Montreal-chic: from culinary to fashion
Thanks to Tourisme Montreal for this photo of haute couture.
If I say the words ‘Canada’ and ‘chic’ in the same sentence, I guarantee that at least 90% of people surveyed would think of Montreal. The largest city and business centre of Quebec brings the same level of chic–meaning fashionable, with a touch of elegance and sophistication–to Canada, that Paris brings to France.
What could be more chic than taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal?
Coming from the Canadian Prairies, I really notice the level of sophistication seen on the streets of Montreal. Women don’t ever seem to leave home without a fashionable scarf around their necks, every accessory in sync, and perfectly coifed hair.
Doesn’t this salad look chic? It is a strawberry and goat cheese salad adorned with a chocolate balsamic dressing and artistically etched chocolate crepe that I enjoyed at Juliette et Chocolat in Montreal.
Even the chocolate of Montreal is highly sophisticated, and for the most part, ultra chic. I delve deeper into more delicious chocolate of Montreal in other posts. In this post, I wanted to share a few of the highlights I’ve enjoyed during numerous Montreal visits, with hope that it will inspire you to visit this ultra-chic French-Canadian capital. (Note that Québec City is the political capital of the province of Québec, but Montréal is certainly the fashion, cultural, culinary, and economic capital of Canada’s francophone province.)
montreal-chic is part of the culture of quebec’s largest city
Being someone who does not consider herself to be chic, I have a love/hate relationship with Montreal chic. It fascinates me. But it kind of disturbs me, as I always feel my appearance (down to the last accessory) is being observed and judged. Perhaps that encourages us ladies to up our game when we go to Montreal as we must always be sure to bring fashionable clothes and remember that accessories are equally as important as any outfit.
Carrie McPherson is an excellent tour guide and writer who has transposed herself from Saskatchewan to Montreal and immersed very well into the world of Montreal chic.
There are quite a few Anglophone (English-speaking) highly creative Canadians that I know who have moved to Montreal from other provinces. My guide during my most recent visit in July was originally from Saskatchewan, and decided to leave her Prairie lifestyle in favour of life with a French flair in Montreal. She now has her own tour company, and does a lot of work with Montréal Tourisme.
I was quite fascinated by the architecture of Saint Michael’s Church at 5580 St. Urban Street in Montreal. It is more formally known as St. Michael’s & St. Anthony’s Catholic Community, and definitely worth stopping in for the free tour.
In 2017, Montreal turned 375 years-of-age. But she doesn’t look or act it! Montreal is beautiful, vibrant, and filled with confidence. A perfect city for anyone who loves top quality in food, fashion, culture and fun.
Thanks to Tourisme Montreal for this great shot of Montreal harbour taken by Stephan Poulin.
If you live in Montreal, what do you love best about your city? And if you have visited Montreal, what contributed most to the pleasure of your visit?
Sincere thanks to Tourisme Montreal for helping immerse me into the world of chocolate in Montreal, with a good helping of Montreal-chic. Do check out this post for a look at some chic Montreal chocolate shops.
Hi DOREEN PENDGRACS,
I visited your site and really enjoyed learning about the chic fashions of Montreal. It seems lovely, and I will definitely try to visit there someday!
Thanks
Hi Doreen! I’ve never thought of Montreal as a chocolate destination, so I’m looking forward to your posts. By the way, what is the best time to visit Montreal aside in December? Thanks!
Hello, Brodie. Montreal is a highly creative city with excellent cuisine, and that includes chocolate! Anytime of year is great, but I truly love the Montreal summers when there are loads of fun activities going on and the weather is great.
I always wanted to go to Montreal and after reading your post my desire to visit this beautiful city is even bigger. I was invited for a press trip to Quebec City last year and wanted to stop in Montreal as well, since I was already close to it. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I planned, but I’d love to see it someday.
I’m from Ottawa and have been to Montreal many times. My favourite portion is the food! You can locate the best cheese curds there and cheese cake. I never had a bad meal there. Got to have a high regard for that french Canadian cooking!
Thanks for the chic mention, Doreen!
