The 21 best Mile End bars for good times and great drinks must try

The Mile End has become a cultural hotspot over the past decade, and the area around the neighborhood is filled with excellent bars serving delicious food and fantastic drinks.

You live in Montreal and you’re looking for the best bars in Mile End, a suburb of the city that offers a variety of bars, pubs, clubs and music venues.

You want to experience the best of what the Mile End has to offer without spending a fortune on drinks or a night out in one of the hottest destinations in Montreal. And we’ve done the research so you don’t have to!

The 21 best Mile End bars for good times and great drinks

1. Bishop & Bagg

At first sight, this tavern might appear to be a little out of place in the heart of French Canada, but its attitude is anything but.

Although they modestly define themselves as a tavern with exceptional cuisine, Bishop & Bagg has become a mainstay because of their almost obsessive devotion to high-quality local ingredients.

For gin lovers, this is a must-visit location because they have the province’s best selection.

2. Buvette chez Simone

Among the city’s hippest wine aficionados, this establishment has long been a favorite. While many have tried to imitate its reclaimed wood and industrial chic design, few have been able to match it when it comes to wine selection.

When it comes to light meals and tapas, the kitchen is its hidden weapon. It has continually impressed critics with its ability to outperform its size.

3. Bar Waverly

The friendly corner pub serves as both an anchor and a magnet for the neighborhood.

Waverly’s dragnet captures everyone, from bleary-eyed game developers from Ubisoft’s studios across the street to thirsty bagel bakers going off their shift, and everyone in between, at the crossroads of Saint-Laurent and Saint-Viateur.

Drinks in the afternoon and edgy DJ performances in the evening draw people from all around the area.

4. Le Kabinet / Datcha

There are two sections to the operation in this area styled after Imperial Russia: Le Kabinet is an espresso bar that specializes in Italian amaros and also serves some of the city’s best and most imaginative cocktails.

Datcha and Le Kabinet merge on Thursdays and Sundays after 10 p.m. to bring you the best in house, disco, funk, and electro DJs from across the world.

5. Dieu du Ciel!

One of the first microbreweries in Quebec may be found in this inconspicuous building. Since its inception, Dieu du Ciel! has continuously broken new ground and has remained a leader on the cutting edge of microbrew innovation.

It’s not a large, impersonal brew-cum-laboratory, but a friendly local drinking spot overflowing with locals thanks to the team’s dedication to their origins.

6. Bar Henrietta

This sophisticated neighborhood pub in Portuguese style evokes the close-knit community bars of the 1960s and 1970s, and you’re unlikely to be able to resist its allure.

Indulge in a bottle of champagne or a house drink or a pastel de nata and you could forget you’re not old enough to recall those times.

7. Ping Pong Club

Is this a sports bar? No, that’s not entirely correct. Ping pong is the actual champion here, but there are TVs so you can watch the hockey game while drinking a few pints.

With a wide range of affordable food and drink options, as well as a fun atmosphere and the relaxing sound of ping pong being played nearby, this place has something for everyone.

8. Snack’n Blues

Drinking and blues music have a long-standing relationship. In spite of all the great live blues bars, have you ever felt that something wasn’t quite right? Maybe some light refreshments?

The owner of Snack and Blues obviously agreed with this sentiment, and they’ve taken action on it. As well as live blues, this establishment is known for its unlimited supply of (free) sweet and savory appetizers.

9. Sparrow

Vintage, almost ancient, but snug and stylish, this bar’s decor is reminiscent of a shipwreck at times.

The varied cuisine, which includes English scones, paneer tikka, Japanese poached eggs, za’atar sandwiches, and more, is the star of the show, with local beers on tap, in bottles and cans, and traditional old-world cocktails.

10. Siboire

Siboire, a microbrewery founded in Sherbrooke, has lately relocated to Montreal and made a great impression on residents and visitors alike.

It’s a laid-back place to relax with a simple dinner and a flight of Quebec microbrews after a day of seeing the city’s many attractions.

11. Hangar 51

Take a break from your post-apocalyptic woes and visit Hangar 51 if you’re feeling nerdy. In the vintage lounge, you may play board games, retro consoles, pinball, and arcade games with the purchase of a drink.

