Bars in the Village and beyond
Richard Burnett
Montréal is home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ Villages in North America, but there are lots of great spots beyond the Village as well in a queer-friendly city that likes to let the good times roll.
Each year the lively kilometre-long summertime pedestrian mall on Saint-Catherine Street in the Village stretches east from Place Émilie-Gamelin near Berri-UQAM Métro station to Papineau Avenue. The pedestrian mall and surrounding area is filled with some 40 patios which are called “terrasses” by locals. And, of course, there are great spots in other ‘hoods as well.
Here is a selection of LGBTQ+ and queer-friendly establishments with rooftop bars, karaoke, drag shows and some of the best patios in the city.
Cabaret Mado
Named for Montréal drag icon Mado Lamotte, Cabaret Mado is one of the busiest LGBTQ+ bars in the Village and a great place to spot visiting celebrities like Charlize Theron and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Local, national and international drag artists headline shows nightly. The street front patio is a great spot to catch up with friends.
1115 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Complexe Sky
Complexe Sky boasts three floors of entertainment with a popular summertime rooftop terrasse that also has an outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Enjoy a pitcher of ice-cold sangria on the street-level terrasse which is great for people-watching. Drag star Emma DéjaVu hosts the free-admission Le Sky Show every Friday at 10 pm.
1478 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Bar Renard
Trendy Bar Renard is popular with LGBTQ+ and straight young hipsters. The bar boasts a wide selection of wines, microbrewery beers and cocktails as well as a street front patio in the heart of the action. Inside, because of its colourful décor, Renard’s unisex washroom has become an iconic selfie location.
1272 Sainte-Catherine Street East
District Vidéo Lounge
Queer icon Lady Gaga and her entourage partied at District Vidéo Lounge when it opened in 2017. Patrons can select music videos on the indoor screens or hang out on the very comfortable patio.
1365 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Aigle Noir
Montréal’s Black Eagle is called Aigle Noir. While it serves the leather and denim communities, it is also popular with bears and the athletic crowd. Happy hour specials and a cruisy summertime terrasse. A true Montréal classic.
1315 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Club Unity
Club Unity is one of the biggest nightclubs in the city, with two dance floors and legendary summertime rooftop terrasse with great views of the city.
1171 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Le Normandie
Bar Le Normandie on Atateken Street is a terrific watering hole with cheap drinks and karaoke. A local institution since 1981, the tavern has two of the nicest and busiest summer patios in the Village.
1295 Atateken Street
Bar Le Cocktail
Legendary Montréal female impersonator Michel Dorion’s classic Bar Le Cocktail is a terrific nightclub to see live shows by many of the best drag performers in the city – including Dorion – and Le Cocktail’s comfortable and popular patio draws a great mix of people.
1669 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Le Date Karaoke
A classic neighbourhood bar in the Village whose karaoke song list features “hundreds of thousands” of titles. Patrons can also upload a high-definition MP4 digital video document of their performance.
1218 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Bar Le Stud
Popular with the bear and leather communities, Bar Le Stud on the eastern edge of the Village welcomes all types of men, and all types go. Open since 1995, their motto is, “Stud is a men’s bar, where men love men.” There is plenty to do inside the labyrinthine nightclub, which boasts two popular patios – one on Sainte-Catherine Street and the other on Papineau Avenue.
1812 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Bar Minéral
A wine bar by day and nightclub after dark, Bar Minéral on Atateken Street is an architectural delight and boasts a very comfortable sunshiny patio and excellent light food menu.
1641 Atateken Street
Website
Stock Bar
Montréal is famous for its gay male strip joints and none is bigger than Stock Bar in the Village. Ladies Night every Wednesday. The venue also presents its Drag Extra show – under the artistic direction of drag icon Rita Baga – each Sunday at 7:30 pm.
1171 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Stock & Soda
Airy, bright and comfortable venue with pool table, drag performances and a busy summertime terrasse.
1171 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Motel motel
Opened in 2023 by the team behind Bar Renard and Tendresse, the Motel Motel kitchen offers small dishes designed to be shared in their restaurant space, then patrons can party in their adjoining nightclub.
1276 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Café Cléopatre
Outside the Village, Café Cleopatre is the last remnant of Montreal’s fabled red-light district. This building has been a showbar since the 1890s. There is a street-level female strip joint, but the historically queer-friendly upstairs cabaret still occasionally hosts LGBTQ+ and drag events.
1230 Saint-Laurent Blvd.
Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles
Rosemont neighbourhood bar NDQ is a legendary LGBTQ+ hangout outside the Village. NDQ programs queer-themed events and parties, and is home to a miniature bowling alley!
32 Beaubien Street East
Champs Sports Bar
Located on the Main in the Plateau, Champs is a great place to watch sports on big-screen TVs. The second-floor venue presents regular LGBTQ+ events such as Queer Line Dancing, Dyke Night, and drag shows.
3956 Saint Laurent Boulevard
Taverne Marion
Located just outside the Village, the bright and cheery Taverne Marion with its white-washed brick walls and large garage-style windows has become a trendy hangout for straights and queers alike.
1151 Ontario Street East
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.