Montreal Tourist Trap Tips by zChris

Rue Crescent (Crescent Street) has restaurants catering to out-of-town tourists and it features overpriced fare which is sometimes no better than far cheaper places throughout the city. Nevertheless, if you like to do the 'tourist thing' then this is where you want to head downtown. Most of the places there seem to be Irish pub-types. For a much more authentic dining experience, I reccommend the BYOB places on Avenue-Duluth or the large restaurants on rue Prince-Arthur.

Leave a Comment

Rue St-Amable (marketed to tourists as Rue des Artistes) is a very narrow little alley off the Place Jacques-Cartier. While it may be picturesque and quaint to some, I found it stuffy and the art overpriced- not only that, but you could find the same art cheaper in stores along rue St-Paul. Some of the paintings were even of Quebec City and...Toronto! Why anyone would buy a painting of Toronto in Montreal is beyond me. I bought a nice little oil of the Vieux-Port, only because I collect little paintings of cities for my wall. In any case, the street is claustrophobia central and should be avoided. They should put a picture of this place in the dictionary next to the definition of tourist trap!

Leave a Comment

While the Marché Bonsecours in Vieux-Montréal must have been, at one time, a lively and interesting functioning marketplace, and still is a very beautiful historic structure, it has become somewhat of a tourist mecca of chain restaurants and little pushcarts not very representative of what 'Montréal' is all about. I felt a lot like i was in Boston's Quincy Market, another juxtaposition of stomach-filling but generally disinteresting chains. If anything, check out the Marché for the beauty of its historic architecture.

Leave a Comment

Tiny shops dot tourist areas, especially Vieux-Montreal and Rue Ste-Catherine, peddling Quebecois flags and other kitschy items for exorbitant prices.

Leave a Comment