Weekend Escapes: Eat Your Way Through Montreal

Weekend Escapes: Eat Your Way Through Montreal. Written for lifestylemiror.com. Published January 7, 2013.

After the holidays and required family time, you could use a break. The catch? You’ve used up all your vacation days.

For those looking for a place that feels far away, there’s always Montreal—that taste of France that’s a quick plane ride away.

From January 18 to March 24, Montreal is hosting its Snow Village, fully outfitted with an ice hotel, ice chapel, and ice bar. But for those faint of heart, there’s always the underground city, or a Canada Goose parka, to keep you warm and out of the chill. Check out our perfect weekend agenda.

FRIDAY: EASE IN

5 P.M. Warm up to the city at Bota Bota, an old ferryboat turned sleek, modern spa. Relax and rejuvenate for hours in the water circuit, and take in the views from the spa’s outdoor hot tubs as the sun sets over the old city.

8:30 P.M. Grab dinner at Garde Manger, the flagship restaurant of the Cooking Channel’s Chuck Hughes. (His new brasserie, Le Bremner, is just a few blocks away if you can’t get a seat at Garde Manger.) To pregame a raucous night out, try trendy spots like Santos tapas bar, or leave the neighborhood for Wood35 for a DJ-spun dinner.

10:30 P.M. Kick it in the historic Old Port section of the city and saddle up to the bar at Philémon. Watch hipster bartenders mix classic drinks from the barstools that surround them like a playpen, or grab a table off to the side for some intimate conversation in this low-key environment.