Big in Japan is a bar in Plateau, Montreal.
Big in Japan is a hidden, candlelit cocktail bar behind an unmarked Saint-Laurent door in Montreal, pouring exacting classics in a hushed golden room.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Food program: None
Tip: There is no sign; look for the plain door on the Main and expect a quiet, drinks-only room inside.
Address: 4175 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2W 1Y7
Le Darling is an all-day bar and restaurant on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, moving from coffee to cocktails and shared plates in a plant-filled Plateau room.
Signature drink: Cocktails and natural wine
Food: Shared plates
Tip: It works from morning coffee to late cocktails; the leafy back room is the spot for an evening drink.
Bar Datcha is a tiny, dark dance bar in Mile End, Montreal, where cocktails and a serious sound system pull a late crowd for DJ sets on Avenue Laurier.
Signature drink: Cocktails and DJ sets
Food: None
Tip: It is more dance floor than lounge; go late on a weekend when the DJs and the room hit their stride.
Le Darling is an all-day bar and restaurant on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, moving from coffee to cocktails and shared plates in a plant-filled Plateau room.
Signature drink: Cocktails and natural wine
Food: Shared plates
Tip: It works from morning coffee to late cocktails; the leafy back room is the spot for an evening drink.
El Pequeno is a pocket-sized Cuban bar on a cobbled Old Montreal lane, mixing rum daiquiris and mojitos in one of the smallest, warmest rooms in the city.
Signature drink: Rum daiquiris and Cuban cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: It seats barely a dozen; go early or midweek, and order the classic daiquiri done properly.
Nhau Bar is a hidden Vietnamese-inflected cocktail bar on the Old Montreal edge of Griffintown, pairing Southeast-Asian flavours in drinks and snacks.
Signature drink: Southeast-Asian-inflected cocktails
Food: Vietnamese snacks
Tip: It is tucked away and easy to miss; the Asian-accented cocktails and snacks are worth seeking out.
Bar Pamplemousse is an easygoing bar and kitchen on the Main in downtown Montreal, pouring cocktails and craft beer alongside hearty comfort food.
Signature drink: Cocktails and craft beer
Food: Comfort plates
Tip: It is a solid pre-show stop by the theatres; the kitchen runs later than most downtown neighbours.
Bootlegger l'Authentique is a two-floor Prohibition-themed cocktail bar on the Main in Montreal, mixing classic drinks over live jazz in a dim room.
Signature drink: Prohibition-era cocktails
Food: Bar cuisine
Tip: Come for the weekend jazz sets; the upstairs is louder, the downstairs bar better for the cocktails.