I never knew that Montreal Chic is comparable to the elegance and fashion of Paris. But yes I too would feel uncomfortable in a place which is too high on chic and where one is likely to be scrutinized.BTW St. Michaels church looks really beautiful in its perfect symmetry.
St. Michael’s Church is indeed a work of art, and has a fascinating history. Sandy, I think because of the French connection, Montreal has evolved to be the Canadian Paris. It is not quite as grand in its history and elegance. But there is definitely a similar ambiance to the two cities.
Montreal does look quite interesting with its multi-lingual culture. It does seem like a photographer’s paradise, especially for those night shots of the harbour. Canada has been calling out to me for long. Maybe it is time I take it seriously. Cheers
Montreal is indeed a photographer’s paradise, Ami! Eye candy (and great chocolate!) in every neighbourhood. 🙂
Love the expression, ‘Canada’ and ‘chic’. Canada is on my list for 2018 and this post would be an ideal guide to explore Montreal. Montreal Harbour looks absolutely stunning.
I do hop you get the opportunity to visit the neighbourhoods of Montreal. It is one great city!
Your comparison of the sophistication of women and chocolates brought a smile to my face. Yet another of your chocolate journey that I loved to take with you (virtually!). Everyone of your chocolate posts makes me want to go to the destination as soon as possible..since I love chocolates so much and so does my little daughter.
Thanks for your comment, Neha. Montreal is a very multi-cultural and worldly destination that I’m sure you would enjoy. I’ll delve into the chocolate in this week’s post. 🙂
I’ve never been to Montreal, but your post made me want to pay it a visit. It seems like a really fun city. Interestingly, I always thought Los Angeles would be so trendy and chic. And when I moved here, I was so surprised that most parts of L.A. are super casual. That’s why it’s good to visit different places. You can imagine what a place would be like, but you have to really be there to get a true sense of a city.
I think you have made a very valid point, Erica. When we travel as a visitor, we go with our impressions to guide us. When we actually live in a place, it is like peeling an onion. Each day/week/month/year provides us with a greater understanding of our new home.
Hello Doreen,
I lived in Montreal (many years) and in Italy for a while. What you mention about dressing up in Montreal I felt it while traveling in Northern and Central Italy. So, I guess it is all relative.
That being said, in my former work environment in Ottawa colleagues of mine would sometimes comment on my “Montreal-looking style”. What is that? More colourful? I thought so. It might as well have something to do about the use of accessories (yes scarves, polished shoes, boots, stylish eyewear and so on).
May I mention a detail I noticed just recently. I take Italian courses. My teacher comes from Italy. Most days she wears cute, original earrings. And a fitted shirt or jersey sweater… just like a lot of women seen throughout Italy (maybe less so in Palermo). She is stylish. To me it means wearing right-fitted clothes and displaying some character.
Montreal? What makes it very particular I think is the food and culinary scene. In 2017 it is possible to pay a relatively reasonable price for outstanding meals served throughout the city’s distinctive neighbourhoods. (Impossible to keep the pace: there are so many restaurants opening every year. Below in the link to the blog I wrote on the ones I preferred at the time.)
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment, Valerie! I will checkout your blog post. And yes, Montreal does offer some really incredible cuisine for very reasonable prices compared to some other cities.
Montreal is a lot like Paris that way – best to dress up a bit even when exploring the streets! As you say, a small scarf often does the trick. Although for me the biggest challenge is trying to find shoes that are comfy and chic.
So true, Michele! Shoes really can be a challenge when choosing what to bring on a trip. I try to limit myself to 3 pairs, but I find that when I travel and have a multitude of outfits, I never have quite the right pair of shoes to showcase each one properly! Thx for stopping by.
I would love to visit Montreal someday. All cities have a certain charm that can’t quite be known until experienced up close on intimate terms. There’s no doubt it’s a sophisticated city. When I moved to NC, one random person I talked to in the parking lot about my Idaho plates actually seemed to think most roads are still dirt in Idaho. We’re not that much of a cultural backwater…
You’re so right, Jeri. No matter how much we read or learn about a place, nothing replaces the on-the-ground experience of breathing the air, talking to the people, and really feeling a place.
I went to school in Plattsburgh. I miss going to Montreal. It was a great city, and environment. The architecture alone is worth visiting it. A perfect city that combines both new and old.
