Mile End, Montréal
Photo: Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Neighbourhood guide

Mile End

Two bagel bakeries, vinyl shops and a handful of venues on the Main

Mile End is the small, creative pocket north of the Plateau, framed roughly by Avenue du Parc, Saint-Denis, Avenue Van Horne and Saint-Joseph Ouest. It's where Montréal's two famous bagel shops sit a block apart. Record shops, a comics bookstore and music rooms fill out the rest.

Bagels are the reason most people come. St-Viateur's shop is on Rue Saint-Viateur Ouest, and Fairmount's is a few blocks away on Avenue Fairmount Ouest. Café Olimpico, a few doors from St-Viateur, is open every day from 6:00 to midnight. Rue Bernard Ouest has Drawn & Quarterly's bookstore plus the Phonopolis and Sonorama record shops.

At night the Main takes over. Casa del Popolo and La Sala Rossa are a few doors apart on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and post their shows online, and the Dieu du Ciel! brewpub on Avenue Laurier Ouest serves its own beer until 1:00 or 3:00 depending on the day.

Getting there

The closest Orange line stop is Laurier, and from there you walk west. Bus routes along Saint-Laurent, Saint-Denis and Avenue du Parc also serve the area. Allow time on foot, because the blocks are long.

17 places
Laurier (Orange line) station
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See Mile End on the interactive map

What to see

Walk Rue Bernard Ouest from Avenue du Parc and you pass a comics bookstore and two vinyl shops within a few blocks. The Main has more murals than any other street in the area, and Parc Lahaie at 4921 Saint-Laurent is a small spot to sit with a bagel.

Where to eat and drink

Order bagels hot from either bakery and compare. Bernie Beigne on Rue Bernard Ouest sells doughnuts. Evening beers are at Dieu du Ciel!, which closes on December 25 and January 1 as a rule.

Good to know

Greet staff with "bonjour, hi". Tip about the usual amount in restaurants and bars. Some shops here close Mondays, and terrasses run roughly May to October. Cash is not mentioned on the venue sites, so carry a card and a few bills.

Nearby neighbourhoods

Outremont, Montréal Outremont Bistros on Laurier, a quiet park and a theatre on Avenue Bernard 10 places · under 1 km away Plateau Mont-Royal, Montréal Plateau Mont-Royal Smoked meat, brick-paved streets and a big park behind the pond 21 places · 1.5 km away Little Italy and Jean-Talon, Montréal Little Italy and Jean-Talon A covered market, Italian cafés and a fresco church 12 places · 1.8 km away Mount Royal, Montréal Mount Royal The mountain, its lookouts and the Sunday drumming 11 places · 2.0 km away

The best of Mile End

St-Viateur Bagel (Mile End)
Best bagels St-Viateur Bagel (Mile End) Buy them by the dozen. The company site lists 6:00 to 22:00 daily for this shop, so check before a late visit.
Fairmount Bagel
Best rival bagels Fairmount Bagel 74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest. The site lists no hours, so call 514 272-0667.
Café Olimpico
Best espresso Café Olimpico Open every day from 6:00 to midnight.
Dieu du Ciel! Brewpub
Best beer Dieu du Ciel! Brewpub Open to 1:00 on Sunday to Wednesday and to 3:00 Thursday to Saturday.
Best bookstore Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Open every day, hours not printed.
Best live music Casa del Popolo Check the event calendar for prices, which vary by show.

