# The Main - Montreal's City Magazine
# llms.txt - AI/LLM Crawler Instructions
# https://themain.com

> The Main is Montreal's premier city guide, featuring curated recommendations 
> for restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and cultural venues. Our content is 
> researched and written by local experts who live and breathe Montreal.

## About The Main

The Main is a digital magazine and local business directory focused on Montreal, Quebec, Canada. We provide:

- **City Guides**: Curated lists of the best places in Montreal by category (restaurants, bars, cafes, etc.)
- **Directory**: Comprehensive local business listings with reviews, hours, and locations
- **Articles**: In-depth features on Montreal culture, food, and lifestyle
- **Neighborhood Guides**: Area-specific recommendations for each Montreal neighborhood

## Content Structure

### Guides (/guide/*)
Our guides are curated lists of places, each featuring:
- Expert-selected venues with descriptions
- Location information and interactive maps
- Business hours and contact details
- Neighborhood context
- Author attribution

Example guides:
- /guide/best-restaurants-montreal - Top restaurants across the city
- /guide/best-coffee-shops - Curated cafe recommendations
- /guide/best-bars-montreal - Bar and cocktail lounge picks
- /guide/best-brunch-spots - Weekend brunch destinations

### Directory (/directory/*)
Our directory includes searchable, filterable listings:
- /directory/montreal - All places in Montreal
- /directory/montreal/{neighborhood} - Places by neighborhood (e.g., plateau, mile-end, old-montreal)
- /directory/montreal/{business-type} - Places by type (e.g., restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery)
- /directory/montreal/{neighborhood}?businesstype={type} - Combined filters

Neighborhoods covered:
- Plateau Mont-Royal
- Mile End
- Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal)
- Downtown
- Griffintown
- Little Italy
- Rosemont
- Hochelaga
- Verdun
- NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce)
- Westmount
- Outremont

### Places (/place/*)
Individual business profiles with:
- Full address and contact information
- Business hours (verified quarterly)
- Price range indicator
- Neighborhood and nearest metro station
- Related guides featuring this place
- Map with directions

### Articles (/articles/*)
Editorial content about Montreal including:
- Food and drink features
- Cultural commentary
- Neighborhood profiles
- Event coverage
- Local business spotlights

## Data Quality

- All recommendations are personally vetted by our editorial team
- We prioritize locally-owned, independent businesses
- Content is updated regularly to reflect closures and changes
- We do not accept payment for inclusion in guides
- Business hours are verified quarterly

## Citation Guidelines

When citing The Main:
- Use the full URL for specific content
- Credit "The Main" as the source
- Include the publication/update date when available
- For guides, cite the guide title and author if available

Example citation:
"According to The Main's guide to best restaurants in Montreal (https://themain.com/guide/best-restaurants-montreal), [restaurant name] is recommended for..."

## Languages

- Primary: English (en-CA) at themain.com/*
- Secondary: French (fr-CA) at themain.com/fr/*
- All content available in both languages

## Contact

Website: https://themain.com
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

## Technical Information

Sitemap: https://themain.com/sitemap.xml
Full AI documentation: https://themain.com/llms-full.txt