Photo Gallery: A Taste of Montreal -- National Geographic Traveler

Mamie Clafoutis
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
When it comes to getting their baguettes, rolls, croissants, loaves, and pastries, Montrealers are spoiled with choices. But your best chance of seeing out-the-door lineups is at Mamie Clafoutis. Its devout clientele are hooked on tasty breads and the kind of treats French grand-méres used to make: tarte tatins (upside-down apple pie), cannelés (striated pastry cylinders of caramelized sugar and cinnamon), and clafoutis (cherries and other fresh fruit topped with batter and then baked).
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Montreal Skyline
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
"This is an amazingly energetic city that's great for people-watching," says Jay Baruchel, actor and Montreal native.
One of the city’s best views is here, from the Kondiaronk Belvedere in Mount Royal Park.
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Pullman
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Along with its working-class taverns, Montreal's bars à vin get high marks for their sips, nibbles, and ambience. Pullman—occupying a three-story townhouse perfectly located on Avenue du Park for a bite before an evening of entertainment in the Quartier des Spectacles—offers 300 wines, with a selection of 50 available by the glass.
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L’Auberge Saint-Gabriel
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
The history of the building that houses L’Auberge Saint-Gabriel’s alone would make this Old Montreal landmark worth a visit. Built as a two-story house by a French soldier in 1688, it became the first inn in North America, and, later, the first establishment to be granted a liquor license under British rule.
Here, pan-seared salmon, fork-mashed broccoli and lemon, herb puree, and fried taro root exemplify food as art.
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Olive et Gourmando
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Dogs treat diners at Olive et Gourmando to some four-legged local color in the heart of Old Montreal. A veritable Montreal institution on Rue St. Paul, this popular café and bakery is a favorite with artists and performers staying in the boutique hotels. The counters overflow with the neighborhood's best selection of baked goods.
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Maple Syrup
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Still sold in corrugated cans that are dead ringers for old-fashioned motor oil containers, maple syrup is to Quebec what the potato is to Peru, what paprick is to Hungary: the star ingredient of an earthly local cuisine. In the Laurnthian Mountains north of Montreal, blue tubes snake from notches cut into century-old maple trees to the vats of rustic cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks). It takes 40 pints of watery sap to make a single pint of the pure, nectar-like syrup.
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L’Assommoir
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
One reason to go to L’Assommoir is the show put on by its dexterous young bartenders, who toss shakers and ice cubes around as if they were auditioning for the role of Tom Cruise's stunt double in Cocktail and put on pyrotechnic cocktail shows. Bar drama aside, this cavernous Old Montreal spot celebrates the idea of drinks that draw from the local terroir.
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La Maison du Bagel
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
Lining up for poppy- or sesame-seed bagels is a venerable Montreal shtick. At La Maison du Bagel along Rue St. Viateur in the Mile-End district, strips are sliced off a huge lump of dough before being rolled into circles and proofed (boiled) in honey-flavored water. After baking for 17 minutes over hardwood embers, they are yanked from the oven on a shibba (Yiddish for "paddle") and allowed to tumble into a wooden bin. The result is the authentic Montreal bagel: sweet yet eggy, chewy yet crusty, and always best when pulled, still toasty, from a paper bag.
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F Bar
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
As narrow and boxy as a mobile home, F Bar is one of two casual annexes of well-known Montreal restaurants that complement the ambitious downtown entertainment district called Quartier des Spectacles. F Bar, a skylighted room, overlooks the dancing waters of a fountain-filled plaza.
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L'Express
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
A favorite Montreal eating experience for Graziella Battista, chef-owner of Restaurant Graziella, is "breakfast at L'Express on Rue St. Denis, a brasserie with European ambience. The food is simple and of high quality: omelets, baguettes and brioches, yogurt with fruit compote or maple syrup," she says. "I like to sit in the back, where the sun shines through the skylight."
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