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Fede Sanchez

Opinion: Vote for talent in Montreal's upcoming election, not the party

Otherwise, we run a heavy risk of being stuck with the same two parties that have governed our city since 2013.

Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations

Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations

Preserving the Plateau's Tex-Mex institution means proving yourself every single night.

J.P. Karwacki

Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion

Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion

A new wave of gatherings in Montreal—dinners with strangers, life drawing, and apartment galleries—is bringing back the risk and reward of unscripted human contact.

The Main

What's it take to create a political party from scratch?

What's it take to create a political party from scratch?

Two new parties trying to crack Montreal's 2025 election with grassroots outreach and Discord servers instead of establishment war chests.

J.P. Karwacki

RECENTLY ADDED TO THE DIRECTORY

A guide to the very best of Montreal, curated by our editors and the voices we feature in our stories.

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Arts & Culture

Creativity, heritage, and expression.

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Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion
The Main

Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion

A new wave of gatherings in Montreal—dinners with strangers, life drawing, and apartment galleries—is bringing back the risk and reward of unscripted human contact.

If you want to understand Montreal's dance scene, start with Ferias
5
J.P. Karwacki

If you want to understand Montreal's dance scene, start with Ferias

Guthrie Drake and Alina Byrne built their dance community on borrowed time, clandestine spaces, and the belief that range matters more than genre.

Old Montreal's losing its soul and we've got to get it back
3
Kevin Demers

Old Montreal's losing its soul and we've got to get it back

"Nine years running bars in the neighbourhood has taught me one thing: we're fumbling what should be our greatest asset."

Things to do in Montreal during November
The Main

Things to do in Montreal during November

The best things to do in Montreal during November bring enough festivals, holiday markets, and cultural programming to make you forget the cold.

Illustrator Raymond Biesinger's self-defence guide against getting ripped off
J.P. Karwacki

Illustrator Raymond Biesinger's self-defence guide against getting ripped off

After two decades of wage theft and rip-offs, a Montreal illustrator pens a tactical guide to defending creative work.

Montreal's got a nightlife policy, so why are venues still at risk?
Max Honigmann

Montreal's got a nightlife policy, so why are venues still at risk?

A year into the city's first-ever nightlife framework, the future of Montreal's independent venues still hangs in the balance.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos?
J.P. Karwacki

Who Killed the Montreal Expos?

Less sports history and more like grief counseling, the Netflix documentary explains why a city still wears the logo of a defunct baseball team 20 years after they disappeared— feels session.

Club DD's revives a Plateau dance floor with lines around the block
Elle Magni

Club DD's revives a Plateau dance floor with lines around the block

From disco balls to daytime kikis, a legendary Saint-Laurent address is reborn as a queer-owned playground for music, drag, and late-night euphoria.

Beyond Montreal

Travel, adventure, and global perspectives.

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The mystery of white sauce poutine
1
Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

The mystery of white sauce poutine

A deep dive into the belly of the Outaouais.

Firing ceramics by hand in the Laurentians with the pottery collective Goregama
1
J.P. Karwacki

Firing ceramics by hand in the Laurentians with the pottery collective Goregama

Ancient technique, unpredictability, and slow, communal craft: Goregama has gathered twice a year since 2019 to feed wood into an anagama kiln for 40 hours straight.

Baie Saint-Paul might be your best bet for a weekend escape in Quebec
Daniel Bromberg

Baie Saint-Paul might be your best bet for a weekend escape in Quebec

From farm fields to natural wine, Baie-Saint-Paul makes the case for a quick pause away from it all.

In search of happiness in Saint-Eustache
Hugo Meunier @ URBANIA

In search of happiness in Saint-Eustache

From flea markets to pickleball courts, a reporter retraces his roots to find out why Saint-Eustache is suddenly among Quebec’s happiest cities.

Old Habits fish sauce from Vancouver Island is true Canadian umami
J.P. Karwacki

Old Habits fish sauce from Vancouver Island is true Canadian umami

Nathan Gawalko left high-end restaurants across the world to bottle ancient traditions of fish, salt, and time on British Columbia's coast.

