Solo Travel Montreal: Food, Art & Culture

Long before we met, Janice and I were both fond of solo travel to Montreal and had each lived there at different points in our lives. It’s safe to say that we are big fans of Canada’s second-largest city, so we have collaborated on this post to share a few of our favorite things to eat, see, and do when you visit.

For those who want a cosmopolitan city with a unique French culture, but don’t want to leave North America, Montreal is a wonderful option.

Montreal is a great city for a solo weekend getaway or a longer stay, if you have the time. The summers can be very hot and humid and the winters very cold and damp, but there is something going on all the time. Like New York, people return again and again to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy its many experiences.

French is the official language but English is spoken at hotels, restaurants, museums, and other public places. About 20% of the population have English as their first language and 58% of Montrealers are bilingual, making the city a cultural experience that’s easy to manage.

Located on an island in the St. Lawrence River, you can expect to experience more French the farther east you go and more English the farther west you go. But, in the center, there’s a good mixture of both. Boulevard Saint-Laurent, known as The Main, is considered the east-west divide in the city.

Why Go to Montreal?

• The Culture. From the very distinct Montreal architecture (everyone notices the outdoor, often spiral, staircases) to the joie de vivre shared through a passion for music, fashion, theater, and festivals, Montreal is a fun city to explore.
• The Food! Whether it’s bagels and Montreal smoked meat you’re after (Schwartz’s is the classic destination for smoked meat), elegant French cuisine, vibrant dishes from around the world, or a vegan gastronomic delight, the city has what you want. See below for a list of recommended Montreal restaurants.
• Fashion. Montrealers, French and English, are fashionable. There is a strong fashion industry in the city which also means great shopping!
• Festivals. The city is famous for its festivals, especially the Just for Laughs/Juste pour rire festival and the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. As the founding city of Cirque de Soleil, it’s not surprising that it also has a circus festival. When planning solo travel to Montreal be sure to check the festival schedule, both for your itinerary and to make sure you plan far ahead for accommodations when the very large events are happening.
• Art. In addition to wonderful galleries and exhibitions, Montreal is home to incredible murals. Montreal was the Canadian center of commerce up until the late 70s and was controlled largely by the English. Things changed over the course of the Quiet Revolution in the 60s, a not-so-quiet period after that culminating in the FLQ crisis and then dramatic political change led by a separatist party for many years that included two referendums. There is lots of dramatic inspiration for murals in Montreal.

How to Get to Montreal

About an hour from the US border, the city is easily accessible by train, car, and, naturally, plane.

• Amtrak. It’s about an 11-hour ride from New York City to Montreal by Amtrak but it takes you through gorgeous country along the Adirondack line.
• Via Rail. Multiple trains go from Toronto to Montreal daily. The trip is about five hours. Tip: get on their email list to receive notice of time-limited discounts every Tuesday.
• Megabus. Multiple departures from Toronto to Montreal every day. The trip takes around seven hours. Two departures a day from New York, which is about a nine-hour trip.
• Flights. Montreal is a 1 1/2-hour flight from New York City and just over an hour from Toronto. However, you need to account for the time getting from the airport in Dorval, just west of Montreal, into the city. The 747 bus runs around the clock to get you to a downtown metro station.
• Road trip. By car you can take as long as you want but the time is typically about the same as the train.

