When locals and visitors describe
the largest city in La Belle
Province some of the adjectives that pop up again and again include
romantic, lively, vibrant, sophisticated and friendly. Nowhere are these descriptions
more apparent than when discussing Montreal's
nightlife. With romantic lounges,
lively bars, vibrant nightclubs,
sophisticated dinner clubs and friendly pubs,
the city's nightlife has become one of its biggest tourist draws. The island
city has a relaxed atmosphere and boasts a large student population due to the
presence of a number of colleges and universities
including Concordia
and McGill,
a large gay population and a reputation as a gay-friendly destination and a
massive live music scene that has become well-known worldwide. All of these
factors, plus the local inclination for style and vivacity, have helped contribute
to a nightlife that is as eclectic and exciting as it is fun. Whatever visitors
are looking for as far as clubs and bars are concerned, chances are Montreal
will provide it. Those new to the city should be aware that many of the city's
bars and clubs are extremely popular so visitors must be prepared to spend some
time in line and have cash handy for the cover charge at the door. Also, many
establishments require a dress code so leave the jeans and sneakers at home.
Finally, the club scene is notoriously fickle and establishments change with
the seasons so it is always worthwhile to check ahead and make sure certain
venues are still in operation.
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| Visitors
Can Enjoy an Evening on a Terrace at One of Montreal's Popular Dinner Clubs
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DINNER CLUBS
One popular way that locals often
choose to spend an evening is to dress up and then get down on the dance floor
after a meal at a dinner club. These hybrids of a restaurant
and a club or lounge are often extremely trendy and expensive, and are often
known for having some of the best looking staff and clientele in the city. Menu
items at these establishments can range from pricey gourmet seafood to tasty
fusion dishes, while the after-dinner entertainment may be a DJ spinning laid-back
chill-out tunes or a sound system blaring pounding club anthems. Anyone interested
in finding a single spot to pass an entire evening while also spending some
time with Montreal's rich, powerful and beautiful may want to check out one
of these popular locales. Be advised, however, that dress codes are often very
strict and drink and food prices may be taxing on the wallet. Some would say
this is a small price to pay to experience a taste of the best nightlife the
city has to offer.
Of all trendy and expensive dinner
clubs in Montreal, Time
Supper Club is one of the trendiest and most expensive. With a 1940s
art deco inspired interior, the restaurant-bar is known for being a top spot
for celebrity sightings. Dancing begins around 11pm with guest DJs from Toronto,
New York and as far away as Italy spinning while the beautiful people stroll
the catwalk that splits the dance floor. Rosalie
also features a trendy crowd out to see and be seen. The staff is young, good-looking
and friendly but also efficient, managing to supply martinis and bottles of
champagne to the masses in a timely fashion. A mix of rock, pop and R&B music
takes over around 8pm and patrons head to the floor. Visitors looking for something
more laid-back than a club might want to try Med
Grill. The restaurant, which features a contemporary and colourful interior,
transforms into a cocktail lounge after 10pm with a DJ that spins popular beats
from Blondie to U2 to Common and everything in between. Both the atmosphere
and the crowd at Med lean toward the chic and sophisticated.
Like Time Supper Club, Buona
Notte is popular among visiting celebrities as is evidenced on the restaurant's
Wall of Fame. The wall features hundreds of plates decorated by notable names
that have enjoyed a night out here. After 10pm the music gets turned up with
house DJs playing an eclectic mix including world beats, deep house, old school
hip hop, top 40 and more. Famous guest DJs that have spun for the appreciative
masses at Buona Notte include Danny Tenaglia, Dimitri from Paris and DJ Tiesto.
THE GAY VILLAGE
In 1977, after police raids and arrests
at two gay clubs and subsequent protests, Bill 88 was passed making Quebec the
second location in the world to forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In the years that followed, these events helped Montreal's gay community grow
and strengthen, and now the city is promoted as a gay friendly destination holding
annual events such as the Divers/Cite
Festival. The city has also been chosen to host the 1st
World Outgames in 2006.
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Enjoy
Cheap Drinks and Busy Bars During Happy Hour or Cinq A Sept2 |
Montreal's gay scene, formerly centred
downtown, moved east to the Centre-Sud area in the early 1980s and in the 20-plus
years since, the Quartier Gai (Gay
Village or simply The Village) has grown to include a large concentration
of restaurants, shops
and cafes
that cater to the gay community. Among the establishments located in The Village
are a number of popular bars, lounges and nightclubs, many of which welcome
all patrons whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or strait. Located
along rue Sainte-Catherine from rue Berri to rue Lorimier (north to south) and
boulevard Rene-Levesque to rue Sherbrooke (from east to west), visitors can
wander the area and find a number of fun places to visit. If the regular club
scene has a tendency to change at the drop of a hat, the gay club scene can
be even more unpredictable. However, there are always a number of packed and
trendy new establishments, as well as a few old standbys in The Village that
continue to bring in crowds. Some of the latter include Le Parking and the Bourbon
Complex.