Maine's Cutty Sark Motel is just what the doctor ordered
Theresa St John

Maine's Cutty Sark Motel is just what the doctor ordered

A coastal escape where every room has ocean views.

Meet the new custodians of Aux 2 Clochers, an Eastern Townships institution of 35 years
J.P. Karwacki

Meet the new custodians of Aux 2 Clochers, an Eastern Townships institution of 35 years

When Montreal veterans end up with the keys to a local legend of the region they call home.

Inside Au Pays des Géants, the workshop behind Montreal’s most iconic parade floats
1
J.P. Karwacki

Inside Au Pays des Géants, the workshop behind Montreal’s most iconic parade floats

Over forty years of transforming festivals, celebrations, and streetscapes into theatre.

Design

The best of Montreal design.

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There’s a reason why this fashion runway was out in the cold
The Main

There’s a reason why this fashion runway was out in the cold

It was chill: ROYALMOUNT’s Urban Park hosted eight brands and a live Milk & Bone set.

Inside the New Chabanel workshop of Montreal designer Finkel'
J.P. Karwacki

Inside the New Chabanel workshop of Montreal designer Finkel'

Daniel Finkelstein's anti-ego approach to design is what makes his work in restaurants, retail, and beyond authentic to their purpose.

Will Crosson's critical approach to Canadiana through fashion
Elizabeth McLellan

Will Crosson's critical approach to Canadiana through fashion

The Montreal designer creating thoughtful garments that critically engage with Canadian landscapes, histories, and identity.

The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom
Anahi Pellathy

The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom

Avenir Vert's Olivia Donahue turned thrift store finds and teenage entrepreneurship into British Vogue features—all while refusing to compromise on a sustainable vision.

A fictional designer of very real experiences
J.P. Karwacki

A fictional designer of very real experiences

André Brown doesn't exist per se, but the branding created under that name shows how hospitality can think differently about storytelling, atmosphere, and emotional design.

The hidden world bustling beneath Montreal’s Olympic Pyramids
Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

The hidden world bustling beneath Montreal’s Olympic Pyramids

Echoes of elegance: Inside a faded “Grand Hotel” that's lost its splendour over time.

The urban meadow rewriting the map and memory of Montreal
J.P. Karwacki

The urban meadow rewriting the map and memory of Montreal

The Ville-Marie Expressway cut its city in two. This civic space honouring 21 women with flowers, architecture, and intention stitches it back together.

The Mile End tale of El Greco
Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

The Mile End tale of El Greco

Tattoos and redemption: A portrait of an upholsterer on Parc Avenue.

Food & Drink

La bonne bouffe.

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Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations
J.P. Karwacki

Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations

Preserving the Plateau's Tex-Mex institution means proving yourself every single night.

Bar Minou is the kind of place you want to spend all night in
J.P. Karwacki

Bar Minou is the kind of place you want to spend all night in

No reservations, only walk-ins, a wall of natty wines, taxes and tips included, and a barstool for an anchor.

Chez Greenberg: The honest Mile End deli that smoked salmon 'n' knishes built
1
J.P. Karwacki

Chez Greenberg: The honest Mile End deli that smoked salmon 'n' knishes built

Jake Greenberg turned a pandemic side hustle into a Jewish deli centred on house-smoked fish, knishes, and a neighbourhood his family's been serving for generations.

How Nora Gray spun its spicy pepperoncini and focaccia into a Miss Vickie's chip
1
Ivy Lerner-Frank

How Nora Gray spun its spicy pepperoncini and focaccia into a Miss Vickie's chip

First, a chip company came calling. Then came a year-long R&D process involving professional tasters and corporate NDAs.

One of Montreal's few female brewers runs the show at 4 Origines
Annisa Burgos

One of Montreal's few female brewers runs the show at 4 Origines

Sydnee Wilson hauls grain, checks temperatures, and navigates the demanding physical reality of an industry that has largely forgotten its female origins.

Bottomless Pete Reviews: Bona Fide
Bottomless Pete

Bottomless Pete Reviews: Bona Fide

Good faith, mixed results.

