Destination - Montreal The place to be.

MONTREAL Get Your EuroGroove On

By Jeff Greif & Thom Meintel of TravelSquire • For more travel tips go to travelsquire.com

Would it surprise anyone to hear that one of the trendiest cities in North America is actually not in the U.S.? If Montreal is only on your radar and not on your checklist, it’s time to change that. Montreal is the only bi-lingual city in North America where just about everyone speaks both French and English which means that visitors can expect a French savoir faire with a casual American attitude. The city is an international stomping ground, perfect for anyone looking for fun in a Euro-Anglo setting. Its’ friendly people and hot nightlife scene bridge the cultural divide perfectly. Restaurants run the gamut from traditional French bistros and cozy cafes to international chefs serving innovative cuisine and the bar and lounge scene is top notch. Here’s Travel Squire’s round-up for Chilled.

STAY

Hotel Chez Swann - get your weekend groove on here with your favorite person. The hotel’s imaginative design and triple occupancy spa showers are a plus for romantic encounters of the third kind. hotelchezswann.com Hotel Le Germain - chic and cool, Le Germain fuses industrial loft-like guest rooms with urban style and over the top amenities. hotelgermain.com Hotel Nelligan - occupying two 1830’s buildings with penthouse suites that overlook the St. Lawrence River, you’ll succumb to European style luxury and the mystique of Old Montreal. hotelnelligan.com Hotel St. Paul - Calvin-cool, contemporary style on the fringes of Old Montreal, it’s obvious why this hotel has been the recipient of numerous design awards. hotelstpaul.com

EAT

L’Orignal – take a guess at what a restaurant with a name meaning moose in French is serving. Arrive hungry and chow down on hearty meats and game. restaurantlorignal.com Kitchen Galerie Poisson – Montrealers love oysters and this is the place to have them. Order grilled fresh fish from the blackboard menu and make sure you try the fois gras cooked in a dishwasher (don’t ask). kitchengalerie.com Le Club Chasse et Peche – a subterranean magnet for awesome food and expressive cocktails, Le Club’s intimate spaces have the look and feel of a cozy hunting lodge. Feel the buzz? leclubchasseetpeche.com Lemeac - wanna channel your French side? Head for the Outremont district where this quintessential Parisian bistro will have you reaching for your Gauloises. restaurantlemeac.com Iburger - order a mean burger from a giant touch screen that doubles as your table. iburger.net

House of Jazz – a Montreal landmark of entertainment and home to Canada’s finest Jazz musicians since 1981. houseofjazz.ca Crescent Street - a nightlife epicenter smack in the middle of town. crescentmontreal.com Bota Bota – the Scandinavian spa of spas constructed on a boat in the St. Lawrence River. Expect to brave an outdoor Jacuzzi at 15 degrees or less in winter while you watch the sun set over the city. botabota.ca Casino de Montreal – like to gamble? Do it in style here just over the bridge from downtown. casinoduquebec.com

DRINK

Pullman – loving the look of the huge wine glass chandelier above this chic Downtown wine bar? What’s inside the glasses on the tables here is even better. pullman-mtl.com Whisky Café - known to be the best first date bar in Montreal, get decadent with a Belgian chocolate plate at happy hour then choose from over 150 scotch whiskeys, Portos and wines. How were you planning on getting back to the hotel tonight? whiskycafe.com Baldwin Barmacie – a concept bar with a pharmacy theme in homage to the owner’s grandmother who worked at a local pharmacy. Order the Lionel and keep your shades on. baldwinbarmacie.com Gogo Lounge – a blast from the past, this 60’s themed psychedelic lounge with kitschy furniture is a portal into a groovy past. Drink menus show up on old vinyl records with names like Pussycat, Kryptonite and Captain America and the 25 martini specials means you’ve got a long way to go. tourisme-montreal.org

SEE

The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army

(@ the Musee des Beaux-Arts until June 26) – an awesome spectacle of archeology from China, these larger than life terracotta sculptures of soldiers dating from 2,200 years ago are the talk of the town. mbam.qc.ca Jean Talon Market – get down with the locals here at the city’s numero uno marketplace offering everything from ... well, you know! Try the maple syrup liqueur then buy a bottle to pack in your checked luggage. Biosphere – Buckminster Fuller’s iconic geodesic dome built for Expo 67 is a dazzling sight and still grounds Montreal’s urban sprawl with an eye on the future. Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) - once considered just a tourist trap, now it’s THE place to be. World class nightlife and restaurants line the romantic cobblestone streets and even the locals chill out there. The Underground City – Montreal’s urban network spanning 39 miles beneath the streets (it gets cold here, remember?) will impress anyone who’s ever thought about urban planning or just keeping warm.