11 Mindblowing Montreal Things Every C2MTL Attendee Has To See

From historic bagel shops, to hidden speakeasies, creative hangouts, concert venues, and more. If you've come to Montreal for C2, you'd be remiss not to check out these amazingly inspiring spots. Come see what MTL is all about.

C2Montreal / Via Instagram: @c2montreal

C2 Montréal is one of the world's most stupendous conferences. Of course, there's amazing speakers, like Martha Stewart, David Suzuki, and bewitching tech talks from people at Etsy and MIT Media Lab. But outside of the ultra-glitzy Griffintown gathering is one of North America's—nay, one of the world's—most inspiring cities.

72 hours is a short-time to fall in love with a city... but if there's any city that can do it... it's us.

Here are 11 can't-miss Montréal destinations you absolutely HAVE TO visit while you're here.

1. Au Pied du Cochon

Chris Metler / Via instagram.com

Montréal was recently called the "new food capital of North America" by famed GQ food critic Alan Richman. And its undisputed centre is Au Pied du Cochon, run by Chef Martin Picard, whom Anthony Bourdain called "one of my favourite chefs in the world". Foie gras, poutine, jellied pig heads: the culinary tour-du-force has conquered the city’s gastronomy gurus with its huge portions and tantalizingly original Québec fare. (536 Avenue Duluth E, get directions here)

PS: Yes, that is a pig's head, stuffed with lobster, covered in gold. Welcome to PDC.

2. Crew Collective & Café

Jeff Frenette / Via instagram.com

Hidden inside the first floor of an historic bank, you’ll find one of Montréal's most inspiring creative spaces. Part-café, part-coworking space, part-creative oasis, the location is run by Crew, Montréal's most buzzed-about startup. Featuring 50 foot ceilings, Neoclassical architecture, and some of the best artisanal coffee within city limits, this is THE SPOT to go to before and after C2 this week. Not only is the building one of Montréal's most storied, iconic spaces, but the WiFi is dizzyingly-fast, there are fantastic snacks (no joke: the kitchen is managed by former Au Pied du Cochon chefs!!), and you can even rent office space for meetings... or brain dates. (360 Rue Saint-Jacques, get directions here)

3. Fairmount Bagel

marinereedb / Via instagram.com

You cannot—you simply, definitely, absolutely cannot—leave Montréal without trying one of our notorious bagels. What makes our bagels so special? Nobody can say for sure. But what we can say is that they are the world's best (YES! Better than New York City bagels. We said it). Did you know that last year, there was an actual WAR between our city's top 2 bagel shops, St. Viateur and Fairmount Bagel?

The winner, by a large margin, is Fairmount Bagel. But feel free to judge for yourself: the two shops sit across from each other, one block away, on Fairmount Street and St. Viateur Street, respectively. (74 Rue Fairmount Ouest, get directions here)

4. Atwater Market

D'Arcy L. / Via yelp.com

Just next to C2MTL’s Griffintown roost is Saint-Henri, a trendy neighbourhood that boasts the city’s best farmer’s market: Atwater Market. Fresh flowers, strawberries, ice cream, bread, oysters, sausage, pretty much everything. Pick up a baguette (or a scone), some fresh cheese, and a bottle of wine. Then head down with your new friends to the Lachine Canal to soak in some sun by the water. (138 Avenue Atwater, get directions here).

5. Mount Royal

allo40 / Via reddit.com

Designed by the same architect who created Central Park in NYC, Mount Royal offers an unparalleled view of the city. You can reach the top by walking, Ubering, or taking a Bixi bike to see the stupidly-pretty Montréal sprawl. You’ll be able to see famous landmarks like the Olympic Stadium, the Montréal cross, and (perhaps most importantly) the beautiful locals who flock to the mountain to hang out, smoke, and sunbathe. Super chill vibes to be had here. (Mount Royal, get directions here).

6. Soubois

John Kenney / Via montrealgazette.com

Let’s face it: most supper clubs are awful. Between overpriced, bland food, stiff clientele, and monotonous music, they’re famously avoided by Montréal locals. Well, that is, except for Soubois. Described by management as “an underground magical forest”, Soubois has won over the city with its charming decor, piquant food, and hyper-fashionable patrons. (1106 Maisonneuve O, get directions here).

7. No Name Bar

Melissa Salvaggio / Via spottedbylocals.com

The best speakeasy in the city—if you can find it. (???, get directions here).

8. Belgo Building

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec / Via untappedcities.com

Downtown, in the upper-floors of an otherwise nondescript industrial building you’ll find the epicentre of Montréal’s visual arts community. Featuring countless vernissages, this is THE place to go to see spellbinding Canadian, European, and Québecois art. Galleries, studios, even dance halls await you at the Belgo. Make sure to check the unofficial website (run by a gallery owner) to see upcoming events. Also recommended: the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, which is a more “conventional” way to soak in your art history but quite spectacular nevertheless. (372 Sainte-Catherine Rue O, get directions here).

9. Quai des Brumes

Thierry Dansereau / Via Flickr: lerac74

With bands like Arcade Fire, Grimes, Wolf Parade, Purity Ring and Mac Demarco all getting their start here, it doesn’t need to be said that Montréal is an indie music hotbed. While most Anglo bands will hit up venues like Casa del Popolo, Sala Rossa, and Le Ritz, if you’re wanting to take in some of the city’s gargantuanly-talented Francophone acts, there’s no better place than QDB. Located on Rue Saint-Denis (the francophone counterpart to Rue Saint-Laurent), local acts play music here literally every night—so make sure to grab a pint and enjoy some tunes! (4481 Rue Saint-Denis, get directions here).

10. Terraces!!!

Terrasse Nelligan / Via terrassenelligan.com

Yeah, it's a stereotype, but it doesn't make it any less true: come 5 o'clock on Thursdays and Fridays, everybody and I mean EVERYBODY is headed out to the terrace for drinks. While there are tons of great ones to explore (like Alexandraplatz in the Mile-Ex, Terrasse St-Ambroise in Saint-Henri, and Le Sainte-Elisabeth in the Latin Quarter), if you only have time to hit up one terrace while you're here, make sure it's Terrasse Nelligan. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but it has a singular view of the Old Port skyline you won't find anywhere else, including an unparalleled view of the famous Notre-Dame Basilica. (106 Rue Saint Paul O, get directions here).

11. Drawn and Quarterly

Alexi Hobbs / Via comicsreporter.com

One of the world’s most respected publishing houses, Drawn and Quarterly helped pioneer graphic novels and comic books when the genre was in its infancy. In 2008, it opened its first ever retail store: a cute little bookshop in the city’s legendary Mile End neighbourhood. Featuring local writers, illustrators, and designers (as well as graphic novels by some of the world’s best artists), D&Q is by miles and miles the best bookshop in town. A great place to pick up a token of your visit to North America’s most creative city. (211 Rue Bernard O, get directions here).