Montreal: Ateliers et Saveurs

"I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made." Yes, James Bond. I agree.

One of the first things you notice when you enter Ateliers & Savuers are the light fixtures. Specially designed and created by lighting artist François Legault of UNIK Sculptural Lighting you realize immediately that this is no ordinary culinary school.

A spiral chandelier featuring 260 spoons shines above, in the wine tasting room a 7 foot-long pendant lamp of 476 spoons and 21 Champagne flutes draws your near, on the walls espresso cups act as sconces.

"We designed them especially," says Parisian-born sommelier and co-owner Arnaud Ferrand. And indeed no expense has been spared in this half a million dollar restoration. Housed in a heritage building in Old Montreal, Ateliers et Saveurs is unique to this metropolitan city offering cooking, cocktail and wine classes to locals and tourists alike.

With so much to take in — attractive, young clientele, gorgeous decor — it was hard to know where to look as we waited our turn for our Friday night cocktail class after all, if the food you lovingly cook is more delicious, than surely the cocktail you shake is far superior - and possibly more toxic!

Armed with nothing but our enthusiasm (part of the allure of going to elsewhere to make cocktails) the four of us girls waited patiently for our turn at the bar, props at the ready. The class was sold out and so two rotations of budding bar tenders took it in turns to turn mere ingredients into the nectar of the Gods - or at least die trying.

The first cocktail was a classic Margarita.

As the ingredients were poured and the instructions translated for us English speakers, the music got pumping and all involved shook and shimmied like there was no tomorrow. The result, a perfect Margarita worthy of the best Manhattan watering hole.

We created three cocktails in all with special shot pouring classes topping off the night. As you can imagine the atmosphere was quite festive by then, strangers becoming friends, work foes becoming allies. Thankfully, a delicious array of h'ordeuvres were also served to help soak up all that fun!

All in all, I couldn't recommend it highly enough. The price you pay for three or four hours of fun is less than it would cost to purchase the drinks and definitely less than it would cost for the ingredients alone. Even better, you could put this down as an educational experience - much more socially acceptable than a mere night on the town (of course, this is a great prelude to that too, if you so wish).

Montreal: La Buvette Chez Simone

As in Europe, dinner in Montreal is best served family-style, with delectable portions of amazing goodies arranged so that you can enjoy the food (and the company) at leisure. La Buvette Chez Simone on Park Avenue in Place des Arts, has this sort of dining down to an art form. Hip yet unpretentious, this neighborhood institution brings together locals, dates and diners to enjoy an array of tapas-style dishes arranged with a stylist's eye, as delicious as five star dining. This is the sort of place where time flies and lifetime friendships are cemented.

Buvette Chez Simone
4869, avenue du Parc
Rés.: 514 750-6577

OPUS MONTREAL: Stylish digs for the hip

Ah, Montréal. I forgot everyone speaks French here. It seems as if I have been politely ignoring the entire population over the last fews month as I find myself in foreign countries with no idea what anyone is saying. Add to my confusion that the first thing I hear upon entering my gorgeous room in the Opus Hotel is Kylie Minogue’s “Locomotion.” Being an Australian/New Yorker in French/English speaking Montreal this can get a little confusing.


Having finally come to grips with it all, I did my initial room inspection and found all the amenities I so love; a coffee machine, nice sized bathroom, L’Occitane products, modern décor and fabulous bar awaiting us downstairs. The only slightly misleading amenity being the complimentary wireless which, like many hotels these days, is only in the common areas.

One of the only Canadian hotel chains, Opus has four hotels within Canada. The Montreal addition is two years old and has quickly made a name for itself as the place-to-be on weekends — possibly the reason for the ear plugs next to the bed. Situated on the corner of Saint Laurent, one of Montreal's trendiest streets, it's perfectly situated for a weekend getaway.

Settling down for a quick nap pre-meet and greet, I flicked through the hotel’s encyclopaedia of amenities and found a great addition: “The Tips” sheet listing the most happening events for the month. Using fictional lifestyle muses; Billy, the enlightened rockstar, Susan, the fashion exec, Pierre, the food critic, Dede, the film actress and Mike, the doctor it outlines five off the must-see hip happenings around town. Written by Zink Canada editor, Simona Rabinovitch it gives you an insiders guide to the city of Montreal something all of us need on a trip away.