The 20+ best gay bars and LGBTQ+ clubs in Montreal
This guide features everything you need to know about the hottest and most popular night spots in Montreal’s LGBTQ community.
Gay bars and clubs are a big part of the queer nightlife scene in Montreal. These spots aren’t just gathering places for gays and lesbians—they’re hubs of activity and events for the queer community and beyond.
Whether you’re looking to meet new friends or just grab a drink after a night of clubbing, there are plenty of bars and venues worth checking out.
Are you looking to have fun and make friends at gay bars and clubs? If so, here’s where to go in Montreal.
Best gay bars in Montreal
1. Cabaret Mado
Since it launched in 2002, Mado’s Cabaret Mado has been drawing crowds of all ages. Charlize Theron, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the Pet Shop Boys are just some of the celebrities who have visited the club in the past.
Mostly local, but also some national and international drag performers host performances and sketches nightly.
2. Complexe Sky
Complexe Sky, one of Canada’s most prominent gay nightclubs, features three stories of entertainment, including a rooftop terrace with an outdoor pool and jacuzzi.
The street-level terrace is a terrific place to watch the world go by while sipping on a pitcher of ice-cold sangria.
3. Bar Renard
With a large assortment of wine, beer, and cocktails, Bar Renard is a favorite hangout for LGBT+ and straight young hipsters. Renard’s unisex washroom has become a popular photo spot because of its flowery design.
4. District Vidéo Lounge
Lady Gaga and her friends celebrated the opening of District Vidéo Lounge in 2017 by attending a party there.
In addition to a drag performance hosted by Montreal drag veteran Jimmy Moore, known for his impersonations of Madonna and others, patrons get access to music videos on the interior screens inside the venue each week.
5. Aigle Noir / Black Eagle
Located in the heart of the Village, Montréal’s Black Eagle is known asAigle Noir, an old-school neighborhood gay pub.
It’s popular with bears and athletes of all ages, but it also caters to the leather and denim industries. Discreet summer terrass, cheap beverages, and happy hour deals.
6. Club Unity
There are two dance floors, a VIP lounge, and an iconic summertime rooftop terrace at Club Unity, one of the largest nightclubs in the city.
7. Le Normandie
Locals love the welcoming sports barLe Normandieon Atateken Street in the Village, which has been open since 1981. Two of the best summer terraces in the village may be found at Le Normandie.
8. Bar Le Cocktail
In the Village, Michel Dorion’sBar Le Cocktail has become a favourite hangout for drag performers, including Dorion, because to the bar’s pleasant and welcoming atmosphere.
9. Le Date Karaoke
In the Village, there are several karaoke bars, but only Club Date has the kind of regulars who could compete with Tom Jones or Barbra Streisand on stage.
More than 35,000 songs are available, including Elvis hits, 1980s ballads, and Quebecois favourites.
10. Bar Le Stud
For Le Stud, the slogan is “Stud is a men’s pub, where men are at home.” Founded in 1995, the club’s labyrinthine nightlife attracts a wide range of customers, including bears and leathers.
Several dancefloors, nightly DJs, pool tables, video poker, two summertime terraces, and themed events ranging from bear nights to leather kink are available at this establishment.
11. Bar Minéral
Bar Minéralon Atateken Street is a wine bar by day and a nightclub by night, featuring a small meal menu that is exceptional.
12. Stock Bar
Stock Bar in the Village, one of Montreal’s most famous gay male strip bars, is the largest of these.
In addition to Ladies Night, Stock Bar hosts Montreal’s Violet Hour, a gay reading series that showcases LGBTQ+ poets, playwrights and novelists.
13. Café Cléopâtre
One of the few remaining vestiges of Montreal’s notorious red-light district is Café Cleopatre on The Main Street.
Female strip clubs are located below, while the upstairs cabaret has a long history of welcoming the LGBTQ community.
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14. Bar Notre-Dame-Des-Quilles
Outside of the Village, NDQ, a Rosemont neighborhood pub, is a well-known LGBTQ+ hotspot. NDQ is a secure and welcoming place for everyone, and it even has a mini-bowling alley in the basement!
15. Taverne Marion
Founded in 2022, Taverne Marion is the second Taverne Midway on The Main establishment to operate outside of the Village.
Known for its huge garage-style windows and white-washed brick walls, Taverne Marion has quickly established itself as a hip spot for locals and tourists alike.
