A good night out in the town for me would usually consist of good food, good drinks, good music, good ambiance and most importly, good friends. You wouldn't see me at a nightclub though, well, not anymore anyways. In theory, I am pretty over with the clubs. I don't dislike it per se, nor do I not enjoy a good time at say, Light Ultra Club on Crescent street, once in a while for a special occasion such as for friends' birthdays and whatnot. But after a few of my late teen years club hopping here and there, I can safely say that it does not strike an interest in me anymore. It's definitely not something I would do every weekend, like some. On the other hand, I've somewhat developped a new taste in more hipster hotspots out of the downtown area. You know, places where 15 year old kids dressed in, pardon my french, skanky hooker outfits or Ed Hardy-wearing gino guys are almost inexistant inside. I'm not discriminating or anything, mind you, but I prefer hanging out where I don't have to roll my eyes every five seconds throughout the night. Okay, I'll be frank, they repulse me; there, whatever, let's move on.So this past Christmas, my workplace threw a holiday party at a cool restaurant/bar/lounge located in the Mile End of Montreal, more specifically on Bernard, called L'Assommoir. And I instantly loved it there. If you commute by Metro, it's a bit of a hassle, but like New York, that's what gives Montreal a certain charm where you don't need a car to actually be outside (unlike in California). It's only 10 minutes walk from the metro Rosemont, and during a nice summer night, there is absolutely no reason for you not to take a walk. If you are an avid opponent of the idea of walking, take a cab, it will costs you less than 8$, you can even split it up in 3 or 4! L'Assommoir is a little place, and I emphasize little because it's anything but big, that serves food, drinks and martinis of all kind. For what it lacks in space, it makes it up with its very impressive bar. And I mean it literally, because the bar is quite innovative. It will not make you want to stay sober. If you are cutting down on alcohol, you will soon find yourself pulling a Lindsay Lohan. Not to be missed are their specialty martinis. I heard they are well-known with their melon martini, so I had one that night. It's strong, but a great drink nonetheless. You are not restricted to alcohol-heavy martinis neither, their selection menu of alcoholic mix beverages can definitely compete with the thickness of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. Okay..a bit of an overstatement, but you get the drift. Overall, you will not be deceived by their offerings. The food there isn't anything of very remarkable, I must confess. But with the bar being their main strength, I assume their cuisine isn't a big concern to them since most people will not eat during the "club" nights. But the food is definitely not something that you can complain much, it's still very edible. It's just not at par with other more modest restaurants. The decor and ambiance, on the other hand is enough to make you want to visit the place. It's very cozy, hipster'ish, and the lighting is just perfect. I don't actually know how L'Assommoir look like during lunch and diner time, but during the night, it turns into a modern hip lounge. The term, "dancing on tables" is taken literally there. There isn't a dancefloor per se, but there is a long wide table where people just hop on it and shake what their mama gave 'em to the sound of DJ'esque music. But that's probably because they had one too many melon martinis. In summary, they would make Paris Hilton proud. And as of the crowd, you would spot more young professionals and downtown individuals mingling there. Most people are well-dressed, not fancy or anything, but just well-dressed. They don't look forced or tacky like at the clubs.
If you haven't been to that place yet, you might find my descriptive of the place to be a bit pretentious, but to be honest, you won't understand until you've been there. My experience was pretty enjoyable and I'm even planning on having my 20th birthday hosted at L'Assommoir as well. But then again, it may not be for everyone, in my honest opinion. Maybe it's just a phase for me like the clubs were to me a few short years back. But as of right now, I much prefer a good night at a good place having good drinks, just sharing conversations with people I enjoy being with than having to squeeze in with sweaty people at the clubs for a couple of hours. Yeah...for sure.
Have fun and be safe!
