Old Montreal and the Old Port which is adjacent to it are both musts sees, especially if you dive into the side streets.

Depending on your interest, Montreal has diverse attractions:

- Pointe à Calliere archeological museum, great for the history of Montreal

-McCord Museum of Canadian History

- Stewart Museum on Ile Ste-Helene, another great site to see (old fortifications) with a focus on the British/French military history of Quebec

- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Downtown)

- Botanical garden (short subway ride from Dowtown, right next to the Olympic Staidum)

- As other mentionned, St-Joseph's Oratory is another must see, Canada's largest church and a worth while detour from the downtown core. Its a couple of blocks from Cote-des-Neiges metro on Queen-Mary road, its hard to miss.

- You may also want to check out the Colours Festival in Laurentians when all the leaves start changing colours

- For some interesting shops, check out Mont-Royal avenue.

Off the beatan path:
- Take a drive down to the Eastern Townships (Magog, North Hatley, etc.) Old loyalist area of Quebec with great Inns food and local goods.

- Head over to Stanstead, a small village that stradles the US/CDN border with buildings (like the library) that are on both sides.

- Drive out West to Rigaud to Sucrerie de la Montagne, a sugarshack that operates year round (probably the most authentic of the year round ones). Stop in Hudson village and Pointe-Claire village (Small area of the city of Pointe Claire near the waterfront) on the way back for a nice walk.

- For great views of the city (daytime and night), I suggest you head up to one of the many observation points on Mount-Royal which will give you an incredible view of the skyline. Also, head up St-Laurent street and wander into the smaller streets like Mont-Royal, Fairmont, St-Viateur,etc. for some typical views of Montreal. Montreal is a photo op waiting to happen!


A couple of restaurant suggestions:
- Restaurant Holder, a French Brasserie (good for lunch and dinner). Its one of my favorite dining spots with some great classic French bistro fare. Short walk from your hotel. If you like tartare, this is the place!
(407 McGill corner LeMoyne)

- If you like heavy cuisine with lots of foie gras, Au Pied de Cochon on Duluth near St-Hubert is decadent bliss

- Cabaret du Roy (which attempts to recreate food and ambience of New France but best experienced as a group), in Marche Bonsecours in Old Montreal

- Le Muscadin (near Square Victoria), great Italian food with an incredible cellar (one of Quebec's largest Italian selection)

- Gibby's is a high-end steakhouse (along the lines of Morton's but better IMHO but in the same price range).
http://www.gibbys.com/

- If you like Sushi, try Zen-Ya on Ste-Catherine. Great place!
(486 Ste-Catherine)

- Portugese restaurant with some of the best fish: Cafe Ferreira on Peel (but quite expensive) or also Vintage on St-Denis (I think)

- For a classic Montreal experience, you alsolutly must have a Smoked Meat sandwich at Schwartz on St-Laurent north of Prince Arthur, queuing and ordering is an experience in itself. Walk around the area a bit also, some great shops on St-Laurent near St-Joseph (but lots of construction work these days)

- You can also head up to Little Italy on St-Laurent and have a look at the different restaurants there (and the shops). I'd love to recommend some but I dont know the names, getting there is like a reflex.

- Two good Irish pubs: Old Dublin on University and Hurley's (1225 Crescent) that have a large selection of scotch and beer on tap

Beware that most restaurants around "Place Jacques-Cartier" are tourist traps, the food is ok but not Montreal's best. Also, stear clear of St-Laurent street restaurants just north of Sherbrooke, overpriced glamour spots.

If your looking for anything more specific or directions, feel free to PM me