Put yourself in the driver’s seat of an enormous “TESLA II” mech and go to the skies over the desolate countryside.

12. Whisky Cafe

With its luscious licorice-colored leather, elegant hardwood furnishings, and zinc tables, this establishment evokes images of staterooms, hunting lodges, and courtrooms.

In addition to a wonderful collection of port and other wines, they are well-known for their selection of cigars and more than 150 Scotch whiskeys.

At the very least, this is the greatest location in town to pretend you’re the CEO of an enormous corporation, strategizing over your different assets, and chomping away on a cigar while you plot your next move.

13. Helm

This posh, low-key pub and microbrewery is named Helm after the French word for hops, water, yeast, and malt, which is an acronym for the ingredients of beer:

All of the brewery’s beers are brewed on-site, in an effort to minimize the pretentiousness that can sometimes accompany microbrewing.

In addition to tapas and bistro dishes, they also offer a wide selection of Quebec ciders and wines.

14. Casa del Popolo

Known as “Casa” to its friends, Casa del Popolo completes the Casa/Sala duo. It may be best described as Montreal’s CBGB, despite its plain appearance on the street level.

The best part? They were the first to provide vegetarian cuisine and craft beer before it was cool, and the business is still going strong.

15. La Petite Idée Fixe

Les petites Idées Fixe, Buvette chez Simone’s laid-back neighbor, are not attempting to be fashionable, which is why they come across as so naturally hip.

A free jukebox plays old-time guitar songs, and tall bottles of inexpensive local beer are available at the dimly lighted bar. Enough said.

16. The Emerald / Le Bar Sans Nom

You’ll be transported to another era and place when you enter this bar’s conjoined-twin. Giant palms line the front of the house, giving it a tropical feel.

Back there, it’s like something out of an Orientalist dream sequence from the twenties. Prohibition-era drinks are expertly crafted by the club’s two halves, both with years of experience behind the bar.

This bar is one of the best speakeasies in town because of its devotion to the craft.

17. Taverne du Pélican

A small group of Montreal’s best restaurateurs opened it, yet there are no pretenses here. Pélican is a laid-back bird that wants you to follow his lead.

Despite the exquisite nautical design, a mounted shark serves as a continuous reminder not to take things too seriously.

It has a pool table, TVs for sports (and silent movies), and a simple beer, wine, and cocktail menu, making it a possible heaven.

18. La Sala Rossa

Locals refer to the Sala Rossa, or “Sala,” as the other half of the Casa del Popolo team, which is located across the street.

Although it is by day a small event space with a Spanish theme, it comes alive at night as one of the city’s best music venues, showcasing anything from local up-and-comers to world-famous DJs.

While Suoni Per Il Popolo, an Italian music festival, is in town, this is the place to go for a few drinks and some good music.

19. Larrys

Lawrence, a well-known restaurant in the area, established a free-form branch of this beautiful French wine bar.

In addition to being a bar and a restaurant that serves sophisticated food with handcrafted charcuterie from their sister business Boucherie Lawrence just around the street, it’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and supper.

Private imports and natural wines abound, but don’t let that scare you away—the service is kind and approachable.

20. JackRose Table & Club

Intriguingly, the steel I-beams running across the ceiling with fading welding ads still intact in this cosmopolitan restaurant/bar/club.

It’s the unique cocktail, beer, or wine bar in the center of the restaurant that’s the major attraction, so guests are free to wander about and choose their favorite spot.

Until 11pm, the kitchen is open for business, and the celebration doesn’t end until 3am.

21. Bar PrimeTime

In a nutshell, Bar Primetime is a slam dunk. It’s conceivable, though, that this is precisely what you’re seeking.

Whether it’s an Ottoman empire speakeasy from the 1920s or a ping pong pub, we at Time Out know that sometimes you don’t want to worry about.

You’re looking for a tavern where you can watch the game with a friendly bartender, inexpensive domestic beer, a pool table, and a TV. Enjoy.

Conclusion

If you are looking for some new Mile End bars to try out, these recommendations are perfect. We’ve picked out some of the best bars in the area for you to visit.

From cheap booze and cheap eats, to excellent live music and great beers, these are some of the best Mile End Montreal bars area for you to enjoy.