By now, you’ve all heard of Venice, the Venice Beach-inspired restaurant in Old Montreal, serving up poké bowls, tacos, and laid-back vibes. It’s an Instagram feed dream, and the food is pretty tasty to boot. The lovely people behind Venice decided to open a bar next door, serving up delicious Venice eats, in a darker, more subdued locale, with awesome cocktails to keep the night going.
Enter, Boho. It’s hidden away behind the Venice to-go counter next door to the restaurant. Once you pass the threshold, don’t expect the bright, summer beach vibe you’ve come to love at Venice. Boho is dark and trendy, but still feel with greenery, making you feel like you’re in an outdoor garden party, without, you know, any windows.
Go with a girl friend or on a date, and you’ll be one happy camper. Their food menu is like Venice’s, with poké bowls, tacos, and flatbreads. What’s different at Boho is their cocktail menu.
The cocktails are really something else. Three of the drinks on the menu feature scrumptious popsicles that you’ll want to order for their Instagram-worthy look but more importantly, for their delicious flavours. Readers, even if you’re not a sweet-drink lover, you’ll fall for these girly but delicious drinks.
We tried the Santa Monica with tequila, Aperol, strawberry syrup, fresh lime, raspberry, and basil. It was topped with a strawberry popsicle. Delish! Another winner was the Miami Vice, with white rum, guava juice, lime juice, pineapple, and toasted coconut flakes. It was topped with a coconut popsicle and the combination was like a tropical piña colada. We loved it! If you’re not a popsicle lover, their other cocktails are also top notch.
As for food, your Venice favourites are all there. We absolutely love the Kalua flatbread with parmesan, mozzarella, pulled pork, pineapple, jalapeño, red onions, and coriander. The portion is much bigger than you’d expect and it is absolutely delicious.
Of course, Boho has poké, and their tuna poké with poké sauce, spicy mayo, watermelon radish, mango, pickled ginger, and tobiko is a winner. Again, the portion is really big (bigger than our first trip to Venice), so it’s a great filling snack to accompany your cocktails.
Try the Pescado tacos with turbot, kale salad, pico de gallo, avocado, and lime sour cream. The kale gives these tacos a flavour we’re not used to with tacos but that we wholly enjoyed. Order it alongside a delicious and fresh guacamole and you’re set!
For a cozy night out with girl friends in Old Montreal, Boho is a pretty solid bet. Grab a popsicle to go from the Venice counter on your way out, and you have the recipe for an awesome summer evening.
436 St Francois Xavier St, Montreal, QC H2Y 2T3
(514) 285-4037
Photos by Dahlia Merlo (@dahllii) and Boho.
