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Montreal Nightlife

A great city for night owls, when the sun goes down, options for night time revelry are abundant in Montreal.

For the latest on Montreal's ever-evolving bar and club scene, check the listings in the free alternative weeklies, The Mirror (www.montrealmirror.com) and Hour (www.hour.ca). The quarterly Nightlife Magazine (www.nightlifemagazine.ca) has comprehensive listings.

From high brow performances like the symphony or ballet to the more abstract, experimental theatre and contemporary dance, the Montreal arts calendar is booked solid year long, meaning there is plenty on offer for culture vultures.
 

Bars in Montreal

Baldwin Barmacie

One of the best places for a cocktail, this bar not only serves excellent drinks, but has a consistently happening atmosphere. The interior design is a pharmacy theme, though not in a gimmicky way. Guest DJs keep the tunes pumping and customers coming until the early hours of the morning.

115 Laurier West, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 2N6
Tel: (514) 276 4282.
Website: www.baldwinbarmacie.com

Bily Kun

A stylish place indeed with ostrich heads and French tile work on the walls, Bily Kun brings in trendy twenty-somethings in search of fellow hipsters and an overpriced pint. A good place to feel the Plateau’s ‘in’ vibe. Make sure your hair looks good.

354 Mont-Royal East, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1P9
Tel: (514) 845 5392.
Website: www.bilykun.com

Sir Winston Churchill Pub

A student haunt, ‘Winnie’s, is a perennial favourite. Affordable beer, casual atmosphere and located on Crescent Street, this pub is usually first on the hit list before heading off to more upscale joints. It’s also a favourite gathering point on hockey night.

1459 Rue Crescent, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 2B2
Tel: (514) 288 3814.
Website: www.winniesbar.com

Clubs in Montreal

Altitude Club 737

Sufferers of vertigo beware, this club is located on the roof of Montreal’s tallest building. The elevator ride can be disconcerting, but on entry, hot bar staff and lounge beats will disperse that initial feeling. The views of the city are worth the entry fee alone.

1 Place Ville Marie, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 5E4
Tel: (514) 397 0737.
Website: www.promoclub737.com
 

Il Motore

Live music and obscure events make the trip to this neck of the woods worth it. Quirky events of late have included mud wrestling and funk music DJ nights.

179 Jean Talon West, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 3A3
Tel: (514) 276 4282.
Website: www.ilmotore.ca

Mile End Bar

The Mile End Bar keeps its position as Montreal’s most frequented club by booking decent DJs for its three level interior and by having a generally beautiful crowd. Located downtown, clubbers are more likely to be sporting leather pointy loafers than retro Adidas.

5386-5390 boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1S1
Tel: (514) 240 8657.

Live Music in Montreal

Bell Centre

The venue for big name singers and the heavily promoted, the Bell Centre is a huge arena where tickets can cost in the hundreds for coveted near-stage seats. The building can hold 15,000 concert goers, has disabled access and good ventilation.

260 rue de la Gauchetière West, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 5E8
Tel: (514) 790 2525.
Website: www.centrebell.ca

Casa del Popolo

Those interested in the underground music scene or at least catching some up and coming bands have got to make a trip to Casa del Popolo. Gigs are always amusing and the venue is friendly and intimate. A popular place for indie muso types.

4873 boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R6
Tel: (514) 284 0122.
Website: www.casadelpopolo.com

Métropolis

An excellent medium-sized venue for concerts. There is standing and seating area, with a good line of vision to the stage, no matter what angle. Bands enjoy playing here because the atmosphere is intimate but not squished.

59 Ste. Catherine St. E, 59 Ste. Catherine St. E, Montreal, Quebec
Tel: (514) 844 3500.
Website: www.montrealmetropolis.ca

Culture in Montreal

Centaur Theatre

An English language theatre which regularly executes well directed plays and musicals. The company has won numerous theatre awards.

453 rue St-François-Xavier, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2T1
Tel: (514) 288 3161.
Website: www.centaurtheatre.com

Place des Arts

A complex of performance halls surrounding a large plaza and linked by an underground concourse, makes up the city's cultural heart and is home to all of Montreal's major performing arts companies. Its plaza, along with the surrounding streets, is the epicentre of the big summer festivals, when tens of thousands of people throng the area daily for the free outdoor shows and other events.

175 St-Catherine West, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 1Z8
Tel: (514) 842 2112 or 1 866 842 2112.
Website: www.pdarts.com

Segal Centre

A Yiddish theatre company which stages a number of English-language plays every year.

5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3W 1M7
Tel: (514) 739 2301.
Website: www.saidyebronfman.org

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