Isn't it Romantic? In Montreal the Answer Is Oui By James T. Yenckel Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, May 4, 1997; Page E01

A horse and carriage on Old Montreal's Place Jacques Cartier Canadian Tourism Commission

A rich French heritage flavors this city, and amid the chattering throngs along Rue Sainte-Catherine, the main street, you can well imagine yourself in Paris. But this city of romance is close at hand – just over an hour nonstop from Washington. Air fares are often cheaper than the shuttle to New York. And when it comes to food, you can opt for traditional French, contemporary North American or simple ethnic from around the world – at prices that often are half that of the equivalent in New York restaurants, thanks to the weak Canadian dollar.

Montreal's universities add a lively Bohemian quality to the city, which is most apparent on a leisurely stroll in funky campus neighborhoods. Rue Saint-Denis and Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the principal arteries of these scholastic haunts, are lined with inviting coffeehouses, stylish fashion boutiques, modern art galleries and international crafts shops.

And Montreal is a pretty place, liberally adorned with eye-catching buildings, squares and parks. Appealing new office towers blend nicely with medieval-like gray stone structures from the past. Mont-Royal, a modest mountain preserved as a park, provides a forest-green backdrop to the urbanscape, and in the forefront flows the broad St. Lawrence River.

On my most recent trip to Montreal last month, the Canadian press was bemoaning the weakness of the Canadian dollar, which had just dropped to its lowest level in two years compared with the U.S. dollar: bad for the Canadian consumer but great for tourists from south of the border. I stayed at Loews Hotel Vogue, a small, quietly luxurious hotel in the heart of the city, where the weekend rate for a lovely room for two came to only about $112 a night in U.S. dollars – a great price for such swank digs (although the rate jumps considerably in the summer).

All in all, Montreal offers big-city sophistication at a bargain – and it's perfect for a romantic escape.

Sure, the youngsters would have fun in Montreal, or you might go to explore the city's French heritage, which dates back to 1535 when explorer Jacques Cartier visited an Indian settlement on the site. Archaeological and historical museums trace this past well. Professional sports are another big draw.

But to my mind Montreal is ideal for couples in search of a relaxed weekend together. The best time to go is from late spring into early fall, when the city's famous sidewalk cafes – some streets literally are lined with them – are in full blossom.

And don't let the language intimidate you. Although French is what you hear most often, the city really is bilingual – and quick to accommodate English speakers. Many restaurants will substitute a menu in English once it's known you can't manage French.

Twosomes who want to see Montreal at its best should:

Stroll its lively streets. Head up Boulevard Saint-Laurent and down Rue Saint-Denis, or vice versa. These two parallel streets just east of McGill University are Montreal's most interesting, and on sunny summer weekends they are crowded nearly around the clock – mostly by Montrealers. By day, the funky shops and countless sidewalk cafes catering to the young at heart draw the crowds; after dark, it's the stylish restaurants and flourishing nightlife.

Reportedly, Montreal's young apparel designers build their reputations in small fashion boutiques on these streets, which makes window shopping a delight. I'm more interested in crafts, so I ducked into the Arabesque at 3938 Saint-Denis, which features unusual items from the Middle East. Next door, Maison Arpo displays quality pottery, porcelains and statuary to adorn a town house garden. Across the street, Giraffe has collected a fine assortment of African objects. And block after block, similar shops invite more browsing.

Summer tourists tend to flock to Vieux-Montreal, the old city down by the river, and its array of somber historic structures oversees what is actually a quite festive neighborhood. Place Jacques-Cartier, the principal square, is the place to head for mid-morning coffee and a French pastry at an outdoor cafe – and for some serious people watching. All-black attire and pierced body parts, it seems, are as much the scene here as in Manhattan.

Then seek out the galleries of Vieux-Montreal's Rue Saint-Paul. Le Guilde Graphique offers the colorful local cityscapes of Montreal's Claude Montoya. A short walk away, L'Empreinte is a cooperative of Montreal-area crafts workers, marketing handmade puppets, pottery, leather goods, crystal and other artworks. Along the way, you will pass the Stash Cafe, featuring Polish pierogi – a light dumpling filled with meat or cheese and served with sour cream.

If antiques tempt you, a five-minute taxi ride (I walked) will get you to a group of about 40 antique shops. Occupying aging row houses, they line Rue Notre-Dame from Rue Guy west a half-dozen blocks to Rue Atwater. Several feature costly merchandise, but most are full of inexpensive glassware and knickknacks from the distant and not-so-distant past. The Galerie du Louvre is an intriguing warren of individually owned antique stalls wrapped around a courtyard.