Thanks for sharing.,
You’re so right, William. Montreal does a great job of marrying the old with the new. It does have stunning architecture in both varieties and everything in between.
Doreen, I’d love to visit Montreal again. I was there several times many years ago when I was an account executive in NY on the Air Canada account. Unfortunately, my trips consisted of landing, going to the Air Canada office, and then heading back to the airport. The Montreal harbor is beautiful.
Hi Jeannette. Isn’t that the truth about biz trips? Too often, we don’t get to see the fun stuff in a destination we are visiting for biz. I think that’s why the younger generations have invented the ‘bizcation’, adding a couple of days on to a biz visit, so they can add some fun times to the trip!
Right on, Arienne! Montreal is filled with many amazing diversions. I love the street art and varied architecture.
I love the ‘chic-ness’ of Montreal! Makes me feel like I’ve travelled to Europe but I’ve actually stayed in my homeland. I’ve never felt like I’m being judged but then again, I’m always distracted by the architecture, food, and street art 🙂
We just visited Montreal two weeks ago, and I had a very different perspective of our two days there. While we enjoyed the things we did, we must have visited the wrong neighborhoods, because our overall impression was that Montreal is a little edgy. We saw lots of street art and sampled different foods, enjoyed historic architecture, walked the streets, visited the markets, and even enjoyed the view from Mont Royale. But I never passed a chocolatier, never saw anyone dressed to the nines, and never saw anything we would describe as chic. I would never have thought to describe it as anything like Paris, except for the french-speaking. I guess Montreal can be lots of different things to different people.
Very interesting, Tami! May I ask where you stayed? Montreal is definitely made up of clearly defined neighbourhoods as most large cities are. I am very surprised that you never passed a chocolate shop, as there are so many in Montreal! And the women of Quebec (most notably in Montreal) are probably the most fashionable in Canada. So I am indeed surprised by your comment.
We stayed on St. Denis near the Latin Quarter. We also spent some time on St. Laurent Blvd checking out all the street art. We also visited Jean-Talon and Atwater markets, the Lachine Canal, Place D’Armes and the Botanical Garden. But I will say that while we were there, Montreal was having a rare heat wave. It was 90 degrees and very uncomfortable to be outdoors.
Thanks for your reply, Tami. It sounds like you really did get a good look at Montreal! Perhaps when it is 90 degrees, people are less about fashion and more about staying cool than looking cool!
You’re making me nostalgic for Montréal, Doreen! I had a wonderful visit there a few years back. I couldn’t believe how equally comfortable people were was speaking both French and English. That is probably part of the “sophistication” and “worldliness” that you mention here! Looking forward to hearing about their chocolate!
Hi Christina. Yes, wouldn’t it be great to be able to just switch back and forth between French and English at will? I studied French for 8 years in public school, and took a night course at college to try and brush up on my French. But I am still nowhere near fluent.
That is such an unusual account of Canada. You made me see it in a different light. Didn’t know that people of Canada are fashion savvy. I am impressed with the architecture of Saint Michael’s Church.
Yes, St. Michael’s Church has a really amazing multi-cultural history that I didn’t have time to get into in my post. Really enjoyed the tour there.
I’ve never thought of Montreal as a chocolate destination, so I’m looking forward to your posts. But even visiting from Ottawa, I have noticed the chic aspect.
Hi Cindy. Montreal just may be my pick for the top chocolate destination in Canada. So do stay tuned for some deliciously creative posts. 🙂
I love Montreal! Great pictures – especially that salad!! Yum!
I would love to come here, it looks so lovely. I could try out my archaic French!
Cindy, is the French you learned Parisian French or Francophone French? They’re quite different in the nuances. I find that when the French speak slowly, I can understand quite a bit. But when they’re speaking quickly as they do to one another, I’m completely lost!
Salad with a chocolate lattice crepe—why didn’t I think of that? 😉 We enjoyed our visit to Montreal—sort of like “France lite”. When we were there—some years ago—it actually wasn’t all that comfortable for anglophones. I suspect it has become more cosmopolitan over the years. I’d like to do a return visit—but I’m not sure I have the proper fashion accessories—still the salad with a chocolate lattice crepe thing could get me back sooner rather than later.
