|
One Night Stand in Montreal
The places to go when you've only got one night in town
Happy
crowds pack the pubs on Rue Crescent.
Ahh, Montreal. The sizzling city by the
St. Lawrence, the Paris of the provinces, the creme de la culture
europeenne du Canada.
With its cafe- and bar-lined streets and appetite for
activity, Montreal is manifique for fun-seeking souls.
This is a cut-to-the-chase guide to the hot spots to hit
in this Canadian city, its best nightlife areas, bars, restaurants and
sightseeing spots. In short, it's just about everything one needs to
know, especially for those visiting on long weekend jaunts who have
a limited amount of time in town and want to experience the highlights.
Prices given are in Canadian dollars.
General Information: An Introduction
The view from
the of Mount Royal, the reward for a healthy hike.
Montreal, located across the U.S. border from New York
– just 350 miles from the Big Apple and a mere 260 from Boston
– is in the Canadian provence of Quebec. It is an island, though
with much of the action located elsewhere and a limited waterfront it's
often hard to tell.
It is heavily influenced by the French and that's both
good and bad, which we will address later. Most signs are posted exclusively
in French and the people predominately speak it as their first language,
giving the city an atmosphere somewhat similar to Paris, albeit in a
much more modern environment.
The place to stay is downtown and several hotels –
both upscale and modest – are available. It's a 20+ minute cab
ride from the airport ($28 flat rate; town cars and limos are also available.
We were unable to locate any group shuttles or public transportation
options).
Looking down bar-heavy
Crescent Street.
For the bar crowd, Montreal has plenty of places from
which to choose. The two main areas are Rue Crescent, a two-block
area packed with patios and pubs and Rue St. Laurent, a predominantly
French-speaking spot with more upscale locations, nice cafes that turn
into mini-clubs and most of the dance clubs.
This is pretty much a Thursday-Friday-Saturday bar city.
Canadian beers are $6-7 and there are several 2-for-1 Happy Hours lasting
well past dark. Drink 'em if you got 'em is 3 a.m., people generally
hit the bars around 11 and there are some after-hours clubs downtown.
Practically everybody smokes.
The French Factor
These were two
of the friendly locals; we found them at Publix bar/cafe.
Are people in Montreal snobs, as so many in others in
Canada insist? The answer is both yes and no.
First, the no. Montreal has some of the nicest, most friendly
residents one is likely to encounter anywhere. They laugh, are fun to
hang out with and are only too happy to assist out-of-towners.
Then there are the die-hard French Canadians who refuse
to talk in English or relate to anyone who does. "Do you speak
French?" they will ask if visitors approach them. If not, they
respond, "too bad for you." That is, if they respond at all.
Those who even attempt to speak the language – a word here, a phrase
there – are told if they know French then they should speak only
French.
Led by a French-Canadian revolution of sorts, Quebec recently
tried to split from Canada entirely, a move that failed at least in
part because the people's attitude chased away foreign companies and
the economy went in the tank. In their defence, with Big Monster USA
to the South and squeezed by English-speaking countrymen to the east
and west, the people are a group in search of their own identity. Still,
they need to take chill pill and exist sans attitude. It's about
a 60/40 ratio and it's Montreal's most glaring weakness.
Crescent Street – Bars and Restaurants
From the top
of Thursday's patio to busy Crescent Street below,
The English part of town – primarily casual
Londonish pubs – is on lively Crescent Street. The "Frenchies"
avoid it as if it were Toronto
(there's a huge social war between these two cities, which is about
the only thing that can rile up a Canadian besides insulting their beer).
Primary a one-block area between Rue de Maisonneuvee and
Rue St. Catherines, it is where English-speaking locals and tourist
flock. Just about every place has a patio overlooking the street. Those
terraces are occupied mostly by mellow diners; the real bar scene is
inside. The dress code is casual ; shorts are acceptable in the summer
for all except a couple of places though we recommend at least jeans
and a decent shirt for the guys. Girls tend to dress a little more classy,
but not overboard.
The most popular place is Thursday's, a multi-purpose
bar and lounge with a somewhat cheesy dance club downstairs. The main
area has two large bars and tall tables where most of the mingling takes
place. A DJ plays music, the crowd is primarily 30s and up and locals
know it as the biggest pickup joint in town. Thursday's backs up against
a high-rise hotel which in the summer has a rooftop bar by a swimming
pool that is highly popular. On the way to the hotel is a cool little
lounge adjacent to the hotel's upscale restaurant.
The number two spot on the social calendar is next door
at Churchill's. Or is it Winnie's? Actually, it's both; each
of the two levels has a different name. Generally, the lower level is
the more happening with a DJ blaring music at a way-too-high level.
It's pretty similar in layout to Thursday's though s not quite as big
a destination among the hearty partiers as the patrons tend to be slightly
older. Girls like to lap up sangria on the upper terrace.
