Here, I’ve narrowed down this city’s finest drinking establishments to a choice handful. This list works well for (a) Little Miss Thang who needs a little ambience with her boisson and (b) any guy looking to please his lady—or looking for a lady to please. Either way, come dressed to impress.

PULLMAN straddles both Downtown and the Plateau, so I never really can pinpoint or predict the crowd. It’s definitely older one, except for the few McGill kids that stick out like sore thumbs. Pullman is a wine bar, a fact that is artistically represented by the wineglass chandelier over the main bar. Sommelier Gabriel served us a COIMBRA, a sangria-ish drink named after its namesake city in Portugal. A refreshing mix of porto blanc, lime and tonic, this refreshing glass has sunny-day-on-the-beach written all over it – mind you, sunny-day-on-the-beach wearing an Armani Collezioni caftan, oversized DVF shades and a floppy hat.

Next stop was SUITE 701 LOUNGE in Old Montreal. As the bar is connected to chic boutique hotel Place d’Armes, we entered a jet-setter hangout frequented by young professionals staying at the establishment. Housed in a former bank (St-Jacques, the street upon which the bar sits, was the Wall Street of Montreal way back in the day), you can still smell money in the air, and I’m not referring to the fancy-schmancy shoes of the fashionistas present. Behind the bar, Julien from France is the resident mixologist. He made us something he calls Le Royal Sour, which is a “Montreal version of a whisky sour.” Julien chose Crown Royal (a Canadian bourbon) and instead of sugar poured in maple syrup. In went some Grand Marnier and lemon juice, then a little bit of shaky-shaky, and out came drink number two. Nowhere close to the female-favourite Cosmo or Singapore Sling, but definitely sweet (read: girly) enough to sip through a straw. (PS- there’s is a nearby elevator that beams you up to one of the sexiest, scenic rooftops in the city.)

Happy Hour (a.k.a. the 5-a-7) at VAUVERT inside the swank Hotel St-Paul draws a lot of young suits and sexy-taries from the surrounding office buildings who come here to bitch about their bosses at the long window-lit bar that is artfully balanced by dripping black paint and Tinkerbell lights suspended from the ceiling. Some settle in and stay for dinner, this being a supperclub – an ideal situation if you like your dinner music coming from an electro DJ. Hakim, our bartender, has worked all over, including the private parties for Montreal hot shot Guy Laliberté (Cirque du Soleil founder/owner/gajillionaire), and therefore knows the delicacy of a Champagne mixer. He muddled for us some Grey Goose La Poire and lemon, topped it up with bubbly, and tossed in a few basil leaves. At the time the drink still had no name; Hakim was thinking of calling it Garden Party, but Sophie and I decided to baptize it the HICKEY. Why? Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.

By the time I navigated my five-inch heels to PHILEMON on St-Paul Street, there was a line-up! Luckily I caught my friend Daniel Notkin, oyster king about town, who was in the midst of a delivery. He made the necessary calls to let us skip the line. Inside—it’s worth the queue, believe me—our bartender Lucas served us each a Tequila Old Fashioned: tequila, agave syrup, bitters, and lime zest. Said the cutie (girls, he’s a looker), “I thought of making a typical girly drink, but I thought this would be way more interesting.” Not sure if it was my current state of mind, the bitters, or the high school tequila flashback, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s a good thing, although five minutes later I was suddenly regretting my choice in footwear.

I’d organized the evening of gallivanting to end at Baldwin Barmacie in my own ‘hood. That way, I could just walk home. At my home-away-from-home (only with nicer furniture), I buddied up to big bro bartender Filippo who always looks Old School spiffy in his black vest and white shirt. Sophie has friends who work at Baldwin’s, too, so it was like one big family hangout. The final drink of the night was a Bourbon Punch, a tangy blend of cranberry juice with a shot of bourbon – hello! – and a sprig of fresh mint. Delicious—with a zing! But now I think I know where the word “punch” comes from. Yep, five cocktails can hit you hard. (Truthfully, I’m not counting all the little drinks in between. This I learned from Sophie: Ask—flutter your eyelashes—and you shall receive). Let’s just say, the last word I managed to mumble that night was “Taxi!”

