Hidden gems to discover on Mont-Royal Avenue
Laure Juilliard
Bustling, lively and primarily francophone Mont-Royal Avenue is a veritable beehive of activity. More small boutiques are starting to pop up along it, some with European influences. Think you know all its secrets? That’s exactly what we wanted to scope out for you: the little treasures tucked along it and some new kids on the block. Here’s an east to west guide of this amazing artery.
Café Cocooning Love
Cocooning Love is a brand of vegan, natural and eco-responsible skincare, all made in Montreal, in a laboratory in the heart of the Rosemont district. In mid-October, Cocooning Love will open its boutique with a café corner in place of the Muscade grocery shop, where the team will be selling its products in bulk and offering workshops on how to make them. Like its predecessor, this new local café will respect the zero-waste policy and values it holds dear.
2250 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Affiche en tête
Caroline and Mathieu have an eye for little gifts to bring back home and they love encouraging Montréal artists. A poster, a painting or a cute illustrated greeting card: the selection is spectacular. Culled from Montréal’s best markets (like Puces Pop), they are also affordable and showcase local artists, with a small description and photo of each. A unique little initiative that puts a face to a name and a story to the poster you hang up at home. Bonus: the boutique features exclusive partnerships with certain artists, like the works of illustrator and designer Magalie Robidaire, whose beautiful compositions of photographs and drawings bring colours, textures and geometric forms together. Sold!
2034, Mont-Royal Avenue East
Ernestine
Véronique Ethier, who hails from Québec’s Outaouais region, offers incredible chocolate creations from her workshop/boutique on Mont-Royal Avenue. The house specialties include the “croque-mou” (walnuts topped with chewy caramel and covered in milk or 64% dark chocolate), chocolate-maple bites and salted blonde chocolate cookies. In summer, she also serves ice cream sandwiches and mouth-watering homemade cake pops. Who can resist?
1827 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Boutique Les hauts et les bas
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With her expert eye, Josée can size up your bra size in a second. You immediately feel at ease when you step into this cozy little boutique on Fabre, just a few steps south of Mont-Royal. And that’s what Josée and her team want to cultivate: extra special attention for and a bond with her (very loyal) clientele. You can leave with lovely lingerie from local brands like Sokoloff or Blush, or stunning classics like Simone Pérèle, Voilà pantyhose or Bleu Forêt socks. A friendly and discreet atmosphere, where ooh-la-la underwear await.
4487 Fabre Street
Bleu & Persillé
This welcoming wood-and-tile interior of this stylish and modern cheese house offers the perfect backdrop for browsing more than 200 Québec cheeses or picking up some tasty items for an impromptu picnic. It also has a boutique section, where you can find fine and gourmet products made by Québec artists, like the pots of honey from the beehive in the back. We could stay here forever!
1475, Mont-Royal Avenue East
Aux 33 Tours
If Ali Baba’s cave were crammed with vinyl, it would look like this. One of Canada’s biggest independent music stores, Aux 33 Tours houses rare albums and, particularly, an imposing selection of some 3,000 Japanese vinyl records that, every three months, join the store’s perfectly ordered and labeled shelves. The only place to find this kind of vinyl is Los Angeles, which makes 33 Tours the only official seller in eastern North America. “They’re the best vinyl presses on the market and the sound quality is impeccable,” explains Mathieu Morin, himself a collector and employee of the store. Bonobo and even Caribou have come here to stock up. May the listening joy be yours too.
1373 Mont-Royal Avenue East
L’Intervalle and l'Intervalle Entrepôt
Shoe lovers will absolutely flip over the fab footwear in this boutique. L’Intervalle, a new Montréal brand by Sam Assaf and Vicky Scalia, has been offering stylish and contemporary creations at affordable prices that are designed here and manufactured in Europe (Spain, Brazil and Italy). In their chic, streamlined boutique, you can find perfect limited-edition pairs in leather or suede, with styles ranging from minimalist to edgy to out-there. A made-in-Montréal success story!
806 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Le Toledo
People come to this bakery, urban cafeteria and café to savour delights like home-made pastries and maple-infused lattes. At the heart of this magnificent, sunny and airy space, the head baker pulls mouth-watering breads and pastries from the ovens that are made from ancient (and as often as possible, organic) grains supplied by local producers. Put together your own brunch basket, which comes with yummy local jams, or bite into one of the succulent sandwiches.
351 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Point G
This temple to sweet treats specializes in macarons, crafted according to a top-secret, gluten-free recipe. These little round wonders, firm on the outside, gooey and delicious on the inside, are some of the best in Montréal. Choco-passion, poppy flower, lime and basil, maple taffy, Point G offers you an array of sumptuous, original and classic macaron flavours as well as a wide range of artisanal sweets that change according to the chef’s inspirations and the seasons.
1255 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Laure Juilliard
Originally from Paris, Laure Juilliard made Montréal her home over 15 years ago and has never looked back. Won over by her new city's unique energy, cultural vibrancy and gastronomic effervescence, she loves exploring all the coolest spots. A writer and blogger specialising in lifestyle, culture, travel and gastronomy, she has lent her pen to Tourisme Montréal for more than 10 years, in addition to magazines such as ELLE Québec and Clin d'œil, as well as a variety of well-known companies and agencies. Always on the lookout for innovative concepts and the best addresses wherever she is in the world, she is also always planning her next trip.