Down a block, just past Rue St. Catherine's, is an interesting
Irish bar called Hurley's. It's almost like an underground maze
– a thin room with leather chairs and a dart board for shooting
the breeze over a pint, a main area with a bar, a smaller adjacent spot
with a live band, a room to the side with tables for dining and an pair
of patios, including one in the back that looks into the the music room.
It's perfect for the pub crowd.
We kept waiting for Ziggie's Pub to explode because
we like its look, but mostly it's just low-key backpackers quietly hanging
out on the patio.
 For
dancing, Electric Avenue (pictured) is the spot. It plays mostly
80s dance music, has a packed dance floor and because it's downstairs
has an underground feel to it.
The most upscale spot on the block is Newtown.
This is a restaurant/lounge/club owned by Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve,
who is from Quebec. It's the class of the field with a dinner menu featuring
items such as Chilean seabass and duck ($30 price range, don't think
about wearing jeans).
Speaking of dining, finding fine food in Montreal is not
a snap. Unlike other Canadian cities – most notably Toronto
but also Vancouver
– it's not always possible to sit down just about anywhere
and get an outstanding meal. Instead, it has to be sought out (even
locals confess this is the case). Thursday's and Churchill's, for instance,
offer nothing more than bland bar selections.
With that in mind, the best places to eat in the area
are Weinstein's Pasta Bar for pasta and pizza. Anything grilled
– chicken, ribs, steak – is good at Dundee's Bar and Grill.
As a bonus, Dundee's has a cool little bar with the finest looking staff
on Crescent. There's the predictable Hard Rock Cafe and its great
nachos. Steak Tar Tar is renowned for its raw steak. For post
party munchies, Amir makes a terrific gyro ($7).
A good food find is La Cage Aux Sports, a large,
popular sports bar with some of the city's best steaks (1427 Rene Levesque,
one block past Rue Ste-Catherine and two blocks toward the old Forum
from Crescent). This is the Best Sports Bar in Montreal not only for
the food and the multiple TVs but because it's one of the few (the only?)
places that gets ESPN. So one can actually watch more sports than hockey
or the CFL.
And while we're off Crescent, four blocks away at Ste-Catherine
and Peel is the famous (infamous) Peel Pub. It's a sweaty college
bar with cheap food and cheap drinks. It can get packed, mostly with
very young people. We must point out it has been busted in the past
for reselling draft beer.
Time is a big-time party where local and international
stars play when in town.
St. Laurent Boulveard
Cafes with
windows open to the street are the St. Laurent scene.
For a vibrant nightlife area, it's hard to beat St. Laurent.
For nearly a mile, it's almost exclusively places to eat and drink.
The crowd is well dressed and generally more upscale than on Crescent
Street. On weekend nights, the rue is full of people out for a stroll,
drinking in cafes by the large open windows, lining up at the clubs
and the street itself is clogged with cars from beat-up taxis to Ferraris.
The focal point is at the intersection of Rue Prince-Arthur.
From there, every destination is within a two-block radius in either
direction.
 At
the corner of Prince-Arthur – Montreal's only pedestrian street
which is lined with cafes of all nationalities – is Vol de Nuit
(pictured). It is this central location – not to mention the
near-continuous 2-for-1 Happy Hours and inviting patio – that make
this one of the city's most popular hangouts. The Vol, as locals call
it, is where people go in the late afternoon or early evening to have
a drink and is the kind of place for anyone to go when looking for a
bit of activity. Later at nuit, it's wildly popular among the local
college students (no cover); people spill out all over the patio and
the small interior is SRO.
From there, the choices are largely up to the individual(s).
The cafes turn from serving food to mini-clubs with DJs and dancing
(some of the nicer ones have $10 covers). The clubs are narrow entrances
at street level leading upstairs.
Across the street from the Vol is Sophia, a sophisticated
cafe/club. The Shed Cafe is a lounge with 60 wines from all
over the world. Cafe Republic is another jammed cafe-turned-bar.
Globe may be the hottest of them all, an upscale eatery that
becomes a becon for celebrities when they are in town. With or without
the "A" list, it plays hip music to a hip crowd.
Club London, Tokyo, Orchid and
Club Envy are the craziest clubs. Club London has a rooftop
patio, bouncers dressed as Beefeaters, pounding house music and expensive
cosmopolitans served in plastic cups (to protect the people dancing
below). Tokyo has two bars, two terraces and two DJs . Orchid
has an upscale clientele with drink prices to keep out the less well-heeled.
Dancing at classy
Publix (above) and hanging at the Lodge (below).
One of our favorite spots is Publix. It's casual
classy, great for night-starter drinks. The late 80s music later creates
a cool party atmosphere ($10 cover after 10 on Saturdays).
