Montréal’s hidden bars
An enchanted forest in a downtown basement. A Japanese bar hidden behind a grey door on the Main. A Tiki bar tucked into the depths of Chinatown. Montréal keeps things interesting by forcing you to hunt for some of its most unique spots. Here’s a guide to the city’s secret bars, revealed one neighbourhood at a time.
Downtown and Quartier des spectacles
A Japanese secret
Little brother to Escondite, Koa Lua, Habanera and Biiru, Le Gokudo is a hidden Japanese bar that shares its space with Le Ryōshi, a fisherman’s shack where you can enjoy Japanese specialities such as sakes and Japanese cocktails that will immediately transport you to the Land of the Rising Sun.
630 Cathcart Street
Montréal’s most beautiful panoramic view
Perched on the 45th floor of Place Ville Marie, Sora 45, the sublime Japanese counter linked to the new Hiatus restaurant, excels in sushi, cocktails and refined wines. As a bonus, you'll enjoy an exceptional view of Montréal, which sparkles with a thousand lights after dark.
1 Place Ville Marie, 45th floor
Follow the pineapple
You want Batman? Use the Bat signal. For a Chinatown twist on tiki bar follow the neon pineapple. If you want to find Le Mal Nécessaire, look for the neon pineapple, then head down into the deepest depths of Chinatown. Inside, Mexican styling meets Tiki cocktails and affordable Chinese tapas. You have to see it to believe it!
1106b Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Underground pool
At the heart of the business district in the basement of Tiradito is Club Pelicano. With its Art déco style inspired by the Piscine Molitor in Paris, Pelicano lets patrons do a little time travel with an upbeat modern twist. Private wine imports, house cocktails, delicious snacks and a DJ welcome you to step back into a 1930s- and ‘40s-inspired ambiance while moving to Afro, disco and even electro beats. Eclectic and oh-so-pretty!
1076 de Bleury Street
A trick of the light
Chinatown is home to more and more hidden gems. Located in the basement of the delicious Japanese restaurant Fleurs & Cadeaux, Sans Soleil serves exquisite cocktails, wines and sakes in an edgy atmosphere where an impeccably curated selection of vinyl spins the night away.
1002 Saint-Urbain Street
An enchanted underground forest
Imagine a raw bar and grill supper club experience, a bar and a nightclub in an underground "forest" that is open Thursday to Saturday until 3 a.m.... Magical! Tucked away beneath the streets of Montréal, the enchanting Soubois drives the city’s underground beat. Hidden within is L’Orangerie, a bar-within-a-bar speakeasy cleverly concealed behind a bookcase. You’ve got to go!
1106 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West
The walls have eyes
See and be seen at one of Montréal’s best kept secrets. (But don’t forget the password…) Le 4e Mur keeps their address strictly under wraps. Want to find out where it is? Step 1: Become a member to get on their list (and to have the exact location revealed to you). Step 2: Challenge your brain to find the brick that activates the door. Once you go down all the stairs, you’ll be rewarded with live jazz shows and a Parisian-inspired patio that’s open year-round!
Secret location
The Secret Garden (with booze)
A hidden leafy paradise of a patio amid the hustle-bustle of downtown. Nobody would ever guess that the massive Pub Le Sainte-Élisabeth has one of the city’s greenest and most tranquil hidden patios in downtown Montréal. This is the perfect spot for early evening bevvies before you venture into the nightlife on Saint-Catherine Street.
1412 Sainte-Élisabeth Street
An ultra-stylish triple threat
The seductive Cloakroom speakeasy is hidden in a high-end menswear shop in the heart of the Golden Square Mile. Chic and confidential, it only seats 25 people. If you’re looking for an even more intimate setting, ask to sit in their private alcove. Immerse yourself in this modern and elegant throwback to the turn of the 20th century.
2175 de la Montagne Street
Montréal keeps things interesting by forcing you to hunt for some of its most unique spots.
Old Montréal
The Clark Kent of Old Montréal bars
A nightly transformation turns back the clock to prohibition-era surprises behind the hidden door. Le Speakeasy leads a double life: restaurant Vandale by day and gentleman’s watering hole by night. From 6 p.m. onward, look for the red light over the refrigerator door. A retro space with a rough-around-the-edges, gangster-chic appeal awaits!
120 McGill Street
The hidden permafrost down below
Discover a whole new definition to freezer burn in Old Montréal’s most secretive bar. The Coldroom truly lives up to its name, set up in a real 19th-century coldroom hidden behind a black door at the corner of St-Vincent Street and St-Amable. Need a clue on its whereabouts? #followtheduck
Secret location in Old Montréal
Behind the velvet rope
An Old Montréal cellar transforms into a world-class nightclub where the beats don’t quit. Some of Montréal’s steamiest soirées happen at Velvet Speakeasy in the basement of Auberge St-Gabriel. Here you’ll find high-heeled shoes, tight clothes and potentially a hazy recollection of the night.
426 Saint-Gabriel Street
Now we’re flyjin
Le Flyjin is a sophisticated Asian brasserie on one side and an electrifying nightclub on the other. At the stroke of 11 p.m., the dance floor fills up and the bar unlocks its vast selection of Japanese whiskies, sakes, beers and wines.
417 Saint-Pierre Street
An exhilarating experience
A locked front door in an alleyway, industrial-inspired decor: Stillife, a speakeasy located in the backroom of the brand-new Omakase-inspired Sushi by Scratch restaurant, promises red-hot evenings where sublime cocktails and succulent appetizers flow naturally until the early hours of the morning. A unique experience!
