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paulpeople Jun 25, 2011 08:27 AM

Need cool food suggestions for family with teenagers !

My wife and I and our two daughters (13 &16) are coming to Montreal for 4 days over the Canada Day weekend, and are looking for some neat spots to eat with the girls. My wife and I met in Montreal, and I went to Concordia for 4 years, so the city has always been special for us, but it's been a few years since we were there ( and the first time with the kids !). We rented an apartment near Lafontaine Park so suggestions in the plateau would be great, but others are welcome ! In particular we're looking for a place in Old Montreal for Saturday night, as we're going to Cirque de Soleil and then want to hang around for the fireworks.

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    Plateaumaman Jun 26, 2011 08:30 AM

    If you are right near Parc Lafontaine you're steps away from La Banquise, 24 hour poutine, which should be amusing for the teenagers especially late at night when it is super busy.

    You might want to look for some good macarons nearby too, at Boutique Point G or La Maison du Macarons, and there are some nice bakeries nearby for your morning croissants eg. Co'pains d'Abord and Mr. Pinchot. The St-Viateur bagels and café on Mont-Royal are also close by. There's also a new restaurant/bistro in Parc Lafontaine now, which is apparently quite nice if a bit pricey.

    You'll also be close to all the bring-your-own-wine places along Duluth, some good ones being Khyber Pass and Couscous Royale ... might be some other favourites in other threads.

    For a Saturday night adventure, I'd probably go to Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot in Chinatown because my kids just love it and it is a quick walk to Old Montreal from there.

    -----
    St-Viateur Bagel & Café
    1127 Avenue Du Mont-Royal Est, Montreal, QC H2J, CA

    Little Sheep
    50 Rue De La Gauchetiere W, Montreal, QC H2Z1C1, CA

    Khyber Pass Restaurant
    506 Av Duluth E, Montreal, QC H2L1A7, CA

    5 Replies
    1. re: Plateaumaman
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      paulpeople Jun 26, 2011 11:29 AM

      Thanks for the tips !

      1. re: paulpeople
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        wilmagrace Jun 26, 2011 07:15 PM

        the jazz fest is on and they have some terrific street performers who periodically stop on the main stretch of place des festivals and the mangos cut into flowers on a stick, or the crepes are not expensive in kiosks up upper section near place des arts. Besides that there are free concerts, boutiques. Grumans taco bus is on site and I can vouch for these tasty treats.

        400 coups is very expensive and I dont think it is a place for families to enjoy. The jardin de nelson patio in the back (not in front) has reasonable priced foods with a wonderful ambiance and a jazz trio as well-it is close to cirque as located in lower part of main square. Brit and chips is another moderate price place that could appeal to teenagers if they like fish and chips english style, just up from Muvbox on mcgill

        http://www.jardinnelson.com/en/menus.html
        http://www.britandchips.com/site/home.php
        You can watch fireworks from old montreal as you may be tired after cirque, I find there are too many people on bridge although there you can see the lower level fireworks-- everyone turns out for a free show in montreal. If you take a portable radio you can get the music that accompanies the program for that evening.

        http://www.rythmefm.com/montreal/
        there are also fireworks friday evening in old montreal for Canada day and there you will have a better view as site is in the old montreal

      2. re: Plateaumaman
        hungryann Jun 27, 2011 05:42 PM

        Would you know the name of the new restaurant in Parc Lafontaine?

        1. re: hungryann
          SnackHappy Jun 27, 2011 06:04 PM

          It's called Espace La Fontaine. Original, isn't it?

          http://espacelafontaine.com/

          1. re: SnackHappy
            ClaireHudon Jun 28, 2011 03:27 PM

            i tried espace lafontaine recently. not bad

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        EaterBob Jun 25, 2011 06:10 PM

        Going a little bit further east, you might want to consider Kitchenette, it is right in front of the Maison Radio-Canada just east of the Jacques Cartier bridge and they are open late, so if you wanted to watch the fireworks and then eat, or the other way around it would be perfect. Au Petit Extra is also in the same neighborhood and is a wonderful bistro.

        And while I personally am not a big fan of Chez ma grosse truie chérie and the associated L'Effet Boeuf, there are lots of people who swear by them and think that they are amazing restaurants.

        1 Reply
        1. re: EaterBob
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          paulpeople Jun 26, 2011 07:10 AM

          That's two for Kitchenette, thanks for the suggestions !

        2. cherylmtl Jun 25, 2011 03:30 PM

          Les 400 Coups in Old Montreal might be just what you're looking for for Saturday night.

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            Fintastic Jun 25, 2011 12:04 PM

            I don't want to state the obvious, but based on proximity to your apartment and "coolness" I think you'll inevitably want to consider Pied de Cochon. If so, you'll definitely want to try to reserve immediately. In all likelihood they're already booked up, but its worth a shot! For the third time this week I'll again mention that they also do take-out, so you could always bring it back to your place if they don't have any tables available.

            Old Montreal can be tough to navigate. Most places are terrible, and those that are good are typically expensive and formal. DNA could be good, though pricey and definitely very adventurous. Garde Manger is also fun, especially as its the restaurant counterpart to the TV show Chuck's Day Off. It would also be tough to get a reservation here with such short notice. You could just grab some lobster rolls from MuvBox and walk around the port until wireworks.

            Depending on the finish time of Cirque (I assume its around 7 or so if you're going to the 5pm show) you might even consider heading all the way down to the bridge to get a close-up view of the fireworks (which is the best place to watch, I think). If so, Kitchenette is on the way, and I think would be fun for all ages!
            Good luck!

            2 Replies
            1. re: Fintastic
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              paulpeople Jun 25, 2011 01:56 PM

              Thanks Fintastic, I called Pied de Couchon and got a table for Friday night, although it's early by Montreal standards, it will work for us ! The bridge sounds like a great place to watch the fireworks, and Kitchenette sounds pretty good, so maybe that will work too ! Thanks for your help !

              1. re: paulpeople
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                Fintastic Jun 26, 2011 06:15 PM

                I hope you enjoy it! Some find that its been a bit hit-and-miss lately, but I think its a place that one should really try (and that I'd have enjoyed at 16 years old).

                Good luck finding a few other places!

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              paulpeople Jun 25, 2011 08:35 AM

              I forgot to mention that the girls are pretty food adventurous ( for teenagers !) so don't hold back !

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