16. Queer nights
Queer-friendly venues like Blockhaus Bar in Hochelaga-east Maisonneuve’s end host the LuvHaus Soirée LGBTQ.
The uber-queer MPUnights (formerly known as Mec Plus Ultra) at Le Belmont nightclub in the Plateau district host the uber-queer MPUnights, and other venues like The L Nights, Queen & Queer dance parties, and Homopop events host the LGBTQ+ nights.
17. Bar Le Ritz P.D.B.
Address: 179 rue Jean-Talon Ouest, Montreal
Phone: (514) 274-7676
Website: http://www.barleritzpdb.com/
In spite of its drab facade, Le Ritz (also known as Il Motore) is one of the city’s most vibrant cultural centers.
It’s not a homosexual bar by any means, but it’s the place to go for a lot of queer dance parties, and the neighborhood’s gays turn up in droves for other performances and movie screenings held there.
On non-event evenings, there is no cover price; on event nights, there is a cover charge.
18. Le Cagibi
Address: 6596 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal
Phone: (438) 476-6393
Website: https://www.facebook.com/le.cagibi/
It’s a well-known hangout among north-side gays, who recently moved from Mile End to Little Italy.
Even though it’s more like a coffee shop than a bar, you’ll still find plenty of drinks and a shabby-chic atmosphere.
19. Notre Dame des Quilles
Address: 32 rue Beaubien Est, Montreal
Phone: (514) 507-1313
Website: https://www.facebook.com/notredamedesquilles/
NDQ used to be the go-to pub for Montreal’s LGBT community, but it now draws a wide range of people thanks to its low prices and accessible bowling alley.
Weekend dance parties, unique events such as LSD (Lesbian Speed Dating), and the Sunday night karaoke mainstay Lipster keep the gay energy alive.
20. L’Aigle Noir
Address: 1325 Ste-Catherine E., Montreal
Phone: (514) 529-0040
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Bar.Aigle.Noir/
The Black Eagle, like many pubs in the Village, attracts a large number of men, particularly those who identify as bear-daddy-leather hybrids.
There are some people who don’t find it appealing, yet it serves as a constant presence in The Village.
21. Le Club Date
Address: 1218, rue Ste-Catherine Est, Montreal
Phone: (514) 521-1242
Website: http://www.ledatekaraoke.com/
Club Date, a piano bar in the manner of a saloon with a karaoke machine in place of the traditional keyboard instruments, attracts a diverse clientele in the center of the Village.
22. The Wiggle Room
Address: 3874 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal
Phone: (514) 508-9465
Website: http://wiggleroom.ca/
There is a burlesque show in The Wiggle Room, which is located in an area of St-Laurent that is otherwise devoid of LGBT clubs.
Before you arrive, it’s a good idea to check the website to see if the performance times and fees have changed.
Gay ꜱtriþ bars in Montreal
Campus
Address: 1111 Rue St-Catherine Est
Open: Monday – Friday 3pm-3am, Saturday/Sunday 1pm-3am.
While there are few homosexual men and women on campus, the pub is mainly made up of tourists and groups of (straight) ladies.
As a bonus, there are two bars where you can get a good view of the show while sipping a hard beverage. It’s not just at night that you may enjoy the campus’s, ahem, attractions; it’s also open during the day.
Those who work during the day tend to be more feminine, whilst those who work at night tend to be more masculine.
Gay saunas in Montreal
Oasis
Address: 390 Rue St-Catherine Est
Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sauna Oasis has everything a person may want in a sauna. With a humorous “hole in the wall” and free WiFi, it’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
More than 100 various rooms, including private ones you can hire for a bit of fun, steam room and dry sauna, plus an enormous spa and hot movies for your watching pleasure, are available at the facility.
Oasis is always a good time, no matter what time of day it is!
Sauna G.I. Joe
Address: 1166 Rue St-Catherine Est
Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sauna G.I. Joe is another 24-hour homosexual sauna in Montreal. In addition to a rooftop patio, the building has four levels of amenities.
There are several individual chambers, some of which have a swing built into them. Additionally, there are steam rooms, dry saunas, and a spa, as well as fun features like “holes in the wall” and kid-friendly spaces.
Conclusion
The LGBT community is growing by the day. From a cultural standpoint, it has gone beyond being considered a minority group, to a full-fledged part of our society.
From sports to politics, movies, music, fashion, and art, the LGBTQ community is becoming more and more visible.
And while there are many bars and clubs to choose from, here are 20 of the best LGBTQ+ spots to check out in Montreal.
