Quebec

The farm-to-face facials at this 9,000-square-foot, 3-level spa on Lake Massawippi at the exquisite Manoir Hovey in the countryside near Quebec sources ingredients directly from the land nearby. The Honey Bliss facial is our favorite, combining a delicate honey exfoliant (from beehives on site), crystal-infused moon water, snow and reishi mushroom, and botanical peptides for glowy, ultra-moisturized and super-nourished skin. Don’t miss the Nordic thermal experiences, either.

Dana Gingras is a Montréal-based dancer and choreographer (her company is called Animals of Distinction). Atelier Stable is her movement workshop and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she's been offering classes via Zoom. Gingras teaches a system called gyrokinesis, which gently works the entire body through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences. A lot of the movements are circular and undulating in nature and focused on the spine. You can take her classes individually or as a series. They are donation-based (generally around $20 or pay what you can, and 10 percent of proceeds go to the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal). Her current schedule includes a breathing class, a hip opening session, another for hips and shoulders, deep stretching, and something called “Gravitation Uprightness,” which we’re very intrigued by.

Crew Collective & Café is one part public coffee shop and one part coworking space for local creatives. The building itself—housed in the ornate former Royal Bank headquarters—is reason enough to visit. The speedy Wi-Fi and strong matcha lattes are two more.

Step into Mélisse and you’ll feel like you’re in LA: light wood; a bright, high-ceilinged space; and lots of plants. (Also LA-like: eating on the patio, weather permitting.) Breakfast and lunch are light and focus on seasonal produce (tartines, salads, satisfying egg dishes), while dinner is full of shareable plates, like grilled veggies and charcuterie, plus more substantial items, like grilled pork shoulder peppered with cherry tomatoes and pistachios. The 100 percent organic wine list is short but brilliant.

It’s only fifty seats, and there’s no sign out front, but that’s kind of the point. Despite the name, Big in Japan isn’t meant for a big crowd. Behind an unmarked door at the corner of Boul Saint-Laurent and Rue Rachel, though, it is one of the best spots for late-night cocktails in Montreal. If you’re feeling adventurous, the specialties are amazing prune wine, sake, and Japanese whisky.

This clean, sleek, minimalist space mirrors its wares—lots of Dries Van Noten, Lemaire, and Acne Studios, which draw the city’s creative class (art directors, architects, and the like). There are plenty of pieces for both men and women, and the men’s rack has some pretty fantastic options for women, too. There’s a nice selection of accessories (wallets, backpacks, and totes) from WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie, a line started by local twin brothers Byron and Dexter Peart.

By day, Maelstrøm is a gourmet coffee house serving some of the best cold brew in Quebec City. By night, though, it morphs into a cozy, low-key bar that feels like a locals’ hangout. Exposed-brick walls and mismatched vintage furnishings give it a bit of a Brooklyn vibe, and the cocktails (poured by the friendly bartenders) are strong. It’s a great place to meet up for a predinner drink before a meal at one of the cute neighboring restaurants in Saint-Roch.

There’s something timeless about this old-fashioned grocery store, where shoppers go as much for an ambiance of nostalgia as for restocking their provisions. Worn wooden counters, wicker baskets, and glass cases hold an eclectic selection of artisanal products, including hand-milled soaps, exotic spices, coffee beans, wedges of regional cheeses, dried and cured charcuterie, and house-made sandwiches and cold salads, which you can consume at the café's marble-topped tables.

Confiturerie Tigidou has one specialty: small-batch jams. And the husband-and-wife team Catherine Trudel and Vincent Paris have honed them to perfection. The duo’s not-so-secret recipe allows the pure, natural flavors of the harvests to shine, unspoiled by preservatives or too much sugar. The season’s offerings are scrawled on a chalkboard; pick up the jars to go or have the fruity spreads smothered over house-made scones in the centuries-old barn with antiques and stacks of firewood.

Just minutes from the Old Port, Hotel 71 makes a great base for those looking to explore both the Upper Town and Lower Town of Old Quebec. Once the headquarters for the National Bank of Canada, the nineteenth-century Neoclassical building takes a fast-forward inside to the twenty-first century, with ultrasleek design elements and a socially conscious art collection. Each of the sixty neutral-toned rooms features soaring ceilings and big windows that capture views of the St. Lawrence River and Cap Diamant.