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    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores
    • Leaderboard
    • Editor's Picks
    • New Places

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
    InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin

    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office

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      Your cart is empty.

      --°C|Wednesday, May 20, 2026|
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      --°C|Wednesday, May 20, 2026|
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      EN/FR
      The Main Logo
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      Sections
      • Arts & Culture
      • Beyond Montreal
      • Design
      • Food & Drink
      • History Lessons
      • The Bulletin
      Explore
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
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      Food & Drink

      Bar Dominion & Keeping Spirits up in Downtown Montreal

      A downtown Montreal destination once closed during the pandemic, Dominion Square Tavern's been revived as Bar Dominion—a timeless classic by design.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      October 23, 2023 · 5 min read

      Bar Dominion & keeping spirits up in downtown Montreal
      Downtown Montreal's Dominion Square Tavern has been revived under the name Bar Dominion. | Photograph: Courtesy Bar Dominion

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Now, no one's saying that downtown Montreal is lacking in places to eat, drink, and soak up the high energies of the city, but the last few years—remember those?—haven't been exceptionally kind to anyone.

      It's been a hard spell and many institutions have been lost as unpredictable closures, but things appear to be on an upswing now: First, there was the announced reopening of Eaton Centre's Le 9e, followed by Place Ville Marie's observatory being reconfigured as the dining destination Hiatus—and now (chalk one up for the little guys!) Dominion Square Tavern's been revived as Bar Dominion.

      Restarted by chefs Pablo Rojas and Hakim Rahal of Provisions Bar à Vin and Andrew Whibley of the Cloakroom cocktail bar, the new name's less of a reinvention and more of a revisit, drawing inspiration from both its last form and the one from when it first opened in 1927 as a hotel restaurant.

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      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

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      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Follow on Google
      30 Years Later, Ferreira Is Building a Portuguese Hospitality Dynasty
      Food & Drink
      Ivy Lerner-Frank

      30 Years Later, Ferreira Is Building a Portuguese Hospitality Dynasty

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      Café BRUT Wants to Be Griffintown’s Living Room
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Café BRUT Wants to Be Griffintown’s Living Room

      Inside a raw concrete space on Murray Street, banana-infused espresso and matcha drinks anchor a broader ambition to become part of the neighbourhood’s daily rhythm.

      Plume Was Built the Old-Fashioned Way
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      Plume Was Built the Old-Fashioned Way

      Set inside a former Mile End bakery, two Bouillon Bilk alumni are pairing French-influenced cooking with private import wines and a handcrafted dining room.

      Michelin Expands Its Quebec Guide With New Stars Across Montreal and Beyond
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Michelin Expands Its Quebec Guide With New Stars Across Montreal and Beyond

      Michelin’s second Québec selection adds four new One Stars while continuing to push the guide beyond Montreal’s usual fine dining conversation.

      Inside the 2026 Lauriers Gala, Quebec’s Culinary Red Carpet
      Food & Drink
      Ariane Gonzalez

      Inside the 2026 Lauriers Gala, Quebec’s Culinary Red Carpet

      From producers and artisans to chefs and sommeliers, the industry gathered in Montreal to celebrate its own ecosystem and signal where the province's gastronomy is heading next.

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.

      As Quebec’s second Michelin Guide approaches, longtime critic Lesley Chesterman questions whether the city’s restaurants are built for what the guide rewards—and what chasing stars really costs.

      Food & Drink

      Bar Dominion & Keeping Spirits up in Downtown Montreal

      A downtown Montreal destination once closed during the pandemic, Dominion Square Tavern's been revived as Bar Dominion—a timeless classic by design.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      October 23, 2023 · 5 min read

      Bar Dominion & keeping spirits up in downtown Montreal
      Downtown Montreal's Dominion Square Tavern has been revived under the name Bar Dominion. | Photograph: Courtesy Bar Dominion

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Now, no one's saying that downtown Montreal is lacking in places to eat, drink, and soak up the high energies of the city, but the last few years—remember those?—haven't been exceptionally kind to anyone.

      It's been a hard spell and many institutions have been lost as unpredictable closures, but things appear to be on an upswing now: First, there was the announced reopening of Eaton Centre's Le 9e, followed by Place Ville Marie's observatory being reconfigured as the dining destination Hiatus—and now (chalk one up for the little guys!) Dominion Square Tavern's been revived as Bar Dominion.

      Restarted by chefs Pablo Rojas and Hakim Rahal of Provisions Bar à Vin and Andrew Whibley of the Cloakroom cocktail bar, the new name's less of a reinvention and more of a revisit, drawing inspiration from both its last form and the one from when it first opened in 1927 as a hotel restaurant.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Comments

      Welcome to The Main's comments section!

