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Markets

Montreal has four markets where farmers sell their produce directly, sometimes by the bushel, and you can also get all kinds of meat, cheese, fish and just about anything else. It can be a little pricey, but the quality is excellent. Marché Atwater 138 Atwater (metro Lionel-Groulx), Marché Jean-Talon 7075 Casgrain (metro Jean-Talon), Marché Maisonneuve 4375 Ontario E. (metro Pie-IX) and Marché Saint-Jacques 1125 Ontario E. (metro Berri-UQAM). Open Mon-Wed 7am-6pm, Thu-Fri 7am-9pm, weekends 7am-5pm. (Most of these markets have indoor quarters that remain open all winter.)

Ethnic foods

If your idea of international cuisine extends beyond macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles and french fries, then you're in good company. Montrealers love staying in for great food as much as they love going out for it. The key to success is finding the right ingredients, which is often simply knowing which area of Montreal to shop in.

Chinatown is an obvious place to start when looking for Oriental goods; there are countless groceries and speciality shops between Viger, St-Denis, René-Lévesque and St-Urbain, and you can even try out ginseng and other 2,000-year-old herbal treatments. Authentic Japanese products can be found at Miyamoto, 382 Victoria (481-1952).

If you need some good provolone and prosciutto for an antipasto, then a trip to Little Italy is in order. Many fully stocked groceries, butchers and cheese shops can be found along St-Laurent a few blocks south of Jean-Talon, with plenty of places to stop for an espresso along the way. Towards the West Island is the National Cheese Factory Outlet, which sells meats and olive oil as well as a huge selection of cheeses, but the public is allowed in Saturdays only. 9001 Salley, LaSalle (364-5353).

St-Laurent Boulevard between Pine and Mont-Royal is Montreal's United Nations of grocery shopping. The neighbourhood is predominantly Portuguese, but you will find Latin American food/music/newspaper stores, Eastern European delis, kosher and Middle Eastern shops side by side. A Saturday shopping experience not to be missed.

There is no shortage of Greek restaurants in Montreal. A few places to shop for kalamata olives, feta cheese and baklava include Athina at 375 Bernard W. (279-4010), Mimosa at 769 Jean-Talon W. (271-2432), Delta Supermarket, 690 Jean-Talon W. (273-6511), and a great bakery/café called Navarino at 5563 du Parc (279-7725).

Other specialty food stores include Les Aliments Exotiques (6695 Victoria) for West Indian products, Adonis (9590 l'Acadie, 382-8606) is a good bet for Middle Eastern fare, and don't try going to either Kosher City (4765 Van Horne, 733-2838) or the Kosher Quality Bakery (5855 Victoria, 731-7883) after sundown on Friday. You can find the world pour emporter at Le Faubourg Ste-Catherine in the heart of downtown. 1616 Ste-Catherine W., 939-3663. Across the street is Marché Almanar (1631 St-Catherine W., 938-8533) specializing in East Indian foodstuffs.

Cheap Eats

If you're the type who likes to eat out despite your less-than-luxurious budget, and you have the good sense to steer clear of the major synthetic fast food chains, Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli have put together a book just for you. It's called Cheap Thrills and is published by Véhicule Press (©1998 edition). Inside, you'll find nearly 100 listings of Montreal restos where you can eat for under $10.

The following list of restaurants is by no means inclusive, and gives preference to those in or near student neighbourhoods.

Amelio's An institution in the McGill Ghetto for 25 years. Their specialities are pizza and pastas served in generous portions and comfortable surroundings. 201 Milton, 845-8396

Binerie Mont-Royale 1940s-style diner where you can eat like a lumberjack. Very small place with cheap, homey, meat-oriented food. 367 Mont-Royal E., 285-9078

Caffé Electra Cozy Italian panini place where the delicious sandwiches are made with fresh ingredients and prepared with great care. 24 Pins E., 288-0853

Café Presto Offers homestyle Italian cooking in heart of downtown, which is a rarity. Great prices. 1244 Stanley, 879-5877

Café Santropol Unique setting, ideal for reading, writing term papers or just procrastinating. Filling sandwiches with exotic ingredients and hearty soups. Beautiful garden in back when the weather's nice. 1% of all profits goes to charity. 3990 St-Urbain, 842-3110

Chez Gasté Montreal's only Tibetan restaurant offers exotic food from the "Roof of the World," at low-altitude prices. 317 Ontario E., 985-2494

Cosmos Specializing in breakfast, it's no fuss and plenty of greasy, tasty muss. 5843 Sherbrooke W., 486-3814

Cristal de Saigon This Vietnamese diner is often packed with an assortment of local Chinatown residents and visitors. Disarmingly inexpensive, the meal-sized Tonkinoise soups contain all the necessary life-sustaining ingredients. 1068 St-Laurent, 875-4275