A

THE DETAILS

Pullman , 3424 Parc, (514) 288-7779

Suite 701 Lounge, 701 côte de la Place d’Armes, (514) 904-1201

Vauvert, 355 McGill, (514) 876-2823

Philemon, 111 St-Paul West, (514) 289-3777

Baldwin Barmacie, 115 Laurier West, (514) 276-4282

The post 5 COCKTAILS IN 5 MONTREAL BARS appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Brutopia: We kicked the night off at Brutopia, a casual bar in downtown Montreal’s pub district. Brutopia is one of Montreal’s most adored brewpubs: everything is brewed on site, but there are also imported and microbrew drafts as well. We nestled into a booth on the second floor of the three level bar and awaited the first beer of the night. The staff was so friendly and the beer was so delicious that I was convinced it wasn’t going to get better than the fruity ale I was drinking. As the night progressed, I started to realize that trying to pick a favourite would be like asking a mother to choose which one of her kids she likes best. So basically I became the mother of beer and all it took was 5 delicious brews.

Cheval Blanc: If you’re looking for an authentic experience, look no further than Cheval Blanc. This is a neighbourhood brewpub that takes its beer very seriously- all beers are brewed on site and it also happens to be the city’s oldest brewpub. The bar spearheaded Montreal’s microbrewery frenzy over twenty years ago and it’s still going strong. The bar has a dark and cozy atmosphere.

Benelux: Benelux is situated away from the downtown mayhem and nestled on a nice corner with a huge terrace. If you’re someone who doesn’t drink beer because you prefer hard alcohol, then this is the place for you. Their specialty is a beer brewed in whiskey containers, so it goes down like a beer but smacks you around a bit like a good whiskey should. I highly recommend it.

Resevoir: The word “hip” might apply to Resevoir, but it’s not so hip that jokes are no longer funny but “droll”. The service is very good even though the bar was packed. For good reason: they have an incredible selection of fresh brews. It’s a two-floor affair with a non-smoking terrace that becomes covered by a canopy of leaves in the summer.

Dieu du Ciel: We arrived at Dieu du Ciel, another microbrewery, around 10pm and the bar was jam-packed. This place starts filling up for 5-a-7s and keeps going until 3am, so get there early to get a table. But I don’t blame the early birds, why would anybody want to leave a place like this? You can enjoy one of their unique blends like a delicious coffee stout or have some delicious pizza or nachos. They also have a full wine selection as well, but really, with beer for anyone’s taste, why would you drink anything else?

Guest Blogger: Sophie Caird

A

THE DETAILS

Brutopia, 1219 Crescent, (514) 292 9277

Benelux, 245 Sherbrooke, (514) 543-9750

Cheval Blanc, 809 Ontario East, (514) 522-0211

Resevoir, 9 Duluth East, (514) 849-7779

Dieu du Ciel, 29 Laurier West, (514) 490-9555

The post 5 BEERS IN 5 MONTREAL BARS appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Montreal is known for our electrifying nightlife, compelling history, and down right beautiful women. This is why it comes at no surprise when Montreal was ranked number 26 in the AskMen’s Top 29 Cities To Visit 2011 list.We scored high across the board!

Montreal is overflowing with beautiful, and down to earth women. They come in every size, shape, and ethnicity. From the energetic party girls, to the edgy independent type, there’s a type for everyone and anyone here. However, they do all have one thing in common: a certain “je ne sais quoi” that just can’t be found anywhere else. This is why Montreal ranks in the tops cities for men to visit as determined by AskMen’s global editors

The link between an amazing nightlife and stunning women is an obvious one. Aren’t the two interconnected on some fundamental molecular level? They are both active players in the grand synergy of what makes Montreal an world class city to live and visit be it work or play. We aren’t bluffing, here are five places where you can find five different incredible types of women:

[The smart, successful, ambitious type]

This kind of woman is smart, successful and very ambitious. She will strive for great heights and won’t let anything stop her. She plays as hard as she works. In fact, she barely even has time to play. You’ll have to work hard, and run fast to catch this one. Find her at a 5 à 7 (that’s happy hour in Montreal speak) at her favorite bar Philemon, just a few blocks away from her office in the Cité Multimedia. This place is no-nonsense and goes right to the point. Big bar in the middle, Chairs around it. No distracting decorations, no flat screen TV’s, no obnoxious anything. Just people, classic drinks, and unfussy food.

[The fun, party, outgoing type]

This girl is fun, loves to have a good time, and likes you to know it too. Not one for subtlety she is very flirtatious but you’ll probably find her at Club 1234 dancing with her girlfriends before anything else. Club 1234 is the definition of downtown clubbing. People who go here dress to impress, heels and all. So don’t go there looking like a slob and expect to chat up a beautiful goddess. In fact, you might not even get thought the front door. Brush up on your Top 40 music tracks, and try to keep it cool on the dance floor. At Club 1234, with the right attitude, you could rule the night.