Things to do in Mile End

St-Viateur Bagel Shop window with its lettering on Rue Saint-Viateur, Mile End, Montréal
Food St-Viateur Bagel (Mile End) The St-Viateur bagel shop on Rue Saint-Viateur Ouest, part of a Montréal bagel business that Tourisme Montréal dates to 1957. The company site lists several shops, and this one is its Mile End bakery.
Fairmount Bagel shop on its corner in Mile End, Montréal
Food Fairmount Bagel A Montréal bagel bakery on Avenue Fairmount Ouest, the other half of the Mile End bagel rivalry with St-Viateur.
Café Olimpico on the corner of Saint-Viateur and Waverly in Mile End, Montréal.
Cafe Café Olimpico An Italian-style espresso café on Rue Saint-Viateur Ouest, a few doors from the St-Viateur bagel shop.
Red storefront of the Dieu du Ciel brewpub with its sign and window planter in Montréal
Nightlife Dieu du Ciel! Brewpub The Montréal brewpub of the Dieu du Ciel! microbrewery, first established on Avenue Laurier. Meals are served on site and use local ingredients where possible.
Nightlife Casa del Popolo A music venue and bar on Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Its site is an event calendar for several rooms, among them La Sala Rossa down the block at 4848 Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
Shopping Librairie Drawn & Quarterly The Montréal bookstore of the comics publisher Drawn & Quarterly, on Rue Bernard Ouest. The publisher's headquarters isn't open to the public.
Food Bernie Beigne A doughnut shop on Rue Bernard Ouest that Tourisme Montréal describes as making fresh, old-school classic doughnuts.
Phonopolis record shop window with its name in white lettering
Shopping Phonopolis A vinyl record shop at 207 Rue Bernard Ouest, one of the Mile End record stores on Rue Bernard Ouest.
Sonorama record shop storefront with yellow sign and Bixi bikes parked out front in Montréal
Shopping Sonorama A vinyl record shop at 260 Rue Bernard Ouest, one of the Mile End record stores on Rue Bernard Ouest.
Park Parc Lahaie A small city park on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in Mile End with a drinking fountain and a picnic area.
Sidewalk terrace and trees along Rue Bernard in Mile End, Montréal
Neighbourhood Rue Bernard The Mile End street with the Drawn & Quarterly bookstore, the Phonopolis and Sonorama record shops and Bernie Beigne doughnuts.
Nightlife La Sala Rossa A live music room on Boulevard Saint-Laurent that shares its programming page with Casa del Popolo, nearby. The calendar lists concerts, album launches, cabarets and dance socials.
Nightlife Théâtre Fairmount A concert hall on Avenue du Parc that holds up to 600 standing or 300 seated. The calendar runs into 2027, with a mix of rock, metal and touring acts.
Landmark Cinéma Moderne A small neighbourhood cinema between Laurier and Fairmount. It shows Québec, Canadian and international films, shorts and special events, and has a café-bar and terrace.
Red brick facade of the Mile End library, Mordecai-Richler Library, in Montréal
Landmark Mordecai-Richler Library A public library in the former Church of the Ascension, built in 1910 and renamed in 2015 for the Montréal author. Besides books it has an art hive for free-access creative activities.
Food Wilensky's Light Lunch A lunch counter on Avenue Fairmount that its own site says has changed little since it opened in 1932. The Wilensky Special is all-beef salami and all-beef bologna grilled on a roll.
Facade and bell tower of Église Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End seen across bare trees in Montréal
Church Église Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End A Catholic church facing Parc Lahaie, built in 1857 and 1858 to a design by Victor Bourgeau. The ornate neo-Baroque facade by Joseph Venne dates from 1898 to 1903. Ozias Leduc painted four canvases around the dome in 1917 to 1919, though the city's article says later restorations damaged his chapel decorations and a 1963 renovation stripped much of the interior.

What's on in Mile End

Local events in the next 30 days, read from the ward, park and organiser pages each one links to.

  • Montréal Klezmer Jam Concert

    Sun 15 Nov · Aux Angles Ronds

    Monthly jam session where Montréal klezmer musicians and guests play klezmer tunes together, run by KlezKanada.

    18:00 to 21:00 · Map · Source: KlezKanada (Montreal Klezmer Jam and Yiddish Culture Jam)

  • Aïda Vosoughi: Gog et Magog Exhibition

    On now, until 12 Dec · OPTICA

    An exhibition by Aïda Vosoughi at OPTICA on borders as a tool of transformation of political and economic landscapes.

    Map · Source: OPTICA, centre d'art contemporain · Aïda Vosoughi, Gog et Magog

  • Première vue: Samy Benammar Film

    Sat 12 Dec · Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau

    A screening of experimental cinema with artist Samy Benammar present, at Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau.

