by SARAH MUSGRAVE

A late breakfast is simply not the same thing as the all-out brunch experience, especially on a sleepy Sunday. Here are a few places where, if you play your cards right, it will be the only meal you’ll need to eat until darkness falls over the weekend, and you order a pizza and rent a movie to ward off the looming reality of Monday.

Le Lutétia

For a visit to luxury land, time travel back to the glorious age of Art Deco in this chichi restaurant that overlooks the lush lobby of Hotel de la Montagne. The ideal spot to take in the resplendent décor is on the mezzanine, where the weekend brunch is a worthwhile indulgence to break the monotony and mediocrity of winter. The meal begins with a visit to the self-serve buffet that includes soup, bagels and lox, a cornucopia of fresh salads (tuna, pasta, hearts of palm and mixed greens with vinaigrette, chicken and grape) and fine cold cuts like prosciutto and smoked turkey, as well as classics like devilled eggs and shrimp with cocktail sauce. After that, waiters in bow ties get busy fussing with silverware and bringing on the hot courses. These start with a poached egg on puff pastry, followed by melt-in-your-mouth herbed salmon, and then a thick slice of roast beef in gravy accompanied by scalloped potatoes. Finish up with desserts like petit fours and fresh fruit if you’re able!

Address: 1430 de la Montagne Phone: 288-5656 Hours: Brunch Sat & Sun noon–3pm Price: $25/person without tax, drinks or tip

Melchorita

The whopping morning meals here seem to be imported directly from Peru, and indeed, so are many of the customers. On weekends, Melchorita fills up with South American families hunkering down over communal desayunos in a warm and festive atmosphere. Amid all the chatter, the focus, unquestionably, is on meat. This comes in the form of chicharron, a tasty hunk of pork, and relleno, a dark, salty, soft sausage. Rounding out the shared brunch plates are stuffed tamales, thick, moist and steamed to firmness, delicious fried sweet potato chips and sliced onions with hot peppers that add some zip to the heaviness of all the other elements. Wash it all down with a cup of Chanchamayo coffee or chicha morada, a purple corn drink that dates back to Incan times. You can count on copious portions at cheap prices, and an authentic taste of a faraway place.

Address: 7901 St-Dominique Phone: 382-2129 Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–10pm; 10:30–10pm Weekends Price: $11.95/full order, or $7.95/half order before tax, drinks & tip

Tour de Ville

Montreal’s revolving restaurant, situated on the 30th floor of the Delta Hotel, is a throwback to the headier days of sky-high style from the 1960s. A hot and cold buffet extravaganza awaits, as does a 360-degree view of the skyline. The menu changes every few months and is designed according to different, somewhat cheesy, geographical themes. That might mean Following the Incas, with Southern U.S., Mexican and Central American influences, or travelling along the Italian Riviera. The food fares well in terms of freshness, quantity and effort, and there’s a made-to-order pasta bar and a station where roast beef is carved before your eyes. You can always count on finding a few gems amid the standards in the enormous salad section, and meats and seafood aplenty under silver domes in the hot section. Sunday brunch here will put an out-of-ordinary spin on your day, and it’s also a great date venue for those with an appreciation for all things retro and revolutionary. :

Address: 777 University Phone: 879-4777 Hours: Brunch Sun 10:30am–2pm (May through Sept.) Price: $26.95–$39.95/person before tax, drinks or tip