[The laid back, funny type]

She’ll tease you, tickle and taunt you. This gal is laid back, and easy going. She can take a joke as well as she can fire one back at you. Witty banter will fly, but don’t take it to heart; those little digs she just made about your small earlobes were all in good fun. Find her chilling at Else’s located up in the Plateau. Else’s is inviting, chill, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s the kind of place you’ll go back again for the second and third date. She probably lives in the area so walk her home along the tiny romantic streets of the Plateau. Leave the mineral coloured credit cards at home, because Else’s and this kinda girl, ain’t impressed by that. Time to take that charming personality out for a spin.

[The edgy, cool, and collected type]

This girl’s got balance. She juggles work, school (getting her Masters in Anthropology), and an active social life. She likes to go out late and make only one stop, knowing she’ll know at least a few people where she’s headed. She likes to keep it local, but with class and grace.  In the late evenings at Baldwin Barmacie is where you can frequently find her. She meets new people and she tries new things, but still likes the comfort of familiarity. She has her favorite cocktail here: Baldwin‘s Citronnade, and the grilled cheese if she’s feeling a tad hungry.  This girl is unique, just like everyone else.

[The cultured, razzle-dazzle type]

This lady is a bit harder to impress. In fact, she probably knows more than all you guys. She likes vintage charm, and cultured activities for the seasoned. Always dressed to the nines, she seeks sophistication with a dash of elegance in everything she does. She’s there right now at the House of Jazz, sipping some champagne, enjoying the sounds and ambiance that the House of Jazz exudes. Enjoy the night together, leaning in close to hear her over the smooth jazz, and eclectic chatter.

<><>

SEE THE FULL LIST OF ASKMEN’S TOP 29 CITIES FOR GUYS HERE

a

DETAILS

Philemon Bar – 111 Saint-Paul Ouest / (514) 289-3777

Club 1234 – 1234 rue de la Montagne / (514) 395-1111

Else’s – 156 Roy E / (514) 286-6689

Baldwin Barmacie – 115 Laurier Ouest / (514) 276-4282

House of Jazz – 2060 rue Aylmer / (514) 842-8656

a

guest blogger: James A Dunphy

photo credit: Tourisme-Montreal, nightlife.ca, j. alex dunphy, waldman_david, Annick Vaillancourt

The post 5 PLACES, 5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WOMEN appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

With residencies at Montreal’s Club Parking, the world-renowned Stereo, Fly in Toronto and Splash in New York City, Stephan Grondin has developed a fan-base that keeps clubbers dancing for hours. Raised in Mont-Laurier, Grondin learned from an early age that he had a passion for music and a knack for getting people to dance and keep the energy alive. His career has spanned across Canada and around the globe. From Miami’s Score to the famed Ministry of Sound in London, Stephan Grondin is a DJ and producer with true international tone (make sure you check out his Kylie remix!)

With his career in red-hot mode, it came as no surprise when Evenko’s David Jones asked Grondin to spin as the opening act of pop superstar and gay icon Kylie Minogue! Kylie will be glittering her way into Montreal on Thursday, April 28^th 2011, and Grondin will be sharing her stage to get the crowed pumped up, playing his preferred blend of house, techno and some serious remixes. “I haven’t met Kylie yet but I’ll be meeting her after the show! It’s going to be a huge crowd and the crowd always helps me get into it.”

Even while opening concerts for international idols and jet-setting to clubs around the world, Stephan Grondin hasn’t forgotten his home and what he loves about Montreal…

Favorite place to eat: Because of Grondin’s busy work schedule, he rarely has the time to go out to restaurants. So he loves ordering take-out sushi to enjoy at home. When he does have time to go eat out it’s still sushi, like Tokyo Sushi Bar in the Old Port.

Favorite place to shop: He loves shopping at TOXIK near his home and also at Jack & Jones because he loves the style. However, the place he loves shopping most is The Apple Store. He’s been using a Mac since 1984! (Basically, since the very beginning.)

Favorite club: Well Parking and Stereo of course! He’s the resident DJ at Parking, so that means it’s like his home. He thinks Parking and Stereo have the best dancing in the city. Yes, even when he’s not spinning. I’ll have to agree with him!

