J.P. Karwacki

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.

LocationMontreal, Quebec
WebsiteSite web

The Best New Cafés in Montreal [April 2026]

Freshly baked cakes, vegan donuts, matcha, coworking destinations, and more.

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [April 2026]

Big expansions for famous spots, Acadian comforts, burgers with pinpoint accuracy, and more.

The Best New Bars in Montreal [March 2026]

An 'old Vegas' dive, a sports bar for women's sports, one big German beer hall, and more.

J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Cafés in Montreal [November 2025]

Specialty roasters, cultural hybrids, gym counters, and metaphysical shops: Here are the 26 best new cafés in Montreal.

J.P. Karwacki

Montreal Lands Two Spots on Air Canada & EnRoute’s Best New Restaurants for 2025

Two local restaurants crack the Top 10 following a strong showing in the long list.

Thom Seivewright

The Design Behind the REM's 14 New Stations, and Changing How Montreal Moves

The expansion adds 14 stations and 33 kilometres to Montreal's light-rail network, connecting the North Shore to the South Shore through downtown for the first time.

J.P. Karwacki

Montreal Pool Room: Serving a City's Hot Dogs for Over a Century

How a Bulgarian immigrant's billiard hall became one of Montreal's most enduring institutions, from pimp steaks to late night eats infamy.

J.P. Karwacki

We Started a Petition to Make Montreal's Ugly Christmas Tree an Annual Tradition

Last year, we wrote about how the city should make the Ugly Tree official. This year, we're actually trying to make it happen.

J.P. Karwacki

Montreal Gets Its First German Beer Hall in 30 Years with Wünderbar

The 3,500-square-foot beer hall on Plaza Saint-Hubert serves Bavarian drinking traditions with liter steins of German imports along long communal tables.

J.P. Karwacki

Brocard Proves Traditional Syrian Food Can Feel Brand New

A young team, an open kitchen, and recipes passed down through generations: Meet Talal Sabbagh's new spot on Saint-Laurent.

J.P. Karwacki

How Monkland Tavern Shaped Montreal's Restaurant Scene Over 30 Years

The NDG institution and best-kept industry secret that helped launch some of Montreal's best chefs.

J.P. Karwacki

Why Empire Thinks it Will Thrive in a Struggling Downtown Core

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.

J.P. Karwacki

Farewell, Valérie Plante: A Letter for Montreal's First Woman Mayor and Her Legacy

You didn't fix everything, but in many key respects, you left Montreal better than you found it.

J.P. Karwacki

When McGill Med Students Went Grave-robbing for Science

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.

J.P. Karwacki

A New City Gateway and Memorial with the Montreal Irish Monument Park

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.

The 41 Best Brunch Spots in Montreal for Long, Lazy Weekends

From greasy spoon classics to elegant all-day affairs—where to eat when the weekend calls.

These Are the Bars We Keep Going Back To

Our guide to the best on offer in Montreal, from cocktail dens to wine bars to our favourite dives.

The 50 Best Restaurants in Montreal Right Now

From boundary-pushing tasting menus to perfected single plates—this is where to eat when it matters.

Benoit Tardif: An Illustrator's Guide to Montreal

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.