The Best Places for 5 à 7/Happy Hour in Montreal
Happy hour, 5 à 7, apéro, wine down, apéritif, cocktail hour… whatever you like to call it, we all need to unwind for a few hours after work, especially when we’ve had a busy week. Whether it’s for a drink with colleagues or an evening stretching out with friends, Tastet has come up with some of our favourite addresses for your next happy hour.
Originally called 5 à 7 to conform to traditional working hours, the term is now used to designate an apéritif between friends or colleagues. To your delight, Montreal restaurateurs sometimes have menus specially designed for this time of day – happys hour. A popular concept in the U.S., they often offer “$1 oysters between 4pm and 7pm” or “two cocktails for the price of one”. There’s plenty to take advantage of!
Without further ado, here’s our list of the best addresses for your 5 à 7 in Montreal! We also invite you to check out our list of 5 à 7s on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, one of the Plateau Mont-Royal’s main thoroughfares, where you’ll find many of our favourite addresses.
For those who prefer to stay at home, we suggest you consult our list of where to find Quebec beers and wines in Montreal, so you can enjoy an aperitif with a local touch.
Bar Furco
Bar Furco is a superb bar that we really love. Designed by co-owner and renowned designer Zébulon Perron, the place is magnificent, elegant, modern and warm. On the food side, you’ll find comforting snacks and fresh plates, ideal for enjoying with a drink. And when it comes to drinks, the address boasts a magnificent and constantly changing wine list, mainly private imports, as well as thoughtful house cocktails. A private room is also available for large group outings in a festive atmosphere.
Montréal
Nolan
A little gem on Notre-Dame Ouest, Nolan is the kind of café-buvette that we love so much. The menu is divided into two categories: small dishes to share, followed by more substantial plates. Quebec products are the focus here, and everything is delicious. There’s also a fine selection of French- and Italian-inspired wines, as well as several house cocktails. A pleasant, unpretentious address that will quickly make you feel at home!
Montréal
Taverne Atlantic
Taverne Atlantic is one of those places you love to come back to again and again. The wine list is well-balanced, the cocktails are tasty and the beers are mouth-watering. For nibbles, there’s a snack-style menu from the Chez Eddy annex that will satisfy small cravings and larger hungers. The address boasts a magnificent full-length bar and several tables arranged loosely in the center of the room. The best thing about Taverne Atlantic? Their rooftop terrace, without a doubt!
Montréal
Bar Cicchetti
The menu at Cicchetti offers simple, fresh Italian bites. Dishes change according to the chef’s current inspirations, but staples such as mimosa eggs remain. When it comes to refreshments, you’ll feel like you’re under the Italian sun: Bellini, aperol spritz, house cocktails and tutti quanti are on hand to quench your thirst during your 5 à 7. Bar Cicchetti is a charming little address to discover in Mile-Ex, especially for its lovely, colourful terrace.
Montréal
Bar Henrietta
Bar Henrietta is a superb neighbourhood bar where you can enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. The inspiration for the place comes from Portugal and the taverns of the 60s. The menu features all kinds of Portuguese-inspired sharing plates that change regularly. There are also delicious classic and house cocktails, executed with brio, and Quebec beers on tap. On the wine list, all bottles are privately imported and carefully selected. One of our favourite addresses!
Montréal
Kabinet
Kabinet, the famous cocktail bar next to the Datcha nightclub, offers a menu built around 1970s French brasserie classics. These include beef tartare aged for 90 days on site, potato salad with smoked duck breast and tangy mayonnaise sprinkled with caviar, and a delicious leek vinaigrette served with whelks. To accompany it all, their wine list is straightforward and well thought-out. In short, everything here is tasty and delicious. Of course, we suggest you try one of their wonderful cocktails during your 5 à 7.
Montréal
Buvette Chez Simone
Buvette Chez Simone is a welcoming, tried-and-true place for a great happy hour. A magnificent place, the buvette features a lot of wood and industrial elements – it was one of the first restaurants designed by Zébulon Perron. The service is warm, the atmosphere always vibrant, the glasses of wine just right, and the menu simple and delicious. It’s one of the pioneers in offering true sharing dishes. With pencil in hand, you can create your own charcuterie and cheese platter. We also suggest the cod accras (our favourite in town).
Montréal
Buvette Pompette
Buvette Pompette brings to mind the small and charming counters common in Spain. We’re talking about real neighbourhood counters, where friends meet after work for a drink or a bite to eat, week after week. The very essence of 5 à 7. The dynamic wine list offers new arrivals every week, while the kitchen menu includes classics and a few novelties. Prices are affordable, dishes are comforting (and served until closing time), and the beverage menu offers a fine selection of refreshing cocktails with or without alcohol, beers and ciders.
Montréal
Bar Mamie
Bar Mamie is a warm, inviting, and unpretentious place to gather with friends. Known for its famous charcuterie boards, the bar also offers other equally delicious dishes to share. On the drinks side, there’s a fine selection of wine that changes from week to week. The service is always friendly and welcoming, and you can enjoy your 5 à 7 in a laid-back atmosphere. Be sure to also visit La Cave de Mamie and La Boucherie de Mamie for your apéritifs at home.
