A weekend built around eating: Schwartz's smoked meat on Day 1, Mile End bagels at 7am on Day 2, poutine from La Banquise (open 24 hours) on Day 2 evening, and Marché Jean-Talon for provisions in between. The best food weekend available in Canada and one of the best in North America.
The complete Montréal food day: Schwartz's for lunch (the one thing you must eat in this city), Marché Jean-Talon in the afternoon for the best of Quebec's agricultural output, a walk up Mount Royal to earn the evening, and Au Pied de Cochon for dinner if you have the reservation and the appetite. This day requires commitment and a willingness to eat significantly.
Café Olimpico on rue Saint-Viateur in Mile End is the social center of the neighborhood — open since 1970, communal tables, espresso that reflects the Italian founding community, no table service, order at the counter. The bagel option: Fairmount Bagel opens 24 hours; sesame bagel with cream cheese and lox for CAD $8–12 at any adjacent deli. Either is the correct start.
The smoked meat sandwich. On boulevard Saint-Laurent since 1928. Medium fat, on rye, with mustard and a pickle. CAD $12. There is always a queue; the queue moves. The smoked meat is cured and smoked in-house for 10 days — the result is a Montreal original that no other city has successfully replicated. Order the smoked meat sandwich, a plate of fries, a black cherry soda. That is the order. Do not order anything else on the first visit.
Walk or BIXI north on boulevard Saint-Laurent to Little Italy and Marché Jean-Talon — 1.5 km from Schwartz's. The market is a full city block of outdoor stalls and covered halls: Quebec strawberries and peaches in summer, cider and maple syrup year-round, cheese from Charlevoix and the Eastern Townships, charcuterie from producers you won't find anywhere else. Buy provisions for the next morning. The market closes at 6pm on weekdays; Saturday and Sunday hours are longer in summer.
Martin Picard's rue Duluth restaurant is the temple of Québécois cuisine excess — foie gras poutine, duck in a can, the PDC burger, the tasting menu. Reserve weeks ahead; the restaurant opens at 5pm and fills by 5:15pm. CAD $100–150 per person with wine. This is the dinner that will make you rethink Quebec cuisine as a serious culinary tradition rather than a bar-food reputation. If Pied de Cochon is not booked, La Salle à Manger on avenue du Mont-Royal is the correct alternative (creative Quebec cuisine, more relaxed, reservations also needed).
The last full day: Fairmount Bagel at 7am before the city wakes up, Notre-Dame Basilica for the one monument that justifies a dedicated visit, and La Banquise on rue Rachel for poutine — the 24-hour institution that has been feeding the Plateau since 1968. La Banquise does 30 varieties of poutine; order the classic. Departure in the late afternoon.
The bagel oven at Fairmount runs all night and the bagels come out continuously from 5am. At 7am on a weekend, there's a short queue and the sesame bagels are still warm from the wood oven. Buy a half-dozen — sesame and poppy, half and half — eat one outside immediately, take the rest for the trip home. CAD $2 per bagel. Bring cream cheese from the deli next door if you want it; Fairmount is a bakery, not a café.
The most ornate Gothic Revival interior in North America — worth seeing at least once on any Montréal visit. Book timed entry online (CAD $18); arrive at opening to beat the tour groups. The AURA evening light show (CAD $30) is worth booking separately if you're staying until evening. Allow 60–75 minutes.
La Banquise has been on rue Rachel in the Plateau since 1968 — open 24 hours, 365 days, serving 30 varieties of poutine. The classic: fries, cheese curds (fresh, squeaky, the squeaking is how you know they're fresh), and brown gravy. The restaurant fills immediately; wait is rarely more than 20 minutes. CAD $15–18 for the classic poutine. This is the canonical version — not the airport poutine, not the tourist-zone poutine, but the late-night Plateau poutine that the city runs on. Order the classic on your first visit; the variations (smoked meat, pulled pork, mushroom, etc.) are for subsequent visits.
The 747 from boulevard de Maisonneuve downtown to YUL: CAD $11, 45–60 min. Allow 2.5 hours from central Montréal to your gate. US-bound flights require customs preclearance at YUL — add 30 extra minutes to the standard margin. Taxis/Uber CAD $45–55.
Customize this itinerary
Add your own blocks, reorder days, export to iCal — Voyager from $6/mo
Create a free Wanderer account to save “Montréal Food Weekend: Smoked Meat, Bagels & Poutine” and access the full block library.
Join free — become a WandererNo credit card required
Flights, stays, and experiences — find the best options for your dates.
Compare hundreds of airlines. See the cheapest dates and book directly — no markup.
Search flightsPowered by Travel Payouts
Compare prices across hundreds of hotels, resorts, and rentals — free cancellation on most.
Search hotelsPowered by Expedia
Museum tickets, guided tours, and day trips — skip-the-line access, most with free cancellation.
Browse experiencesPowered by Tiqets
Affiliate disclosure: Wikitinerary may earn a commission when you book or purchase through links on this page. This does not affect our recommendations or the prices you pay.
See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.