Apres-dinner cocktails?

[Peaches to Poutine]

Celebrating my birthday by having dinner at Cava but am interested in somewhere to get a really nice cocktail afterwards. I believe Cava is on Avenue de Parc so I'm guessing somewhere around Laurier? Any recommendations would be awesome!

[bar_b_q_steak]

I really like The Sparrow, on St-Laurent for classic drinks and a nice atmosphere. Not loud, very "Hypster" though.

[Arktik]

Dunno about cocktails but Pullman is a pretty nice wine bar.

[tocino.]

The Sparrow (5322 St Laurent) has a short, yet very well-conceived list of cocktails. Fitting to your criteria of "simple yet elegant". Good atmosphere and very close to Cava.

[Peaches to Poutine]

I was there two weekends ago for the last brunch shift but never knew about their cocktail list. I may just have to check it out!

I thank everyone for their contributions so far to this thread. I really appreciate it.

[tah1234]

Would love to find a quiet , charming spot (for the over 40 crowd) where the music isn't so loud that you cannot talk. Do any of the above places fit the bill?

[OliverB]

A hotel bar is your best bet.

Unfortunately, most seem to close ridiculously early in this city. I went to the Saint James last weekend to the XO bar and couldn't get a drink at 11:15pm

Sparrow is also not too noisy. Not sure what your definition of charming is.. it's like a dimly lit den and usually kind of crowded.

[OliverB]

One thing we do have is a number good wine bars however...

[Peaches to Poutine]

I second you on cocktail lounges with all of your complaints, OliverB. I love me some beer (preferably at Dieu du Ciel) and I like wine okay, but I love small-batch spirits and simple yet elegant cocktails. I am more than willing to try out any of the suggestions here, figuring the desire and ability to ask my bartender for what I am looking for will guarantee me a result that will far outstrip most annoyances.

[OliverB]

I wish there was a proper cocktail lounge in this city where one needn't endure pretentious yuppie types and overpriced drinks or baseball caps, house music and disgusting neon elixirs. I still haven't found a competent bar for classic well-made and reasonably priced gin, rye, brandy, bourbon, and rum cocktails that pack a punch. I'm usually cautious about ordering safe because it seems like they hand out bartender licenses to anyone who can spell their own name. I could recount some outlandish stories! For such a supposedly tourist driven "nightlife city scene" I don't understand why every other major city on the East Coast from New York down can seem to offer a variety of options for GREAT bars. Is Montreal really a beer town?

[westaust]

Le Lab on Rachel or Distillerie comes to mind as great bars for good cocktails, bartenders are knowledgeable and know how to make good drinks using quality ingredients.

If looking for more classic drinks, just skip the menu and ask the bartender, they are usually more than happy to help you.

[berbatov]

I second Le Lab...they have great and interesting cocktails as well as an excellent selection of whisky, both single malt and others.

[SnackHappy]

I agree that Le Lab is great as far as the drink goes, but it's seriously lacking when it comes to ambiance. The decor is so-so, the music just downright sucks, and the crowd is never twice the same. They really do have the drinks part down, but the rest of the place just doesn't have any personality. It's basically a dive that serves fancy cocktails.

[berbatov]

Point taken. I also think the location leaves something to be desired. but that's just me.

[mak2k]

actually i like it that it's "hidden" from the main street, it's more of a hidden gem that needs to be found.

[SourberryLily]

Distillerie makes some really good cocktails without the over snobbyness. However, the ambiance is more of a bar filled with students. I like that but some might not.

Never heard of Le Lab. I'll have to try it!

[OliverB]

Nowhere near Parc really but believe it or not, the best cocktails I've had in this city were at the bar at Toque...

[Maximilien]

Baldwin's nice, for a more extensive cocktail list, you could walk up to l'Assommoir (Bernard St.)

Both can be noisy-ish later in the evening; and both are about the same distance from Cava.

[Peaches to Poutine]

I have passed Barmacie and found myself intrigued. I think I am getting to the age though where enduring loud music for the sake of drinks pales very quickly. I can deal with it for perhaps an hour and then have to go. (No, seriously, I am not about to ask kids to get off my lawn.)

[thebenc]

Baldwin Barmacie on Laurier is... ok. Some swear by it by I can't say I've ever really warmed to it. Still, they have cocktails, a lounge-y atmosphere and loud music. So there's that.

If you're not travelling by foot, or don't mind around 15 minutes of walking, I'd really recommend Plan B on Mont-Royal and Drolet. Great, great cocktails, a cool environment and generally fun crowd. The place is stylish but in a low-key way. It doesn't intimidate and the drinks go down very easily.

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Baldwin Barmacie
115 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Montr, Montreal, QC , CA

[chefjeannine]

What about Baldwin Barmacie? 115 Laurier west

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Baldwin Barmacie
115 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Montr, Montreal, QC , CA