Montréal
Annette
Located in the Angus Shops, this magnificent wine bar offers a refined happy hour experience. Annette’s menu focuses on seasonal produce, and consists mainly of small plates for sharing. A few snacks – chips and dip, fresh oysters, blood sausage croquettes, chicken liver mousse with Morello cherry jelly, etc., as well as more substantial starters. On the wine side, you’ll find crus classés, classics from the great houses, natural wines, wines from local producers as well as wine from more unusual terroirs. More than forty products are available by the glass!
Montréal
Bar Bisou Bisou
Bisou Bisou is a charming cocktail bar in the heart of Old Montreal. Perfect for an apéritif, it’s the ideal starting point for an evening out on the town. A meticulously prepared cocktail menu offers an impressive variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to discover. The focal point of the menu revolves around apéritif-style cocktails. For nibbling, the bar offers several options, including a charcuterie and cheese platter that we love. The perfect festive spot to kick off a night in Old Montreal.
Montréal
Emmanuelle
If you’re in the mood for an elegant and intimate happy hour, Emmanuelle is the place to go. As the evening progresses, the atmosphere becomes increasingly lively with a DJ. On the culinary side, the menu is inspired by flavours from the four corners of the globe, in a sharing format that combines land and sea. It’s all accompanied by a delicious cocktail menu and an extensive selection of classic wines.
Montréal
Verdun Beach
Verdun Beach is a buvette where you can drink well, eat well and dance into the evening. First and foremost, the place is charming for its 70s feel and decor. You’ll find yourself in a vintage setting reminiscent of Hollywood and even Miami during the “Glorious Thirty”. To quench your thirst, they offer fine wines from some thirty independent winemakers, as well as a number of house cocktails and a selection of craft beers. On the food front, a delicious menu brimming with freshness and changing with the seasons is on offer. In short, this Wellington Street address has it all, and is the perfect place for your evening out.
Montréal
vinvinvin
As the name suggests, you come to vinvinvin to enjoy good wine. The menu is designed to make the experience simple and accessible for everyone, bringing out the “wine geek” in everyone. Enjoy it all in a colourful and inviting setting, or on their beautiful sunny terrace. As for the cuisine, there are plenty of dishes to share. It’s a great destination for lovers of wine and 5 à 7’s, or 5 à midnight’s.
Montréal
L'idéal bar & contenus
L’idéal bar & contenu, as its name suggests, is an inclusive, hybrid space, part wine bar, part club and part creative studio. The menu oscillates between succulent little snacks (homemade pickles, artichoke and ricotta spread, pan-fried radishes), sharing platters, and more gourmet plates. At the bar, you’ll find all the classics, plus a few house cocktails. In addition to an interesting menu, the place offers a superb cultural program, which you’ll want to discover for your next 5 à 7. The kitchen also offers a three-course menu for groups at $35 per person for private events.
Montréal
Rouge Gorge
Rouge Gorge is a must-visit wine bar on the Plateau Mont-Royal when you’re looking for a drink and a bite to eat. Given that it’s a wine bar, they offer a vast selection of fine bottles to suit all tastes. Rouge-Gorge also boasts a superb cocktail menu featuring refreshing new takes on the classics. In the kitchen, you can sample tasty small dishes: fresh oysters, cheese or charcuterie platters from Aliments Viens, gnocchi, guinea fowl leg, grilled octopus, and more. In short, a great place to spend a relaxed evening and discover delicious products.
Montréal
Le Majestique
At Majestique, you’ll enjoy small, well-crafted dishes made with the finest ingredients. Most of the menu revolves around seafood and vegetables. In our opinion, this is one of the best oyster bars in town! In fact, you’ll find a great deal on oysters during your festive 5@7s, at $2 each! And to quench your thirst, there’s a wine list that changes just about every week, and is largely made up of private imports with some very good organic and natural bottles. There are also delicious spritzes and sangria during the summer!
Montréal
Bar George
This is without doubt one of Montreal’s finest establishments. The place offers an excellent English-inspired menu in a gorgeous, chic, intimate space. We come here to enjoy small bites at the bar all day and late at night – pâtés, tartares, hamburgers, smoked fish, ploughman’s lunch, chicken livers, steak frites and more. The cocktails are incredibly delicious and the wine list is very thoughtful.
Montréal
BarBara Vin
BarBara’s mission is to be a wine bar where good juice flows freely at affordable prices, accompanied by a dispensa (mini-grocery in Italian) and café for early risers. In 5 à 7 mode, the place offers tasty Italian dishes, starters to share and good bottles of wine, mainly private imports. This address is one of our favourites – the service is attentive, the decor is warm and the menu is delectable.
Montréal
Terrasse Belvu
Terrasse Belvu is located on the roof of the chic and emblematic Marriott Chateau Champlain, offering breathtaking views and attentive service. We come here for the festive atmosphere, the conviviality and the elegance of the place. In the kitchen, you’ll find a small, fresh menu. As for drinks, we’re on familiar ground with thirst-quenching wines: petnats, natural wines, and more classic bottles. And when it comes to cocktails, the menu offers a range of creations to suit all tastes. For a festive 5 à 7 that stretches into the evening, this is the place to be!
Montréal
