18th-century buildings, art galleries, and great restaurants. Some of the best hotels here are housed in converted warehouses and factories.
Bohemian
· Once a working-class neighborhood, Plateau Mont-Royal has turned into an artsy, French-inflected enclave. It’s full of colorful brick houses and elegant stone town houses trimmed with wrought-iron accents. There are plenty of contemporary restaurants, from cider houses to dumpling-serving speakeasies, and perfectly arranged boutiques.
LGBTQ awesome
· The most rainbow-hued neighborhood in Montreal is actually called Gay Village—simply the Village to many. It’s one of the most exciting areas of the city, with vintage shops and pounding clubs.
Getting around
‣ P$ Service Mobile is a must-have if you decide to drive in Montreal. It makes paying for public parking a snap—just open the app and enter the ID number for your space. If you’re behind the wheel in winter, turn to INFO-Neige MTL for the status of street-clearing and parking after a snow. Or leave the driving to the pros at Téo Taxi, whose fleet is all electric.
Prefer two wheels to four? Official app BIXI lets you buy passes for Montreal’s bike-share program. Hit a button to toggle the map between showing how many bikes are available and how many parking slots are open at each station.
Transit is your best bet for public transportation options, showing all routes in and around the city.
Read and listen before you go
‣ Stay on top of local and national news with the CBC News app from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The main screen offers a stream of the top stories; set your location to create a local news feed.
With CBC Radio, you can tune in to the public-radio live stream or archives of shows. Browse segments by subject (arts, comedy, science) and create your own show by customizing a playlist. Download for offline listening while you ride the Montreal Metro.
For more music and talk radio, go for Cogeco, which streams more than a dozen Quebec radio stations. The app lets you toggle its text between English and French—but you’ll have to enjoy the stations in their original language.