$$$$Cocktail barDowntownMon-Thu 16:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-03:00, Sun 16:00-01:00
Cloakroom is a tiny speakeasy hidden behind a downtown Montreal tailor shop, where bartenders build bespoke cocktails to your taste with no printed menu.
TipThere is no menu; tell the bartender a spirit and a mood and let them build the drink for you.
$$$$Cocktail barLittle BurgundyDaily 17:00-03:00
Atwater Cocktail Club is a moody, low-lit Little Burgundy bar in Montreal, a North America's 50 Best listee pouring polished seasonal cocktails off Avenue.
TipEnter through the alley off Atwater; the seasonal menu is where the bar shows off, so order from it.
$$$$Cocktail barOld MontrealMon-Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 15:00-01:00, Sun 17:00-01:00
The Coldroom is a hidden speakeasy behind an unmarked black door in Old Montreal, a North America's 50 Best listee mixing inventive twists on classics.
TipThere is no sign; ring the bell at the black door at Saint-Amable and Saint-Vincent. It takes no reservations.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntownMon-Thu 16:30-02:00, Fri-Sat 16:30-03:00, Sun 16:30-02:00
Le Mal Necessaire is a green-lit tiki cocktail bar hidden down a Chinatown staircase in Montreal, mixing rum drinks served in carved pineapples.
TipLook for the green pineapple sign off Saint-Laurent; the pineapple cocktail is the one to photograph.
$$$$Cocktail barPlateauMon closed, Tue-Sun 17:00-03:00
Big in Japan is a candlelit speakeasy behind a nondescript Saint-Laurent door in Montreal, open since 2011, with whisky bottles over a wrap-around bar.
TipThere is no sign; the list leans on whisky, sake and umeshu, with small snacks such as kimchi and roasted pecans.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntownWed-Sat 17:00-01:00
Le 4e Mur is a Prohibition-themed speakeasy in Montreal's Quartier Latin, entered through its 'fourth wall', with burlesque, live jazz and creative cocktails.
TipSign up to the bar's newsletter to be sent the way in; its founders include national cocktail competition champions.
$$$$Cocktail barPlateauMon-Wed 10:00-01:00, Thu-Sat 10:00-03:00, Sun 10:00-01:00
Le Darling is an all-day bar and restaurant on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, moving from coffee to cocktails and shared plates in a plant-filled Plateau room.
TipIt works from morning coffee to late cocktails; the leafy back room is the spot for an evening drink.
$$$$Cocktail barOld MontrealMon-Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-01:00, Sun 17:00-01:00
El Pequeno is the tiny Cuban-inspired cocktail bar in Old Montreal, styled on 1920s Havana, seating 11 guests and mixing daiquiris until 01:00 nightly.
TipOnly 11 guests fit inside, plus a summer terrace; order a daiquiri or mojito and the Cubano sandwich.
$$$$Cocktail barOld MontrealWed-Thu 20:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 21:00-03:00
Nhau Bar is a hidden Vietnamese-inflected cocktail bar on the Old Montreal edge of Griffintown, pairing Southeast-Asian flavours in drinks and snacks.
TipIt is tucked away and easy to miss; the Asian-accented cocktails and snacks are worth seeking out.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntownMon-Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri 17:00-03:00, Sat 19:00-03:00, Sun 19:00-01:00
Bootlegger l'Authentique is a two-floor Prohibition-themed cocktail bar on the Main in Montreal, mixing classic drinks over live jazz in a dim room.
TipCome for the weekend jazz sets; the upstairs is louder, the downstairs bar better for the cocktails.
$$$$Cocktail barOld MontrealWed-Sat 20:00-03:00
Flyjin is a moody basement izakaya and cocktail bar hidden in Old Montreal, pairing Japanese-inflected drinks and small plates with late-night DJ sets.
TipHead downstairs late; it shifts from izakaya dining early to a DJ-driven bar as the night goes.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntownTue-Sat 15:00-03:00
Bar Furco is a buzzy downtown Montreal bar in a former fur warehouse near the Quartier des Spectacles, pouring natural wine and cocktails after work.
TipIt packs out after work near the theatres; the kitchen serves sharp small plates until eleven.
$$$$Cocktail barMile EndThu-Sat 22:00-03:00
Bar Datcha is a small, dim Mile End bar in Montreal, part cocktail lounge and part dance floor, with DJ sets from deep house to disco until 03:00.
TipIt opens Thursday to Saturday from 10pm; some nights are ticketed, so check the event list on its site first.
$$$$Cocktail barRosemontMon-Wed closed, Thu-Fri 17:00-03:00, Sat-Sun 18:00-03:00
Notre-Dame-des-Quilles is a late-night dive in Montreal's Mile-Ex with two half-size bowling lanes, pizza, cocktails and karaoke nights until 03:00.
TipThe two half-size lanes are the reason for the name; karaoke and drag nights draw a queer-friendly crowd.
$$$$Cocktail barOld MontrealMon-Wed 17:00-03:00, Thu-Sat 16:00-03:00, Sun 18:00-03:00
Philemon is a handsome exposed-brick bar on Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal, a long-running after-work and late-night spot for cocktails, oysters.
TipThe oyster-and-cocktail happy hour is the move; it turns into a busy late-night bar as the evening goes.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntownMon-Thu 16:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-03:00, Sun 16:00-01:00
Bar Pamplemousse is an easygoing bar and kitchen on the Main in downtown Montreal, pouring cocktails and craft beer alongside hearty comfort food.
TipIt is a solid pre-show stop by the theatres; the kitchen runs later than most downtown neighbours.