Montreal/South West - borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Montreal South West (Le Sud-Ouest) is the area west of downtown, on both sides of the Lachine Canal (Canal de Lachine), bordered by the districts of LaSalle, Verdun and Westmount.

It is made up of the neighbourhoods of Petite-Bourgogne-Griffintown (Little Burgundy), Saint-Henri, Pointe-Saint-Charles, Côte-Saint-Paul and Ville Émard. Historically a blue-collar neighbourhood, it used to be called "Smokey Valley" because of a high concentration of heavy industry and other sources of pollution. Those days are long gone, and the Lachine canal cleanup and conversion into a park and bike path, as well as many of the old industrial buildings being gentrified and turned into luxury condominiums have changed the face of Sud-Ouest forever.

Get in

By metro

Lionel-Groulx, the transfer station for the Orange and Green lines is at the northern edge of the South West, two blocks from Atwater Market and easy walking distance to the Lachine Canal bike path. Don't get confused by the Atwater metro, several blocks north, across the busy Autoroute Ville-Marie. The Charlevoix metro is on the south side of the Canal on the Green line. Further west, Place-Saint Henri is on the Orange line.

By bus

The 36 Monk runs east-west from downtown, traversing much of the South West. The route begins downtown (with a stop near Bonaventure metro and train station), and stops in St-Henri (at Lionel-Groulx and Place-St-Henri metro stations) and Ville-Émard (at Monk and Angrignon metro stations). The 108 Bannantyne runs north-south from Atwater metro across the canal, passing through Lasalle metro station.

See

• Musée des ondes Emile Berliner, 1001 rue Lenoir E206 (at rue St-Antoine; metro Place-Saint-Henri; bus 17, 36, 78, or 191), 45.477729°, -73.592652°, +1 514-932-9663, info@moeb.ca. M-F 10:00-16:00, Sa Su 14:00-17:00. The Musée des ondes Emile Berliner is a science and history museum dedicated to communicating the heritage of the audio industry in Canada and the world. In line with this, it pays tribute to Emile Berliner, the inventor of the Gramophone, and his descendants’ contributions to the evolution of sound recording. Moreover, the museum looks at the noteworthy contributions of Canadian companies in the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting the role of Canadian companies and RCA Victor in the creation of satellites and the Canadarm. This makes it a worthwhile experience for those interested in science and technology, Canadian history, and the cultural heritage of St-Henri. $8 adult, $5 student or elderly, $20 family, $5 (per person) for groups of over 5 people 2022-07-06
• Parisian Laundry, 3550 rue Saint-Antoine ouest (at rue Bel-Air; metro Lionel-Groulx, bus 78, 108, 191, or 211), 45.482832°, -73.584254°, +1 514-989-1056. Tu-Sa 12:00-17:00. Contemporary art gallery in the Parisian Laundry building. Free

Do

• Lachine Canal National Historic Site (Lachine Canal Bike Path). A beautiful 14.5-km-bike path that runs along the Lachine Canal from downtown to Parc René-Lévesque in Lachine. 2015-05-21
• H2O Adventures (Lachine Canal Nautical Centre), 2985B rue Saint-Patrick (at rue d'Argenson, entrance on the canal/bike path side of the building; metro Charlevoix, bus 57, 101, or 107), 45.47888°, -73.573662°, +1 514-842-1306. May: M-F 12:00-20:00, Sa Su 09:00-20:00; Jun-Aug: 09:00-20:00 daily; Sep: M-F 12:00-19:30, Sa Su 10:00-19:30. Offers kayak, pedal boat, and canoe rentals, plus beginner kayaking lessons, along the Lachine Canal; it's just across the canal from the Atwater Market. Kayaking lessons $39 M-F, $45 Sa Su. Rental prices vary based on type of boat and amount of time

