What will happen to 128 years of Chinatown history when Wing Noodles closes?
Arts & Culture

What will happen to 128 years of Chinatown history when Wing Noodles closes?

As Montreal's oldest fortune cookie factory shuts down after 128 years, a secret salvaged archive holds the blueprint for what could keep its memory alive.

By J.P. Karwacki

Montreal's City Magazine

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Mason Persaud

The steamie is an ugly and weird hot dog. It's also essential to Montreal food culture.

We built this city's culinary history and fuelled its nights out with this soggy, unphotogenic icon.

Old Port's free New Year's Eve celebration Grand Minuit is back for a midnight countdown to 2026

Old Port's free New Year's Eve celebration Grand Minuit is back for a midnight countdown to 2026

The Old Port's free New Year's celebration returns with Patrick Watson, Pierre Kwenders, and others leading up to a midnight countdown.

The Main

Where to party and dine during  New Year's Eve in Montreal

Where to party and dine during New Year's Eve in Montreal

It's New Year's Eve in Montreal: A massive guide to the top NYE dinners and parties from dozens of restaurants and clubs.

The Main

What to watch during the holidays according to Montreal's Cinema Moderne

What to watch during the holidays according to Montreal's Cinema Moderne

Curated by the team behind a tiny-but-mighty Mile End cinema's programming that goes far beyond the usual suspects.

J.P. Karwacki

Jonathan Cheung's holiday gift guide to cookbooks and kitchen essentials

Jonathan Cheung's holiday gift guide to cookbooks and kitchen essentials

Montreal's cookbook shop owner knows what works in a home kitchen. Here's what he says you should gift this year.

J.P. Karwacki

The Directory

A guide to the very best of Montreal, curated by our editors and the voices we feature in our stories.

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Arts & Culture

Exploring Montreal's vibrant arts scene

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Where to party and dine during  New Year's Eve in Montreal
The Main

Where to party and dine during New Year's Eve in Montreal

It's New Year's Eve in Montreal: A massive guide to the top NYE dinners and parties from dozens of restaurants and clubs.

What to watch during the holidays according to Montreal's Cinema Moderne
J.P. Karwacki

What to watch during the holidays according to Montreal's Cinema Moderne

Curated by the team behind a tiny-but-mighty Mile End cinema's programming that goes far beyond the usual suspects.

What will happen to 128 years of Chinatown history when Wing Noodles closes?
J.P. Karwacki

What will happen to 128 years of Chinatown history when Wing Noodles closes?

As Montreal's oldest fortune cookie factory shuts down after 128 years, a secret salvaged archive holds the blueprint for what could keep its memory alive.

Cinéma du Musée has become Montreal's classroom for film

Cinéma du Musée has become Montreal's classroom for film

Teejay Bhalla links film history, museum exhibitions, and current events to create a distinctive screening program on the Montreal scene.

The 2026 edition of Montréal en Lumière will dig deep into the city's culinary archives
The Main

The 2026 edition of Montréal en Lumière will dig deep into the city's culinary archives

This year's festival centres on "A Taste of History," with chefs revisiting 65 years of Montreal dining.

Things to do in Montreal this December
The Main

Things to do in Montreal this December

The best things to do in Montreal during December fill the calendar with ballet, punk rock, immersive art, and more than enough holiday spirit.

M for Montreal is where the whole world heard it first
Kaitlyn DiBartolo

M for Montreal is where the whole world heard it first

The festival has been turning Montreal's restless creative energy into international careers for 20 years, and it's nowhere near slowing down.

Edward Hillel's new book offers a rare then-and-now look at an iconic Montreal street
J.P. Karwacki

Edward Hillel's new book offers a rare then-and-now look at an iconic Montreal street

Nearly 40 years after his landmark book helped designate The Main as a heritage site, Edward Hillel returns with a layered portrait of memory, time, and urban change.

Beyond Montreal

Discover what lies beyond the city

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How cold-climate wine is made at David McMillan's Hayfield Farm vineyard
Scott Usheroff

How cold-climate wine is made at David McMillan's Hayfield Farm vineyard

Following the Joe Beef co-founder through two days of cold-climate viticulture harvests where hospitality takes the form of al fresco meals, crushed grapes underfoot, and relentless labour.

The mystery of white sauce poutine
Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

The mystery of white sauce poutine

A deep dive into the belly of the Outaouais.

Firing ceramics by hand in the Laurentians with the pottery collective Goregama
J.P. Karwacki

Firing ceramics by hand in the Laurentians with the pottery collective Goregama

Ancient technique, unpredictability, and slow, communal craft: Goregama has gathered twice a year since 2019 to feed wood into an anagama kiln for 40 hours straight.