640 Saint-Paul Street West (through the alley)
Back to the 20s
Once you have passed through the front door, you will receive an exclusive access code which you need to make a note of. Then, follow the red arrow to find the hidden trapdoor that will allow you to enter the code and gain access to the Grotto Speakeasy. Inside, you will find an intimate and quiet environment with velvet banquettes, lanterns, impeccable cocktails, and tapas to share in the wee hours of the morning. It is a completely confidential space where you can relax and enjoy your time.
54 rue Saint-Jacques
Mexican confidential
A secret bar inside another secret bar? That’s what Venice restaurant cooked up when it designed Clandestino. Go there to sip tequila- and mezcal-based cocktails made from one of their 100 private import bottles in a cozy/chic setting. Caliente!
436 Saint François-Xavier Street
Opium Den
Nhâu Bar is hidden away in the basement of the Hà restaurant in Old Montréal. In an elegant atmosphere dotted with pretty paper lanterns, you can enjoy cocktails with Asian-inspired cocktails and exquisite Vietnamese bites from the Hà restaurant.
600 William Street
« HŌM away from home »
On du Couvent Street in Old Montréal, HŌM Bar is a discreet element in the speakeasy scene. This trendy bar has sharp DJs spinning tunes for a crowd that’s thirsty for joy and celebration.
504 du Couvent Street
Quartiers du Canal
Down the back alley to luxury
First appearances can be deceiving: behind this back lane doorway awaits a golden paradise. Just a stone’s throw from the trendy Foiegwa diner at the back of an alley is the intimate—you might even say sensual—Atwater Cocktail Club brimming with luxurious vegetation, welcoming bench seats and mirrors on the ceiling. The menu features 450 types of alcohol and 16 signature cocktails, all served in a flamboyant ambiance.
512 Atwater Street
Good trouble in the Henhouse
Don’t be a chicken and head downstairs to Griffintown’s newest hidden gem. Tucked away in the basement of beloved fried chicken joint Bird Bar, Le HENDEN is Kimberly Lallouz’s latest development. A lengthy, carefully curated cocktail list offers the perfect after chicken dinner (or before, or both for that matter) aperitif.
1800 Notre-Dame West Street
In deep waters
The King Crab bar-lounge is hidden away in the basement of the Makro restaurant, Grinder's little brother. Open from Thursday to Saturday until 3 a.m, it's a cozy, glitzy spot with a jet-set feel that's perfect to round out an evening of cocktails and merriment.
1726 Notre-Dame Street West
A hidden galaxy of glam
Here’s another magical spot created by Barroco Group: Milky Way Cocktail Bar is a twinkling jewel perched above Fugazzi, an incredible pizzeria in Pointe-Saint-Charles. Just follow the starry staircase up to the hidden galaxy of glam. Open 7 days a week until 3 a.m., this bar must have some serious gravitational pull because it’s always packed. Or maybe it’s the cosmic cocktails that keep the crowds coming back until the early hours of the morning. Discover this gem in an emerging area of the Southwest borough!
1886 Centre Street
A hidden bar within a bar
A dozen places make up Far West, a bar hidden inside the new Baby Far West bar/nightclub in Saint-Henri. In the heart of a subdued, intimate setting that's designed to evolve, enjoy a molecular mixology experience of the highest level: "L'Étude". Make your reservations!
3002 Saint-Antoine Street West
Plateau / Mile End
A rare bird
An elegant bar with a chill, laid-back vibe, Le Rouge Gorge in the Plateau-Mont-Royal district offers two distinct experiences: upstairs on display to see and be seen, and downstairs away from prying eyes in an intimate, 1920s-style decor. Local DJs set the beat to blissful evenings complemented by succulent cocktails, sparkling wines and champagnes.
1234 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Zen redefined
Carefully hidden at the corner of Rachel Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Big in Japan serves up a tasteful ambiance and tasty cocktails made from Japanese spirits. It’s a subdued spot that’s perfect for a romantic rendez-vous.
4175 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Clandestine jazz
Nestled on the second floor of 3481 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Bootlegger L'Authentique offers a warm and mellow atmosphere in which to savour primarily whisky-based signature cocktails. Or sample the special selection of hundreds of brands of scotch, Irish, rye and bourbon whisky. Complementing the laid-back vibe is the eclectic variety of hip-hop/funk, jazz, blues and soul musicians who often take to the stage.
3481 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Up close and personal
Sneak behind a delivery door to revel in a subdued atmosphere with a burlesque vibe. Open Thursday to Sunday, Le Magpie Magique is the Plateau's coziest new address where you can enjoy cocktails and Mediterranean specialities.
380 Gilford Street
Little Italy, Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie and Villeray
Under the tropical sun
Located on the Plaza St-Hubert, the Snowbird Tiki Bar's hidden terrace is a secret tropical hideaway. Open every day, it's the perfect place to kick back and relax with friends, fruity cocktails served in sculpted "Inca" or "pineapple" glasses in hand.
6388 St-Hubert Street
Rosemont Confidential
The Petit Secret in Rosemont is the latest whisper on everyone’s lips. Accessible only with a secret code that changes every month, you'll have to become a member of this new secret society to enjoy its exclusive, laid-back vibe.
Secret location in Rosemont
Want to explore some more? Check out our guides to Montreal's hidden patios, rooftop patios and restaurants.
Laure Juilliard
Originally from Paris, Laure Juilliard made Montréal her home over 15 years ago and has never looked back. Won over by her new city's unique energy, cultural vibrancy and gastronomic effervescence, she loves exploring all the coolest spots. A writer and blogger specialising in lifestyle, culture, travel and gastronomy, she has lent her pen to Tourisme Montréal for more than 10 years, in addition to magazines such as ELLE Québec and Clin d'œil, as well as a variety of well-known companies and agencies. Always on the lookout for innovative concepts and the best addresses wherever she is in the world, she is also always planning her next trip.