J.P. Karwacki
JP Karwacki is the managing editor of The Main. His work has previously appeared in Time Magazine, the Montreal Gazette, Time Out, NUVO, and more.
Montreal, Quebec
Website
From free street festivals to $1,000-a-ticket blowouts, here's where the city comes alive during race week.
From West Island newcomers to decades-old institutions, here's where to take mom out for a good time on May 10, 2026.
On terrasses, vintage shops, horny summer vibes, and drinking beer under the Van Horne bridge.
From Pointe-Claire to Parc La Fontaine, here's where the Mile End Kicks actor eats, drinks, and goes to stay grounded.
![The Best New Cafés in Montreal [April 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Fdc1fb68d70932313a1b633ab8abc651d2b8fbcaf-1080x1350.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
Freshly baked cakes, vegan donuts, matcha, coworking destinations, and more.
![The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [May 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F599b440fae2162a5a76c94fd76f31d7daed6a76c-1080x808.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
Pizza omakase and caviar add-ons, classic Italian comforts, and Bouillon Bilk alumni hit the ground running in the Mile End.
![The Best New Bars in Montreal [April 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Ff3a17cf3bb6b2cdc67ecf4d687685e484cc86a91-1440x960.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
A swish take on the classic pub, an 'old Vegas' dive, a sports bar for women's sports, and more.
Multilingual, weird, and working-class, Plaza St-Hubert is one of the few streets where Montreal’s past and present coexist in a uniquely local way.
A civic monument, a neighbourhood anchor, and a living archive of what Montreal eats since 1933.
The second edition of the SDC Jean-Talon Est’s month-long culinary event celebrates Saint-Léonard’s immigrant cultures through exclusive dishes from 20 local restaurants.
What began as an off-menu experiment at Le Violon is now Mile End’s charming new shop for swirled ice cream.
At Bistro Amerigo and La Spada, the real secret ingredient is who's making it.
The Ville-Marie Expressway cut its city in two. This civic space honouring 21 women with flowers, architecture, and intention stitches it back together.
A near-forgotten movie palace that's outlasted demolition plans, disco dreams, and decades of decline to become one of Montreal’s most resilient cultural landmarks.
There’s a soul of DJing worth preserving that’s getting lost in the algorithm age, says JoJo Flores.
How a 238-year-old industrial legacy is being transformed into a waterfront neighbourhood of urban repair.
Preserved almost exactly as it was, the former H. Fisher & Fils shop offers a rare, tactile glimpse into working-class life and quiet entrepreneurship.
Playing the long game with 14 sandwiches, retro signage, a design to outlast, and boozy slush for the summer.
The Otto team’s newest project fuses precision nigiri, rich yakitori, and sleek design in one spot far enough from downtown to feel like a statement.
From greasy spoon classics to elegant all-day affairs—where to eat when the weekend calls.
Our guide to the best on offer in Montreal, from cocktail dens to wine bars to our favourite dives.
From boundary-pushing tasting menus to perfected single plates—this is where to eat when it matters.
From spots to work and places to print to undercelebrated artistic curios, few people are better to offer a guide to Montreal from an illustrator’s perspective than this enigmatic artist.