Baie Saint-Paul might be your best bet for a weekend escape in Quebec
Daniel Bromberg

Baie Saint-Paul might be your best bet for a weekend escape in Quebec

From farm fields to natural wine, Baie-Saint-Paul makes the case for a quick pause away from it all.

In search of happiness in Saint-Eustache
Hugo Meunier @ URBANIA

In search of happiness in Saint-Eustache

From flea markets to pickleball courts, a reporter retraces his roots to find out why Saint-Eustache is suddenly among Quebec’s happiest cities.

Old Habits fish sauce from Vancouver Island is true Canadian umami
J.P. Karwacki

Old Habits fish sauce from Vancouver Island is true Canadian umami

Nathan Gawalko left high-end restaurants across the world to bottle ancient traditions of fish, salt, and time on British Columbia's coast.

Maine's Cutty Sark Motel is just what the doctor ordered
Theresa St John

Maine's Cutty Sark Motel is just what the doctor ordered

A coastal escape where every room has ocean views.

Meet the new custodians of Aux 2 Clochers, an Eastern Townships institution of 35 years
J.P. Karwacki

Meet the new custodians of Aux 2 Clochers, an Eastern Townships institution of 35 years

When Montreal veterans end up with the keys to a local legend of the region they call home.

Design

Architecture, interiors, and visual culture

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Ivy Studio is shaping Montreal's visual identity from the inside out
Lili Monette-Crépô

Ivy Studio is shaping Montreal's visual identity from the inside out

Always in collaboration with local craftspeople, this nimble design firm creates immersive commercial spaces designed for that ineffable 'wow' factor.

The design behind the REM's 14 new stations, and changing how Montreal moves
Thom Seivewright

The design behind the REM's 14 new stations, and changing how Montreal moves

The expansion adds 14 stations and 33 kilometres to Montreal's light-rail network, connecting the North Shore to the South Shore through downtown for the first time.

A new city gateway and memorial with the Montreal Irish Monument Park
J.P. Karwacki

A new city gateway and memorial with the Montreal Irish Monument Park

An incoming commemorative park design makes the Black Rock accessible for the first time with public space honouring 6,000 Irish famine victims and the Montrealers who tried to save them.

There’s a reason why this fashion runway was out in the cold
The Main

There’s a reason why this fashion runway was out in the cold

It was chill: ROYALMOUNT’s Urban Park hosted eight brands and a live Milk & Bone set.

Inside the New Chabanel workshop of Montreal designer Finkel'
J.P. Karwacki

Inside the New Chabanel workshop of Montreal designer Finkel'

Daniel Finkelstein's anti-ego approach to design is what makes his work in restaurants, retail, and beyond authentic to their purpose.

Will Crosson's critical approach to Canadiana through fashion
Elizabeth McLellan

Will Crosson's critical approach to Canadiana through fashion

The Montreal designer creating thoughtful garments that critically engage with Canadian landscapes, histories, and identity.

The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom
Anahi Pellathy

The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom

Avenir Vert's Olivia Donahue turned thrift store finds and teenage entrepreneurship into British Vogue features—all while refusing to compromise on a sustainable vision.

A fictional designer of very real experiences
J.P. Karwacki

A fictional designer of very real experiences

André Brown doesn't exist per se, but the branding created under that name shows how hospitality can think differently about storytelling, atmosphere, and emotional design.

Food & Drink

The best of Montreal's culinary scene

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The steamie is an ugly and weird hot dog. It's also essential to Montreal food culture.
Mason Persaud

The steamie is an ugly and weird hot dog. It's also essential to Montreal food culture.

We built this city's culinary history and fuelled its nights out with this soggy, unphotogenic icon.

After three years, Bonheur d'Occasion is closing—but there's more to come
The Main

After three years, Bonheur d'Occasion is closing—but there's more to come

The acclaimed Notre-Dame West bistro serves its final plates December 20, with a new project on the horizon.

Numéro's brutalist bar wants to serve your next post-shift martini
J.P. Karwacki

Numéro's brutalist bar wants to serve your next post-shift martini

Walk-ins and reservations share a warm welcome in this highly customized space, and it's got the menu to match.

At long last, David McMillan and Derek Dammann open their West Island restaurant Grille-Nature
J.P. Karwacki

At long last, David McMillan and Derek Dammann open their West Island restaurant Grille-Nature

The former Joe Beef co-owner and ex-Maison Publique chef debut their farm-and-chef-driven restaurant out in Dollard-Des Ormeaux.

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]
J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]

A Montreal take on a Scottish tavern, famed chefs jump back into action with a new project, a fresh Italian hangout in Westmount, and more.

