Cocktail barSpeakeasy$$$old-montrealDaily 17:00-01:00
The Coldroom is a hidden speakeasy down an unmarked Old Montreal lane, a North America's 50 Best listee mixing precise cocktails in a snug brick-vaulted room.
Signature drink: Bartender's-choice cocktails
Food: None
Tip: There is no sign on Rue Saint-Vincent; look for the small buzzer door and book ahead on weekends.
Cocktail barBar$$old-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.
Signature drink: Cocktails and oysters
Food: Oysters and snacks
Tip: The oyster-and-cocktail happy hour is the move; it turns into a busy late-night bar as the evening goes.
Cocktail barJapanese speakeasy$$$old-montrealWed-Sat 19:00-03:00
Flyjin is a moody basement izakaya and cocktail bar hidden in Old Montreal, pairing Japanese-inflected drinks and small plates with late-night DJ sets.
Signature drink: Japanese-inflected cocktails
Food: Izakaya snacks
Tip: Head downstairs late; it shifts from izakaya dining early to a DJ-driven bar as the night goes.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy$$$downtownTue-Sun 17:00-03:00
Le 4e Mur is a hidden Quartier Latin speakeasy behind an unmarked door in Montreal, run by a bartending school pouring precise, technical cocktails.
Signature drink: Menu-driven signature cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: There is no sign on Saint-Denis; ring the buzzer and let the menu of house signatures guide the order.
Cocktail barBar$$mile-endDaily 16:00-03:00
Waverly is a buzzy Mile End bar on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, pairing cocktails and Asian-inflected snacks with DJ nights in a room that fills late.
Signature drink: Cocktails and Asian-inflected snacks
Food: Asian bar snacks
Tip: It gets loud and packed on weekends; the Asian-leaning snacks are better than most bar food here.
Cocktail barTiki bar$$downtownSun-Thu 16:30-02:00; Fri-Sat 16:30-03:00
Le Mal Necessaire is a green-lit tiki cocktail bar hidden down a Chinatown staircase in Montreal, mixing rum drinks served in carved pineapples.
Signature drink: Tiki cocktails served in a pineapple
Food: Chinatown snacks
Tip: Look for the green pineapple sign off Saint-Laurent; the pineapple cocktail is the one to photograph.