If you're walking by, cool, but don't make a special stop. Not much to see, very small and mostly restaurants that appear pretty sketchy to even eat at. Not specific to China either, pretty much a melting pot of Asian cuisine and decorations. Don't get your hopes up, nothing really exciting. read more

Montréal's Chinatown or Le quartier chinois is situated in the Ville-Marie borough. Chinatown occupies roughly one square block - Saint Dominique Street to the East, René Lévesque Boulevard to the North, Viger Street to the south and Jeanne-Mance Street to the West - four corners of which are marked, each by a large ornate Paifang Gates (the most of any Chinatown in Canada.) The bustling part of town was established in the early 1890s. With several Chinese stores set up on de le Gauchetière street peppered with Chinese laundries in the area, a Montréal Chinatown slowly started to emerge. The first initiative to revive the area was the installation of a pedestrian mall on de la Gauchetière street in the 1980s. Followed by the Chinese Catholic Community Centre, low-rent housing complexes with reserved floors for seniors, and low-income families, and the construction of the first all Chinese hospital in Canada - The Montreal Chinese Hospital in 1999. What started off as small grocery stores, diners and restaurants, over the years, business in Chinatown reflect the multi-cultural Asian ethnicities that make up this vibrant neighbourhood. Businesses of Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese, Chinese refugees from South-East Asia are all represented in Chinatown. Behind the souvenir stands and trinket shops are business that local Asian-Montrealers patron to source specialty imported items, such as Asian Pharmacies (herbal teas and ointments) or dine at some of the most authentic Chinese and other Asian restaurants the city has to offer. After two years of pandemic, I can see some storefronts boarded up and closed, but that is true all over the city and the world. Slowly, I am sure this quartier will have a rebirth and be a focal point of tourism in Montreal as well as a focal gathering point for locals. read more

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I love this Chinatown. It is by far the cleanest Chinatown that I have been to so far. It is smaller compared to Vancouver, San Francisco, New York City and etc. I really like the architecture here. It has it uniqueness. I am from Vancouver and I can say it has everything what you would expect to find in Chinatown. It was a pleasant to visit Chinatown in Montreal. I don't go to the Chinatown in Vancouver anymore or even go near it unless I really have to. Vancouver Chinatown is a nightmare while Montreal Chinatown is the opposite. Everything is so intact. The streets are clean. No graffiti or people destroying artwork here. There are no big population of homeless people here (Vancouver homeless got pushed to Chinatown). Mural are preserved and not ruined in Montreal Chinatown. I am amazed. I feel so safe as a tourist walking in Montreal Chinatown. I love it. This is a true tourist attraction place. read more

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I rate this Chinatown three stars in comparison to other Chinatowns. If you've been to the Chinatown in Los Angeles, NYC, or San Francisco, you will be disappointed at how small it is. Even the Toronto one is bigger. However, if you are living in Montreal, it is a decent place to eat some authentic Chinese food. You will find dim sum restaurants, bubble tea places, Chinese bakeries, and all the other things that a Chinatown should have. Despite being only 3 to 4 blocks long, there are many good food options to be found here. read more

Quartier Chinois / Chinatown - Local Flavor Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

At work a couple of weeks ago, a colleague asked how I would describe Chinatown in Montreal. I said that it is small, but mighty. If I could simply leave my review with this short summary, I would. It's just not my style. My boss has a different interpretation about Chinese food. He feels that the GTA has everything and that there isn't anything special when you go elsewhere. I don't feel the same way and I convinced him that he needs to be more open. I showed him a photo of chick and bunny steamed buns that I got from Bao Bao Dim Sum. He asked if I got them in Montreal. Yes! You can also get Sanrio characters, like Doraemon, Hello Kitty, and more. They are cute and cool. This Chinatown is compact, in the sense that it is smaller than your average one in the GTA, but it has a ton of businesses and packs a punch. Every few steps, you see a restaurant or place to snack at. There are a few small bubble tea stores, like Presotea and Chatime. I love the few bakeries that are there and wish that I had more time to visit them all, as bakeries are my weakness. You can get housewares and cheap souvenirs, too. It has gates that the more modern Chinatowns these days do not have, to mark that you are officially here. This Chinatown was steps away from my hotel, so I walked over there a few times during my recent stay. The food was yummy. I had yummy dumplings at Mai Xiang, Hong Kong comfort food at Ethan, and delicious pho at My Canh. I didn't have a bad meal for dinner at any of these places. I like this Chinatown. I was fortunate to be so close to it during my most recent stay that I spent more time here than I had anticipated. I'm so glad I did. (318) read more

