The nation's oldest museum (opened in 1860), the Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts is another great cultural institution, with its fine collections of
everything from Canadian paintings to contemporary works to ancient
Egyptian, Chinese, and Persian antiquities. Foodies shouldn't miss
fabulous Faubourg Ste-Catherine, in the western end of the City Center, a
stunning market building with dozens of unusual food outlets, trendy
clothiers, and crafts boutiques.
Up the hill from the City Center, many student- and hipster-infested
restaurants, coffeehouses, and shops line the streets of the Plateau. Do
not pass up a chance to dine at L'Express, one of the most hallowed
restaurants in the country, with the ambience, design, and cuisine of a
classic Parisian brasserie. Rue St-Denis is the heart of the city's
collegiate Latin Quarter, and as you follow it down from the Plateau
you'll reach the city's spectacular new main library (La Grande
Bibliotheque du Quebec), which is sheathed in translucent green glass.
With well more than 1,000 armchairs and hundreds more study carrels and
computer stations, it's a great place to read or relax on a cold or rainy
day.
Just a few blocks east, the Gay Village contains one of the world's larger
concentrations of bars, restaurants, and shops frequented primarily by
gays and lesbians. The somewhat gentrified main commercial spine, Rue
Ste-Catherine, nevertheless wears a slightly gritty veneer that recalls
its history as an honest, working-class, francophone neighborhood. It's
truly a something-for-everyone district, with hard-core leather bars,
unabashedly steamy strip clubs and bathhouses, see-and-be-seen bistros,
romantic cafes, sassy club-wear boutiques, festive video bars, throbbing
warehouse discos - you name it.
Among the dozens of inviting dining options in the Village, a few stand
out: Kilo is a great bet for decadent pies and pastries, designer coffees,
and sandwiches and salads. The long-running Saloon Cafe is a trendy spot
for burgers, Tex-Mex fare, salads, and the like - it's more about
people-watching than fine cuisine, but you're bound to have a good time
here. Le Club-Sandwich, attached to the gay Hotel Bourbon complex, is open
24 hours and is always a favorite for a meal before or after clubbing. And
Mozza is an affordable, BYOB Italian restaurant that's perfect for a
romantic meal - the tiny candlelit dining room seats perhaps 30 patrons
and exudes charm.
For nightlife, options are again many, but there are a few highlights.
Fans of leather and Levi's have been frequenting Aigle Noir (Black Eagle)
Bar for years. Cabaret Mado is a raucous and spirited drag and sing-along
bar. You could spend the whole day exploring Le Drugstore, a multilevel
complex with numerous bars, some guy-oriented and others catering more to
women, as well as a restaurant, newsstand, and pool hall. The Bourbon
Hotel Complex contains gay accommodations and several restaurants and
bars, including the trendy Inferno disco - it tends to cater to a pretty
lusty bunch. And the handsomely furnished Sky Pub Club is the city's most
popular gay club - there are several spaces here, from a disco to a male
strip bar to a cabaret. Continue to page
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The Hunk
