Summer means wild blueberries (fresh from the Lac St-Jean region) in this city where the French passion for food has its own Quebecois flavor. Local cuisine relies on rich ingredients like cream, butter, and raw-milk cheese, and gamey meats like wild boar. And if blue berries-smaller and more flavorful than ours-aren't enough, July is also the city's cultural high season. Its world-renowned jazz festival opens with Cassandra Wilson's tribute to Miles Davis, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival is still the place to see hot new comics. What's more, the U.S. dollar is worth about $1.50 Canadian. So go ahead, indulge yourself.

Best New Restaurant: Les Caprices de Nicolas tops every Montrealer's list, but Nicolas's casual new place, Jongleux Cafe, is still undiscovered. The dining room has a relaxed atmosphere, with azure and celadon walls, curved white stairways, and nice touches like butter served in tiny terra-cotta pots. But the real standout is the food-crepe-style salmon blinis topped with beluga caviar and a light cream; bouillabaisse of shrimp, porcinis, and portobellos; and sauteed strawberries with marsala ice cream (3434 rue Saint-Denis;             514-841-8080      ; dinner for two is about $50, before tax, wine, and tip).

Sleeping in Style: Hotel Le Germain, just two months old, has accomplished the impossible-a balance between minimalism and comfort. The decor-seal-colored carpeting, beige walls, and mahogany trim finish-is urban Spartan, but beds come wrapped in cozy 200-percale French sheets. Reserve one of the 99 rooms well in advance (2050 rue Mansfield;             514-849-2050      ; rooms range from $108-$160

On the Level: The working-class Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, with its painted row houses and wrought-iron staircases, has always had personality. Now there's a new energy to it; trendy brunch spots have moved in next to juice bars, making it one of the city's most inviting places to explore. With its bike lanes and repair shops, the Plateau is also a favorite place to cycle.

Paris Nord: Throw open the shutters of your room at L'Auberge Bonaparte, and look down on Vieux Montreal, with its narrow Parisian-style cobblestone streets and top-heavy stone buildings. Barely three months old, the 31-room sister inn of popular L'Auberge Les Passants de Sans Soucy is furnished with stylish wrought-iron beds. Ask for a top-floor room with a private terrace, and have dinner sent up from the inn's French restaurant (447 rue Saint-Francois-Xavier;
            514-844-1448      ; rooms range from $95-$230).

Dressed to Thrill: Young Canadian designers are in vogue. Visit the boutiques on Rue Crescent and Rue de la Montagne near Rue Sherbrooke (Montreal's Fifth Avenue), housed in elegant white town houses with outdoor staircases leading to second-floor shops. Ones to watch: the gorgeous, fluid designs of Nadya Toto (2057 rue de la Montagne;             514-350-9090      ) and Marie Saint-Pierre's impeccable marriage of wit and tailoring (2081 rue de la Montagne;             514-281-5547      ).

The Milky Way: Always a region of cheese lovers, local production in Quebec has recently taken off. Today there are some 15 or 20 boutique fromageries in the province, many of which distribute only locally. Don't expect the usual wheels of Camembert and Brie; many of the choices are raw-milk, washed-rind goat cheeses. In the back of Le Fromentier bakery, Maitre Courbou offers the most variety. And while you can't buy raw-milk cheese in the U.S., you can buy it here and have it sent home (1375 Laurier Est;             514-527-3327      ).

French Toast: Famous for his breads, few know that James MacGuire also serves the city's most authentic French cuisine. His tiny dining room, Le Passe-Partout, is only open a few days a week, and serves just two or three dishes each meal (with French-style after-dinner salad and dessert plates of Quebec cheeses). Entrees are expertly prepared, like locally raised leg of lamb, slow-roasted and served with potatoes au gratin. Desserts, like chocolate mousse with Grand Marnier custard, are sweet but refined (3857 boulevard Decarie;             514-487-7750      ; dinner for two is about $60).

A Walk in the Woods: After the snow melts, La Sucrerie de la Montaigne fills up twice daily with Montrealers who crave green countryside and the Quebecois comfort food of their ancestors. Savor wood-fired baked beans, country sausages, and meat pies (all doused in maple syrup) at this 100-year-old wooden farmhouse, just an hour outside the city. Save the afternoon for a hay ride and a walk through the maple groves (300 Rang St-Georges, Rigaud, Quebec;             450-451-5204      ; lunch is about $20 per person, dinner $27).

For additional information on visiting Montreal,
call Tourisme Quebec at             800-363-7777      , ext. 828.