Le Faubourg Technically speaking it's a mall, but their international 3rd floor food-court has a few gems, including Bangkok, a Thai delight, and Bedouin's House, which offers North African food. (see Ethnic Foods for address)

Jardin du Cari Simple East and West Indian menu is not extensive but offers some delicious bargains. Try the rotis and potato balls. 21 St-Viateur W., 495-0565

Just Noodles New addition to the local scene, this noodle emporium lets you watch your food being prepared. Very fresh and a good deal. 2061 Ste-Catherine W., 989-5826; 355 Bernard W., 274-7452

Mazurka Like having a home-cooked meal prepared by Polish relatives. Family-run restaurant has been around since the '60s. The $5 special is a bargain. 64 Prince-Arthur E., 844-3539

La Paryse Enjoy one of the best burgers in town, in comfortable neo-retro surroundings. 302 Ontario E., 842-2040

Rosie's This snack-bar is a well-kept secret offering simple hearty food and selections for vegetarians. 3655 St-Laurent (at the back), no phone #.

Schwartz's Legendary. Generally considered the best smoked meat sandwich in town. The tables are crammed together, the waiters are often surly and line-ups aren't uncommon, but regulars will swear it's all worth it. 3895 St-Laurent, 842-4813

Willensky's Light Lunch Where Mordecai Richler hung out as a kid. This 60-year-old institution is famous for its hand-pumped sodas, rickety wooden stools, and "The Special." Closes early and is never open on the weekend. 34 Fairmount W., 271-0247

Vegetarian Restos

Cafe les Entretiens A small café that has a large menu with a variety of salads and a table d'hôte every day. 1577 Laurier E. (Near Papineau), 521-2934

Chu Chai An all-vegetarian Thai restaurant. 4088 St-Denis, 843-4194

Le Commensal A tasty variety of foods, but be aware that you will pay for it by the gram. 1720 St-Denis (845-2627), 1204 McGill College (871-1480), and seven other locations.

Cuisine Chez Soi Unique concept all-you-can-eat place. Open from 5 to 7 every night, with one selection per day at $4.75, all included. 421 Marie-Anne E., 847-7598

Optimum Totally organic. 2090 Union, 843-8940

Pushap Exotic Indian fare including lotus root and baked goods. 5195 Paré (Namur metro), 737-4527. Also at 11991 Gouin W., 683-0556

Végé-Deli Sandwiches, salads. 845 Ste-Catherine E, 287-3564

Health food stores

à votre santé aliments naturels As well-stocked as any good grocery, except everything's organic. 5126 Sherbrooke W., 482-8233

Bio etcétéra Produce includes organic vegetables and wheatgrass. 4660 St-Laurent, 849-4118

Club Organic Specializes in organically raised vegetables, some meats, and sells bulk foods. 4341 Frontenac, 523-0223

Fleur Sauvage Also has cosmetics, supplements, herbs. 5561 Monkland, 482-5193

Frenco Bulk food with vitamins, herbs and spices and some organic foods. 3985 St-Laurent, 285-1319.

Kilo-Naturel 201 St-Viateur, 278-2377

Optimum 630 Sherbrooke W (845-1015), also runs an organic restaurant around the corner at 2090 Union.

Rachelle Berry Best tofu selection this side of Chinatown. Organic foods, cosmetics and vitamins. 505 Rachel E., 524-0725; 2510 Beaubien E., 727-2327; 1366 Ontario E., 525-2215; 4660 St-Laurent, 849-4118

Sesame 5550 Sherbrooke W., 488-9886

Tau Carries a lot of rare and hard-to-find organic produce. Also has a great selection of cold drinks. 4238 St-Denis, 843-4420

Teva 5143 Décarie, 486-5542

Study-friendly cafés

A.L. Van Houtte (Stanley & Sherbrooke) This is one of the chain's more versatile locations, in McGill's "Golden Mile" (large dining room, multiple access, extended business hours). It's nestled in a largely student-populated neighbourhood and offers specials for students, coffee cards and affordable lunch combos. Licensed. Non-smoking section. 1155 Sherbrooke W., 288-6207

Café Vienne (Guy & de Maisonneuve) Café Vienne seems to have cornered a piece of all the major students districts in Montreal. This location is the head office for its other 11 outlets on the island. It has student specials and a sunny terrasse when the weather permits. Smoking. 7am-9pm. 2155 Guy, 932-4832

Ciné Express (Ste-Catherine & St-Marc) This 24-hour café-resto-bar comes complete with comfy couches and screens Concordia and Dawson students' film shorts. Frequently hosts art exhibitions and stand-up comedy. You can also stop by and see The Simpsons or Seinfeld on the big screen daily. A nightly movie rounds out their schedule. Chess, too! Licensed, with student specials. Smoking. 1926 Ste-Catherine W., 939-CINE

