IF YOU’RE VISITING QUEBEC -
So, I went to Quebec during the polar vortex at the end of 2025. Best idea? Probably not. Bright idea? Ended up being one. And, yes. I did wear the same hoodie more or less the entire trip despite packing like 5.
Even in -10f, both Montreal and Quebec City have a tangible charm… so long as you’re suited up! Check out the list below for some of my favorites from my time there -
Montreal, Quebec
My girlfriend and I started out trip in Montreal and the city was like an ice rink but we persisted. We stayed just outside of the Vieux Ville and spent every day exploring. In our 5 days there, I feel like we only saw a fraction of the island.
SHOPPING
I was under the impression Ssense would be like Dover Street Market but their selection is a fraction of what you can find at DSM.
Best experience when you book an appointment and shop the sale. If you add items to your wishlist in the app, they can bring it to the store in 24 hours.
Le Ninety has two stores within walking distance of one another. One serves as a traditional buy/sell/trade store, the other a cafe with some good seating and a less curated vintage selection.
The clothing was good in both locations, but the real hero is the seating area in the front window. Grab a coffee and make a friend!
P.S his owner was cool, but the best friend we made was this dog.
Basically a Goodwill, but this specific Value Village puts Goodwills to shame. On top of prices being overly reasonable, it’s located in an old bank which is gorgeous.
Picked up some snow pants, and a pair of water 5XL workout pants that haven’t left my legs for more than 2 days at a time.
Good selection of trendy mens designer located in the heart of Old Montreal. Since I live in NY and need to compare everything. This place is giving Tokio7 but all new clothing. Well curated but they are taxxxingggg.
The best vintage store we visited. The set up of the store is sick and they have beaucoup Carhartt jackets for the low! Some true vintage sprinkled in there as well.
Good trip to parlay with other vintage stores on Le Plateau.
One mostly for the girly pops but I enjoyed my time in here. Some good clothing, but mostly a vintage boutique and gift store that props up local artists.
A curated furniture store that is a must hit. My pockets were speaking French to me while poking through but je ne parle francais and we had no space in the car for a spring loaded stool.
If you’re looking for original pieces from 1850-1950 I don’t know if there is a better place to find yourself.
EATING
This was my favorite place we ate for like 75% of the trip and it only got decrowned by one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
We missed out on the pancakes (because I’m stubborn) but everything we had was top. If you like breakfast (duh?) this is a must hit. We got some scary looking but tasty scrambled eggs, a sausage that’s way too big for one person, bread, granola, and some fresh squeezed juice.
Great date night spot. We spent our NYE here and it was cute vibe. Out of everywhere we ate, this is the most near to a NYC dining experience we had.
The Kale salad is a must order and the pizza is okayyy.
We had to come to Olive + Gourmando twice in order to get a seat and it was worth every second spent in the freezing cold.
The paramount of paninis. Super close to a bunch of good shopping and art. This was our final stop in Montreal and it is a must.
The ONLY and I repeat ONLY time I will admit it, these bagels are better than anything you’re getting in NYC… You can literally eat this without a single ounce of butter, no need to even mention cream cheese.
I would also like to go on record saying, St Viateur over Fairmount Bagels.
I could smell this place before even getting out of the car. Absolutely heavenly rotisserie chickens.
We got the poutine with sausage and chicken. Looks like dog food, but we demolished in about 10 minutes flat. Much to his family’s dismay, my Uncle that brought us here solely refers to this as “the wet chicken spot”.
I really wanted to try the restaurant next door (Hono Izakaya) but this menu is more or less the same with more of a focus on their soups.
The space was beautiful and they had some fun specialty cocktails. The pork ramen absolutely shit on the chicken.
ARTING
PHI (407 Rue Saint-Pierre)
A bite sized museum perfect for an afternoon post cafe.
We saw an amazing immersive exhibit that gracefully snapped up an hour of hour time. If you’re an audio snob, they have listening pods downstairs with audio technica headphones…
Quebec City
Kennedy put it best, in the winter, this place is a real life snowglobe. We only really explored the Old City but it did not disappoint.
If you find yourself in old QBC, my recommendation is to just walk around! Pop into a pub and get a beer with a bar snack, climb to the top of the hill for some sick views, ride the toboggan, then go drink again!
SHOPPING
Must must must hit. A 5 level antique store with a little bit of everything. Two of my greatest passions in life are window shopping and looking at other people stuff. This sits smack in the middle of that venn diagram.
We did all of our Quebec City shopping here. The two of us both left with a few pieces from their clothing section.
EATING
A French Bristro that feels like home. This was one of the best meals I’ve ever had hands down. Amazing service with food to match.
Make sure you ask to sit by or at the bar and be nice to the people making your food! I got the lamb and it literally fell off the bone. I was a bit offended he gave me a knife to eat it with.
After we hit the toboggan slide we found a super cute bar under Hotel Monsieur Jean. It was a weekday evening and we were the only people in the entire place.
Very essential if you find yourself on the top of the hill in Old Quebec City.
OURDOORSING
A bit disappointed with my experience at Mt St Anne and not because I broke a binding on the first run…
It’s a pretty small mountain, and the North side trails don’t seem to get much sun. Good for a day trip from Quebec City.
The aforementioned staple of the old city in Quebec. This slide has been here for like a century…
We waited until the sun went down to make our way up to the slide and I would recommend you do the same. It’s a bit gimmicky and touristy but I was hollering like a kid on the way down.
I had never been to a spa before but shit this made me want to become a spa guy. Located outdoors and situated right on the banks of the St Lawrence River Strom has a ridiculous amount of pools, a decent restaurant, and a super personal view of the water.
