Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gestures

Valentine’s Day is the perfect chance to reaffirm the feelings we have for those closest to us. No matter who you wish to celebrate during this lovely holiday, Old Montreal will have the treasure you’ve been seeking, be it for dad, mom, doggy, kitty, a friend, or your sweetheart!

We hope that this special Valentine’s Day address book will help you choose the gift you want to give this year.

Say It With Words

The simplest, yet most effective way to express your feelings to someone is by giving them a nice card. Several Old Montreal boutiques offer a great selection of greeting cards for Valentine’s Day: If you drop by Saint Paul Street West, you’ll encounter Le Magasin Général du Vieux-Montréal and Le Petit Dep. There is also a Petit Dep location on Saint-Sulpice, where you can also find La papeterie Casse-Noisette (well worth the detour)! If you pass by Saint Amable Street to take a few photos, take a sec to see Mimi & August. And if your itinerary happens to take you by Place Jacques-Cartier, you absolutely need to enter Boutique Bonjour Montréal!

Say It With Flowers

Flowers are a surefire way to show off one’s interest in another. Arrangements, bouquets, or why not a pineapple? Yes, at L’orbite, they sell pineapple plants (real name: Cycas). It’s an original gift that will set you apart from the rest! And note that with all purchases over $50 L’orbite is throwing in a magnificent Hoya Kerri.

For a more traditional, but no less sublime route, a bouquet of roses is always sure to please. Besides, who doesn’t love roses?! For an excellent rose seller, head to Le Magasin Général du Vieux-Montréal!

For some flowers that will last eternally, you can opt for some dried flowers. Maison Pepin has some beautiful Pampas to compliment a nice vase, and Boutique Naïf Style also has a selection of bouquets made to last.

Say It With A Present

If you want a more original gift, Le Petit Duck Shoppe is our favourite spot. They have little ducks at all prices: from rubber ducks for children to pairs of duck earrings for an important lady in your life.

Unsure as to what would make your dearly beloved’s heart beat the fastest? For an embarrassment of choice, you will find that Mon Shack au Québec and Artisans Canada are bursting with gifts of all sorts… You may even discover a little something in here for yourself!

The boutique Nuspace is offering a huge selection of items and products arranged in categories, such as “Local purchase”, “For her”, and “For him” especially for Valentine’s day. This is the place to go to satisfy the lover of design in your group.

For a more practical and ecological present, Lunch à porter has just the thing! Cute and machine-washable (easy maintenance!) lunch bags, travel straws that come in a case which can fit neatly in any bag for easy access all day long, and practical mesh bags for fruits and vegetables for when you go shopping. And don’t forget their stainless steel bottles, thermoses, ceramic mugs, and collapsible silicone mugs. You’ll find something here to excite young and old alike.

Want to give a more sensual gift to your sweetheart? The boutique Vaisseau d’or has a lingerie selection that will make you blush!

And is your pet a true member of the family in your eyes? We don’t want them to be left out this Valentine’s Day, and Peluche animalerie urbaine surely has the right toy for Fido and the snack that will make Kitty mew with happiness!

Say It With A Good Meal

Enjoy a nice meal as a couple, in the vein of high Valentine’s Day tradition. Avoid spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, and opt for one of the restaurants in le Vieux that have created special menus expressly to highlight this day celebrating love.

Italian restaurant Elefante has come up with a 3-course dinner box for two, set at the price of $130, or $160 if you wish to include a bottle of wine.

Famed restaurant Gibbys proposes a Valentine’s Day feast for two. For $185, you will get hors-d'œuvres, a main dish (beef Wellington or lobster tails), and a succulent dessert. For an additional $75 you will receive a bouquet of flowers (in a pretty vase), 3 golden candles, and a sachet of rose petals. Everything you need to create the love story ambiance for a night out with your loved one.

Café Mère-Grand has an appetizing 3-course menu for Valentine’s Day: for $69, you get a starter (selection from an assortment of 3 tapas), main dish (the big event!), and chocolate fondue for dessert (satisfaction!)

They say that oysters are an aphrodisiac… In order to test this theory out, restaurant Fish Bone has a table d’hôte, especially composed with Valentine’s Day in mind: a half-dozen oysters for the entree, followed by a chef’s platter (21 pieces), and finished off by a chocolate ganache. $120 for two people, or $150 to add a bottle of wine to your meal.

From February 11th to the 14th, restaurant Helena is serving its Valentines menu: a four-course menu for two at $120. If you wish to include a bottle of wine, it will be $160. Or maybe you want to go with champagne for the occasion? For the same price, you can switch out the bottle of wine, for a nice Spumante (Portugese sparkling wine).

Spanish restaurant Les Pyrénées has prepared a Valentine’s Day menu set at $75 per person, including an intro course, appetizers, a main course (4 choices), dessert, and a final sweet to cap off the evening. They are even offering a children's menu, which also has a choice of four main dishes, as well as one appetizer and one dessert (Junior can pick between the two choices). $22.95 per child.

N.B.: Would you like your business to be included in this list? Please write to us at info@sdcvieuxmontreal.com and we would be happy to add it in.

Photos:
1: Peluche Animalerie Urbaine from Geneviève Giguère
2: Papeterie Casse-Noisette from Geneviève Giguère
3 and 4: Mon Shack au Québec from Geneviève Giguère
5: Les Pyrénées
6 and 7: Le Petit Duck Shoppe from Geneviève Giguère
8: Boutique Bonjour Montréal from Geneviève Giguère
9 and 10: Artisans Canada