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Start at St Patrick’s Basilica (corner of rue St-Alexandre and blvd RenéLévesque Ouest) to explore the nave of this wonderful church, then take rue de la Gauchetière east across to ave Viger. Notice the beautiful Chinese lantern streetlights while you continue on to the bargain shops, dim sum restaurants, fresh produce markets and herbal stores. Go down St-Urbain to the Holiday Inn Select Montréal Centre-Ville (99 ave Viger Ouest • Map K2) to the second-floor Jardins Chinois – a superb stop for a quiet drink.

Exit the hotel, turn right back on to rue de la Gauchetière, turn right again, then continue to boulevard St-Laurent, the heart of Chinatown and the main street dividing Montréal into east and west. Make your way to rue St-Denis and turn left. You will now have an opportunity to savor the effervescence of the Quartier-Latin and succumb to the boutiques, restaurants, bistros and cafés. Enter the stunning Bibliothèque Nationale (1700 rue St-Denis ) to see the stained-glass ceilings. Continue north to Carré St-Louis, the center of the quarter with a distinctly French ambiance. Beautiful belle époque homes abound in this area, especially on avenue Laval.

Continue the French theme for lunch on the terrace of Café Cherrier (see Café Cherrier).

The best weinerschnitzel , fondue, goulash and strudel in the city. The Heidi Room can be booked for group celebrations.

A sensational martini bar with lava lamps and a rotation of live music acts covering jazz, blues, soul, reggae and world music to set your feet in motion on the dance floor.

A well known bar popular with university students as the perfect place to party. Contemporary music inside and a massive outdoor garden make for an ideal night out.

This bustling French bistro has one of the best terraces in Montréal which makes its weekend brunches quite a social event.

Fabulous seafood risotto, and sardines grilled in the finest Portuguese tradition.

Popular with the university crowd, this Asian café is famous for its shrimp soup and spring rolls.

This award-winning center opened in 1979 to build public awareness about architecture within society; it promotes scholarly research in the field and stimulates innovation in design practice. Its collections, housed in two buildings, one of which is the restored 1874 Shaughnessy House, include models, drawings and photographs of some of the world’s most important buildings. Do not miss the gardens across the street.

Reminiscent of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the cathedral was built in the 19th century to service the local Catholic community. It continues to attract visitors and residents, not least because of outstanding architectural features such as the neo-Baroque copper and gold baldachin above the altarpiece. This grand lady remains firmly at the heart of Montréal’s Downtown activity.

A light-filled glass cavern forms the entrance to this multilayered shopping mall. Inside are restaurants, shops and six cinemas.