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!
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?
© Eva Blue
c'est beau
Looking for the perfect gift from Québec to bring home? Just head to c’est beau, an amazing multi-brand boutique that puts environmentally friendly, ethically sourced, locally made products in the spotlight. Their custom-made display furniture even comes from Québec. A hotspot for lifestyle, stationery, beauty, decoration, kitchen and gourmet products, you’ll find that so-very-Montréal thing in the handpicked selection from 75 or so local artisans and designers.
Boutique Les hauts et les bas
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.
© Cindy Boyce
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!
© Susan Moss
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.
Le Boucanier
You are going to love this gem of a Gaspésie fish shop, which specializes in smoked fish and seafood, has cast its net wider to the city. With its selection of fresh fish, from the Gaspésie, of course, gourmet products and homemade dishes, it’s the perfect place to delve into Québec’s marine bounty. The maple-smoked salmon appetizers are incredible and the 100% Québec products like the dried seaweed collected by a local artisan on the wild coasts of the Haute-Gaspésie are excellent gourmet gifts to tuck in your tote.
L’intervalle
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 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!
© Two Food Photographers
Le Toledo
Totally new, totally sweet. 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.
Laure Juilliard
Laure is a writer, community manager and the founder of the blog Une Parisienne à Montréal. She’s also an epicurean globetrotter who’s always on the hunt for innovative concepts and must-try restaurants. In 2016, she co-founded Slow Journeys, a webzine that focuses on ecotourism and design.
