Bars in Montreal are a dime a dozen. Each bar has its own style, flavor and feel. When you’re feeling like dressing down, enjoying cheap booze and dancing to a random variety of tunes, Montreal dive bars are just the grotesque gems you are searching for.
El Zaz Bar
El Zaz is a Mexican inspired dive bar with a patio perfect for people-watching in the summer time. With its banner featuring a creepy looking amigo in a sombrero, its tiki bar, a psychedelic-looking hippie-van DJ booth, and cheap margaritas and beer, patrons instantly know they are in for a good time. Whether you enjoy salsa, soca, rock, dance or R&B, El Zaz plays something for everyone. And if you are too sober to bust out your Samba moves, head towards the back of the bar and shoot some pool or play a game of foosball.
4297 St Denis, Montréal, QC H2J 2K9
(514) 288-9798
Bar Bifteck
Most Montrealers remember Bifteck as the best place for cheap booze and pool when they were in their youth. While Bifteck still attracts many students, it is still a great place to pre-drink while watching the game or playing pool before hitting a club. If you are looking for a dark place on St-Laurent St that serves up cheap pitchers of beer, free salty popcorn and checks its class at the door, Bifteck is for you.
3702 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2X 2V4
(514) 844-6211
Blue Dog Motel
Looking for a dive bar known for giving away free kegs, playing hip-hop, dubstep and dance music along with having the quintessential dive bar sticky floors? Blue Dog Motel is all this, but with a unique twist; it’s also a barbershop before midnight. Only Blue Dog could offer you a scotch with your haircut while listening to awesome DJs. Haircuts are $25 for men and $35 for women. Hot towels are a little extra.
3958 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Y3
(514) 555-5555
Korova Bar
Deer heads on the walls, cheap beers, and weekly pop quizzes on Sundays (with prizes of course) are all great reasons to head over to Korova. Check them out for Throwback Thursdays where only music from the 1950s to 1990s is played. Flava Fridays are for those who love their hip-hop, reggae and rap. And if you are tired of looking for a good place to drink and dance on Tuesdays, pop over to Korova for Black Market Tuesdays where only funk, soul and hip-hop are played.
3908 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Y2
(514) 904-6444
La Shop Bar
Ever thought to yourself “I wish I could buy shots that were cheaper than a Montreal metro ticket”? La Shop is the place for you. All drinks, and I repeat, all drinks: beers, shots, water bottles, mixed drinks are $2. Yes, that’s right: two bucks. With ultra cheap booze and pool tables, come the hard working students so yes the crowd might be a tad younger. The music might be better at other dive bars, but really after several $2 drinks, the DJ could play the same song five times and you will still be dancing, yelling how this is your jam.
4177 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2W 2M7
(514) 845-8717