Buy

• Atwater Market (Marché Atwater), 138 ave Atwater (between rue Sainte-Émile and rue Saint-Ambroise; metro Lionel-Groulx, bus 36, 108, or 211), 45.4795°, -73.5766°, +1 514-937-7754. M-F 09:00-18:00, Sa Su 09:00-17:00. Farmer's market. 2022-12-24
• Boutique La Gaillarde, 4019 rue Notre-Dame ouest (between rue du Couvent and place Saint-Henri; metro Place-Saint-Henri; bus 17, 36, 78, or 191), 45.477763°, -73.584699°, +1 514-989-5134. M-F 11:00-19:00, Sa Su 11:00-17:00. Cooperative of young fashion designers who transform used clothing and recycled fabrics into amazing clothing, jewelry, handbags and other accessories. Boutique has new, vintage, and used clothing, and fair-trade goods.
• Perfide, 4217 rue Notre-Dame ouest (between rue Saint-Ferdinand and rue Saint-Philippe; metro Place-Saint-Henri; bus 17, 36, 78, or 191), 45.476298°, -73.585978°, +1 514-509-0731. Tu-F 11:00-18:00, Sa Su 12:00-17:00.
• Harricana by Mariouche, 3000 rue Saint-Antoine ouest (at ave Atwater; metro Lionel-Groulx; bus 78, 108), 45.485282°, -73.580783°, +1 514-287-6517, info@harricana.qc.ca. M 10:00-17:00, Tu-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00. With the motto "Made from your mother's old fur coat," Harricana takes stuffy old furs and recycles them into hip accessories, vests, and coats — even stuffed animals.

Eat

Parts of the South West neighborhood are emerging as one of Montreal's great eating areas--though it's yet to overtake the Plateau in terms of sheer number of restaurants.

Budget

• Paul Patates, 760 rue Charlevoix (at rue de Coleraine; metro Charlevoix, bus 57 or 61), 45.475316°, -73.563888°, +1 514-937-2751. M-W 10:00-19:00, Th F 10:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-19:00. One of the best poutines and the best spruce beer in Montreal.
• Bombay Tandoori, 2520 rue du Centre (between rue Charlevoix and rue Ropery; metro Charlevoix, bus 57 or 107), 45.47886°, -73.56841°, +1 514-937-5189. Cheap, good Indian food in a room with tons of character.
• Quebec Smoked Meat, 1889 rue du Centre (between rue Shearer and rue Jardin; metro Charlevoix; bus 57 or 107), 45.482736°, -73.562638°, +1 514-935-5297. One of the top three smoked meats in town. Get yourself sandwich fixings and eat by the canal just a few blocks to the north.
• Boom J's Cuisine, 2026 Rue Wellington, +1 514-730-6524. Jamaican 2017-12-10

Mid-range

• Tejano BBQ Burrito, 511 Rue de Courcelle, +1 514-303-3500. Good quality burritos and some other Mexican fare. Only a few spots to sit inside. 2015-05-21
• Sumac, 3618 Notre-Dame St W, 45.47997°, -73.58005°. Terrific Middle Eastern fare at a decent price in an upbeat setting. 2018-02-23

Splurge

• Restaurant Joe Beef, 2491 rue Notre-Dame ouest (between rue Vinet and rue Charlevoix; metro Lionel-Groulx; bus 36 or 108), 45.483059°, -73.575244°, +1 514-935-6504. Tu-Sa 18:00-close. British bistro/pub gone nouveau, featuring roasts, ribs, and seafood accompanied by seasonal produce. If that sounds too heavy, head to the oyster bar in the back.
• Liverpool House, 2501 rue Notre-Dame ouest (between rue Charlevoix and rue Vinet; metro Lionel-Groulx, bus 36 or 108), 45.482956°, -73.575418°, +1 514-313-6049. Tu-Sa 18:30-close. A second offering by the owner of Joe Beef, Liverpool house offers Italian-inspired meals under walls covered in paintings and odd artifacts.

Drink

• Centre St-Ambroise (Terrasse St-Ambroise), 5080 rue Saint-Ambroise (between rue Saint-Rémi and ch de la côte-Saint-Paul on the Lachine canal bike path; bus 36, 37, 78, or 191), 45.467486°, -73.590565°, +1 514 939-3060. Open May-Sep. Hidden along an unlikely strip of shipping yards, this outdoors microbrewery (part of the McAuslan Brewery complex) takes advantage of its remote location to host everything from outdoor movies to folk concerts of all-night DJ events.
• Le Black Jack, 3814 rue Notre-Dame ouest (at rue Turgeon; metro Place-Saint-Henri; bus 36 or 191), 45.478738°, -73.582355°, +1 514 937-3269. Cheap beer and punk rock.

Sleep

• ALT Hotel Montreal Griffintown, 120 Peel St, 45.4930°, -73.5572°. 2018-09-06
• L'Imprevu Bed & Breakfast, 3932 St Jacques St, 45.47899°, -73.58434°, +1 514-935-9007. 2018-09-06

Connect

Stay safe

Petite-Bourgogne used to be, for Montreal, a high-crime area. Be careful after dark, especially around closing time, when the bars empty out.