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.
A young team, an open kitchen, and recipes passed down through generations: Meet Talal Sabbagh's new spot on Saint-Laurent.
The NDG institution and best-kept industry secret that helped launch some of Montreal's best chefs.
Phil Grisé is opening a 26,000-square-foot skate shop in a building Archambault couldn't hold on to —because to him, physical retail isn't dead, it just needs to be worth the trip.
You didn't fix everything, but in many key respects, you left Montreal better than you found it.
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.
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.
Preserving the Plateau's Tex-Mex institution means proving yourself every single night.
Two new parties trying to crack Montreal's 2025 election with grassroots outreach and Discord servers instead of establishment war chests.
No reservations, only walk-ins, a wall of natty wines, taxes and tips included, and a barstool for an anchor.
Jake Greenberg turned a pandemic side hustle into a Jewish deli centred on house-smoked fish, knishes, and a neighbourhood his family's been serving for generations.
Guthrie Drake and Alina Byrne built their dance community on borrowed time, clandestine spaces, and the belief that range matters more than genre.
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.
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.
