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Laïka
Get lost in the minimalist space at this intimate lounge bar, where DJs spin New Wave, house, techno and dub. It also serves a great continental breakfast (brunch on weekends).
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Le Ballatou
This dark, smoky Afro-Caribbean nightclub draws a multiethnic crowd and dancers of awesome sophistication. Shows are presented on weeknights for a varied cover; on weekends the cover (around C$7 ) includes one drink. Check out the happy dancers in the photo gallery out front.
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Le Drugstore
This cavernous eight-story complex is modeled after a drugstore on New York's Times Square. It has big-city neon props, nine theme bars, boutiques, a large delicatessen and a dance club in the basement. For bad hair days there's even a hairdresser. Lesbians and gays have staked out their terrain on different floors.
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Le Loft
A spiffed-up crowd of 18 to 25s turn up for the mainstream rock and alternative on two dance floors, rough-edged murals and a great rooftop terrace. The wide metal staircase and ventilation ducts give the place a warehouse feel; the usual gear is jeans and T-shirts, now that the in-black crowd has sought more pretentious pastures.
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Le Magellan Bar
Once past the mock lighthouse out front you can enjoy a pleasant evening of eclectic offerings, from jazz to chansons. The interior is sprinkled with maritime doodads and the front terrace is great for people-watching.
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Le Nouveau Cinéma du Parc
Montréal's only English-language repertory cinema is getting a second chance! Financial problems forced the original owner to close down this much-loved theater and the city's movie-lovers were heart-broken. However, local businessman Roland Smith recently snapped up the space and re-opened the theater, determined to make a go of the institution this time around.
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Le Pharaon Lounge
The Tintin theme of its neighboring restaurant spills over into this small, laid-back casual lounge. Like the nearby office workers that frequent it, you won't come here for gimmicks, pickups or trendiness, but rather for a place to hang out with friends, chat or unwind at the end of the day. There's a couple of pharaoh posters on the wall but the connection's not pushed too hard. They often host jazz acts and tickets are usually C$10 to C$15 .
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Le Saloni Daomé
Latin dancing doesn't get much steamier than this, in a small Plateau club above an imported African goods shop. Enter via the unpretentious stairs and give yourself over to the small dance floor where the living room lamps and music make everyone look sexy. The stuffed chairs are usually occupied by enthralled couples.
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Le St-Sulpice
This student evergreen is spread over four levels in an old Victorian stone house - a café, several terraces, disco and a sprawling back garden for drinks 'n' chats. The music changes with the DJ's mood, from hip-hop and ambient to mainstream rock and jazz.
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Le Va-et-Vient
This smoky but popular venue straddles the boundaries between restaurant, music venue and exhibition space. Order one of its tasty microbrews and special bistro burgers and settle down to an evening of jazz, Irish folk or roadhouse funk.
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Le Vieux Dublin Pub & Restaurant
The city's oldest Irish pub has the expected great selection of brews (about C$6 per pint) and live Celtic or pop music nightly. Curries rub shoulders with burgers on the menu.
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Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal
Artistic director Louis Robitaille showcases the talents of his classically trained dancers in experimental forms while encouraging up-and-coming choreographers. Performances are full of sensual grace and physical fireworks. When they're not out on international tour they play at their home stage Place des Arts and venues like the Théâtre de Verdure in Parc La Fontaine, where they often kick off the fall arts season.
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Les Bobards
This good-natured bar in the Portuguese area of the Plateau draws a hyper-fun 20s crowd for its sizzling Latin-American beats with French lyrics. It's pretty dead until around when it's standing room only. There are free peanuts and modern art exhibits. Expect a cover charge when bands are brought in.
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Les Deux Pierrots
This club has been serenading an adoring public for over three decades. Québec singers encourage you to join in sing-alongs of heart-on-your-sleeve chansons in thick dialect. The lyrics waft out over the rear terrace in summer.
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Les Folies
A cross between a bar, café and club, the oh-so-chic Folies has a DJ every night spinning trendy music and, much more importantly, the only sidewalk terrace on ave du Mont-Royal. Too-thin models and creative types breeze in for a quick 'Zen' sandwich or a 'Buddha' salad with mineral water before evaporating into the night.
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Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
You can be assured of a treat with tickets to Québec's leading ballet troupe. Aside from playing four shows annually in Montréal, the 34 dancers pay a major role on the world stage, embarking on two major tours every year. Its classical and modern programs are regarded as innovative while remaining accessible to general audiences. Dance classes for children are also organized.
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Les Trois Brasseurs
This chain of European beer-brewers has set up a great locale in the Quartier Latin. Four homegrown brews are always on tap and the menu has a number of great bistro-style bites. Summer's the best time because the sliding garage doors let in the cool night air.
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Lion D'or
This classy 1930s-style club draws beautiful people and visiting film-production crews. Patrons spin on the spacious wooden dance floor to killer party bands playing sophisticated rock and retro-pop. It's often used for private events so check the listings.
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Mad Hatter
This bar in a nondescript area of de Maisonneuve kept generations of students from the nearby Concordia and McGill Universities happy. It's recently picked up and moved to the ultra-trendy rue Crescent nearby. The regulars used to the old location seem a little disoriented here but bizarrely the new spot is working. It has a comfy bar and a DJ-driven house with R&B and hip-hop on different nights of the week.
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Mado Cabaret
The drag shows usually start around and are legendary. The standup comedy features biting satire, with performers in eye-popping costumes. Mado is a flamboyant celebrity who writes a column in Fugues, the gay entertainment mag. The Tuesday night show is the event in the Village.
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Main Hall
You'll find a mix of everything here from rock bands to world music. Check the local free entertainment guides around town to see what's coming up. You can usually buy tickets at the door (generally around C$10 ) when the doors open at around , but the entertainment guides will also mention which secondhand music shops or other venues you may be able to buy them from.
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McGill Chamber Orchestra
Founded in 1939, this fine chamber ensemble is one of Canada's oldest. Concerts series are held at McGill's Pollack Concert Hall and other venues around the city. Its annual performance of the Messiah is extremely popular.
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McKibbin's
With its garage-sale furniture, McKibbin's cultivates a familiar, down-at-the-heels pub atmosphere. Live entertainment varies from Celtic, pop and punk music to informal drinking contests. The office crowd settles in at lunchtime for burgers, chicken wings and salads.
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Metropolis
To shake with the multitudes, visit Metropolis, which has Canada's largest dance floor (capacity 2300). Housed in a former Art Deco cinema, this place features live bands and DJs, bars spread over three floors and dazzling sound and light shows. There's no set schedule, so check the listings for what's on. The box office is at 1413 rue St-Dominique.
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Mile End
Two levels of DJs can play up-level house without disturbing the laid-back 25 to 40s crowd drinking and chatting downstairs. The bar is affiliated with Montréal's Turbo Records and plays host to record launches throughout the year. Its identity shifts with the hour; dancefloors might form but it's not a club, and the top floor is more like a lounge.
