Oh, yes, we are lucky with heating. I am stuck opening windows sometimes while it's -25 outside!
Go to Pho Bang New York - really great pho.
Cafe Santropol - amazing totally weird sandwiches!
Check out Au Vivres, Crudessence and Panthere Verte. Those are vegetarian and/or vegan places. And so is ChuChai (vegan Thai).
SuWu is a nice place for a drink and so is Waverly, for a more dowtown feel there is Newtown.
Take a stroll (if weather allows) down Bernard street in Outremont and the surrounding areas. Cafe Olympico or La Croissanterie Figaro are there.
There are a bunch of cafes and bars near Laurier street as well as St Laurent.
Basically the Mile End as well as le Plateau are nice, young and vibrant neighborhoods.
Have fun! :)
ps. Since I am in arts I can not pass by the occasion to recommend you to see Peter Doing at the Beaux Arts Museum!
Find "Joe Beef" the restaurant is a must. The culinary world has been a buzz about it since it opened. And the proprietors have opened several other amazing spots in the area too. Each is great. ~Billy
Whatever you may think about Canadians, it's hard to dispute that we build the best heating systems anywhere in the world.
While I can't say I've tried it in winter, the walk along Promenade du Vieux-Port and through the old downtown is (at least in summer) an experience unlike anything else on this continent. Sometimes you'd swear the clock just stopped on this district around 1898 or so.