Heading up to Montreal in a month for a BP with a group of guys and we want to hit the town and need some recommendations on bars for food, sports (it will be during the Elite 8 weekend) of the NCAA tournament, and nightlife.
Can anyone suggest which neighborhoods, streets, or specific bars are best to visit? We plan on doing a more casual/inexpensive type of dinner one night while watching the games so a place that's good to eat at (close to other good bars/nightlife to go to after would be very helpful).
We'll be staying in downtown and likely making our way over to St Catherine St or St. Laurent St in the evenings so places that are in or near those areas would be idea.
Thanks in advance for the tips and advice!
Avoid Peel Pub. It is for out of state frat boy idiots with shitty beer and terrible atmosphere. Local Montreal types might try and steer you there being anglophile from US.
Our line up - from what I can remember consisted of bar hoping all day then going to the following
Thurday - Somewhr Liquor Lounge (cheap table/bottles) local place as this is MTL industry night.
Friday - FlyJin (make dinner reservations here at like 8, then stay all night as place gets loaded with beautiful women. You won't get let in after dinner if your with a big group of guys)
Chez Paree for strip clubs, Club Paree for Rubbies (didn't see Kraft in there)
Avoid Peel Pub. It is for out of state frat boy idiots with shitty beer and terrible atmosphere. Local Montreal types might try and steer you there being anglophile from US.
I went to peel pub my first time in MTL, on spring break from college. definitely touristy and shitty beer, but for what it is, not a bad place.
there was a line to get in and the doorman/maitre de came out with mugs and poured complimentary beer for everyone waiting.
There was 6 of us and one was semi-royalty (Gilbert Dionne's wife - Gilbert was on the Canadiens at the time), once people found out who she was, we didn't wait in lines anymore.
Anyway, we sat down at the picnic tables in there and the waitress took our order and we ordered two pitchers for the table. And she said each? we laughed. She came back with two pitchers for the table and we looked around and every single person in there had their own pitcher. We felt like such foreigners.
We quickly ordered 10 more pitchers.
massive flat screens with curling on most of them.
it's a decent pre-game spot, especially if you've never been despite the fact the locals/MTL veterans will shit on it.
not to be confused with a finer MTL establishment, but for what it is, worth going once.
There's so many that you are sure to find one that fits your vibe.