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I absolutely ADORE this Chinatown! Every time I travel somewhere, I look to see if there is a Chinatown in the city in which I'm visiting. My husband and I have been to Montreal three times and every time, we make it our main priority to visit Chinatown...and possibly visit it every single day until our trip is over. Yes, this Chinatown is small, but there's so much to see and eat here, you are bound to find something you'll enjoy. My personal favorite is Bao Bao Dim Sum and my husband always looks forward to hot pot at Kagayaki as well as Dragon's Beard Candy. There are quite a few great bubble tea shops, too. Though I'm writing a raving review of Chinatown, the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is simply because Chinatown is a little grungy. There's quite a bit of trash on the streets and not enough trash cans. Besides Chinatown needing a good cleanup on the streets, I truly love visiting here when we come to Montreal. read more

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Chinese people began moving into Quartier chinois in 1877. These were predominately railroad workers with surnames like Chan, Tam, Wong and Leung. From 1890-1920 the area was settled by Jewish immigrants before again becoming Chinese. There are four gates in this 4 block community indicating north, south, east and west. There is a pedestrian only walking area which makes the area a comfortable walking experience. Although it is a small community unlike New York and San Francisco much is packed into this community. I suggest Mai Yiang for Dim Sum or My Canh for Pho. I found L2 Leung a great spot for bubble tea. Bakeries like Patisserie offer a diverse variety of baked goods while the Noodle Factory offers a sushi buffet.. There are boutiques, souvenir shops. grocery stores and street vendors. Sometimes only cash is excepted and I personally could not find an ATM machine. but maybe they exist somewhere. Many of the items sold are directly imported from mainland China and Vietnam. The Montreal Chinese Community & Cultural Center is located in this area and people can be seen doing their early morning Tai Chi. Quartier Chinois is a short walk from Old Town Montreal. There is a metro stop at Place d'Armes. Parking can be difficult so I suggest the metro. read more

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Chinatown in Montreal is no New York City Chinatown or even Toronto Chinatown, but it has its own charm, and it's cooler than Ottawa's Chinatown (I live in Ottawa now, so I feel I can say this, lol)! I like that there are stretches that are closed off to vehicular traffic, so it's just foot traffic. In warmer weather there are a lot of street vendors along these stretches. There are tons of restaurants in Chinatown, a few bakeries, some grocery stores and some retail stores. Once upon a time when I lived in Montreal, I loved going to L2 Lounge with my girlfriends to hang out and have bubble tea. I'm happy to see they are still around after all these years. My favourite bakery is Patisserie Harmonie/Bao Bao Dim Sum, they have really cute steamed buns shaped like Sanrio characters! My favourite store in Chinatown is Boutique 101. They sell little knick knacks like purse charms but what I love most about them is that they are an authorized Melissa Jelly Shoes retailer! And they stock a lot of size 5s (fellow small-footed fashionistas take note). I also like to stop at Hoang Oanh Sandwiches to get some Banh Mi and Vietnamese snacks that I can't get in Ottawa. Montreal's Chinatown is fairly small, but it has a good variety of places and is an area of town that's worth checking out. read more

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Chinatown is located within steps from the AC hotel where we stayed. This smallish space (two square blocks) is impressively bound on each direction by an ornate paifang gates (architectural archway) and houses many restaurants, herb stores, boba tea & pastry stores and souvenir shops. It's clean, seemingly safe; quiet on a weekday but crowded on a weekend when we visited. We had dinner at a couple of restaurants which serve authentic Cantonese (Beijing) and Shanghainese (Sammy Dumplings) food. read more

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Chinatown in Montreal is really small, just a couple of blocks. It is not as colorful or busy as NYC's Chinatown, where you see all kinds of tables with cheap merchandise and oddities. I figure is the cold. In facts it is mostly restaurants. There are four gates. One on each cardinal point, and although nice enough, they need more illumination. At night they don't look very impressive. Now, I saw a lot of bakeries I wanted to try, there was so many cute confections, I didn't know where to start. Turns out, I couldn't start anywhere. They only take cash, and me being the American that I am didn't have any, I was relying on credit cards wherever I went. Someone told me there was an ATM somewhere, but I was not able to find it. It was late and snowing so we just left. At least I got some cute pictures at one of the gates and with the rooster sculpture. My advice... BRING CASH!!!! read more

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I'm all for local flavor and I really our little Chinatown. So many hidden gems here! Walking around during the day you can see some of the local culture and the charm. The area is somewhat small compared to other cities for sure but it's definitely nice to see Montreal have one. Love the fact some streets are reserved only for pedestrians! One of my favorite things was to see a group of elderly Asians doing yoga in front of the temple. I have to stop and watch them. It was a nice vibe and I'm thankful to have seen it. One negative thing though. I do wish they're more environmentally friendly. Yes, businesses are compact here and there's a lot of trash. The trash in the area has always been a consistent issue and restos use the sides and back of their buildings with little care. Is it too much to have a proper and modern garbage disposal system here? Perhaps some auditing to make sure they're staying compliant? read more

