Cabaret Lion d'Or

Few venues in Montreal carry their history as visibly as the Lion d’Or. Opened in 1930 by Leda Duhamel above her Hôtel Papineau, the cabaret thrived through the city’s wild interwar nightlife—hosting vaudeville acts, chansonniers, dancers, and raucous weekend crowds drawn by the cheapest beer in town. After closing in the 1970s, the space was rescued from demolition and painstakingly restored in the late ’80s, returning its Art Deco details to full shine. Since then, the cabaret has cemented itself as a launchpad for emerging artists and a gathering place for music, theatre, and cultural events of all stripes. With its intimate room, chandeliers modelled on the originals, and programming that spans chanson to world music, the Lion d’Or continues to balance elegance with accessibility. It’s as much a preserved relic of Montreal’s cabaret era as it is a living stage for what comes next.