Cheap Eats Around McGill & Concordia

Cheap Eats Near McGill (Downtown Campus)

• Falafel Avenue (2A5 – 2020 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa)
  • Did you LOL at Subway’s attempt at falafel? Don’t play yourself. Get some quality falafel (with different flavours!!!) with a small wrap coming in around $4.
• Super Sandwich (1115 Sherbrooke St W)
  • Hidden inside the Cartier building, you’ll find the dépanneur called “Super Sandwich”. At ~$3 a pop with the fastest service imaginable, Super Sandwich is a staple of many McGill students’ diets.
• Basha (666 Sherbrooke St W)
  • You’ll find this Montreal-based chain all throughout the city & Quebec serving halal Lebanese food in huge portions and cheap prices.
• Pâtisserie Cocobun (977 Saint-Catherine St W)
  • With 3 locations downtown, there’s a Cocobun near you whether you’re at McGill or Concordia. Satisfy your sweet or savoury cravings with one (or 4 – but who’s counting?) of their Hong Kong style pastries.
• Café Parvis (433 Rue Mayor)
  • Perhaps the pricest on the list, Café Parvis is a great place to get away from campus, and treat yourself to a good cup of coffee (no shade to Tim Hortons) and some delectable meal options.

Cheap Eats Near Concordia (Sir George Williams Campus)

• Le Faubourg Ste-Catherine (1616 Saint-Catherine St W)
  • Need some after-school retail therapy? Check out the Faubourg mall. Need something to eat? Check out their food court. Filled with various cuisines at decent prices, you’re sure to find something for everyone in your study group.
• Student Tasty Biryani (1620 Lincoln Ave)
  • With “Student” in the name, you can expect cheap prices and be wow-ed by the large portions and high quality of food.
• Al-Baghdadi Pastry (1624 Lincoln Ave)
  • Another top choice for cheap prices, big portions and great-tasting food, Al-Baghdadi Pastry will make you fall in love with Middle Eastern food (if somehow you haven’t already)
• NosThés (1609 Saint-Catherine St W)
  • Ever tried Taiwanese? Now’s your chance. Aside from their large range of teas and drinks, their menu is full of rice, noodle, dumplings and soup dishes that’ll have your mouth watering in anticipation.
• Kafein café-bar (1429 Bishop St)
  • Service great coffee and appetizing sandwiches, Kafein provides a chill place to study during the day and socialize at night with some sexy house cocktails

Honourable Mention: Tim Hortons

I’m afraid someone may try to revoke my Canadian citizenship if I didn’t mention the cultural icon that is Tim Hortons.

If you’re new here, Tim Hortons is to Canada like kangaroos are to Australia. They’re everywhere, often seen when driving around, are low key pests and sometimes you eat one. That’s right. Kangaroo steaks and roo-pizza are real things you can order in Australia… I can’t even with you, Australia.

But back to Timmies, IMHO the coffee is trash, but its hella cheap at ~$2 for a large. Coffee quality aside, they’ve got the cheapest doughnuts, bagels, pastries and sandwiches around. And with locations literally everywhere, you don’t need to go far to get your fix.

Happy eats 🙂

• • Without a doubt, Montreal has the best nightlife in Canada (I’m saying this as a Toronto native, don’t @ me). But the city’s daylife is chalk-filled with some must-sees. Here are some of my top picks:

    Winter Festivals

    

    Hosting over 45 festivals each year, Montreal knows how to throw a party. While the spring, summer and fall festivals get a lot of attention, if you’re unfortunate enough to be here during winter, don’t miss out on Igloofest and Montréal En Lumiére.

    Igloofest promises the uniquely Canadian experience of partying with international DJs outdoors in the winter. Complete with 80s ski-hill glam, ice bars and open fire pits, Igloofest is a unique experience and a right-of-passage for Montreal transplants.

    Montréal En Lumiére (Feb 22^nd – March 4^th, 2018) is one of the largest winter festivals in the world, with activities for concert-goers, preforming arts-lovers and foodies alike. If you only go out one night, make it Nuit Blanche; an evening packed with hundreds of events and art installations with free all-night public transport!

    Boulevard Saint-Laurent

    

    While Saint-Laurent is undeniably a nightlife hub (and mecca of late night eats), it also boasts some of the city’s greatest street art, vintage/oddity shops, secondhand bookstores and unique boutiques. And you can expect several block parties come summer!

    Old Port

    

    Been avoiding the overly touristy Old Port? Don’t play yourself, it lives up to the hype. Although some of its attractions can seem a bit cheesy, there’s still a ton of awesome things to do and see all year round.

    While St. Paul is home to some of the city’s best bistros, cafes and steakhouses, Quai Jacques-Cartier hosts several outdoor events throughout the year. This is where you can catch a famed Cirque du Soleil show, festivals like Igloofest, or large concerts. Old Port even has a beach in the summer and outdoor skating in the winter. Still not convinced? Where else can you go Segway-ing through 400-year-old cobblestone streets?

    Tam-Tams

    

    Not hosted by any organization or community group, the Tam-Tams is an informal (and FREE) gathering every Sunday from spring through autumn near the George-Étienne Cartier Monument in Mount Royal Park.

    You’ll probably hear and smell the Tam-Tams before you see it, as the drum circles and copious amounts of cannabis smoking are what helped make the event famous. The Tam-Tams attracts people from all walks of life, and is the perfect place to have a picnic, drink some wine and people-watch (my personal favourite pastime).

    Happy exploring!