I understand that most of the reviews are negative because the Chinatown is so small but I'm just happy there is a Chinatown! It's got such great goodies like Harmonie and the touristy dragon beard place. It's also where I go to get my haircuts, buy cheap fortune cookies, discover new desserts/bubble teas/drinks/sushi/general tao chicken/and more! Definitely check it out if you haven't already or if you're visiting. Some of my personal favourites here are : C'est la peau beauty store, Noodle Factory, this random sushi buffet place that is located on top of another building (do some digging!), Chatime, Capital Tacos, and all the little random stores where you can find some cool gifty/touristy items. And once you're done visiting, you can walk to Old Montreal! read more

Un vrais quartier chinois très propre les magasins sont invitant les restaurant sont très bon on y mange bien, les dessert sont a vous lécher les doigts, c'est un vrais plaisir de se promener dans ce quartier allez faire votre tours vous ne le regretterais pas Angela read more

Cool looking Chinatown gates. Not huge, maybe 3-4 blocks, but quite compact. Expected there to be some cheaper dining options. Chinese meditation in the square. Worth checking out even if it is small. Just don't expect anything like NYC Chinatown. read more

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Two Yelp entries for the Chinatown in Montreal. Here is my review from the other entry: Our hotel was located next door to Montreal's Chinatown. I was surprised to see how small this city's Chinatown is because Montreal is a very large city. We were here almost every day of our stay in Montreal. Tried a few bakeries. Patisserie Harmonie was our absolute favorite! Some shops are available for purchasing some exotic fruits. Ate at a Dim Sum place, but was not impressed. I would not go out of my way to visit this Chinatown. Only if we stay at the Holiday Inn next door will we be visiting Quartier Chinois Montreal again. read more

It's small. It's full of tourists, and as such doesn't really feel alive. It closes up at 10pm. Some of the restaurants say they're open until 11, but walk in after 10 and you'll be told that the kitchen is closed, and out you go. I don't know what sort of bylaws Montreal has going, but if a China Town isn't even open until midnight (or say, 4am) I don't know what's going on. Take a picture of the gate, and then be on your way. Maybe try the Dragon Beard's candy, just for a lark. read more

While walking through Montreal we found ourselves in Chinatown which was a pleasant surprise. Since we were new to the city we didn't know what to expect, but this Chinatown had all the basics. We ended up stopping at a few different bakeries in the village and enjoyed walking past a few of their shops and restaurants. The only issue we had was that we arrived later in the evening when some of the shops were closed, but overall we enjoyed the stores were were able to visit. One tip, parking can be a bit tough so take a bus or train if you can! read more

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Really great Chinatown, Canadian style! I like how there are pedestrian only streets unlike the one in NYC. read more

Quartier Chinois / Chinatown - Chinatown!!! - Local Flavor Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Well I will start off by saying I'm from NY.. We have a real Chinatown and a mini one (Flushing) and our "mini" one still trumps this Chinatown. But I might be bias here... I will say this Chinatown has a few photo ops at the sun yet Sen Area and the gates otherwise you will find stores that sell random stuff that you don't need and Chinese bakeries, a chained bubble tea place, chain hot pot place and a few dimsum restaurants. I wouldn't make it a day event or even an hour event for this place maybe just route your destinations through it so you can see it... But really imo there is nothing special to be found here except the sun yet Sen place. Sorry! read more

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Unfortunately this is a quick review. I didn't get to spend as much time here as I had wanted to besides walking through it twice on my way back to the hotel. Both times I was impressed, however, with the selection of stores and the diversity of the neighborhood. I saw a little tea place that I really want to try and is definitely on my list for next time... read more

Quartier Chinois / Chinatown - Local Flavor Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Chinatown is quite small compared to the ones in other North American cities, it is quite dirty so there is an annual cleaning event organized by the Service à la Famille chinoise du Grand Montreal. There are a lot of touristic agencies, banks, restaurants, boutiques, bakeries, supermarket, shops in Chinatown that sell Chinese specialties and beyond. It is close to old port so a lot of tourists visit this place. It is nice to walk around Chinatown in summer. read more

Petit quartier chinois dans une grande ville mais très mignon. Je pense que c'est le premier quartier chinois que j'ai visité. On sent vraiment la différence dès qu'on traverse la porte/ gate , tout est écrit en chinois même le nom des rues ce qui est surprenant quand on ne sait pas à quoi s'attendre. Bien que ma visite date d'il y a très longtemps j'étais surprise par la quantité de petits commerces sur la rue principale; notez que le Chinatown de San Francisco regorge de magasins de souvenirs pour touristes alors que celui-ci est très authentique. Mais bon traffic jam, il faut y aller à pieds, vous allez plus passez votre temps à klaxonner que de circuler. A revisiter, si j'ai la chance de revenir à Montréal. read more

Chinatown is small because the province of Quebec is to blame, not because they chose to be small. Excellent restaurants, great quality food for the price, love visiting there every chance I get. read more