That’s a great name for Quebec, Suzanne. “France Lite!” Oh, I bet your could make that black Chico cardigan look quite chic with the right accessories! 🙂 Thx for stopping by.
I so identify with the chic, no chic thing, Doreen. (check out: I’m not a fashionista) During our multiple trips to Milan, I continued to wear my Danskos and Merrells while the Italian women traipse by on stiletto. Fun blog and great pictures.
Hi Rose: I think when we get to be a certain age, it just doesn’t matter. Those in their 20’s and 30’s seem to have something to prove in the chic category. Once you pass 40, you realize you are who you are, and you look stupid trying to be something your’e not. I, too, love my Merrells. 🙂
It’s been decades since we’ve been in Montreal – will have to return!
Hi Anne! I’m sure you’ll see quite a change, if you haven’t been to Montreal for that long. There’s always something new to see, overtime I visit.
I am going to Montreal and Quebec next spring so appreciate your recommendations. I can’t wait to try all the tasty French-Canadian treats!
You will see quite a difference between Quebec City and Montreal, Julie. Montreal is more cosmopolitan and multicultural. Quebec City is quite francophone, and there is less English spoken there than there is in Montreal.
I’m from Ottawa and have been to Montreal many times. My favourite part is the food! You can find the best cheese curds there and cheese cake. I never had a bad meal there. Got to love that french Canadian cooking!
Absolutely, Jenn. And don’t forget the bagels! Montreal is really known for its bagels. In fact, Fredericton, New Brunswick, imports Montreal bagels weekly to sell at the big downtown farmers’ market. Thx for sharing your thoughts.
Leave it to Doreen to find chocolate balsamic dressing! Tres chic!
You know me, Irene! If there’s chocolate in the room, I’ll find it! That salad was truly scrumptious!
Montreal is on my list for 2018!! Those horse drawn carriages just look so quaint. Thanks for sharing!
Quaint, indeed, Lauren. But some of those horse drawn carriages are pretty chic, too! I hope you get to visit Montreal soon. 🙂
As an American in Europe, I totally identify with your statement about noticing Montreal’s style and the chic that seems to be the special, elusive quality of some people and cities. I hope to see Montreal’s beauty for myself someday but for now, your posts will be a terrific introduction!
Lovely! I’ve only been to Montreal once and it was on business so I didn’t get around much but I fell in love with the city and would love to return one day for some quality time to explore the area.
I hope you get to return to Montreal soon, Marty! It’s really quite the city!
This post reminds me that it’s been years since I visited Montreal and it may be time for another visit. I remember travelling to Montreal decades ago for business and feeling outclassed by the chic style even when wearing my best outfits. And this was in the days when one still dressed up for work! The best would be if I could squeeze in a small amount of shopping time and buy a dress to take home.
Right on, Donna! As a fellow Prairie resident, I’m not surprised you felt the challenge of Montreal chic! I hope u get the chance to visit again soon.
Hi Doreen – loved this post, especially the photo of the salad with the chocolate lattice crepe! I’m going to forward it along to my daughter, as she is going to Montreal and Quebec City for the winter carnival next January with her high school French club. Yes, that’s probably THE coldest time of the year she could go, but I would if I could!
Hi Janice. Your daughter will LOVE the Winter Carnaval! It is so much fun. make sure she brings a warm jacket, a winter hat, mitts and boots, as Quebec get a lot of snow in the winter!
Montreal looks and sounds incredibly posh. I have always wanted to travel to Canada (amongst many other countries!) I have been mesmerised by Niagara Falls ever since watching Superman 2 as a child.
I have ridden a horse but not a horse-drawn carriage. One more thing for me to place in my “must do” list!
Hi Phoenicia. Niagara Falls is certainly something to see on the natural side. But if you’re looking to experience French Canadian culture, there is no better place than Montreal.
Will Have to get east on of these days and explore Montreal.
It is quite an amazing city, Sue. I’ve been there a few times, and discover something new every time. My most recent trip was filled with chocolate (qu’elle surprise!) but there is so much else you would undoubtedly love. Thx for stopping by to comment. 🙂