      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Follow on Google
      30 Years Later, Ferreira Is Building a Portuguese Hospitality Dynasty
      Food & Drink
      Ivy Lerner-Frank

      30 Years Later, Ferreira Is Building a Portuguese Hospitality Dynasty

      Carlos Ferreira built his Peel Street restaurant to represent a larger vision of Portugal. Three decades later, his daughters are helping carry that ambition into its next era.

      Café BRUT Wants to Be Griffintown’s Living Room
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Café BRUT Wants to Be Griffintown’s Living Room

      Inside a raw concrete space on Murray Street, banana-infused espresso and matcha drinks anchor a broader ambition to become part of the neighbourhood’s daily rhythm.

      Plume Was Built the Old-Fashioned Way
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Plume Was Built the Old-Fashioned Way

      Set inside a former Mile End bakery, two Bouillon Bilk alumni are pairing French-influenced cooking with private import wines and a handcrafted dining room.

      Michelin Expands Its Quebec Guide With New Stars Across Montreal and Beyond
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Michelin Expands Its Quebec Guide With New Stars Across Montreal and Beyond

      Michelin’s second Québec selection adds four new One Stars while continuing to push the guide beyond Montreal’s usual fine dining conversation.

      Inside the 2026 Lauriers Gala, Quebec’s Culinary Red Carpet
      Food & Drink
      Ariane Gonzalez

      Inside the 2026 Lauriers Gala, Quebec’s Culinary Red Carpet

      From producers and artisans to chefs and sommeliers, the industry gathered in Montreal to celebrate its own ecosystem and signal where the province's gastronomy is heading next.

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      Montreal Wanted the Michelin Guide. Now It Has to Live With It.

      As Quebec’s second Michelin Guide approaches, longtime critic Lesley Chesterman questions whether the city’s restaurants are built for what the guide rewards—and what chasing stars really costs.

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      We asked three Montreal bartenders to tell us what they wish their clients knew.

      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today
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      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today

      The Cloakroom founder on value over flash, the scene's missing middle, and what Montreal's bar culture still needs to figure out.

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      Bossa had a bread problem, so they built a 24-hour bakery to solve it
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      Bossa Had a Bread Problem, so They Built a 24-hour Bakery to Solve it

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      Bona Fide, One of Villeray's Best New Restaurants, Is Closing
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      Bona Fide, One of Villeray's Best New Restaurants, Is Closing

      The Roman-style pasta and natural wine spot on Saint-Laurent lasted just under two years, but long enough to make a real impression.

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      From our archive.

      A Field Guide to Not Being a Total Asshole to Your Bartender
      Food & Drink
      Max Honigmann

      A Field Guide to Not Being a Total Asshole to Your Bartender

      We asked three Montreal bartenders to tell us what they wish their clients knew.

      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today
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      J.P. Karwacki

      The Fancy Cocktail Bar Isn't Dead, But Andrew Whibley Wouldn't Open One Today

      The Cloakroom founder on value over flash, the scene's missing middle, and what Montreal's bar culture still needs to figure out.

      The New Chinatown Doesn't Call Itself That
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      Ivy Lerner-Frank

      The New Chinatown Doesn't Call Itself That

      What's taken shape on Montreal's Sainte-Catherine West is something entirely distinct from the old Chinatown.

      North America's Only Malagasy Restaurant Is a 20-Seat Room in the Plateau
      Food & Drink
      J.P. Karwacki

      North America's Only Malagasy Restaurant Is a 20-Seat Room in the Plateau

      At 325 F, Bryan Rajarison cooks from memory, family, and a cuisine that rarely travels this far.

      Bossa had a bread problem, so they built a 24-hour bakery to solve it
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      J.P. Karwacki

      Bossa Had a Bread Problem, so They Built a 24-hour Bakery to Solve it

      Inside the warehouse where four bakers shape everything by hand, all night, every night to make 2,000 loaves a day.

      Bona Fide, One of Villeray's Best New Restaurants, Is Closing
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      J.P. Karwacki

      Bona Fide, One of Villeray's Best New Restaurants, Is Closing

      The Roman-style pasta and natural wine spot on Saint-Laurent lasted just under two years, but long enough to make a real impression.

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      The Montreal Metro's inauguration, 57 years later

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      The Montreal Metro's Inauguration, 57 Years Later

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      Keeping Día de Muertos Traditions Alive in Montreal

      Keeping Día de Muertos traditions alive in Montreal
      The Montreal Metro's inauguration, 57 years later

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      The Montreal Metro's Inauguration, 57 Years Later

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      Keeping Día de Muertos Traditions Alive in Montreal

      Keeping Día de Muertos traditions alive in Montreal