> WHEN YOU GO
Montreal is a cultural hotspot 365 days a year. But you’ll be able to enjoy Montreal’s outdoor public art better without the company of deep winter’s chill. Hotels:
W Montreal: Mere footsteps from the train station, a subway station and Old Montreal, this remodelled Bank of Canada building aims to be where fashion, food and design intertwine. Detox during the day at the in-house spa and re-tox at night at an on-site club or the graffiti-inspired Ê.A.T. restaurant. 901 Square Victoria, 866-716-8101, wmontrealhotel.com Art Galleries:
Station 16: This urban art gallery is a cultural mecca during Festival MURAL, but worth the visit year-round. station16gallery.com
Museum of Contemporary Art: A giant, permanent billboard showcasing a sensual pair of ruby red lips top this contemporary art museum in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacle. It’s symbolic of the city’s mutual love affair for the arts. macm.org/en
Galerie 203: Modern art in Old Montreal. galerie203.com Sweets + Treats: Rustique: The best pies and cupcakes in the city and within walking distance of Atwater Market. 4615 Notre Dame Ouest, 514-439-5970, rustiquepiekitchen.com Trou de Beigne: Hand-rolled, fried and glazed doughnuts made fresh every day. 156 Saint Zotique Est, 514-701-3735, troudebeigne.com Patrice Pâtissier: Run by Patrice Demers, a pastry chef at various top city restaurants before becoming owner of this slice of heaven off the tourist grid. Best bets: the blueberry scone, kavigh amann, or cake aux banana et caramel. 2360 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, 514- 439-5434, patricepatissier.ca Bocata: Old World wine in the oldest neighbourhood in Montreal. A great menu coupled with wines from the south of France and Mediterranean. 310 rue Saint-Paul Ouest, 514-5078727, bocata.ca Restaurant L’Original: High class meets Canadiana kitsch. Come for the moose heads, hunting and nature decor, and stay for nature’s delights, such as venison, bison burger and steel trout. 479 Saint-Alexis Street, 514-303-0479, restaurantlorignal.com Do your research: montreal.com