Free Museums in Quebec

"The rundown: Marguerite Bourgeoys was Montreal’s first teacher. She opened a school in 1658 for the few young children living in Ville-Marie (now Montreal), returned to France to recruit teachers, then expanded the school to accommodate more students. While her story is interesting, it’s admittedly not the primary reason to stop by."

"Why: Synonymous with the Old Port skyline, this museum and chapel work together to share a piece of Montreal history with all who visit. Apparently, when Leonard Cohen sings, "And the sun pours down like honey of our Lady of the Harbour," in his song Suzanne, he's singing about the female statue overlooking the chapel."

"If you want to check out the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum co-located with the chapel, however, you will have to pay an entry fee. Image credit: Jeangagnon (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 license)"

"If you’re looking to go all out and get wild with your ice cream, Oh 3 Singes is the place to do it. They serve cream based ice cream that you can have dipped in over 10 flavours to choose from, such as praline, caramel, lime, cheesecake, spicy cayenne Mexican dark chocolate, dark chocolate with orange, and Oreo. They also serve a key lime pie and a s’mores ice cream on Sunday!"

"Impossible de ne pas s'arrêter lorsqu'on passe devant une succursale de Cocobun... Les pâtisseries nous attirent par leurs effluves (les brioches, autant sucrées que salées, sont délicieuses), mais le bubble tea a aussi tout pour plaire!. Cinq saveurs sont disponibles et les prix sont doux."

"Benelux is a small chain of Belgian-style microbreweries whose seating capacity swells with the arrival of the warm weather to enjoy some of the best beer in the city. Patrons flock to enjoy casual panini and Euro-style hot dogs alongside a constantly evolving roster of IPAs, pilsners and witbiers. If the terrasse gets too full, move the party homeward with large growlers of whatever’s on tap, available for takeout until 11pm every night."

"An acronym for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Benelux is a microbrewery with Belgian inspirations. Several delicious beers and a few small sandwiches are offered. The place is very busy, especially with students, and the service can be a bit slow because of the traffic."

"This brewpub’s Sherbrooke location is perfect for a lively 5 à 7, surrounded by regulars. Their approximately 10 beers brewed on site are sure fire crowd pleasers, and the variety leaves something for everyone. If you’re into them, we recommend you try one their excellent IPAs."

"On the banks of the Lachine Canal, McAuslan is a pioneer among Quebec microbreweries. Here you can enjoy delicious beers as well as ciders – our favourite is their extraordinary IPA. Simple food menu offering nachos, tacos, burgers and hot-dogs."

"An aggressively touristy strip of Old Montreal got a breath of fresh air when Olive & Gourmando’s owners opened up this stunner in 2018. It’s a lighter destination than others on this guide — aperitivo-friendly bites are a focus (check out the splendid aperitivo tower), yet Un Po’ di Piu still excels across the board, from desserts (get the olive oil cake) to a small number of bigger dishes."

"Saddle up at Un Po’ Di Piu’s gorgeous bar with your love and plan to stay awhile. Their menu of antipasti is eminently snackable, and with an array of Negronis to choose from, it’s hard to say no to another bite. Nothing makes a date go more smoothly than when the food is consistently on point."

"Caffe Un Po di Piu is the newest restaurant of Éric Girard and Dyan Solomon, who are the proud owners of Olive and Gourmando and restaurant Foxy. The magnificent space of about sixty seats was designed by the famous designer Zébulon Perron. “It was a collaborative effort, but he did it."

"Beatrice bills itself an “urban oasis”, with a neatly-shaded terrasse making for an ideal place to enjoy a glass of wine and some top-notch Mediterranean bites. The food, too, is serenely elegant and finely crafted food. It takes a more modern approach than some of the city’s more traditional Italian institutions, with dishes such as tuna with a yuzu-lobster emulsion, and a few Mediterranean flavours such as harissa and tahini making appearances."

"Few dining rooms are as enchanting as that of this long-time Golden Square Mile favourite formerly known as Bice. The $25 table d’hôte lunch menu is also one of the best deals in the area, complete with appetizer, main course, and dessert. Try the homemade cavatelli or veal scaloppini."

"Ristorante Beatrice is a magnificent Italian restaurant on rue Sherbrooke Ouest, renowned for its tasty market cuisine. During the summer, it is also famous for its impressive patio. Decorated with much wood and green plants, this space exudes a warm and comfortable atmosphere."

"San Gennaro makes this list for its sale of the Neapolitan pastry like bomboloni, Italian donuts which are stuffed with nutella and cream. It's a small spot that made waves upon arrival a few years back, and still serves the city well with its espresso and pastries; not to mention their pizzas, gelato and biscotti."

"The newest Italian café to hit Little Italy by storm is San Gennaro. While they don’t only serve gelato, it’s worth heading over there for their delicious frozen treats. They make their gelato in-house with great and original flavours."