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    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores
    • Leaderboard
    • Editor's Picks
    • New Places

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
    InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin

    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office

      Your cart

      Your cart is empty.

      --°C|Tuesday, June 30, 2026|
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      --°C|Tuesday, June 30, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.Get 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      |
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      EN/FR
      The Main Logo
      Magazine
      Sections
      • Arts & Culture
      • Beyond Montreal
      • Design
      • Food & Drink
      • History Lessons
      • The Bulletin
      Explore
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
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      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
      • Place-Saint-Henri
      • Place-d'Armes
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      • View all
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      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Jean Talon Market

      You can't miss Little Italy: The two arched gateways on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the Italian flags snapping above the storefronts, the smells of bakeries and coffee and restaurants firing up their kitchen. Folks around these parts will either have all the bombast you want, loudly and happily proclaiming that whatever they're delivering is the best in the city, or they'll been quietly confident. Both, it turns out, are very Italian things to do.

      What's easy to underestimate is how much is actually here. The obvious draws are well-earned: the cafés are among the finest in the city, the restaurants range from century-old pizza institutions to Michelin-recognized wine bars, and when the weather's good, it's great on its terrasses. But that's just scratching the surface: Little Italy rewards the curious who go a little deeper, who dip into the shops and spend hours at Jean-Talon Market, or find their way to a bocce game in Dante Park and end up staying longer than planned.

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      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Jean Talon Market

      You can't miss Little Italy: The two arched gateways on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the Italian flags snapping above the storefronts, the smells of bakeries and coffee and restaurants firing up their kitchen. Folks around these parts will either have all the bombast you want, loudly and happily proclaiming that whatever they're delivering is the best in the city, or they'll been quietly confident. Both, it turns out, are very Italian things to do.

      What's easy to underestimate is how much is actually here. The obvious draws are well-earned: the cafés are among the finest in the city, the restaurants range from century-old pizza institutions to Michelin-recognized wine bars, and when the weather's good, it's great on its terrasses. But that's just scratching the surface: Little Italy rewards the curious who go a little deeper, who dip into the shops and spend hours at Jean-Talon Market, or find their way to a bocce game in Dante Park and end up staying longer than planned.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Comments

      Welcome to The Main's comments section!

      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Latest from The Main

      Arts & CultureA Local's Guide to Old MontrealArts & CultureKopa Is Betting on a Different Kind of Padel ClubHistory LessonBefore Jazz Had Festival Stages, It Had CoffeehousesFood & DrinkSample Is a Cocktail Bar Built For SoundNewsletterThe Bulletin: Pinoy Cubanos, Jazz Fest Opens, a Sous-Sol Peruvian Hangout, and a Hochelaga Block Party [Issue #187]
      Follow on Google

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