His ideal Montreal afternoon: If he ever gets a rare afternoon off, Stephan loves going to hang out in the Old Port. Preferably in the summer, he loves just browsing the streets. He likes the energy that it has and thinks it’s a truly unique place!

Favorite neighborhood: He hasn’t had much time in a few months to go up there, but he loves the Plateau. Especially walking along Mont Royal for shopping and people watching.

What he loves about Montreal: The people, the energy, the cost of living, the music scene and the nightlife! Even after traveling around the world to clubs, Montreal will always be home- as there is no place like it. I can also agree to that one.

Guest Blogger: Alex Dunphy

A

THE DETAILS

Stephan Grondin and Kylie Minogue at Bell Centre, April 28

Parking, 1296 Rue Amhrest, (514) 282-1199

The post MEET A MONTREALER: STEPHAN GRONDIN appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

With just a little over six days to go until the official launch of Weekend Bal en Blanc (White Party Weekend), it’s time to get your affairs in order. Bal en Blanc takes place this coming weekend around Montreal with the main event starting April 24^th at Palais des Congres. With DJ’s like Tiesto, Armand Van Helden and Above & Beyond, this edition of Bal en Blanc has some serious international flare. The music is covered, but have you bought your tickets yet? Currently tickets are priced at $130 each, but get yours soon, as the closer it gets to the main event the higher the price goes! Once your tickets are bought it’s time to plan this right…

WHAT TO WEAR: White, white and only white. Grey is not white, beige is not white and a red shirt with white trim is not white. The only thing that is white is white. It’s very elementary. This is important to follow or you’ll be teased relentlessly. For example take my Bal en Blanc outfit that has been in development by The Haus of Dunphy for months now: My theme is “Polar Bear Chic”. White knit top, fine white cotton shorts and an elegant white floor-length coat to throw off dramatically at coat check. I drew inspiration from the arctic, polar fleece and nearly extinct animals. The important thing is to get creative. Some would say: “Alex, you’re going to die of heat exhaustion in your white polar chic getup”. What do I retort? Fashion takes risks and sometimes sacrifice, and if it doesn’t make me bleed or cry, I’ll do it. But where will you find your outfit? I find the best outfits are ones that are created from a base. Go buy white basics on St. Catherine Street at American Apparel, H&M or Zara and then cut, slash, sew and mod them into something super rad. For men, Le Chateau appears to have a never dwindling supply of white pants, ties and jackets. Get creative and look snazzy. For the ladies, try those “intimate moment” stores that have costumes of nurses, angels, and sexy white rabbits. If you’re having a time crunch and looking for a one-stop shop for everything (white wigs, white latex, white make up, etc.) then Boutique Moulin-Rose in the heart of the Gay Village is the place to go. Often frequented by drag queens on Halloween, Bal en Blanc weekend is their other busy season!

WHAT TO EAT: So you’ll be decked out in all white, obviously poutine will not be a wise choice. Nobody is calling it “Bal en Blanc with a Gravy Stain”. For the best eats nearby, go to the official sponsor restaurant of Bal en Blanc called Otto. Located right inside the W Hotel, it’s the perfect place to start the night. The food is delicate, not messy or heavy, so it’s the perfect fuel to sustain your dancing for several hours.

Another option is Restaurant Carte Blanche. With an appropriate name for this weekend, it also has won several major awards: Les Grands Prix du Tourisme Quebecois in 2008, and, in 2010, the SCCPQ (Société des Chefs Cusiniers et Patissiers du Québec) presented chef and owner André Loiseau with an award for 25 years of outstanding culinary dedication. The bonus is, yes, you’ll match lots of the décor inside.

HOW TO BEHAVE: A major part of Bal en Blanc is “prevention”. They work hard to prevent drunk driving, drug use and general poor choices. Every year thousands of partiers have an amazing time while remaining safe and healthy. So keep it clean with a clear conscience and dance the night away!

Guest Blogger: Alex Dunphy

THE DETAILS

BAL EN BLANC, April 21- 25^th, 2011.

Tickets are $130 for main event on 24^th at Palais Des Congress

Shopping on St. Catherine Street (American Apparel, H&M, Zara, and Le Chateau)

Boutique Moulin-Rose, 1119 Ste Catherine E, (514) 527-7222

Otto, 901 Victoria Square, (514) 395-3180

Resto Carte Blanche, 1159 Ontario East, (514) 313-8019 ‬‎

The post BAL EN BLANC PREPARATIONS appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Depending on what your type is, there are specific places in Montreal to look for your dream boy. For the young and fun, UNITY is certain to deliver. If you’re looking for someone a little meatier, then a prowl through Complex Sky will undoubtedly bait you a smoking piece. From personal experience, Mec Plus Ultra is always packed with beautiful boys with great bodies and uh… personalities?

