27 places to buy picnic ingredients in Montreal

by Michelle Trottier

It’s summer, the weather's good, and all of a sudden, you feel the need for a picnic coming on. But in this heat, you don’t want to be cooking, not even a quick sandwich. So instead we opt for convenience and treat ourselves by picking up ready-made ingredients on the way to our chosen green space. [image credit: iStockphoto]

Lafontaine Park is a classic when it comes to getting together for an outdoor meal. If you’re coming from the south, on Ontario Street, you can stop by bakers Pain à Tartine To pick up a ham sandwich or Arte & Farina, its Italian neighbour, for a pizza or a delicious pastry.

If you’re coming from the north, via Mount-Royal Avenue, you can put a little feast together. Start with a nice bottle of rosé from SAQ Express. Then pick up a bagel from St-Viateur Bagel, moving on to Maison du rôti for some cold meats, before finishing at Fruiterie Valmont, for fresh fruit and nuts.

Still on the north side of the park, on Rue Rachel, Café Marius, housed in cycle shop Maison des Cyclistes, offers sandwiches, salads and Viennese pastries.

Finally, if you’re coming from the west, stop by C’est la Vie organic market for a whole range of ready-to-eat food and more.

Sushi in the beautiful setting of Jarry Park? Totally doable, especially if you go up Saint-Laurent Boulevard and stop at Inochi Express when you’re nearing the Park, which also offers homemade ice cream. And just a few blocks away, no fewer than three cafes where you can find something to take with you to the park: Café Larue & Fils, Café Vito and Café Oui Mais Non, nearer the junction of Jarry West and Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

On Rue de Castelnau Est, the General Store offers local gourmet products, including spreads and deli meats, and bakery Le Pain Dans les Voiles, in addition to bread and pastries, offers square pizzas, Dijon cobs and sandwiches.

And to top it off, just a little further south, the Jean-Talon Market – which needs no introduction – has everything you could possibly need to feed even the most demanding of picnickers. No matter what they might want, you’ll find something for them among the many stalls and shops housed in the market, whether it’s at the La Moutonnière Cheese Shop, Cochons Tout Ronds, Volailles et Gibiers du Marché or at Pâtisserie le Ryad.

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To break bread in the Old Port, or have a bite on the way through before embarking on the Lachine Canal bike path, Old Montreal is full of appetizing and practical options.

If your meal break is on a weekday between 8 am and 3 pm, you can stop at Europea Espace Boutique to get yourself one of their famous lunch boxes.

On Rue Saint-Paul, Le Petit Dep – est. 1822! – offers sandwiches, salads and delicacies. Le Marché de La Villette, on the same street, offers around 20 varieties of hot or cold sandwiches, including the merguez, smoked meat or roast beef. A little further west, still on St. Paul, Olive et Gourmando delights with its exceptional sandwiches or with its healthy bowl and No.24 salad.

And if you’re taking the bike path to Lachine without anything to sustain you on the way, you can remedy this at the Atwater Market, near the path, to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at Conrad Pitre, organic meats at butchers Ferme Saint-Vincent, and all manner of breads at Première Moisson.

Whether it’s an elaborate meal you’re looking for or just a small bite to enjoy in an outdoor setting, the possibilities are endless in Montreal. Bring on the summer and picnics in town!