Montreal's little gem... at Birks

Birks store on Ste-Catherine

Think inside the blue box!

In case you were considering a visit to Montreal to end the summer with a little getaway, here are a few photos of my girls' outing last year (with my sister-in-law and our two girls).

Now that I've lived twenty years in Toronto, I'm a tourist in Montreal. I did not know there was a café inside Birks, downtown's landmark with a round corner (at Ste-Catherine and Square Phillips).

Birks is the jewelry store known for the trademark blue box they introduced in 1944. The one which has developed a Pavlovian reflex in generations of Montreal women!

(Here's a cute family story about Birks: My brother was buying a gift for his wife at this store, accompanied by their little girl. She kept loosing her pants because he had forgotten her belt when he dressed her up. The sales person kindly gave him a ribbon to tie around her waist in lieu of a belt. When he got home, it took my sister-in-law one second to notice on her daughter the blue ribbon stamped with the Birks logo. Surprise!)

Birks Café within the store

About the building
The Romanesque Revival building has won kudos for the quality of the additions and renovations over the years. In 1894, Henry Birks moved his company into this four-storey sandstone building he commissioned from architect Edward Maxwell.

To access Birks Café, you need to walk through the grand store.

About the afternoon tea
Yum! And only $26.50. See their menu. It is served daily from 2:30 p.m.

I loved the food but I must say I preferred the tea experience at MoRoCo, where we could smell different teas from an assortment of options in little containers, but it was $50! (MoRoCo is included in the Yorkville VIP Stroll in my walking guide Toronto Urban Strolls 1.)

A few other places to consider when visiting Montreal
Brasserie T: This is the little sister of the famous restaurant Toqué. It offers a smaller menu than the bigger restaurant but it is as good and less expensive. Long and narrow, almost like a train wagon, it sits between fountains and the unique Quartier des Spectacles.

Bota Bota: The floating spa in the Vieux-Port de Montréal. Consider times when there's a special rate for the water circuit. Check the view from their hot tub in the hipandurbangirls.com blog.

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Walk the talk says Nilofer Merchant at TED

Walking meeting: now that's an idea!

"Fresh air brings fresh thinking", says Nilofer Merchant in a 6-minute speech at TED. "Getting out of the box leads to out-of-the-box thinking."

Edwards Gardens Mansions Strolls (torontourbanstrolls.com)

I knew that combining seeing my girlfriends and walking was truly beneficial but I now realize the same logic applies to combining meeting and walking.

Next time you need to plan a meeting, you might want to try one of the more secluded walks in the two guides Toronto Urban Strolls 1 & 1. They all include a coffee shop!

Merchant is a business innovator and author of books such as The New How: Creating Business Solutions Through Collaborative Strategy.

Forest Hill Ravine Stroll including Cedarvale Park (torontourbanstrolls.com)

Old Mill River Stroll seen from Dundas West Bridge (torontourbanstrolls.com)

Toronto walks, anyone?

The new girlfriends guides are out! After six months (in the making), my two guides Toronto Urban Strolls 1 & 2 are finally available online, and in the travel section of major bookstores. 

Click on the books' covers to have a look inside.

Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends 1 (Second edition)
The first edition of this 192-page guide with 28 Toronto walks sold out in three months last summer. This is the second edition, with the 28 Toronto walks fully revised.


It includes nature walks, neighbourhood strolls and I-Spy circuits (the best Toronto walks to discover urban treasures).
Buy on Amazon or on Indigo.

Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends 2 

A follow-up to Toronto Urban Strolls 2, this guide includes 24 additional Toronto walks. No overlap with the first guidebook!

You'll discover more neighbourhoods, more Toronto nature and more surprising urban sights. Buy on Amazon or on Indigo.

Both guides are available online on Amazon and Indigo and should be in the stores by the first week of May.

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