One night stands aside, coffee shops of the Plateau are filled with gorgeous people gay and straight! Sometimes it’s fun to poke into a coffee shop and people watch, lusting after locals and daydreaming your future together. Le Cagibi is a popular hangout filled with stunning homos of the hipster variety. Hopefully some of these tips help on your quest for love (sexy times). However, half the fun of boyshopping is discovering that hidden goldmine. Please, if you find a good haul, let me know.

Guest Blogger: Alex Dunphy

A

THE DETAILS

Club Unity, 1171 Saint-Catherine Street East. Best nights are Friday & Saturday.

Complexe Sky, 1474 Saint-Catherine Street East. Best rooftop terrace in the Village.

Mec Plus Ultra @ Belmont, 4483 Saint-Laurent Blvd. Big lineup, so go early for piece of mind & free drinks.

Cagibi, 5490 Saint-Laurent, Straight-Lesbian-Gay hipster heaven.

The post HOT GAY MEN IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Since you have already, no doubt, planned the optimal trick-or-treating route for Halloween (based on a formula that predicts a path with the largest concentration of residences with a high candy-to-healthystupidapples ratio), why don’t I just skip ahead to telling you where the best Halloween parties in Montreal are this year…

Children have long been given top billing when it comes Halloween and, as such, have no problem with it falling on a Sunday evening. But we are adults and we have work to go to (or at least get out of) on Monday morning! No longer will these pint-sized terrors in totally obvious costumes rule the night! Because of this, I’ve got 3 nights of Halloween party possibilities to peruse…

Friday, October 29^th

Velvet 54: Montreal’s most buzzed-about/best looking nightspot has a Studio 54-themed night with two floors on the go and a ton of DJs. This will sell-out, no doubt, so act fast.

Maskerade Ball:  Makes sense that the costumed rave-up at the Pepsi Forum is on Friday- the lineup of Carl Cox, Fedde Le Grand and Joachim Garraud guarantees that it’s not ending early.

Halloween Tributes at L’Escogriffe: A ghoulish tribute to Swedish punk icons Refused featuring Montreal’s Specials at L’Escogriffe. L’Esco likes this howliday so much that the next night they return with a Hallowed tribute to The Cramps.

Saturday, October 30th

Haunted Howl-o-Ween Hop: Blue Sunshine is a cinema club that hosts weekly horror film courses. They seem, therefore, like the perfect people to team up with local promoters Teenbeat Takeover for a “Haunted Howl-o-Ween Hop”. The fun starts with an evening curated by Pittsburgh garage legends The Cynics and a screening of Bad Ronald at Blue Sunshine. It then screams over to the Divan Orange when The Cynics, Le Chelsea Beat, The Broken Jugs and all sorts of evil goes bump late into the night.

Halloween at Casa: Mark “Steamed Dumplings” Slutsky and CFCF team up for what might be the best scary music in town. There will be a costume contest- given the crowd, the “think piece” costume will go over well here.

Murder on the Dance floor Halloween: Right across the road at Sala Rossa is Halloween with The Goods’ Scott C and special guest Zattar. Every night The Goods put on is guaranteed dancefloor gold. Ideal costume: someone who likes dancing.

Neon’s Voyeur Halloween : The I Love Neon Halloween parties are usually as over-the-top displays of gory hedonism as the city has. At Cabaret JPR this year, this all-ages event features NY/Paris techno duo Motor as well as locals Jordan Dare and Mayday.

Kill Halloween : This event is billing itself as “Canada’s Biggest Halloween Party” and features circus performers and fire and blood and Erol Alkan, La Riots and like 20 other dudes.

Sunday, October 31st

uRockaoke’s Halloween Thriller: uRockaoke is karaoke backed by a live band made of up some of Montreal’s best musicians. I check their song list for this show at the Belmont: yes, they do have “Monster Mash”.

Diamonds Rings: Though Il Motore has a Halloween party the night before, this Diamonds Rings album release party should totally be on your Halloween calendar. Not only is the album great, but he wears colorful face paint all year, so this seems like a clear winner. Bonus: openers PS I Love You are about to get scarily huge.

The post MONTREAL HALLOWEEN PARTY LINEUP appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.