Old Montreal in 18K+ Steps: Great Food and Sights

Join me on my first day in Montreal, Quebec as I walk through all the top attractions and must-eat foods in Old Montreal. Dom and I decided to bring my mom along to Montreal to disconnect from our daily routines. We walked more than 18,000 steps around Old Montreal on our first day, enjoying their incredible mix of historical and modern architecture. Plus, tons of deliciously unique Montreal eats, from ricotta pancakes to smoked meat sandwiches!

A Week in Montreal

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? Well, I really needed that, and what better place than a city filled with chewy sesame-crusted bagels, smokey melt in your mouth deli meats, and of course, cheesy, gooey loaded poutine? Welcome to a week in my life in Montreal!

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

Top Attractions in Old Montreal

Since our hotel was in Old Montreal, we spent our first day walking around the area, totaling over 18,000 steps! The city is so walkable, they have a pedestrian network underground. Besides how convenient Montreal is, there’s just so much to see in Old Montreal, it felt like stepping into another world. The architecture is just gorgeous—old stone buildings, intricate designs, and cobblestone streets that transport you back in time. 

World Trade Centre Montreal

One of the first gems of Montreal that we visited was Montreal’s World Trade Center. The building is an architectural mix of historic and modern styles, with the 19th century buildings restored and sheltered under a high glass roof. The central area gives a casual, gallery vibe, with the beautiful reflecting pool and a section of the Berlin Wall gifted in 1992.

The atrium walkway is lined with cafes and seating, a great place to sit and people watch or chat for a while. The building is also the entrance to Montreal’s Underground City, a network of pedestrian passageways that connects you to trains, busses, and the metro. It’s super convenient!

Notre-Dame Basilica

Next, we visited the Notre-Dame Basilica, one of Montreal’s most iconic buildings. True to it’s Gothic nature, the Notre-Dame Basilica gives a somber impression from the outside, but don’t let that fool you. It was STUNNING inside—stained glass and Gothic architecture in breathtaking details. Walking inside feels like entering a fairytale, with vibrant colors and intricate designs that make you want to stop and take it all in. With the sunlight spilling in through stained glass and the rows of lit candles, the dark chapel lights up in a warm, multicolor glow.

Home to one of the biggest bells in North America, Le Gros Bourdon, Notre-Dame Basilica is open to visitors and guided tours every day of the week, with Sunday open hours starting after service at 12:30 PM. There are more than just one way to enjoy Notre-Dame Basilica. The chapel hosts regular chapel services of course, but also offers musical performances and light experiences, so don’t miss out if you enjoy live performances.

Old Port of Montreal

Montreal’s Old Port area, one of the city’s earliest established neighborhoods, dates back to the French settlement in the 1600s. Originally founded as a trading post, it’s a waterfront port that overlooks the St. Lawrence River. Today, the old warehouses have been renovated into markets, restaurants, and galleries, with a boardwalk that offers tons of fun activities, from indoor mazes to the giant Ferris Wheel.

Chinatown

We ended up in Chinatown Montreal, marked by the iconic red gate with stone lions. If you’re ever in Montreal and missing a little Asian food, you can find it here for sure. Chinatown Montreal was established around the 1870’s when Chinese immigrants began settling into the area and opening their own businesses. Now, it’s a bustling community center with tons of great restaurants and shops to explore.

Old Montreal: A Melting Pot of Cuisines

In just Old Montreal, I found so many delicious spots to enjoy uniquely Montreal food options from so many different cultures. From one of the best smoked meat deli sandwiches in my life to some authentic Italian Caffè Crema, Old Montreal’s food scene embraces a love for local ingredients with a blend of all the different communities around. In only a few minutes of walking, you can taste test one culture to another, and we did just that.

Dandy

My favorite meal of the day is definitely brunch, so I had to check out Dandy —a place where brunch dreams come true! They’re all about using fresh, local ingredients, so not only does the food look good, but also taste incredible too. If you love brunch foods and you’re visiting Montreal, this is my must-eat spot! I ended up thinking about their pancakes for the rest of this trip, but couldn’t make it back a second time.

Everything we ordered here was so delicious! We started with their famous Ricotta Pancakes ($19.99) with maple brown butter sauce and lemon cream covered in fresh strawberries. Although I’m not usually a sweet breakfast person, those ricotta pancakes won me over. They were so light, so fluffy, and just the right amount of sweetness.

My personal favorite, though, was the Endless Summer breakfast bowl ($22.99) with avocado, house-made sourdough, fried eggs, house tzatziki, and a ton of fresh, in-season veggies. It’s a huge platter, so a great one to share with the table. Last but not least, we ordered their crispy fingerling potatoes ($9.99) with aioli, and they were truly perfectly crispy on the outside.

