Photo Gallery: I Heart Montreal -- National Geographic Traveler

Basilica Notre-Dame
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Jason Nelsons, chef at Renard Artisan Bistro, enjoys Montreal's great churches. "I love Old Montreal's Basilica Notre-Dame, with its Frères Casavant pipe organ."
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Family Meal at Santropol
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"A table in the terrace garden at the popular Santropol restaurant on Rue St. Urbain is always worth the wait," explains Kevin Gascoyne, co-owner of Montreal teahouse and loose-leaf retailer Camelia Sinensis. The small urban oasis is beautifully landscaped, with flowers, grapevines, and a pond." On cooler days, families enjoy indoor dining.
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Pool at Hilton Hotel
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"The Hilton has a very unusual swimming pool on its roof," says Yannis Mallat, CEO of the Montreal video game developer UbiSoft. "You enter from the interior, and then swim outside. The steam rising from the water, the stars, and the view of downtown buildings make for a magical moment."
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Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"Montreal is building a new cultural heart for itself, thanks to the Quartier des Spectacles," says Anik Bissonnette, artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montrèal. "Around Place des Arts there's the new home of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the fountains in the Place des Festivals. Before I go to a play, I love to stop for a drink at the Café du Nouveau Monde."
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Reuben's
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Terry Mosher, also known as Aislin, award-winning cartoonist, is a big fan of Reuben's. "At least once a week I'll meet somebody for breakfast there," he says. "Most people think of it as a smoked-meat deli, but the huevos rancheros are phenomenal: a huge omelette filled with black beans. Plus, it's right down the street from my office at the Montreal Gazette."
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Ovarium Spa Urbain
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Master chocolatière, Geneviève Grandbois, says her Montreal secret is pure indulgence. "The massage therapists at the Ovarium Spa Urbain, in an old bank building on the corner of Rue St. Denis and Beaubien Est, are excellent, but what I really love are the floatation tanks. There's so much salt in the water that you can't feel the weight of your body. After floating here for an hour and a half, I feel more centered."
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Bilboquet Ice Cream
Photography by Catherine Karnow
Former prima ballerina Anik Bissonnette's favorite Montreal eating experience revolves around a sweet treat. "As soon as it starts to get warmer, I head straight for Bilboquet on Rue Bernard, which serves Montreal's best sorbets and ice cream. You can wait in line for half an hour on a hot day—but it's worth it, because they use all-natural ingredients. My favorite flavor is mango; my daughter prefers raspberry."
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Quincaillerie Dante
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"In Little Italy there's a little store called Quincaillerie Dante," says chef and cookbook author Martin Picard. "When you first walk in, it looks like a complete mess, but then you realize everything is actually very well organized: pots, pans, coffee pots, and linens from all the best European brands."
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Gibeau Orange Julep
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"The Gibeau Orange Julep, an old-school drive-in-and-eat establishment off Dècarie Boulevard, serves a drink made of orange juice, egg, and sugar," says actor and native son Jay Baruchel. "It shouldn't taste good, but to me it's the nectar of the gods. And they make darn good hot dogs."
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Parc Mont Royal Tam-Tam
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"I enjoy the cool vibe and the bongo-drum jam at the summer Sunday tam-tams, with thousands of people chilling out at the base of the statue in Parc Mont Royal," says Harley Morenstein, co-creator of Epic Meal Time, a weekly Web-based cooking show. "I bring a cooler of cold beverages and a Frisbee."
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