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.
After two decades of wage theft and rip-offs, a Montreal illustrator pens a tactical guide to defending creative work.
Less sports history and more like grief counseling, the Netflix documentary explains why a city still wears the logo of a defunct baseball team 20 years after they disappeared— feels session.
After spending summers perfecting a New York-style pizza recipe for festivals' backstages, the Elena team is opening a corner slice shop in Griffintown.
Four strangers, Italian-Canadian roots, a once-risky Griffintown corner, and building a busy corner through a pandemic, as told by Tyler Maher
Daniel Finkelstein's anti-ego approach to design is what makes his work in restaurants, retail, and beyond authentic to their purpose.
Two former engineers custom-built sterilizers, coded their own automation software, and now supply 700 pounds of fungi weekly to Montreal's top kitchens—all within a 10-kilometer radius.
After four decades of tradition, Montreal's own Hong Kong-style diner is betting that better hospitality can help revive the neighbourhood.
The process can be a time suck at Thea Bryson's Saint-Henri sandwich shop, but that's the point—her bakery's slow-craft approach gets applied to grab-and-go food, and it gets results.
Joe Lima's massive woodblocks—some over six feet tall—sculpt shadow and illumination into surreal architectural spaces that blur printmaking and sculpture.
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.
The former Joe Beef co-owner and ex-Maison Publique chef plan to debut a place in Dollard-des-Ormeaux that can “feed everyone (with) true hospitality” in November 2025.
Breakglass Studios started with dumpster-dived CBC equipment and ultra-cheap rent. 20 years later, it's expanding into a full creative ecosystem with a record label and immersive installations.
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.
