Montreal Biodome Day Featuring The BEST Sandwich

Spend a day with me exploring the Montreal Biodome, tasting delicious vegan soft serve, and having the best Italian sandwiches ever in Montreal, Quebec! After a morning of photoshoots, I’m ready to start exploring the city of Montreal again! It’s day 2 of our week in Montreal, and we decided to spend the rest of the day at the Biodome to hide from the rain. We’ve found some super delicious Montreal restaurants along the way, so come along!

Spending A Week in Montreal with Mom and Dom

Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to escape, find something yummy to eat, soak up time with people you love, and just take a breather to just reset? I’m in Montreal this weekend for a collaboration, and I’ve brought Dom and my mom along to experience this city filled with chewy sesame-crusted bagels, smokey melt in your mouth deli meats, and of course, cheesy, gooey loaded poutine? 

Grieving can make it easy to forget life’s beauty, but this trip reminded us of all the little joys still out there. This was the first trip I went on with my mom and Dom—just the three of us—and we really needed this getaway.

Ciccio’s Italian Sandwiches 

After all morning in the studio, I’m ready to refuel with some delicious sandwiches before my adventures. We tried an Italian sandwich shop called Ciccio’s, famous for its crusty-yet-soft bread. Recommended by the director of our photoshoot, this place is an ABSOLUTE MUST TRY. Ciccio’s ingredients are ridiculously simple- but also so fresh you can taste it. We ordered 2 sandwiches and a salad; The Jules ($16 CAD), Primo ($13 CAD), and Porchetta ($15 CAD). After just one bite, we knew we’d be coming back.

These sandwiches might honestly be the best sandwich we’ve ever had. The bread here truly lives up to it’s reputation, with a deep aroma of toasted sesame in every bite of soft bread. The Primo contains Mortadella, tomato, mozzarella, lettuce. The Porchetta has a spicier combination with mozzarella, peppers, marines, and giardiniera. Finally, the Jules salad was a refreshing bite between the cheesy, meaty sandwiches. I recommend both the Porchetta and Primo but honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the options on their menu.

A quick 4 minute walk from the McGill / Saint-Paul subway station, Ciccio’s storefront is made for grab-and-go. Grab some sandwiches, and head down to the Port to enjoy some great views with your sandwiches. We loved Ciccio’s so much, we came back on the last day to buy sandwiches for the plane ride home. They were still REALLY GOOD!

Montreal Olympic Park Biodome

Since rain was on the way, we decided to check out the Biodome, an indoor nature exhibit that’s part of Olympic Park’s Space For Life, a complex of 5 natural sciences exhibits and museums. The Biodome is flourishing with flora and fauna from the 5 different ecosystems of the Americas: Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Sub-Antarctic Islands, and Arctic.

It was our first time here and there was definitely a lot to see. The tropical rainforest area was a paradise, with vibrant plants, adorable wildlife like capybaras and monkeys. The macaws flew overhead freely, reminding me of my time in Singapore’s Mandai Reserve.

My favorites in the park were definitely the playful otters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence section and the maple forest that reminded me of Deer Lake with the cozy forest vibes. However, it was the Polar World that stole my heart—watching the penguins waddle around was just too cute!

If you’re a family with kids visiting Montreal, the Biodome is the perfect place. You can get to the Biodome and Olympic park from the subway via Viau station. The Montreal Biodome tickets are $23.25 CAD for adults, and $12.00 CAD for kids, with discounts for adults 65+, students, and Montreal residents. Plus, there’s the rest of Olympic Park to explore too!

Vegan Soft Serve at Hoche Glacé

After the Biodome, we walked about 15 minutes through the rain for some vegan soft-serve ice cream at Hoche Glacé, which was totally worth it. The ice cream shop’s menu is full of all sorts of delicious frozen treats, with plenty of vegan options: slushie floats, soft serve cone, sorbets, parfaits, and more! They even have ice cream sandwiches for your pups.

There’s truly so many combinations to the customizations you can do with your cone here. If you love add-ons, they’ve got a full range of dip options and toppings. We had a hard time deciding, so we each got our own: dark chocolate dipped cone with sprinkles, a medium dipped chocolate cone with crushed Oreos, and a caramel fleur de sel parfait, all with vegan soft serve.

For anyone who’s lactose intolerant, I highly recommend Hoche Glacé‘s yummy vegan soft serve! Their cone sizes are pretty generous, so the smaller sizes were more than enough for me. They are located about 15 minute away from the Biodome, and 13 minute walk from the Viau subway station. After the biodome, this ways a great way to refuel!

French Fine Dining at Le Violon

For dinner, we came to Le Violon, a cozy French bistro with a seasonal menu. We loved the inviting vibe—it was the perfect place to wind down with loved ones and a glass of wine after a day of exploring. Dinner started with fresh bread and butter, wine, and some delicious appetizers.

Le Violon’s menu changes every season, so it’s guaranteed to be interesting and fresh. The two appetizers we chose were the beef tartare, with tahini, bulgur, and green sauce and the super fresh lobster. Our main courses included the lamb chops and black bass with beurre Blanc. The bass, in particular, melted in my mouth with every bite. The flavor combinations here were unique, and you can taste the freshness of the ingredients. Everything was so tasty!

For 3 people, we ended up spending around $400 CAD, so it is definitely in a higher price range. We enjoyed absolutely amazing service and a great selection of wine. The menu was well thought-out and the ingredients super fresh. I wished I had more time to explore the fine dining scene in Montreal! Le Violon is the current “it” place, so they get really busy. Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time!

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