A Peaceful Day in Montreal
Those who know me best are fully aware that I consider Montreal to being one of the best cities I’ve ever set foot in. Coffee shops galore, the vibes are amazing, the people are great, a lot more diverse than what I initially expected, the food, the public transit, the amazing parks, and the fascinating Underground City who will save your life whenever the winter becomes brutal. I’ve visited twice and I crave a third visit in the near future, as there’s still so much more to the city that I have to see, especially within the outer edges of the island.
What I want to discuss here are two places that are practically perfect, and would create a perfect day in Montreal, especially if you need a day to chill before continuing your vacation. Two spots, its all you need. If you have the time, I recommend this simple itinerary that will guarantee a great day for you.
Step One: Jardin Botanique de Montréal
If you enjoy nature, this green place is an absolute must. Its hailed as not only a top-tier garden, but the entire space is considered one of the greatest botanical gardens in the entire world. Even if you’ll find better gardens in areas with superior weather year-round (hard to fully compete against the world-renowned gardens in Greece, Italy, Brazil, Japan, etc. where the winter isn’t brutal and 6-7 months long), what makes this place truly special is the sheer attention to detail and the incredible variety of things to do within the space of the Garden.
Within the confides of the garden there’s also a massive biodome, a planetarium, greenhouses, insectarium, and also an arboretum. Almost 200 acres of greenery, and I’m not even including the biodome and planetarium that’s technically across the street. The gardens all have different themes, as you can find Chinese, Japanese, and even First Nation-centric gardens.
One moment, you’re in a zen-like state, sitting across from a peaceful array of flowers. Next moment, you’re actually roaming at a small section that creates the sensation of hiking a mountain before finding a waterfall. There’s also a garden dedicated to vegetables and spices that can be grown in the region (because once again, Montreal’s climate limits what the place can produce, even in small batches). Then of course, we can’t forget their greenhouse spaces, which by itself is an experience that can take a couple hours to traverse through and appreciate. Supporting the green spaces is a nice quick-service restaurant with mostly-vegetarian options.
Every major city needs a beautiful venue like this for people to visit, unwind, and appreciate the beauty of nature. The immense biodome and planetarium are just icing of the delicious cake. It will take multiple visits to be able to actually see it all, but every visit is worthy, and every minute spent here will improve your senses.
Step Two: L’Express
Montreal is known for its francophone culture, which therefore leads to the city having significantly more French restaurants and overall French cuisine when compared to most North American cities. My knowledge of French dining isn’t exactly strong, so I was hesitant in visiting one by myself and without a knowledgeable partner. However, this spot was recommended to me by multiple Montreal folks in different areas of the city, so I had no choice but to finally give it a chance.
This place seems to be always busy, as I overheard wait times of 30-45 minutes depending on party size. The ambiance is nice, the place looks upscale but without any pretentiousness. The menu (as I learned writing this) changes often, so therefore the two dishes you are about to see may not be available when you eventually visit.
Because you have to visit.
Every plate is phenomenal in every single sense of the word. The first was a warm goat cheese salad with pork belly pieces. Definitely not filling, but it’s a solid starter to get the game going. The place is known for their thousands of bottles of wine that sit underneath the restaurant, waiting for someone willing to buy them. Every server here is trained to find the right pairing alongside the dishes ordered, as there isn’t an official sommelier in the venue.
Pictures don’t do the dishes any justice, especially my entree. The shrimp and chorizo risotto is easily one of the greatest dishes I’ve ever had. Rich, colorful, plentiful, beautiful, fresh, packing an excellent depth of flavor in every bite and with the greens to cool things down a little, this risotto was made by culinary magicians. It is technically sharable, but why would you want to? Also, don’t skip on their ice cream, which is also amazing.
L'Express is the perfect complement for the Botanical Gardens, because it’s also a nice breezy spot with relaxed vibes but quality in its presentation. I’m not going to exclaim this as the best French restaurant or best anything, but I can damn near guarantee that you will be impressed by this place no matter what you decide or order, whether it be a salad or a steak.
Montreal in general impressed me both times with its calm, peaceful, friendly ways, but I’m sure that the city can deliver such calm among her people because it has those gardens, and because it has so much good food regardless of time of day.