Solo Travel in Montreal: A Few Highlights

1. Visit Old Montreal. Old Montreal and Old Quebec City are the closest you can get to Europe in North America. Old Montreal dates back to the 17th century with cobblestone streets and charming shops, cafes, and restaurants with terraces. Take a tour on a calèche, which is a horse-drawn carriage. Old Montreal stretches along the St. Lawrence River for more than 2.5 km and offers a variety of festivals, concerts, cruises, and excursions, an urban beach (Clock Tower Beach), the Montréal Science Centre, and even an IMAX theater.
2. Go to the Mountain. Opposite to Old Montreal, which is on the waterfront, is Mount Royal, overlooking the city. It’s a healthy walk of about an hour and a half that takes you through the city’s financial district and McGill University (which is an interesting walk in itself) into glorious green space. Mount Royal Park is yet another park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind New York’s Central Park. It offers great views of the city, boating at Beaver Lake, bird watching, and a variety of winter activities if you’re there in the cold weather.
3. Hang Out on The Plateau. Formally known as Le Plateau Mont-Royal, this area of Montreal is artsy, full of restaurants, parks, and cafes. Public pianos are scattered around the area for anyone to play. It’s the location for the Fringe Festival and the Pop Montreal International Music Festival. Many of the restaurants on Prince-Arthur or Duluth are BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). You just have to spend time there.
4. Engage in Montreal’s Bagel Wars. In our opinion, Montreal bagels are the best bagels in the world. The question is, are they better from Fairmount Bagel or St-Viateur Bagel? Even we don’t agree! Janice is a St-Viateur fan, Tracey is a Fairmount devotee. You need to taste both to decide for yourself. Fortunately, they are within a few blocks of each other in the Mile End section of the Plateau. Just be prepared to wait in line as they make bagels all day long and there are usually people waiting for them to be served fresh from the wood-burning ovens. It’s worth taking a Mile End food tour while you’re there.
5. Enjoy a “5 à 7”.  In Montreal, “Cinq à Sept” is happy hour and, again, the plateau is the perfect place for it. There are great options throughout the area. If you want to focus in, here is a list of suggestions on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
6. Look for the murals on Saint-Laurent Blvd. There are huge murals on buildings at every intersection. Go in June and see the walls get a makeover. Artists come from around the world to help redecorate this famous street. Saint-Laurent is a very long street so head for the intersection with Rachel Street.
7. Montreal’s Churches. With its French heritage, Catholicism runs deep in Montreal. Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, built in 1771, is in Old Montreal and also houses a museum dedicated to Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, the founder of the Congregation, and the colony’s first teacher. She was canonized by the Vatican in 1982. The building of Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal dates back to the 1820s, though it sits on a site of a parish church that dates to the 1600s. Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal sits, as one might expect, on top of Mount Royal looking over the city. Saint Joseph’s Oratory is a pilgrimage site where many people climb the almost 400 steps on their knees.
8. Montreal’s Museums and Galleries. For history, go to Pointe-à-Callière and the Château Ramezay. There’s also the Montreal Science Centre. For art, go to the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal, the MAC, which is the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and many private galleries around the city. There’s also the community-run Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre and Museum on Saint-Laurent Blvd. For a deep dive into local culture and communities, don’t miss the McCord Stewart Museum, Montreal’s museum of social history.
9. Take in the Night Life. Montreal is alive and busy at night and, if you’ve read The Fundamentals of Solo Travel Safety, you’ll know that a public place is where we feel safest. While the Plateau is a worthwhile evening destination, Crescent Street in the center of town has been the street for nightlife for decades, and is very popular with tourists. But local clubs are not the only option. There is Place des Arts with performances year-round. For English theater check out Centaur Theatre Company. For feminist, English theater go to Imago, located on Saint-Laurent. In the summer, enjoy Shakespeare-in-the-Park in one of the many green spaces around the city.

Where to Eat and Drink when You Solo Travel to Montreal

Restaurants for Every Taste

• Bungalow This restaurant won my heart this spring. I know lots of solo travelers enjoy dining at the bar, Janice included, but I personally don’t find it a relaxing or comfortable place to enjoy a leisurely meal. I made an online reservation, requesting a table at Bungalow. When I arrived, the place was hopping. I was offered a seat at the bar, but I asked if I could have a table instead. There was not a single table to be found. I was already prepared to look for another place to eat because I understood the issue for the restaurant, and I had no schedule to follow. Less than two minutes later, the host returned. They had separated a table for four into two tables for two, and offered me my choice of seats. Solo diners are not always treated well, but the folks at Bungalow did everything right. The food and wine were fantastic, and I was treated like a VIP. Highly recommended.
• L’Express Re-opening mid-September 2025, L’Express has been delighting diners for 45 years. I couldn’t get in on my last trip, but the next time I travel solo to Montreal, I will make this my splurge meal for a classic French experience and a reputedly astounding wine list.
• Café Santropol In 2026, Santropol will celebrate its 50th anniversary. I spent a lot of time here as a university student – in fact, I lived directly across the street in one of the walk-ups. It is still a wonderfully quirky cafe with delicious, homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts (try the carrot cake!), lots of options for vegetarians and vegans, and a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks.

Vegan Restaurants in Montreal

Here are three vegan restaurants Janice went to and loved. There are others, like Sushi Momo and ChuChai (Thai), as well as many restaurants in the city that have vegan options on their menus.

• LOV – The letters stand for Local, Organic, and Vegan. The food was great and they also have large communal tables if you feel like being social.
• Copper Branch – This is a quality, fast food restaurant with limited, casual dining. It’ primarily a take-out joint but the food is of top quality and 100% plant-based. There are about a dozen locations in Montreal. They are franchising in and beyond the city so watch for them popping up elsewhere.
• Aux Vivres Plateau – This was Montreal’s first vegan restaurant and it is now an institution in the city. It’s located on the Plateau on St. Laurent Blvd as well as in Westmount on Sherbrooke Street West. In addition to the restaurants they have boutiques where they sell some of their products. Great food!

Great Places to Grab a Drink when You Travel Solo to Montreal

• Crew Collective & Cafe It’s worth going here just to admire the setting of this cafe, situated in the former bank building. Bonus: if you have some work to do, you can rent co-working space as well.
• Le French Line 9 floors above the city sits a beautiful art deco cocktail bar where you can enjoy a drink and the view – not to mention the gorgeous interior.
• Hurley’s One of the friendliest places in any city is bound to be an Irish pub. This one is where I spent a sizable portion of my student loans in my university days. It’s still going, still friendly, still has a large selection of beer on tap and live music every night.
• Time Out Market Montreal is home to the city’s first dedicated mocktail bar.

Last updated: 28th August, 2025