17 Best Bars in The Plateau Mont-Royal and Mile End, Montreal

This Czech-themed bar is a favorite hangout of Plateau locals. There's live jazz during the cocktail hour and a DJ or classical performances later in the evening. Try an absinthe-laced apple cocktail from the extensive alcohol menu as you nibble on a few tapas. Bily Kun gets packed, though the high ceilings help alleviate the feeling of claustrophobia.

With its unappealing storefront, bric-a-brac décor, retro knickknacks, and sceney vibes, Majestique is a quirky wine bar that's open until the wee hours with an excellent selection of small plates. The snazzy surroundings only add to the charm of this fine-dining-meets-casual savoir faire; the salmon confit, foot-long hot dog, quinoa croquette, and rotating choice of fresh oysters are musts. Note that minors are not allowed on the premises.

It's all about the beer at this friendly restaurant and bar, where it's all brewed right on the premises. Packed almost every night of the week, this bar has everything from India pale ales to German-inspired wheat beers. The upstairs patio is the ideal spot for watching locals stroll along the quaint brick-paved avenue.

Bar Henrietta, part wine bar, part Portuguese tavern, is one of Montréal's prettiest bars, inspired by the taverns of the 1960s. With its handpicked selection of privately imported wines, expertly mixed cocktails, and appetizing, Iberian-inspired small plates, Bar Henrietta is the ideal post-work, pre-dinner destination to enjoy Montréal's robust 5 à 7 scene. This is especially so in summer when its outdoor terrace is heaving with cheerful patrons.

Named for the street that epitomizes the Mile End, this neighborhood bar has a warm staff, friendly atmosphere, and a great selection of Scotch. Owners Richard Holder and Olivier Farley have been in the business for years, and it shows. Nightly DJs provide an edgier vibe, while huge floor-to-ceiling windows make it perfect for people-watching.

Fans of blues, punk, country, and bluegrass jam into this tiny hole-in-the-wall, which has some of the cheapest drink prices on boulevard St-Laurent. A very popular hangout for locals, Barfly is arguably the premier dive bar in the city.

Barely noticeable from the outside, this discreet, dimly lit cocktail den has won awards for design and been lauded by critics as one of the most beautiful bars, if not the most beautiful, in the city. Heavy drapes and propane "candles" in small glasses that reflect the surface of the labyrinthine wraparound bar imbue this chic space with a subdued speakeasy feel. Unlike an izakaya, you don't come here to eat but to drink, so few snacks are available. The bar stocks a nice selection of sakes and sojus, as well as Suntory Toki, a Japanese whiskey. Beers, killer cocktails, and a handpicked list of wines round out the drinks menu.

One of the city's treasured venues for indie rock, jazz, reggae, blues, folk, and hip-hop, this neighborhood bar is ideal for discovering up-and-coming local acts or forgotten international giants still touring. While you enjoy the music, take a look at the original art and sample some of the tasty vegetarian food.

A chalkboard scribbled with rotating craft beers and a convivial atmosphere set the scene for this neighborhood-favorite brewpub, freshly renovated and expanded in 2023. Small bites such as flatbreads can be ordered to accompany your IPAs and ales.

Few places in Montréal are more Quebecois than this lively microbrewery/gastropub, where the atmosphere is electrifying on hockey night if the local team, the Canadiens, is playing. With its own set of brews named after iconic Mile End streets and a terroir-inspired, locally sourced menu, HELM (which stands for barley, water, yeast, and malt in French) is in and of itself a vibrant homage to the city’s dynamic beer culture. Between the bitters, IPAs, and cream ales, there’s hardly any room left for the microbrewery’s nachos gourmands, poutine gourmande with smoked meat or popcorn chicken tacos--or their vegan version, cauliflower popcorn tacos. 

Lively but not obnoxious, this easygoing wine bar is a great place to meet up with friends. Arrive early (it opens at 4 pm but the kitchen only gets going at 5), because it's always busy and it doesn't take reservations. Many wines can be sipped by the glass, in 2- and 4-ounce pours, while you graze on appetizers and cheese/charcuterie boards. Dress is casual, though the after-work crowd ups the glam factor.

Opened in 2019, this is Montréal’s first meat-free pub. In addition to plant-based comfort foods, Le Bowhead sources beers, wines, and spirits that are 100% vegan, meaning that no animal-based fining agents have been used in the filtration process. The decor is fuss-free, with white walls and marine blue faux wood-paneling, utilitarian tables, and diner-style chairs. The only ornamentation is a series of small, old-fashioned copper diving helmets on one wall—a sort of nautical theme, sans fish. The menu features old-school pub fare like sliders, popcorn "chicken," Frito pie, and even ANML fries and po' boy sandwiches. Neither the meatless dishes nor menu descriptions give away that it's a vegan pub; the only telltale sign of this fact is the small print in the bottom righthand corner of the menu stating that all ingredients are "100% plant-based." 

This self-described "hip-hop eatery" and neighborhood bar invites you to relax and pull up a chair or cozy couch in its leafy interior. Simple but intense dishes like truffle-oil popcorn and a grilled cheese mac-and-cheese sandwich (yes, you read that right) are paired with potent cocktails (try the signature Wu-Tang) to help make this one of the hottest destinations on the Main—without any of the usual pretension. Open nightly from 5 to 3.

Formerly an agricultural machinery dealer, the owners of Taverne Atlantic have transformed this vast space in Mile-Ex into a superb Art Deco tavern. White walls; a curved 1930s back bar with built-in ridged lighting; chrome stools topped with goldenrod yellow seats; white schoolhouse pendants lamps; a cozy nook with comfortable armchairs conducive to more intimate conversation; a spacious outdoor patio on the second floor, the owners have thought of everything. On the menu, snacks and small plates, decadent pizzas, red wine sauce poutine, and gourmet hot dogs, from the retro snack bar, Chez Eddy, located at the front of the venue. To wash it all down: sommelier-selected natural and private import wines, an impressive selection of C$2 lagers, and inventive cocktails and mocktails.

A Montréal mainstay that's been going strong since 1997, Tokyo Bar caters to a young professional crowd. The DJs primarily spin hip-hop and house, but the best thing here, for sure, is the heated rooftop terrace and bar, which has a fantastic view of The Main (boulevard St-Laurent).

Known for its happy hour, this bar, café, and cigar lounge is elegant but unpretentious—it's the perfect spot for a romantic rendezvous. The selection of more than 150 varieties of Scotch, plus an impressive choice of wines, Champagnes, and ports, leaves most everyone's thirst quenched.

In business on The Main since 1991, this restaurant, lounge, and weekend supper club continues to pull out all the stops. There's top-notch Italian cuisine, a comprehensive wine list, well-known DJs, and even a concierge. Celebrities are known to drop by when in town.