Montréal’s Hottest New Bars
Blair Dohey
In Montréal the best days to go for a cocktail or two end in the letter y. No matter the temperature, you’ll find Montréalers pulled up to a table at our favourite bars, pubs and brasseries laughing with friends while lapping up our libations of choice. Luckily for us, each new season brings with it a slew of new great bars offering up pitch perfect cocktails to whet our appetite. From mojitos in Mile End to old fashioned in Old Montréal, we’re always on the hunt for the next hot spot. Without further ado, here are ten of the hottest new addresses in Montréal’s ever evolving cocktail scene.
Un po’ di più
Sit back and sip on a spritz at this new Italy-inspired bar and eatery in Old Montréal. Brought to you by the team behind the perpetually popular Olive et Gourmando, Un po’ di più offers a selection of thirst-quenching negronis and several choices of spritz (including Aperol!). Because the line between bar and restaurant continues to fade into obscurity in our city, this cozy caffè also features snackable bites to accompany your cocktails and wine and they even serve brunch!
3 de la Commune Street East
Jiao Dim Sum Bar
You might come for the dumplings, but you’ll stay for the cocktails. This recently opened Dim Sum bar and restaurant in Old Montréal is one of the most spectacular new spaces of the year. Featuring dramatic, monochrome lanterns that cover the ceiling, cocktails served in teapots and a great wine list, Jiao Dim Sum Bar is the place to see and be seen this winter.
399 Notre-Dame Street West
King Crab
The guys behind Grinder, Hachoir and Makro have done it again! King Crab, the new basement bar tucked away under Makro on Notre-Dame in Griffintown, is packed nightly and features a glittery setting that’s perfect for an after-dinner cocktail or two. Internationally inspired, high-end cocktails light up the drink menu.
1726 Notre-Dame Street West
Le Royal
Basement bars appear to be the trendy thing these days. Le Royal is an excellent cocktail lounge on Mont-Royal Avenue. Located below street level under Rouge Gorge (another fantastic bar in the area), this speakeasy features a bombastic decor that integrates old stone with sleek wood, marble and glass. The cocktails and wine lists are out of this world. Le Royal is a great way to start or end your evening on the Plateau.
1232 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Le 409
Holder has been going strong for the better part of two decades and earlier this year, two out of the three Holder brothers opened Le 409, a gastropub a stone’s throw away from the restaurant. Doubling as a café by day, Le 409 features sharing plates that can accompany your cocktail of choice. Their signature cocktail menu (and accompanying signature virgin cocktail menu) is concise but features a robust selection of ingredients (such as sake, whiskey, aperol, eau de rose, coconut milk and more) that blend into beautiful cocktails.
409 McGill Street
Bar Suzanne
Duluth Avenue is one of Montréal’s true gems for a quaint mix of shops, bars and restaurants. Bar Suzanne itself is a quaint mix of excellent wines and cocktails paired with a delicious selection of dumplings, all served in a bright, airy atmosphere. If it’s year-round greenery you’re looking for, you’ll love Bar Suzanne.
20 Duluth Avenue East
Hanzo
The latest in the growing family of restaurants that include Biiru, Escondite and the fabulous Gokudo, Hanzo is a beautifully decorated and sophisticated izakaya in Old Montréal that stands out for its inventive take on Japanese pub grub and excellent drinks. Montréal has no shortage of izakayas to choose from, but this is something special.
417 Saint Nicolas Street
Le Petit Mousso
Le Mousso is one of Montréal’s most spectacular restaurants and now they’ve taken over a neighbouring space to welcome Le Petit Mousso to the world. This resto bar on the corner of Atateken and Ontario is a great addition to the neighbourhood and remains just as inventive as its big brother. With an a la carte menu and a great cocktail bar vibe, you’ll be as intrigued by the drinks as you are the food.
1023 Ontario Street East
Cyr
Saint-Henri is one of Montréal’s most important food and drink hubs. Cyr, a posh bar and eatery located in the heart of this bustling neighbourhood, features an ice bar (an actual bar made of ice – how cool is that?), scrumptious eats and carefully crafted cocktails that deliver a perfectly rounded experience.
3426 Notre-Dame Street West
Broken Coconut
Another exciting and intriguing location in Saint-Henri, Broken Coconut is a rum bar where cocktails compare to nothing else. Each cocktail on the menu is mixed from the best rums from around the world and perfectly presented. This is mixology at its finest and if you love rum or rum based cocktails, this is a must see bar.
4005 Notre-Dame Street West
Blair Dohey, writer
Blair Dohey is a Canadian writer and blogger who relentlessly tracks down the coolest things to do and see in Montréal and loves discovering amazing restaurants and bars in the city. When he’s not writing about his travels through Montréal, you’ll probably find him sitting at a bar, chatting with friends and laughing at his own jokes.
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