Montreal on foot: murals and a superb Schwartz’s sandwich
Independent wandering, followed by a useful takeaway-queue discovery.
After coming down from Mount Royal, we walked independently through Montreal’s neighbourhood streets. We were not on a guided tour or following a rigid list of stops.
Our photographs show the Saint-Laurent area, colourful façades and large murals on buildings. Street art becomes part of encountering the city at street level rather than only a single photo destination.
Our standout food stop was Schwartz’s. We had an excellent smoked-meat sandwich on rye, which we described as pastrami on rye. The local menu term to look for is Montreal smoked meat.
Founded in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish immigrant from Romania, the deli connects Jewish food traditions with Montreal’s culinary identity. The history is interesting, but most importantly, we genuinely loved the sandwich.
The queue to eat in the restaurant was enormous. We chose the takeaway queue and waited much less during our visit. There were also seats in that area, so takeaway did not necessarily mean eating standing in the street. A shorter queue or free seat cannot be guaranteed.
Our practical tip is to check both options before automatically joining the longer line. Confirm where takeaway orders are placed and what seating is available that day. It was a very successful food stop within our walk.
Practical notes
We explored independently, not on a guided tour.
We ordered smoked meat on rye.
Compare the restaurant and takeaway queues; conditions vary.
Planning and booking
More from our Canada trip
Mount Royal: plenty of stairs and a view worth the effort
Old Montreal after dark: lively streets and illuminated façades