To escape the bustle of street life, climb the wooded, serpentine pathways of Mont-Royal Park. In a matter of minutes, you will be high above the city with a grand view of it at your feet. Save the park for Sunday morning after brunch, as many Montrealers do.

Take in its two major art museums. The Museum of Fine Arts is housed in two elegant structures – one old and one new – that face each other across Rue Sherbrooke, Montreal's most elegant street. You could fill an entire day exploring its wide-ranging collections. But time is short on a weekend getaway, and I suggest limiting yourself to a look at its special treasures – all lovely paintings that please the eye and stir the soul. How better to nourish a romantic mood?

Hans Memling's "Portrait of a Man," which dates to 1490, is charming, and there's an element of comedy in Pieter Bruegel the Younger's "Return From the Inn," a 1620 work in which a brawl has erupted in a village inn. The Impressionists collection is a must on a romantic getaway. I was particularly engaged by Henri Matisse's 1922 "Seated Woman, Back Turned to the Open Window." The window seemed to be looking out onto a sunny promenade in Nice.

Be sure to seek out the gallery of 20th-century Canadian art, particularly the works of the Group of Seven and their friends. In 1920, the group broke from the traditional classical-oriented school of painting and incorporated impressions of the Canadian landscape and city streets into their works. Beautiful and intelligent, the paintings put Canada on the art-world map.

One of my favorites is "Gray Day, Laurentians," a 1930 oil by Alexander Young Jackson, which depicts a one-horse sleigh making its way though rolling, snow-covered fields. Another is "In the Northland" (1915) by Tom Thomson, a vibrantly colored fall scene of birch trees, turning leaves and a deep blue lake. Emily Carr, one of the friends, is represented by two of her wonderful Native American paintings from British Columbia, "Indian War Canoes" and "Community House," both painted in 1912. I'm especially fond of Carr's work and have a Carr print hanging in my home.

There is a comforting gentility to these works. At Montreal's Museum of Contemporary Art, a 15-minute walk away, I came upon a temporary exhibit where the works struck me – in contrast – as chaotic and explosive. The museum is located in the Place des Arts, a modern complex of theaters on Rue Sainte-Catherine, and it is the place to go to jump-start the brain if you've been dozing thus far on your Montreal stay.

I felt lucky to catch the show featuring the varied works of Montreal artist Paul Mousseau, a painter, craftsman and designer who died in 1991. He was part of the modern-day Canadian "automatist" school, a group that believed art had to be created according to the dictates of the subconscious. Its practitioners used abstracts, color and light as the dominant elements of their paintings. The show – an abstract extravaganza – has ended, but Mousseau, who was a force in Montreal's arts community, is represented by easily seen public works nearby.

A series of Mousseau's circular constructions in vividly colored mosaic tiles adorns the corridors of the downtown Rue Peel Metro station, and a giant mural in dark shades of green, purple and gold dominates the entrance to the Quebec-Hydro offices on Boulevard Rene-Levesque. As an introduction to contemporary Montreal art, they are well worth a quick detour.

Search out the city's oddities. "Attractions" might be a better word, but several of Montreal's are so different, I've mentally classified them as oddities. Each is worth a visit, if only for a look.

At the top of this list, I put the Bell Amphitheater, an enclosed, year-round ice-skating rink planted just off the lobby of a gleaming downtown office skyscraper, Le 1000 de La Gauchetiere. It is a stylish rink, ringed by tables where viewers can watch the skaters while nibbling carry-out treats purchased from the adjacent food court. Skate rentals are available.

When I caught sight of it, there was something familiar looking about the Cathedral of Mary, Queen of the World, a massive structure on Boulevard Rene-Levesque. But I had to consult a guidebook to understand why. Completed in 1894, the cathedral is patterned after St. Peter's in Rome – but at one-third the size. In another Vatican copy, beneath its cupola stands a replica of baroque sculptor Giovanni Bernini's ornate "Baldacchino," the massive bronze shelter that rises above the High Altar at St. Peter's. Unique to Montreal, however, are the historical paintings honoring the Catholic Church's tumultuous early days in Canada. Typical is the horrifying scene of two Jesuits about to be burned at the stake in an Indian village.

Next door to the cathedral is Les Halles de la Gare, a bustling food court and gourmet market in the Central Railway Station, where you might pause for a mid-stroll snack. In terms of markets, however, I favor the Faubourg Sainte-Catherine, which opens early for breakfast. I stepped inside one morning to see two bakers in chef's toques carefully laying apple slices atop a large counter of apple pies about to be popped into the oven.

