Golden Square Mile

At the turn of the 20th century, the Golden Square Mile alone held **two-thirds of Canada's wealth**; what remains are Victorian mansions, majestic hotel lobbies and a way of drinking practised in hushed tones. The ritual is to treat yourself to a single cocktail, but the right one: an old fashioned or a martini prepared without haste, served in a deep armchair, under high ceilings and lighting that flatters everyone. Around you, the muffled conversation of business people, anniversary couples and elegant travellers replaces music that's too loud. It is the antithesis of the Main, and that is exactly why you go: to slow down, well dressed, in the Montreal of the great anglophone era. Insider tip: aim for the quiet window between 5 and 7 p.m., when the hotel bars are still calm and the window banquettes are free.

Fifteen minutes on Sherbrooke West, between Guy and McGill College, take you across the quarter where Canadian wealth pooled in the nineteenth century. You climb one grey-stone mansion at a time: these homes of the anglo-Montreal bourgeoisie house consulates, private clubs and McGill faculties, wedged between glass towers. The Ritz-Carlton has held the Drummond corner since 1912, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts closes the walk to the west and the McCord Stewart Museum to the east. Closer to Sainte-Catherine the setting turns commercial. Insider tip: look above the ground floors, where nearly all the heritage survived the renovations.