Crew Collective & Cafe

Exploring around Montreal, we found tons of little gems buried amongst the beautiful architecture of Old Montreal, like Crew Collective & Cafe, a coworking cafe. Located in the former head office of Royal Bank of Canada, Crew Collective & Cafe is situated in the 1920s-style building with high ceilings and a vintage chandelier that made it feel like sipping coffee in a museum.

Crew Cafe’s displays are lined with all sorts of tasty pastries to go with your coffee. They also get their bagels from Fairmount Bagels, one of the city’s iconic bagel shops. Whether you’re a visiting tourist looking to rest, or need a cafe to sit and work on your laptop for a bit, Crew Collective & Cafe has the coffee, food, and the space for a quaint coffee session.

La Fabrique De Bagel

After brunch, we then went to grab some bagels at La Fabrique De Bagel. How could we visit Montreal without trying their famous bagels? If you haven’t had one before, Montreal bagels are smaller, denser, and slightly sweeter than New York bagels, with that same signature chewy texture. For the first bagel in Montreal, this place was okay.

Walking in, you see boxes and boxes of different flavored bagels in their displays, from freshly baked bagels to sandwiches with tons of different fillings. Out of all the yummy choices to choose from, we got a Classic Salmon and Brie ($16.75) – plain cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, capers, brie on a sesame bagel. The fillings inside was generous, but the bagel itself was a bit hard.

La Fabrique De Bagel does offers convenient, filling meal with lots of different options to choose from. We visited their World Trade Center location, but you can find them all around the city. If you visit, I’d recommend the build-your-own bagel sandwich option for a fresher bagel.

Café Olimpico

We ended up in the Mile End area after a long stroll and took a quick coffee break in Cafe Olimpico, an Italian cafe located inside a 1970’s-style pool hall with the most fantastic sweets. They had such a selection, we had to order a few things to try: tiramisu, cannoli, bomboloni, and of course their Caffè Crema. Their Caffè Crema is actually amazing – creamy, cooling, and not sugary sweet. It’s the perfect mix of a creamy coffee flavor!

One of their most popular pastries is the bomboloni, filled Italian donuts covered in sugar. Of the three flavors they offer (Nutella, pistachio, ricotta), we ordered the ricotta bombolone, filled with fresh ricotta filling. Dom devoured it! We also got a pistachio cannoli, a tube of fried pastry filed with pistachio cream. It was quite sweet, but perfect with a hot cup of black coffee. I also definitely recommend their tiramisu – because trust me, they know what they’re doing.

With all the tasty treats they offer, and these comfy, vibey seating areas, I probably could sit here all day. We’ve actually visited multiple of their locations, but personally I like the Mile End one better. It’s less busy and has tons more seating outdoor and indoor, so you can really take your time to enjoy your desserts.

Sammi & Soupe Dumpling

I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I have to have at least one Asian meal while on a trip. Sammi & Soupe Dumpling scratches that itch for me this trip. Located in Chinatown, Sammi & Soupe Dumpling is a restaurant chain but has surprisingly great value and quality. Their menu items are priced reasonably and their portions are decently sized.

Sometimes, something as simple as a dumplig can make someone smile. We ordered both their Soup Dumplings and their Pork and Cabbage pan-fried dumplings, both $10.99 per order. Their soup dumplings had such delicately thin wrappers and were incredibly juicy inside—I was impressed! I was not expecting a chain restaurant xiaolongbao to be so good. Their pan fried dumplings were also super juicy, with a perfect crispy skirt.

Because it’s a chain, Sammi‘s quality is pretty consistent across the chains – you know exactly what you’re going to get. The food is actually really yummy, so it’s worth checking out if you’re craving Asian food or dumplings! It’s surrounded by other interesting shops, so there’s tons to explore around!

Snowdon Deli

We walked all around Montreal, totaling over 18,000 steps. Though not technically located in Old Montreal, we decided to reward ourselves and end our Old Montreal day at the one and only Snowdon Deli. This iconic deli has been serving smoked meat sandwiches since 1946, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever had. The food here was unreal – and with service to match! Snowdon Deli feels like a mom-and-pop shop with history, and definitely is a local favorite.

We also tried a cup of the Chicken Soup with Matzo Ball ($4.25), which felt like a warm hug in a bowl. Matzo ball’s not my first choice when it comes to deli soups, but this chicken broth was incredibly clean and fragrant. I’d definitely get this again next time. Their Roast Beef Brisket Sandwich ($10.50) was so tender and juicy that Dom devoured it within minutes. 

Honestly, I would rate this restaurant a 10 out of 10—HIGHLY recommend it if you’re ever in Montreal! It’s hidden in a more residential neighborhood, a 5 minute walk away from Snowdon Station, but it’s well loved by locals.

Click & Save My Old Montreal Itinerary Map!