Photo Cred - Charly Vilmart
In the early 20th century Mile End was home to many Italian and Jewish immigrants. To some extent, many of their descendants still populate the neighborhood. These days however, Mile End is well known for its many quality bars and restaurants. It was thus understandably difficult to pick our favorite 15 spots to grab a drink. We tried to go for variety: some wine bars, some expensive joints, some places more dive-y, some w/ live music, some places food is the focus. There's probably a hundred or so pleasant warm evenings in Montreal per/year, so you should spend as many as you can out and about, enjoying the city -- hence the variety. There's plenty of time in the winter to watch PLL or Louie reruns, lose our vitamin D, and drink in our bathtubs. Now's the time to live, to drink, and to live some more!
Click here for 15 Great Spots To Grab A Drink With Friends In Montreal’s Mile End >
Vices & Versa is a great Mile-End brasserie. The selection of beers is, as Guy Fieri would say, out of bounds. 30+ beers on tap, many from Montreal and Quebec. Good bistro fare like nachos, a bison burger, and pulled pork poutine, are some of the good little beer companions here. Lastly, there's a public park next door with a bball court in case anyone want to test 'yo skills.Sparrow is another fabulous Montreal breakfast, brunch, and cocktail spot. Come for the hamburgers, polenta fries, homemade tater tots, and cocktails like Caesars and basil gimlets. Also a flurry of egg dishes and innovative takes like squash enchiladas topped with pulled pork.This neighborhood favorite has everything: tasty flatbread pizzas, a hibiscus beer that makes you feel healthy, and an inky stout that makes you feel like an octopus. Great people watching, friendly service, and music not oppressively loud, are other nice features.Casa is the Montreal veggie/vegan/full bar and live music joint with the heart of solid gold. The atmosphere is a paradox: electric but calm. This feeling is paralleled in the menu: homemade veggie nachos and fresh sandwiches, balanced by $4 pints and $6 Glenlivet.Baldwin is a cozy and modern little cocktail spot. Great martinis, ciders, and Pimm's cups. Good little side dishes like grilled cheese.This converted garage is now a miniature liquor-garden, complete with picnic tables and a terrace. Very affordable, very fun. What else do you need? Ginger beer? They got it. Fresh brews on tap? It's located within the Brasserie du Vieux-Montréal bottling plant. Veggie food? Pad-thai, BBQ grilled tofu, rice pasta, veggie hotdogs and nachos, they got it. Jay-Z and Beyonce stopping by -- they got it.Come for the veggie burgers, vegan quesadillas, homemade chili, live music, and great affordable cocktails. There's no liquor license so you need to purchase food to drink, try a $1 taco!Waverly is a bar with a swank speakeasy type feel. It once was a dive bar, but now is bright, modern and serves $5 pints, good cocktails, all in a lovely open-air/window environment.Want to enjoy a nice single malt and cigar in a surreal Tarantino-esque atmosphere? Whisky Cafe is your spot. Dim lighting and low music converge with a classic interior: lots of leather and lacquered wood. Grab a scotch of their massive menu, pluck a Montecristo (or what have you) from the humidor, and fully enjoy the next 3 hours.Serge is ground-zero for big buckets, live sports, and watching hapless students flung from a mechanical bull. There's really nothing more that needs to be said. To say it has a great and kinetic atmosphere is an understatement.Assommoir Bernard is a great Mile-End spot to get some tapas, a drink, and listen to some live music. With a varied cocktail menu, a decent wine list, and a pretty good range of beers, this restaurant can serve what ails 'ya.Taza Flores is a hidden Mile-End gem. The tapas and food are excellent. Ceviche, beef carpaccio, cod fritters with goat cheese croutons, and pork stuffed artichoke are just a few of the standout dishes. Cocktails and wine are well priced.Want an intimate little bar to spend an evening talking with some close friends? Bar 5295 is the place. Despite the Fallout-esque name, this place is actually very inviting. The decorations are eclectic and appear to be from many global travels -- Havana, East India, etc. The cocktails are classic and strong!This little pub is an offshoot of Burgundy Lion and does everything to maintain the good name of that pub. It's a perfect cozy spot to enjoy some biscuits and ribs on a cloudy day. Good simple cocktails, a pretty good beer selection, and a very good scotch selection are the hallmarks of Bishop & Bagg.Buvette Chez Simone is one of our favorite bars: wine, snacks, and tasteful live music. Perfect for an evening with friends, this place has more than wine, with beers and cocktails as well. To munch there's charcuteries, salads like delicious beet and arugula w/ nuts, and chicken 3-ways! You'll leave full, fun, and fancy free!HELM is a great little microbrasserie with dangerous proximity to St. Viateur bagels. Try the Van Horne IPA and a deer burger, trust us.BU is a great Mile-End wine bar. The wine list is large, the staff are knowledgable, and the tapas-like dishes are, as they say, on point. Try the mixed veggies ($8), octopus and potato salad ($13), Lapsang-tea maninated salmon with fennel cream ($9), and lamb chops with tempura artichokes and homemade béarnaise ($11). The dishes are wonderfully creative and the drinks are the accompaniment they should be.Sparrow
Casa del Popolo
Baldwin Barmacie
Le Cagibi
Bar Waverly
Whisky Cafe
Chez Serge
L'Assommoir
Taza Flores
Buvette Chez Simone
HELM Microbrasserie
BU Restaurant & Bar
Thirsty for more drink with friends? Click here for 10 Great Spots To Grab A Drink With Friends In Montreal’s NDG >
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