Miracle's maximalist Christmas bar is back in Old Montreal after three years
J.P. Karwacki

Miracle's maximalist Christmas bar is back in Old Montreal after three years

The tinsel-drenched holiday pop-up returns with floor-to-ceiling decor, seasonal cocktails, Christmas Karaoke, and collectible glassware.

Old Montreal gets an intimate speakeasy for Peruvian dining with the arrival of Mezcla
The Main

Old Montreal gets an intimate speakeasy for Peruvian dining with the arrival of Mezcla

Chef Marcel Larrea resurrects the restaurant that put him on the map seven years ago, this time hidden inside Capisco with a blind tasting menu and full creative control.

You can always rely on this Moroccan-French café
J.P. Karwacki

You can always rely on this Moroccan-French café

Nili's the opposite of fine dining: a tiny Mile End spot with Moroccan home cooking, twice-a-week prices, and the feeling of a café you can reliably drop into.

History Lesson

Stories from Montreal's past

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The Gothic Montreal mansion where the CIA broke minds with LSD and electroshock
J.P. Karwacki

The Gothic Montreal mansion where the CIA broke minds with LSD and electroshock

The Ravenscrag manor housed the Allan Memorial Institute, where patients seeking help became victims of Cold War experiments.

Get to the heart of Montreal's Latino communities through a single grocery store
J.P. Karwacki

Get to the heart of Montreal's Latino communities through a single grocery store

For decades, Sabor Latino's been the gravitational centre for Montreal's Latino communities.

Ruby Foo's was an absolute legend of a Chinese restaurant
J.P. Karwacki

Ruby Foo's was an absolute legend of a Chinese restaurant

From its 1945 opening to a 1984 closure and its present-day hotel, the Décarie Boulevard institution was where Montreal went to see and be seen.

Montreal Pool Room: Serving a city's hot dogs for over a century
J.P. Karwacki

Montreal Pool Room: Serving a city's hot dogs for over a century

How a Bulgarian immigrant's billiard hall became one of Montreal's most enduring institutions, from pimp steaks to late night eats infamy.

NDG's Empress Theatre survived a century of change. Can it survive neglect?
Kaitlyn DiBartolo

NDG's Empress Theatre survived a century of change. Can it survive neglect?

Montreal's last (and Canada's only) Egyptian Revival movie palace reinvented itself for decades. Now it's been empty for 33 years.

When McGill med students went grave-robbing for science
J.P. Karwacki

When McGill med students went grave-robbing for science

The law demanded they learn anatomy but made dissection illegal, so for nearly a century, stolen corpses were tobogganed down Mount Royal to a folk hero janitor who paid cash, no questions asked.

How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau
Phylida Tuff-West

How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau

From postwar migration to piri piri chicken, Azorean immigrants transformed an iconic Montreal neighbourhood with enduring community.

How 24 Stanley Cups turned the Montreal Canadiens into a religion
The Main

How 24 Stanley Cups turned the Montreal Canadiens into a religion

From dynasty to drought: a brief-ish look at the making of Montreal's most devotional sports franchise.

MONTREAL CITY GUIDES

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All of the best smoked meat in Montreal, mapped
The Main

All of the best smoked meat in Montreal, mapped

From legendary old-school delis to new-guard smokers working at full tilt, here's where to find the city's best brisket.

The best Spanish restaurants in Montreal
The Main

The best Spanish restaurants in Montreal

Cava and croquetas, pinxtos, tapas, paella, jamón—here’s where Montreal gets its Spanish fix.

Where to drink during RAW WINE in Montreal
The Main

Where to drink during RAW WINE in Montreal

Where growers, makers, and drinkers of low-intervention, organic, biodynamic, and natural wines will want to drop in for a bottle (or two).

The best Montreal café terrasses to slow down and savour
The Main

The best Montreal café terrasses to slow down and savour

Sip coffee and soak up the sun at these cozy café terrasses, from hidden gardens to lively sidewalks.

Escape to the best beaches in and around Montreal
The Main

Escape to the best beaches in and around Montreal

Summer getaways, easy day trips, and urban retreats—these are the top spots on and near the island for swimming and sunbathing this summer

The best dumplings in Montreal, from Chinatown OGs to young guns
The Main

The best dumplings in Montreal, from Chinatown OGs to young guns

From no-frills Chinese classics to innovative fusion flavours, these are Montreal’s top spots for fried, steamed, and soup dumplings.

These are the oldest restaurants in Montreal
The Main

These are the oldest restaurants in Montreal

Still serving after all these years: A tour through the institutions that fed generations and helped define Montreal’s food identity.

Brendan King Edwards of The Word's favourite things in Milton-Parc
The Main

Brendan King Edwards of The Word's favourite things in Milton-Parc

A neighbourhood insider’s tour of the secondhand stacks, family-run restaurants, and enduring staples that make Milton-Parc feel like home.

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