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Nightlife Montreal offers some of the best nightclubs and cabarets to be found anywhere in Canada. The action seldom begins before 2200 and usually continues until at least 0300 the next morning, although on warm summer days, terrasses (patios) are spilling over with people throughout the day. Gaining in popularity are the 5 à 7 (cinq à sept – 1700-1900 happy hour); increasing numbers of bars are offering special drinks prices that are drawing crowds of young office workers. Another trend is towards having DJs spinning in even the smallest of the city’s hipper bars. Nightlife hotspots include rue Crescent, the preserve of the city’s anglophones and English-speaking tourists, and the French-style jazz cafés, clubs, bars, restaurants and bistros along rue St-Denis. Old Montreal has a fair share of jazz bars and boîtes à chansons (intimate and lively venues featuring solo singers or small groups of musicians) but can be a bit touristy. The best buzz in the city is on boulevard St-Laurent, with its upscale bars and restaurants near rue Sherbrooke and more alternative and youthful places north of avenue des Pins. The gay scene is concentrated in the Gay Village, on rue Ste-Catherine to the east of rue St-Hubert, and the whole street is closed off for a massive party following the Divers/Cité gay pride parade (website: www.diverscite.org) in early August. The big gay circuit parties, Black & Blue in early October and Wild & Wet in late June, draw thousands of visitors (website: www.bbcm.org). For the latest on Montreal’s ever-evolving bar and club scene, check the listings in the free alternative weeklies, The Mirror (website: www.montrealmirror.com) and Hour (website: www.hour.ca). The legal minimum drinking age is 18 years. Taverns and brasseries serve alcohol 0800-0300 every day. Cocktail lounges and cabarets stay open until 0200 and 0300 respectively. A beer in Montreal is priced between C$3-5 and cocktails C$4.50-6. Bars: On rue Crescent, Sir Winston Churchill’s Pub (Winnies) at number 1459 and Thursday’s at number 1449 are perennial favourites. Irish pubs include Hurley’s Irish Pub, 1225 rue Crescent, and the Old Dublin, 1219a rue University. For brew pubs, try Brutopia, 1219 rue Crescent, Cheval Blanc, 809 rue Ontario East, or Dieu du Ciel, 29 avenue Laurier West. For French-Canadian culture, Les Deux Pierrots, 114 rue St-Paul in Old Montreal, is a lively, noisy spot; nearby Pub St-Paul, in a 19th century building at number 124, is a bit quieter. In the Latin Quarter, Le St-Sulpice, 1680 rue St-Denis, draws a young, francophone crowd to its huge terrasse, while L’Ile Noire, 342 rue Ontario East, is a more laid-back whisky bar. Stylish bar-clubs like Sofa, 451 rue Rachel East, and Jingxi Club, 410 rue Rachel East, are located just off the more upscale part of rue St-Denis further north. For boulevard St-Laurent, it is best to just walk along and find a bar that appeals. Worth checking out are the trendy Shed Café, at number 3515, and the cool pool tables at Le Swimming, 3643 boulevard St-Laurent. Blizzarts and Laïka, at numbers 3956a and 4040, draw a hip young crowd for the evening DJ sets. For something a bit quieter, try Else’s, 156 rue Roy East. In the Gay Village, Sky Pub , 1474 rue Ste-Catherine East, is the most popular of the many bars. The multi-storey Drugstore, 1366 rue Ste-Catherine, certainly offers something for everyone, with both gay men and lesbian women enjoying the various bars, a deli and even a hairdressers. Casinos: The hugely successful Casino de Montréal (tel: (514) 392 2746 or (800) 665 2274; website: www.casinos-quebec.com) occupies the former French and Quebec pavilions on Ile Notre-Dame. In addition to over 100 gaming tables and 3000 slot machines, there are four restaurants, numerous bars and a cabaret show. A free shuttle bus runs from the Centre Infotouriste on Square Dorchester. The minimum age is 18 years and a passport is not required. The casino is open 24 hours a day and there is no admission fee or dress code. Clubs: Montreal’s two best after-hours clubs are Sona, 1439 rue de Bleury, and Stereo, 858 rue Ste-Catherine East. They stay open until around 1000 the next morning and play a good selection of house and techno music. Entrance costs C$20-25. Loft, 1405 boulevard St-Laurent, and Dôme 2000, 32 rue Ste-Catherine West, draw a younger, more alternative crowd, while further up boulevard St-Laurent, Angel’s (at number 3604) is more mainstream. The stylish Living is a bit further north at number 4521. The biggest gay club in the city is the recently renovated Sky, 1474 rue Ste-Catherine East, a long-time favourite. L’Entre-Peau, at number 1115, is renowned for its drag shows. For Britpop and other ‘alternative’ music, try Nantha’s Kitchen, on the corner of boulevard St-Laurent and Duluth. Comedy: The best time to visit Montreal for comedy is during the Festival Juste pour rire (Just for Laughs Festival) in July (website: www.hahaha.com). Otherwise, Comedy Works, 1238 rue Bishop, Comedy Zone, 1740 boulevard René-Lévesque West, and Comedy Nest, Atwater and Ste-Catherine, are amusing options. Live music: Big-name recording artists play the Molson Centre, 1260 rue de la Gauchetière West, or Olympic Stadium, 4141 avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, and occasionally the city’s mid-size venues: Club Soda, Le Spectrum de Montréal, Cabaret, Metropolis or Kola Note. Les Foufounes Électrique, 87 rue Ste-Catherine East, is renowned for alternative and punk bands. For a loungey, martini-soaked atmosphere, Jello Bar, 151 rue Ontario East, conjures up the appropriate music. Balattou, 4372 boulevard St-Laurent, is the best spot in the city for African music. Biddle’s Jazz, 2060 rue Aylmer, offers what the name suggests but if it is blues you are after, then Beaux Esprits, 2073 rue St-Denis, is the place to go. |
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