 From
there, we prefer to head to The Lodge Taverne and/or CoCo
(photo). Neither have a cover and each is blue jeans comfortable,
both in attitude and the crowd. Nearly identical, they have a long narrow
bar with a dance area in the rear. The Lodge has a mountain lodge decor
with 70s, 80s, 90s and Top 40 tunes. CoCo has funky chairs in the shape
of a giant hand and Twister-style decor, giving it the psychedelic late
60s feeling.
After hours, Insane at Montagne is a hot hangout.
One weakness of this area for singles on the prowl is
that most people are in their own groups or are on dates and it's difficult
for out-of-towners to crack through the barriers. Still, if one believes
in strength through numbers than this is your place.
Strip Clubs/The Naked Restaurant
Montreal is recognized internationally for its strip
clubs. While PubClub cannot personally vouch for the quality, we
can definitely report there is quantity. Any stroll down Ste-Catherine
Street in the heart of downtown supports this observation.
We can, however, report on the most unique dining experience
one is likely to encounter. It's a restaurant featuring near-nude waitresses
and porn movies. The more-than-modestly attractive girls are wearing
just sarongs and stilettos and there is XXX sex on TV. Beer and cocktails
are sold – one or the other is almost a requirement here –
and happily, the food is more than palatable (though it seems every
dish comes covered in gravy). It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner,
from 5 a.m.-midnight, and most plates are only in the $7-8 range. Incredible!
It's called Les Princesses and it's located at
4970 rue Hochelaga (255-0003) a few blocks from a bland edifice known
as the Big O (Olympic Stadium). To get there, take the Metro to Rue
Viau (11 stops from downtown Peel Street station), proceed to Viau away
from the Big O and turn right. It's two blocks down. This is a small,
smoky place filled largely with middle-aged men.
Sightseeing & Tourist Activities
Vieux-Montreal
has cafes, churches, shopping and tourists.
One must-see place is Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal).
Narrow cobblestone streets framed by shops, cafes and tourists give
it a feeling that's pretty close to Paris. The majestic Notre-Dame
cathedral is spectacular, well worth the $3 entry fee. The waterfront
is only steps away but other than a nice running/rollerblading path,
there's not a lot going on there. If it's a nice day, bikes can be rented
at a shop next to the small string of cafes along Rue de la Commune.
The island with La biosphèree and the CART and (formerly?) Formula 1
track is just across the bridge.
There are a lot of parks in Montreal – 700 of them,
in fact – with the grandest being Mount Royal. The most
intriguing part of Mount Royal is the hike to the top of it – there's
some 100 stairs to climb and they are seemingly straight up. Once that
is conquered, other than peering over the lookout for the bird's eye
view of the city and walking through the woods, there's not a lot of
activity. On summer Sundays, this is where locals congregate; there
are often daytime concerts.
A walk through the campus area of McGill University
is another nice-day option. It's down the street – yes, downhill
– from Mont Royal. In fact, walking around Montreal is a
great way to see the city. There are tons of cafes for periodic stops
for coffee, drinks or a meal and it creates a very pleasant pace to
see the various neighborhoods. The Latin Quarter and Chinatown are within
easy reach and Rue Ste-Catherine is a shopper's delight (as well
as where to find those aforementioned strip clubs). Taxis and the Metro
can take the load off for those who strayed too far from their hotel.
The city is compact so taxi rides rarely exceed $10 and the Metro is
$2.50.
Montreal has several museums downtown –arts, city
history, the sciences, environment, even one devoted to comedy –
and in the winter, Underground Montreal keeps visitors and locals
out of the cold. Basically it's a series of walkways surrounded by a
mall.
But not all people stay inside when the weather turns
bitter. For those who don't mind the chill, there are some 160 ice rinks
in the parks and more than 50km of cross country ski trails. And speaking
of skiing, lovely Mt.
Tremblant is only an hour away.
For watching sports, the biggest show in town is unquestionably
the Canadians, one of the National Hockey League's most storied
franchises (hockey is about the only thing Quebecer share with their
fellow Canadians). The teams plays in the new Center Bell Arena (932-2582).
In the summer and early fall, the Alouettes are
the Canadian Football League entry (20,000-seat Percival-Molson Stadium,
games are usually sellouts, 871-2255). While on the subject, it is our
firm opinion this team needs to change its name to something more ferocious.
The Alouettes just doesn't cut it. (Montreal did win the league
championship in 2002 and played for it in 2003.) We suggest the Yellow
Jackets. That's because there are so many yellow jackets in Montreal
they have been known to chase diners off cafe patios.
Either that or the Subways, because there are more of
these sandwich spots than yellow jackets. Often squeezed into cool historical
buildings they are an eyesore in an otherwise pleasing European setting.
It's proof that despite it's French Canadian heritage, Montreal can't
escape the great contribution of America to world culture: The fast
food franchise.
Avoiding attitudes
and finding friendly locals is the key to fun in Montreal.
Have
A One Night Stand in Phoenix/Scottsdale
|