Elena fed rock stars pizza for four years—now Griffintown gets a slice of that pie
J.P. Karwacki

Elena fed rock stars pizza for four years—now Griffintown gets a slice of that pie

After spending summers perfecting a New York-style pizza recipe for festivals' backstages, the Elena team is opening a corner slice shop in Griffintown.

The Best New Cafés in Montreal [October 2025]
J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Cafés in Montreal [October 2025]

Montreal's latest café openings prove the city's coffee obsession runs deeper than ever: Here are 31 spots worth the detour.

History Lesson

Stories, lessons, and context.

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How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau
1
Phylida Tuff-West

How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau

From postwar migration to piri piri chicken, Azorean immigrants transformed an iconic Montreal neighbourhood with enduring community.

How 24 Stanley Cups turned the Montreal Canadiens into a religion
The Main

How 24 Stanley Cups turned the Montreal Canadiens into a religion

From dynasty to drought: a brief-ish look at the making of Montreal's most devotional sports franchise.

The rise and fall of Le Palais des Nains, the palace where tourists became giants
The Main

The rise and fall of Le Palais des Nains, the palace where tourists became giants

For over 60 years, the fully functional home of two circus veterans became a Montreal tourist attraction where everything was scaled down to their three-foot-tall size.

A butcher's gamble, a forgotten tavern, and how the Mile End earned its name
The Main

A butcher's gamble, a forgotten tavern, and how the Mile End earned its name

From a Durham County butcher shop and Massachusetts tavern keepers to a global creative district, the real story's one historians got wrong for decades.

How Montreal got its Little Italy
Daniel Bromberg

How Montreal got its Little Italy

A century-long story of how a neighbourhood grew from railroad workers to family legacies everywhere you look today.

Montreal's decades-long Polynesian fantasy and volcano cocktail experiment
1
Phylida Tuff-West

Montreal's decades-long Polynesian fantasy and volcano cocktail experiment

When Kon Tiki brought post-war escapism and Hollywood's idea of the South Pacific to Peel Street, it created an exotic escape unlike any other.

Before the world knew his name, Montreal heard him first
J.P. Karwacki

Before the world knew his name, Montreal heard him first

The Harlem of the North, Little Burgundy, raised a legend. It took 100 years to say it as loudly as possible from the city's rooftops.

How the Atwater Market fed Montreal through depression and renewal
J.P. Karwacki

How the Atwater Market fed Montreal through depression and renewal

A civic monument, a neighbourhood anchor, and a living archive of what Montreal eats since 1933.

MONTREAL CITY GUIDES

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Where to drink during RAW WINE in Montreal
The Main

Where to drink during RAW WINE in Montreal

Where growers, makers, and drinkers of low-intervention, organic, biodynamic, and natural wines will want to drop in for a bottle (or two).

The best Spanish restaurants in Montreal
The Main

The best Spanish restaurants in Montreal

Cava and croquetas, pinxtos, tapas, paella, jamón—here’s where Montreal gets its Spanish fix.

Brendan King Edwards of The Word's favourite things in Milton-Parc
The Main

Brendan King Edwards of The Word's favourite things in Milton-Parc

A neighbourhood insider’s tour of the secondhand stacks, family-run restaurants, and enduring staples that make Milton-Parc feel like home.

The Main's shortlist for Burger Week 2025
The Main

The Main's shortlist for Burger Week 2025

Out of dozens upon dozens of choices, here are the ones that made the cut.

Where to get a good lunch in Montreal
The Main

Where to get a good lunch in Montreal

The reliable roster for what's consistent, satisfying, and worth the trip across town.

The best Montreal café terrasses to slow down and savour
The Main

The best Montreal café terrasses to slow down and savour

Sip coffee and soak up the sun at these cozy café terrasses, from hidden gardens to lively sidewalks.

These are the oldest restaurants in Montreal
The Main

These are the oldest restaurants in Montreal

Still serving after all these years: A tour through the institutions that fed generations and helped define Montreal’s food identity.

The best dumplings in Montreal, from Chinatown OGs to young guns
The Main

The best dumplings in Montreal, from Chinatown OGs to young guns

From no-frills Chinese classics to innovative fusion flavours, these are Montreal’s top spots for fried, steamed, and soup dumplings.

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