Open in October 2000, Parking consists
of Parking,
the Garage, the Bunker, Traffic Lounge and Lips
Club. Thursday and Sunday nights at Parking see a hip young mixed crowd
dancing to hip hop, house and electro while Friday and Saturdays feature house
music for a men-only crowd. Both the Garage and the Bunker are located downstairs,
are open daily and host a variety of special events each evening. Traffic Lounge,
which is located across the street, attracts a mixed crowd who mingle and dance
to house music on Friday and Saturday nights. Lips Club, a bar just for girls,
is for those who are out to socialize and groove to hip hop, house, pop, alternative
and dance music.
Boasting that it is the largest gay
complex in the world, The Bourbon Complex covers an entire city block from 1550
to 1592 rue Sainte-Catherine Est. There is so much going on that visitors may
either be overwhelmed or will not want to leave at all and as a result may end
up missing the rest that Montreal and The Village have to offer. The complex
includes a 37-room hotel, a theatre, a wedding chapel, La Vacherie du Village
ice-cream parlour and numerous restaurants and bars. Some of these include a
basement pool hall, Le
Club Sandwich, reminiscent of a retro-50s diner the shop serves traditional,
tasty cafe fare, Le Taverne sports bar, the leather bar Le Trou, Budweiser Bar
which is a popular spot for local lesbians and the disco Club
Backtrack. Also included are Le
Drugstore, a friendly bar that usually attracts a mixed crowd, the casual
patio-bars Terrasse Budweiser and Terrasse Coronoa and the Grande Terrasse which
offers excellent views of the entire Village.
Those looking to venture out of both
the Bourbon Complex and the Village can make a pilgrimage downtown to the notorious
Mystique.
Open since 1972, it has been in operation longer than any other gay bar in the
city. The basement pub, along with the now-closed Truxx bar, was the site of
the aforementioned 1977 police raids and consequent protests that ultimately
sparked very positive changes for the city's gay community. Popular among an
older crowd, the pub is known for its friendly and social atmosphere. Featuring
pool tables and a traditional pub menu, visitors to Le Mystique will enjoy the
variety of music played as well as the frequent theme evenings and events that
include cotillions, debutante balls, Flamenco Floozies night and the ever-popular
Mommie Dearest night.
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| Boulevard
St-Laurent is Home to the Mod-ish and Trendy A Go Go Lounge3 |
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BOULEVARD SAINT-LAURENT: THE MAIN
While Montreal's Rue Crescent is
known for its frenetic atmosphere and young and energized club-and pub-goers,
Boulevard Saint-Laurent, which is also known as The Main, is celebrated for
being one of the city's most upscale and hip areas to spend a night out. Acting
as the city's east and west divide (and also as an unofficial French and English
divide), the portion of the street that contains restaurants, bars, lounges
and clubs is spread over several blocks. The area of the street around rue Sherbrooke
is where a number of the newest, chicest and most expensive supper-clubs are
located while those who venture farther north will find establishments that
cater to a more youthful and alternative crowd.
The Main is known for being a relatively
safe place to bar-hop as it draws a laid-back crowd looking for a fun night
out. Crowded with shops, cafes and restaurants the street is often packed with
people at all hours of the day but it truly comes alive in the evening and into
the wee hours when locals and visitors alike vie to get into the latest hotspots.
Renowned for being the place where the city's most stunning women and attractive
men hang out, night time on The Main sees fast and expensive cars cruise the
boulevard while the beautiful people stroll the pavement, join queues and check
out all the action. Meanwhile those lucky and good-looking enough to make it
into one of the streets' many establishments position themselves in the prime
viewing spots such as the windows that open on the street or on street-front
patios. Inside, the clubs and lounges pulse to indie, hip hop, trance, R&B and
house beats and the gorgeous patrons dance, mingle and drink expensive beverages.
Those thinking of heading to The
Main for a night out need to be prepared to dress the part and be ready to blend
in with the beautiful people. Making friends with a bouncer doesn't hurt either.