    10:00 · Map · Source: la lumière collective · Première vue | Samy Benammar

Show 13 events nearby, outside Mile End

  • My gloves catch fire every time (poetry evening) Theatre and shows

    Fri 13 Nov · Espace culturel Kawalees

    An evening of poetry in which voices from the Arab diaspora speak of exile, memory and unspoken anger. Part of the Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal.

    $25 · 20:00 to 22:00 · Map · Source: Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal · Mes gants prennent feu chaque fois

  • Science surprise ! (6 à 12 ans) Activities

    Sat 14 Nov · Bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler

    Science workshop for ages 6 to 12 with a different surprising experiment each time.

    Free, registration required · 14:00 to 15:00 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Benjamin Klein: Ville magique Exhibition

    On now, until 19 Dec · Galerie Simon Blais

    Solo exhibition of work by Benjamin Klein at the commercial gallery on Saint-Laurent.

    Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Galerie Simon Blais

  • Câlins et comptines Activities

    Fri 20 Nov · Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau

    Music workshops for babies to explore sounds and many instruments, adapted to the very young; latecomers are not admitted.

    Free, registration required · 10:30 to 11:15 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Jean McEwen: La lumière sous les blasons Exhibition

    On now, until 19 Dec · Galerie Simon Blais

    Solo exhibition of work by Jean McEwen at the commercial gallery on Saint-Laurent.

    Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Galerie Simon Blais

  • Serge Lemoyne: L'univers Lemoyne Exhibition

    On now, until 19 Dec · Galerie Simon Blais

    Solo exhibition of work by Serge Lemoyne at the commercial gallery on Saint-Laurent.

    Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Galerie Simon Blais

  • Workshop: Coup de poing : L'itinérance, par Nelly Onestas Daou (8 ans et +) Activities

    Sat 21 Nov · Bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler

    Workshop for ages 8 and up where Nelly Onestas Daou reads a picture book on homelessness, followed by discussion and a craft.

    Free, registration required · 10:30 to 12:00 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal · Atelier Coup de poing : L'itinérance, par Nelly Onestas Daou (8 ans et +)

  • Création de boucles d’oreilles Activities

    Sun 22 Nov · Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau

    Playful workshop led by Zwina on making festive earrings that participants take home.

    Free, registration required · 14:00 to 15:30 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Mieux vivre la ménopause Talks and readings

    Sun 22 Nov · Bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler

    Talk on menopause covering its phases, symptoms, management strategies, hormonal treatments and cultural perceptions.

    Free, registration required · 14:00 to 15:00 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Zoothérapie : lire avec un chien! Activities

    Tue 24 Nov · Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau

    Short one-on-one reading sessions with a therapy dog, aimed at helping children build reading skills.

    Free, registration required · 16:30 to 18:30 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Workshop: décoration de biscuits avec la Biscuiterie de Montréal (5 à 12 ans) Activities

    Sat 28 Nov · Bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler

    Cookie decorating workshop for ages 5 to 12 with the Biscuiterie de Montréal, celebrating winter and the holiday season.

    Free, registration required · 14:00 to 15:00 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal · Atelier de décoration de biscuits avec la Biscuiterie de Montréal (5 à 12 ans)

  • Gestion du stress par la pleine conscience Activities

    Sun 6 Dec · Bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler

    Mindfulness stress management workshop on slowing down, breathing and returning to the present moment.

    Free, registration required · 14:00 to 15:00 · Map · Source: Ville de Montréal

  • Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau · 3 storytimes Activities

    14 Nov to 28 Nov · Bibliothèque Marc-Favreau

    See all 3 storytimes
    • Sat 14 Nov Heures du conte pour les 12 à 36 mois10:30 to 11:15 · Free, registration required · Listing · Map
    • Sat 21 Nov Heures du conte pour les 12 à 36 mois10:30 to 11:15 · Free, registration required · Listing · Map
    • Sat 28 Nov Heures du conte pour les 12 à 36 mois10:30 to 11:15 · Free, registration required · Listing · Map

    Source: Ville de Montréal

More local events around Montréal

Live music in Mile End

What's on in Mile End this week

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Stay in Mile End

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