Much like what we heard about dining and restaurants, Montreal's bar scene in 2025 was all about knowing your spot, trusting your bartender, and settling into places that deliver good drinks in spaces that feel right. The trends? Not so much.

How do we know? We asked local food writers, photographers, and critics about the bars and cocktails that defined their year. Whether it was a perfectly executed martini enjoyed with a 45th-floor view over the city, or a neighbourhood wine bar where everyone knows your name, these are the spots that made Montreal's nights worth remembering.

The past year's favourites prove Montreal's bar culture was at its best in 2025 when it focused on craft, hospitality, and places you naturally want to return to—be it for a mezcal drink that's "just fire," a cocoa-infused Negroni at Limousine, or the simple pleasure of a cold, salty, iconic dirty martini.

Where did you love to drink in 2025, new or old?

Ivy Lerner-Frank, @ivylernerfrank: "Polari. It's the perfect spot for hanging out with great little plates and interesting new wines. Keaton and his team are unfailingly welcoming, funny, and kind. And Wills! Great to wander over there on a summer afternoon to see what's going on and who's hanging out."

Charles Nguyen, @mtlcharles: "Bar Bisou Bisou; the kind of place where you actually feel looked after, warm, attentive, and zero attitude. La Belle Tonki; easy, fun, and always the right energy. One drink somehow turns into three. Heritaj; everyone talks about the food, but the bar deserves just as much love with its thoughtful cocktails, no gimmicks, made by someone who really knows what they're doing."

Alison Slattery, @twofoodphotographers: "Having some great wine with friends at Polari & Bar Henrietta around the corner is always a hit with the cocktails."

Much like what we heard about dining and restaurants, Montreal's bar scene in 2025 was all about knowing your spot, trusting your bartender, and settling into places that deliver good drinks in spaces that feel right. The trends? Not so much.

How do we know? We asked local food writers, photographers, and critics about the bars and cocktails that defined their year. Whether it was a perfectly executed martini enjoyed with a 45th-floor view over the city, or a neighbourhood wine bar where everyone knows your name, these are the spots that made Montreal's nights worth remembering.

The past year's favourites prove Montreal's bar culture was at its best in 2025 when it focused on craft, hospitality, and places you naturally want to return to—be it for a mezcal drink that's "just fire," a cocoa-infused Negroni at Limousine, or the simple pleasure of a cold, salty, iconic dirty martini.

Where did you love to drink in 2025, new or old?

Ivy Lerner-Frank, @ivylernerfrank: "Polari. It's the perfect spot for hanging out with great little plates and interesting new wines. Keaton and his team are unfailingly welcoming, funny, and kind. And Wills! Great to wander over there on a summer afternoon to see what's going on and who's hanging out."

Charles Nguyen, @mtlcharles: "Bar Bisou Bisou; the kind of place where you actually feel looked after, warm, attentive, and zero attitude. La Belle Tonki; easy, fun, and always the right energy. One drink somehow turns into three. Heritaj; everyone talks about the food, but the bar deserves just as much love with its thoughtful cocktails, no gimmicks, made by someone who really knows what they're doing."

Alison Slattery, @twofoodphotographers: "Having some great wine with friends at Polari & Bar Henrietta around the corner is always a hit with the cocktails."

Much like what we heard about dining and restaurants, Montreal's bar scene in 2025 was all about knowing your spot, trusting your bartender, and settling into places that deliver good drinks in spaces that feel right. The trends? Not so much.

How do we know? We asked local food writers, photographers, and critics about the bars and cocktails that defined their year. Whether it was a perfectly executed martini enjoyed with a 45th-floor view over the city, or a neighbourhood wine bar where everyone knows your name, these are the spots that made Montreal's nights worth remembering.

The past year's favourites prove Montreal's bar culture was at its best in 2025 when it focused on craft, hospitality, and places you naturally want to return to—be it for a mezcal drink that's "just fire," a cocoa-infused Negroni at Limousine, or the simple pleasure of a cold, salty, iconic dirty martini.

Much like what we heard about dining and restaurants, Montreal's bar scene in 2025 was all about knowing your spot, trusting your bartender, and settling into places that deliver good drinks in spaces that feel right. The trends? Not so much.

How do we know? We asked local food writers, photographers, and critics about the bars and cocktails that defined their year. Whether it was a perfectly executed martini enjoyed with a 45th-floor view over the city, or a neighbourhood wine bar where everyone knows your name, these are the spots that made Montreal's nights worth remembering.

The past year's favourites prove Montreal's bar culture was at its best in 2025 when it focused on craft, hospitality, and places you naturally want to return to—be it for a mezcal drink that's "just fire," a cocoa-infused Negroni at Limousine, or the simple pleasure of a cold, salty, iconic dirty martini.