Consider a little shopping. Montreal's commercial core, which is centered along Rue Sainte-Catherine, still supports at least four department stores – Ogilvy, Eaton, The Bay (as in the Hudson Bay Co.) and Marks and Spencer. But these are just the places you can see from the sidewalk. Beneath the streets, miles of passageways linking high-rise office complexes are lined with more shops. This is the Underground City, where Montrealers go to avoid the city's bitter winters. In summer, it's the place to head if rain intrudes on your getaway. Skylights give the corridors a surprisingly open feeling.

Boasting 120 boutiques, Place Montreal Trust is one of the city's largest shopping complexes and a major gateway to the Underground City. Inside I found a spiffy Bally "liquidation shop," where all leather goods were listed at 30 to 70 percent off the suggested retail price. And so I came home with a new made-in-Italy suede jacket as a souvenir. I've already submitted a claim for a refund of Canada's substantial value-added taxes. (Informational brochures and application forms can be obtained in many stores as well as at the tourist information office on Dorchester Square.)

Two crafts galleries to be put on any shopping itinerary – if only to browse – are the Canadian Guild of Crafts at 2025 Rue Peel, which offers a large selection of quality Inuit stone carvings and other crafts, and the Galerie Elena Lee at 1428 Rue Sherbrooke, which features contemporary artworks in glass made in Montreal.

At day's end, dine romantically. The choices are nearly infinite. Boulevard Saint-Laurent has attracted some of Montreal's trendiest restaurants. Little Rue Prince-Arthur, an adjacent pedestrian lane, is lined with inexpensive ethnic restaurants, popular with students and families. Rue Crescent, near the Museum of Fine Arts, and Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal are inviting tourist haunts.

One night, I window-shopped Saint-Laurent's restaurant row (just north of Rue Sherbrooke) and chose the Mediterraneo both because of its sleek contemporary decor and its innovative menu. It proved a good choice. My salad, a combination of bitter greens, glazed walnuts and a grilled pear, was among the best I've eaten in months. For an entree, I chose grilled fresh salmon, which was served on a bed of chopped leeks. Artichoke hearts in a tomato sauce were a nice accompaniment. With two glasses of wine, tax and tip (but no dessert), my meal came to about $30.

Another night I opted for a more traditional French style at Laloux, a chic bistro in a converted town house that would fit quite nicely onto any Parisian street. Dark wood paneling covered the walls, which were hung with huge mirrors, and brass fixtures gleamed everywhere. For an appetizer, I ordered an avocado stuffed with tiny shrimp, and I chose an entree of veal escallop with a green pepper sauce. With wine, salad, a chocolate pastry, tax and tip, the price was about $44. The restaurant is located on Avenue des Pins, just off Saint-Laurent.

Montreal's trendiest restaurant is Toque, where the decor is colorfully abstract and the menu – North American contemporary – is a delightful adventure into unusual flavor combinations. Again, I ordered grilled salmon, which came seasoned with coriander. It was served on a bed of cumin-flavored beans, which in turn was encircled by a coulis of red peppers. Dried plantain chips sprouting from the salmon gave the dish the look of an artwork. With all the extras, my meal cost $55. Toque is located on Saint-Denis, just north of Rue Sherbrooke.

Montreal is not Paris, of course – although I'd rate my Montreal meals as good as any I've eaten in Paris. But, a point to consider, Paris does not always exude the warm friendliness I've found in Montreal. And one thing more: When your romantic getaway is over, Montreal is a heck of a lot closer to home.

Where to Stay: Montreal offers a wide choice of hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns in all price categories. In summer (high season), budget-priced hotels downtown begin at about $60 (U.S.) a night.

At the luxury level, Loews Hotel Vogue (800/465-6654) is quoting a summer rate of about $200 (U.S.) a night – compared with about $112 a night through April. I recommend the Vogue highly for romantic getaways. My large pink marble bathroom had a giant whirlpool tub, and there were chocolates on the pillows at night.

A list of accommodations is available from the Quebec Government Office of Tourism (see below). Hospitalite Canada (800/665-1528), a Montreal-based lodging reservation service, can book rooms and packages in Montreal and throughout Quebec.

Where to Eat: Almost nowhere in the tourist precincts of Montreal are you out of sight of a choice of places to eat. In summer, Montrealers flock to the city's abundant sidewalk cafes. For budget dining, check out the food courts in almost every shopping atrium or the ethnic restaurants in the Boulevard Saint-Laurent area.

Information: Quebec Government Office of Tourism, 1101 17th St. NW, Suite 1006, Washington, D.C. 20036-4704, 202/659-8990, http://www.tourisme.gouv.qc.ca.