A Delicious Self-Guided Food Tour of Mile End Montreal

Mile End is easily one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Montreal, and definitely one with the best food! I’ve been to Montreal many, many times (lost count). On one visit, my boyfriend and I took a day to go on a little self-made food tour of Mile End Montreal, popping in to our favourite places in the area and discovering a few new ones! I think we’ve perfected the route. This self-guided Mile End Montreal food tour is made up of places where you can get single serving, take-it-to-go type foods while you continue to explore. Smaller servings, more places!

Montreal is an extraordinary city, with a culinary scene as diverse and interesting as the people who live there. Over the course of many visits, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of the best food spots in the Mile End & Plateau Mont Royal areas. This post includes all of my favourite places, a well-planned (and tested) self-guided food tour route, and a map for the entire thing!

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Self-Guided Mile End Montreal Food Tour

I’ll start by saying that if you want to go a guided food tour, then I highly recommend this one with Local Food Tour. I went on it a couple years ago, and it is how I first discovered a couple of my favourite spots! However if you’re feeling like more of a wander-at-your-own pace Montreal food tour, my self-guided tour is for you!

One very important thing: bring cash. Quite a few places on this Montreal food tour do not accept credit or debit.

Guillaume Bakery

Get the morning started at Guillaume Bakery on St Laurent Street. Traditional loaves, delicious scones, and fresh apple turnovers are just some of the options you will find at this modern bakery. I had a chocolate banana scone that to die for. This makes a great first stop in the morning because there’s also a really lovely outdoor seating area. Right next to the Guillaume Bakery is a public space, sponsored by them, with lots of bench for you to sit down and enjoy your first snack of the day.

Café Olimpico

This old-style Italian café is a Mile End tradition, and the perfect spot to stop for your morning coffee. The interior is complete with soccer decor! The coffee is prepared with a secret mix, and Café Olimpico likes to keep things simple. Come summer, there is a beautiful patio so you can sit outside and enjoy the hot weather before carrying on with your exploration of Mile End.

St-Viateur Bagels

St-Viateur is your next stop. They’ve got bagel-making down a science here, and the process is rhythmic. The shop is actually open 24/7 because they’ve learned that’s the best way to maintain the oven at the perfect temperate. Get a couple of whatever is fresh, and eat it right then and there. There is nothing quite like a hot Montreal-style bagel! Get the sesame bagel if it’s fresh.

Dragon Flowers

The next place you’re going does not technically have any food. It’s just really beautiful, and really close by. Dragon Flowers is an infamously beautiful spot in Montreal. The owner of this boutique flower shop hung bird cages and plants down from the windows of her balcony above the shop. It’s stunning, and definitely worth walking past while you’re in Mile End on your Montreal food tour. Besides – more walking, more room for fresh bagels.

Caffè Grazie Mille Fairmount

Enjoy the shade of Waverly street on a walk back towards Fairmount. The interaction of Fairmount and St Urbain is quite possibly the most delicious and perfect food corner in the world – let alone Montreal!

Pop in to Caffé Grazie Mille Fairmount and order an lemonade to cool off with. They’ll serve is up in a jar, pink and with slices of fresh orange and lime. Or, order to go so you can keep exploring – but your next couple stops are just moments away!

Drogheria Fine

My personal favourite, Drogheria Fine is a small, authentic Italian spot where La Salsa de la Nonna pasta sauce is served over homemade gnocchi. This is their speciality, and I’m pretty sure it’s the only thing you can get there. If you’re not sure what gnocchi is (I hadn’t heard of it) it’s a type of pasta made up of soft dough dumplings and stuffed with flavours. It’s been a big day of eating already, so you may want to consider sharing it if you’re doing this Montreal food tour with a friend! And – say yes to cheese. Parmesan on top completes the experience! (Writing this really makes me want to go all the way to Montreal for gnocchi right now).

Kem CoBa

The couple behind Kem Coba decided to call Montreal home after years of travelling around Asia. Lucky for us, because the ice cream at this colourful little place is incredible! One of their signatures is raspberry sorbet and rose ice cream swirl. If they’re serving it the day you visit, I highly recommend it! Really, though, everything is good. They have a good selection of ice creams and sorbets on any given day.

Fairmount Bagel

More bagels? Yep. Always. It’s Montreal! I love the everything bagel’s from Fairmount Bagel. Have another bagel if you’ve got room, but if you’re totally stuffed buy a bag for the road. Fairmount Bagels is really the original bagel bakery – in 1919 Montreal Bagel Bakery opened, Montreal’s first bagel bakery. The owner relocated to Fairmount Street in 1949. New location, same amazing bagels! The bagels are all rolled by hand and baked in an old fashion wood burning oven.

I’ve reconsidered – just walk around the Plateau Mont-Royal area until you’re ready to eat another fresh bagel.

La Panthére Verte

This one is kind of a bonus. It’s on the map (in purple) but I didn’t actually include it as part of the walking tour route. Reason being, I have done this exact route myself and was happily full afterwards. However, La Panthére Verte is the best vegan food and the best falafel in town. I thought you oughta know that it’s there, and it’s an option. They’re got a great house iced tea that you take to go, and the traditional falafel is always delicious. There’s another location close to where my boyfriend lived during a summer internship that I would walk to for lunch all the time!

Mile End Montreal Food Tour Map

Here’s the full map and my suggested route! Start your morning at Guillaume Bakery, and end at Fairmount Bagels. This food tour will take you about 1.5-2 hours, with a walking time of about 30 minutes.

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