The Main x URBANIA: An offbeat guide to Montreal

Read the URBANIA x The Main Micromag

URBANIA and The Main (hello! 👋) have put their heads together to crack open Montreal beyond the postcard clichés for a very special 120th issue of their Micromag, a weekly digital magazine of exclusive content (check out this and past issues here):

Forget the same tired “best-of” lists: This time, it's a fast-paced, no-fluff guide made for anyone who wants to see the city the way locals actually live it. This is about dodging the lineups at spots like Banquise and L’Avenue and finding the late-night counters, side-street dives, and corner stores where Montreal’s real culture hides in plain sight.

Think of it as a bilingual buddy comedy disguised as a travel guide: Over one day, one duo—Jean Bourbeau from URBANIA and The Main's managing editor J.P. Karwacki, each from either side of the city’s cultural coin—hit the streets for a whirlwind tour that sets the tone for the whole thing.

Between pit stops and punchlines, you’ll also get sharp detours, an etiquette lesson (yes, stand right on the escalator), and the kind of local intel that doesn’t show up on Google Maps. Quick-hit videos meet text, maps, and readers' picks—all stitched together like compelling group chat.

Let's get into it.

Table of contents

The best spots according to The Main & URBANIA

Here’s a map for people who like their recommendations with a little more context and a lot less crowd control. From late-night diners and hidden viewpoints to low-key wine bars and legal graffiti tunnels, every spot in this URBANIA x The Main Micromag lives a little off the main drag—figuratively and literally.

A detour guide to Montreal: Alternate routes to take

Everybody flocks to the icons—Schwartz’s, La Banquise, Old Montreal. But what if you took the scenic route instead? This guide sidesteps the lineups and leans into the lesser-known: diners with history, neighbourhoods with soul, and views that aren’t already on a thousand postcards.

A quick guide to Montreal etiquette

Follow this and people will think your mom gave birth to you at Schwartz’s during a Habs power play. Montreal will welcome you with open arms, a bit of side-eye, and one unspoken rule: don’t be a dick. This no-bullshit guide runs through the basics of achieveing that.

The best burgers in Montreal

Whether you’re craving a no-nonsense classic, a triple-stack fever dream, or a brisket-laced, foie-gras-topped monstrosity, this map has you covered. We’ve tracked down the city’s best burgers—smash-style, diner-style, halal, kosher, gourmet, griddle-seared, flame-grilled—each one worth the trip and the nap that follows.

The best dive bars in Montreal

This one’s for the night owls, shift workers, heartbreak survivors, karaoke screamers, and pool table philosophers. We mapped out the city’s best dive bars—those gloriously unpolished watering holes where the lights are low, the pours are heavy, and nobody cares what you do for a living.

The best strip clubs in Montreal

Montreal didn’t just inherit its strip club rep—it earned it, one tassel twirl and late-night lap dance at a time. This map spans the full spectrum: downtown institutions, Village icons, queer cabarets, suburban legends, and velvet-draped spots that walk the line between sensuality and spectacle.

Out there (in a good way): Quietly essential Montreal neighbourhoods

They don’t make the usual lists, but maybe that’s the point: In these three neighbourhoods, you’ll find lakeside breezes, regreened quarries and landfills, smoked meat passed through trap doors, and a circus tent hiding in plain sight. They’re not trying to be cool—they just are. Curious? You should be.

A perfect Saturday night with: DJ Hidi (Hideyuki Imaizumi)

For DJ HIDI, Saturday night is a sensory playlist—starting with sushi and coleslaw, passing through dance floors at just the right BPM, and winding down with burgers, hot dogs, or a perfectly timed L’Express blessing. It’s less about hitting spots and more about catching a vibe.

A perfect Saturday night with: PONY

For multidisciplinary artist PONY, the night unfolds like one of her illustrations—offbeat, heartfelt, and full of unexpected turns. From beer slushies on the Canal to $10 martinis and late-night wanderings, it’s a route that ends somewhere between the dancefloor and the riverbank.

A perfect Saturday night with: Catherine St-Laurent

For Catherine St-Laurent, Montreal is the ultimate wingman—romantic, unpredictable, and always down for one more drink. She shares the spots she keeps coming back to—and one place that cures it all the next morning.