Bootlegger Cocktail Bar & Cuisine is described as a cozy, vintage speakeasy with warm lighting, tasteful decor, and live jazz that makes for a standout atmosphere; reviews praise creative, well balanced cocktails made with fresh ingredients, a strong whiskey selection, and an oyster focus that many find excellent, especially during happy hour; food earns praise for some dishes and vegetarian options, while a few entries note variability in quality and portion size and occasional kitchen misfires; the staff are repeatedly cited as friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, with many guests appreciating personalized recommendations, though some experiences mention slow or uneven service and wait times or noise that can be a drawback for a quiet date; overall the venue is seen as a special spot for drinks, oysters, and live music, offering a memorable vibe and top tier cocktails that keep guests returning, while noting that prices can be high and consistency sometimes wavers.
Wow! Do you like jazz? Do you like whiskey? Do you like waiters who know their way around a bottle? If you answered yes to these questions, you should definitely come to bootlegger. Our waiter Antoine was awesome. Knew his stuff. Could grab a drink with him. Peace.
Nov 25, 2024
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Sitting at the bar top provided an intimate experience that will be hard to top. An excellent view of the stage, where a phenomenal trio set a lively but smooth jazz ambience, & an opportunity to watch the bartenders as they skillfully crafted high quality cocktails while exchanging playful banter amongst each other created the perfect atmosphere to end a weekend (or start a week). Even with a relatively tiny area to work in, the kitchen staff flew through orders with quiet & calm grace. Bootlegger was a delightful surprise, & I look forward to visiting again. Ps. Thank you Chris, for your hospitality & commitment to your craft.
I had an absolute fantastic time at Bootlegger. I trusted the Google Reviews & this place deserves every star they have recieved. From the fantastic & fun service from Christ 🫡 (plus everyone else), the DELICIOUS grilled cheese/fries/aoili, to the groovy live Sunday night Jazz quartet, it was great. Looking forward to my next visit.
We absolutely LOVED Bootlegger! Tyler was friendly, outgoing, knowledgeable, & attentive. All the staff we came in contact with was great, in fact - they greeted you with a smile & were genuine. Sunday nights they have live Jazz, which added to the already soothing, speakeasy-vibe ambiance. From the flights to the drinks to the food to the service & atmosphere, we can truly say nothing negative about it! Would recommend to anyone without hesitation, & look forward to coming back when we come back to Montreal!
Sep 18, 2024
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Had a pretty good first experience at Bootlegger for a Sunday night. Cozy room, buck a shuck oysters, fantastic bar program & we were lucky enough to have live jazz. The only negative feedback is I had asked what the speed rail vodka was because I just wanted a dirty martini, I was shocked to see it was 19 dollars with a 1 dollar charge for olive juice. If I knew a basic, non premium martini was going to be 20 dollars I would have tried one of the cocktails from the menu, a little steep.
Classy bar with live jazz but time your evening well. There is a two floor stairway entry into a speakeasy style jazz venue. $1 oyster nights seemed like a fantastic deal with subpar oysters. The server last minute informed us of the requirement of a drink with the order which was not mentioned at all upon entry despite inquiry into price & last call of the specials. The AC was dripping on some seats & the lights on the table did not seem to work well. While maybe a uniquely bad experience, overall a cute venue with good ambiance (despite missing the music) if not for the miscommunication over the pricing.
A ne pas manquer ! Nous y sommes allés deux dimanches de suite (soirée jazz), l'ambiance est incroyable. Les cocktails (réalisés par des mixologues) sont divins, ils peuvent s'apprécier à l'apéritif, durant le repas, mais également certains peuvent s'apprécier comme un dessert (exemple : ISLAND'S TOUCH). On y mange également très bien, la qualité est au rendez-vous.
Jul 4, 2024
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Bêle adresse à découvrir, accueil & service au top. Antoine connaissait très bien les différents cocktails proposés & nous a bien conseillé. Une musique plus jazz aurait été encore meilleure.
Wow is this a hidden gem in Montreal, a huge selection of Whiskey & professional bartenders. Amazing atmosphere & got to have drinks listening to a live Jazz jam session. The waiters & staff are great here & you can tell they enjoy their jobs. We ordered an absinthe & whiskey cocktail to try & were informed they were out of an ingredient. The waiter didn't hesitate though & said he would get the bartender to make us something special with the same basic liquors. Turned out great. I'm just sad I only had a limited time to spend here in this relaxing establishment. This spot is so good if you like this type of vibe I'm sad to share it 😂
Nous sommes allés un dimanche pour voir le groupe de jazz & la soirée était parfaite, le groupe était excellent, les cocktails sont à chaque fois délicieux & le service est très bon!! le staff est très chaleureux comme l'ambiance du bar. J'adore y aller pour avoir une date avec mon chum 🖤
Jun 3, 2024
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I discovered Bar Bootlegger by googling lounges near me. The pictures & menu caught my eye so I decided to try it & they did not disappoint! Delicious drinks for all tastes that are so much fun to watch being made! I came on a Sunday night in which I had the pleasure of enjoying their live jazz music. Sadly I came too late & missed the $1 oyster deal as they ran out, so I recommend you come early for the special! Overall lovely experience!
Had high hopes for Bootlegger but they were dashed. Came for the Sunday night oyster special that they have every Sunday & they were out of oysters by 745pm. For a place that also sells oysters every day. Our server was lovely, but there were only 2 for the whole restaurant so service was extremely slow. Unfortunately that also meant our food was lukewarm when it hit our table.Not sure lf they had sick calls or this was their normal staffing levels on a day when they have an oyster special & Jazz music. If it was normal perhaps they need to rethink their business model.
An intimately cosy & atmospheric establishment which does an authentic job of feeling like it's been there for a century. The cocktail list is one of the most extensive I've ever seen, with the quality of drinks & food - a charcuterie board & burgers - all top-notch. We were warmly & professionally served throughout, although I felt maybe one extra waiter was required during the busiest time. The highlight was the live Sunday jazz band, which turned an already good time into a gem of Montreal's rich cultural life. A classy & memorable experience!
This was our second time here in the last two months or so, & we went on a Sunday night to catch some jazz & oysters. We were seated promptly, however it took about another 15 minutes for our waiter to come to our table. Eventually we ordered some cocktails & oysters, but it was than another 40 or so minutes to receive our drinks (essentially, an hour after being seated to get a round on the table) Halfway through the wait for drinks, we were informed that they were out of'regular oysters' & would only be serving'premium' for the rest of the night. I asked about the price difference &, instead of being 12 dollars for a dozen, it was closer to 48 dollars (I declined the upcharge). I was a little surprised they were completely out, as we only arrived about 15 minutes after the music started. Our server was a nice enough guy, although obviously new & inadequately trained for the amount of tables he had to juggle that evening. They were completely understaffed aside from behind the bar (where there seemed to be not one but 3 bartenders). When we did receive our drinks, they all were very well made, aside from a bruised orange peel in my Manhattan. The jazz was nice, & atmosphere was also nice. Just be warned that if you're going on a busy night, you'll be waiting quite a while for your drinks, food (if they have it in stock), & pretty much anything else that requires service. We brought a friend from our of town as we were pretty impressed the first evening (aside from the employee who had his night off or something & seated beside us. He was incredibly belligerent & was clearly overserving the two ladies seated with him).
Amazing service from Ghita Iraqi! Super friendly & polite! Will definitely come back for sunday jazz night :). Lovely vibes overall. Great choice of cocktails.