Croissant Royal (St-Laurent & Guilbault) Red-eye special! This busy late-night nicotine haven on the Main is a great place to settle down with a book when you simply have to smoke away exam anxieties. Distractions may come in the form of a steady crowd coming in off the street or the food counter which supplies more than your average café fare. 3685 St-Laurent, 288-9515

Second Cup (du Parc & Milton) Unlike the above, Second Cup enforces a strict no-smoking policy, with a few exceptions made for Montreal's sizable smoking population; namely the 24-hour café in the McGill Ghetto, which has a lot of terrasse space that transforms itself into a heated smoking section in the winter months. 3498 du Parc, 288-2903

Tim Horton (Guy & de Maisonneuve) Students from Ontario will be happy to recognize "un ami sur la route"­it's on the way to Concordia and it's the only downtown Tim's. The location has been so successful that an adjoining store was bought out to furnish a separate dining room, this one for the non-smokers. A load of newspapers are free for perusing in each of the rooms. 24 hours. 2081 Guy, 935-1942

Cybercafés

Le Café Électronique This establishment not only houses a large selection of French food, soups and salads, it hosts 40 on-line computers. Net access is $8.50/hour, $5.55/half-hour or you can purchase a card worth 8 half-hour blocks for $36 ($4.50/half hour.) 405 St-Sulpice, 849-2858

CyberMonde is an electronic exhibition featuring new multi-media fare by international artists; the landmark establishment is directly attached to the café. Additional admission fee. 85 St-Paul W., 849-1887

Website Cafe If you live in the West Island, this is your web café. 60 Ste-Anne, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, 457-1661

Cyberia An intimate environment with inexpensive snacks such as cakes, sandwiches, salads and pizza. Net access is 15¢/minute for a minimum of 15 minutes. You can, however buy chunks of time for a reduced cost: $8/hour for 3 hours, $7/hour for 5 hours, $6/hour for 10 hours, $5/ hour for 20 hours or more... Check out some of their games, too. 30 Prince -Arthur W., 285-1322

Cyberground Café Internet While the hardware features network multi-player games and time to rent on word-processors as well as Photoshop and CorelDraw, Telnet and newsgroup access. 21" and 17" screens. Basic $8/hour rate or cheaper if you buy time in larger quantities. Four hours@$6.16/hour; 12 hours@$4.24/hour and 50 hours@$2.99/hour. 3672 St-Laurent, 842-1726

Network Café Bagels, sandwiches, muffins and a huge selection of coffee characterize this trendy café. Great for dessert. Net use costs $6/hour, $57.46@15 hours or $161@50 hours and is fast, with Pentium computers on direct cable. One month of unlimited access with e-mail is $9.95 and a full year is $34.45. 289 Ste- Catherine E., 982-9137; and a new location at 5120 Queen Mary, 344-0959

All-night & late-night eats

Arahova Souvlaki A plethora of tasty Greek delights in simple surroundings. Open until 2am Sun­Thu, until 5am Fri­Sat 256 St-Viateur W., 274-7828; 1425 Crescent, 499-0262

Café Souvenir Eclectic neighbourhood bistro menu. Breakfast served all the time. Student specials; 2-for-1 dessert Sun 8­11, & 2-for-1 breakfast Mon 8­11am. Open 24 hours Thu­Sat; until 12am Sun­Wed 1261 Bernard W., 948-5259

Chez Claudette Diner food with vegetarian touches. Open 24 hours Thu-Sat and until midnight Sun-Wed. They serve breakfast all day and have a selection of freshly squeezed juice drinks. 351 Laurier E., 279-5173

Euro Deli is the place young Plateau hipsters go to see and be seen. It offers good, cheap, Italian-style eats. Opens weekdays at 8:30am, Sat 9am, Sun 10am; closes Thu­Sat at 4am, Sun­Wed 2am. 3619 St-Laurent, 843-7853

Ben's A mainstay of late-night eateries, where the all-night crowd used to wait for the morning papers to read the racing results. Smoked meat, photos of stars who visited and even poetry on occasions. Closed from 3am­7:30am Sun­Wed; 4am­7:30am Thu­Sat 990 de Maisonneuve W., 844-1000

The Main Good smoked meat, blintzes and latkes, or breakfast depending on your mood. Closed 5:30-11am. 3864 St-Laurent, 843-8126

Picasso Picasso will serve a breakfast too large for the average mortal any time of the day or night. If you're not in a 12-strips-of-bacon mood, Picasso also has a full range of burgers, pizza, seafood and souvlaki. 6810 St-Jacques, 484-2832.

Late-night groceries

4 Brothers Late-night hunger has met its match: leave the club and head straight there. Food of all shapes, sizes and colours await. Open 24 hours. Corner Guilbault & St-Laurent

Provigo A late-night grocery to satisfy the most monstrous munchie sufferers. Open 8am­2am daily. 1953 Ste-Catherine W., 932-3756; or their other location open until midnight at 3421 du Parc, 281-0488