Visitors who want to find the hippest and most trendy spots to chill out along
the boulevard can check the city's local entertainment listings or just head
down and pick the place with the longest line-up or the coolest looking crowd.
Some current favourites include Le
Pistol, Mile
End Bar, Rouge,
Tokyo Bar, A
Go Go Lounge, Globe,
Publix, Sofia
and Whiskey
Cafe.
QUARTIER LATIN: RUE SAINT-DENIS
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Saint-Sulpice,
One of Montreal's Coolest Hang-Out Spots, is Located on rue St-Denis in
the Latin Quarter4 |
Named after the Quartier Latin in
Paris, Montreal's
Quartier Latin (or Latin Quarter) is located between rue Sanguinet and rue Berri
(from west to east) and rue Sherbrooke Est and rue Sainte-Catherine Est (from
north to south). Its Parisian counterpart was given the title due to the large
number of universities in the area, and hence, the number of students wandering
about speaking the latin they learned at school. In the early-20th century, the Universite
de Montreal and the Ecole
Polytechnique were situated in Montreal's Latin Quarter. Both have now
moved on to other locations but the Universite
du Quebec a Montreal is currently located in the area which ensures
that there is always a large concentration of students about. The Quartier Latin,
which is full of historic architecture as its first buildings were constructed
at the beginning of the 19th century, is a cultural hot-spot in Montreal due
to the close proximity of educational
institutions, museums
and theatres.
A popular spot among Montrealers as it is full of a number of trendy restaurants,
quaint coffee shops, funky boutiques, corner cafes, laid-back pubs and rocking
live music venues, the Latin Quarter is one of the areas in the city
where a knowledge of French is not only beneficial but often necessary.
The section of rue Saint-Denis between
rue Sherbrooke and boulevard de Maisonneuve is
particularly popular among students, locals and in-the-know tourists. Chock
full of super-cool eateries, bars and clubs, rue Saint-Denis is not to be missed
by visitors wanting to experience the friendliness and vivacity of French-speaking
Montreal. Popular establishments that have stood the test of time include Au
Diable Verte, a dance bar painted in bright red tones, Cafe
Chaos and Le
Medley, two popular live music venues and Le
Commensal, a restaurant serving a tasty and extensive vegetarian buffett.
Two of the best places to check out on Saint-Denis are the street's location
of Les
3 Brasseurs brewpub chain, and the wildly popular and busy Saint-Sulpice.
The huge pub is spread out over several floors and features one of the biggest,
best and busiest terraces in all of Canada. Seriously, it must be seen to be
believed.
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| Crowds
Enjoy a Show at the Montreal International Jazz Festival 5 |
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LIVE MUSIC
Famous for its world-class jazz festival
(Montreal
International Jazz Festival) which takes place over 11 days each summer
and draws crowds of up to 2,000,000 people, Montreal is also a hotbed for up-and-coming
musical talent. The city has been talked up all over the world for its incredible
rock, pop, independent and alternative music scene as well as for having a community
that is able to support such a diverse and talented group of artists. The city's
Pop
Montreal festival was created to harness this support and creative energy
while giving new artists a platform. The festival also brings in popular bands
from all over the globe to perform. Some of the many bands that are from or
have flocked to Montreal for its creative and supportive scene include 2005's
media and fan-favourites Arcade Fire, as well as Stars, The Stills, The Dears,
Sam Roberts Band, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Wolf Parade, Kid Koala, Tiga,
Bran Van 3000, Martha Wainwright and Rufus Wainwright. Visitors hoping to check
out some live music, whether by a local upstart or a celebrated international
group, should check out popular and well-established clubs and venues such as
Metropolis,
the Spectrum,
La Sala Rossa, Club
Soda, Bell
Centre, Cafe
Campus, Le
Swimming and Foufounes
Electriques.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Photos.com; Visitors Can Enjoy an Evening on a Terrace at One of Montreal's
Popular Dinner Clubs; Montreal, QC, Canada
- Photos.com; Enjoy Cheap Drinks and Busy Bars During Happy Hour or Cinq
A Sept (5 to 7)
- Lauren Greschner; c/o WorldWeb.com; Boulevard St-Laurent is Home to the
Mod-ish and Trendy A Go Go Lounge; Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lauren Greschner; c/o WorldWeb.com; Saint-Sulpice, One of Montreal's
Coolest Hang-Out Spots, is Located on rue St-Denis in the Latin Quarter; Montreal,
QC, Canada
- Montreal International Jazz Festival; Crowds Enjoy a Show at the Montreal
International Jazz Festival; Montreal, QC, Canada
