In a downtown building that’s seen more than a century of change, McLean’s carries the torch of the city’s old public houses into the modern era. The menu hits familiar notes—burgers, wings, poutine, mac and cheese—but the kitchen leans into comfort with a twist, from Guinness-spiked pasta to butter chicken poutine.

Regulars come for the game screens and stay for the easy camaraderie that defines the place: part pub, part sports bar, part local living room. It’s where office crowds, longtime Montrealers, and the odd tourist can all find common ground over a pint and a plate that doesn’t need overexplaining (not from us, anyway).