Bootlegger Cocktail Bar & Cuisine earns praise for its creative cocktails, an impressive whiskey selection, and a welcoming, knowledgeable staff that can turn a visit into a memorable experience; the venue combines a stylish speakeasy vibe with vintage decor, live jazz, and a focus on fresh ingredients and precise mixology, including oysters during happy hours. Across many reviews, the atmosphere and drinks are highlighted as consistently well balanced and thoughtfully crafted, while occasional notes of slower service, crowding, or higher prices appear, along with occasional menu quirks or dishes that miss the mark; overall the place is seen as unique and worth returning to for the drinks, the ambience, and the sense of discovery it provides.
Was recommended the place from some people in the city, & wow am I glad we listened. Such a warm & intriguing atmosphere with live music (at least the night we went) & the open kitchen was fun to peak over at time to time. Food & drinks were outstanding, & service was welcoming & laid back - making it a very comfortable & fun night out while visiting.
Had such a great night at Bootlegger. The vibe is exactly what you want from a speakeasy, low lighting, great music, & just an overall cool atmosphere without trying too hard.
Big shoutout to our server Remus, who honestly made the whole experience. He wasn't just taking orders, he took the time to explain the drinks, share some of the history behind them, & help us pick things we'd actually enjoy. You can tell he really knows his stuff & cares about what he's doing, which made a huge difference.
Everything from the cocktails to the ambiance was on point. Definitely one of the best spots I've been to in Montreal lately. Would 100% go back.
Had a fantastic time at bootlegger on a friday night! Easy to get a reservation, music was great, drinks were delicious, & the pulled pork nachos were the best nachos we've ever had! Would definitely come back.
Great service & Remus was a saint to us on my 33rd birthday, very nice man with great patience & willing to listen to clients. Remus, make that Wagyu & pulled pork a menu staple!!! Music was great & the entire experience warmed my heart. Go there quick
It was truly an amazing experience. We were just walking by, not knowing what to expect, & we ended up walking up a bookshelf-themed spiral staircase, then through curtains, into this immersive speakeasy. Despite not having a reservation, they were able to take us in. Live music was playing (I will say, it was a little loud), but the waiter still was extremely attentive & actually lowered himself so he could be able to talk to us & hear us. I was unsure of what to have, but he was very patient & said something along the lines of he will help me find my happiness or something like that. It felt like he really cared for me to have something I would like. The others in my party said they had the best old fashions they had ever had, & the food was amazing! Instead of fries, they were actual potatoes. They catered to my allergy - even excluding that ingredient from the spinach salad for me, it was still amazing - & that was just the sides! I do wish they had more chicken/vegetarian items but that seemed more across the board for all of montreal, but i still enjoyed what i had. We would 100% go back next time we are there!
Mar 11, 2026
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Really nice vibes, great cocktails, & phenomenal food especially as a vegetarian the Ratatouille was phenomenal! Went on a Thursday with live music & it really was a wonderful experience
A pleasant find. Food is fantastic as are the cocktails. Staff were super friendly & attentive. Great atmosphere & unique set up. Live music makes it even more interesting. 10 out of 10!
Feb 16, 2026
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Excellent service & drinks! The staff is absolutely lovely (& hilarious!), promptly answering any questions we had & kindly indulging us in conversation. We will be back again to try more drinks, some food, & enjoy the live music :)
Drinks overpriced. Advertised as a jazz bar with live performances, there were no live performers nor jazz or blues music related to the theme of the bar. If you're willing to spend a lot on a night out, this is your place.. otherwise, there are options with better atmosphere, affordable food & drinks.
Dec 13, 2025
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In town for 3 nights. Bootlegger was a choice for night #3 as we were on the hunt for an establishment with live music, some cocktails & food after shopping both Down town & more curated vintage shops on Saint Laurent. My expectations of Bootlegger after reading some reviews online & reading their bio was that I was going to have some great cocktails, Oysters & some snack type food. Everything on that realm was great, Service was great. The only short fall from our opinion for what's it worth. Is the interior finishings was budget, I was anticipating a much more lavish swanky interior with more premium finishings & materials used. Not the 5/8's stained plywood found on a house under construction on most carpentry & fence deck board partition wall. The finishings seem to be consistent through out. If you are planning to empress with some swank while on a date or business function I would consider somewhere else. Booze selection was expanse + fantastic & cocktail presentation was decent but, you can find a better elevated product at other establishments. Montreal brings tough competition in the culinary world of things with lots of options.
Really cool spot! We were added to the waitlist since the restaurant was full, but it only took about half an hour to be alerted for a table.
I would recommend trying their absinthe-based cocktails. I ordered their Starry Night Van Gogh-inspired cocktail which was really fantastic. The outside of the glass had some fine sugar which gave the appearance of a starry sky. The taste was amazing, & it was not excessively strong for my liking.
My partner ordered their Sin City cocktail, but was not quite as impressed with it because the beetroot syrup was a bit overpowering. It was still a cool drink though.
The atmosphere is really cool, with eclectic decor all around & good music. It was quite loud & tables are close together, so you had to almost yell to talk. I was okay with this since it was a Saturday night at a bar.
After a full day of sightseeing, this spot was the perfect place to relax & recharge. The atmosphere was vibrant yet cozy, with live music adding a wonderful energy to the evening. Our server was attentive & knowledgeable, offering great recommendations-including a whiskey we truly enjoyed. The ambiance was charming, with Victorian-style picture frames adorning the walls & seating thoughtfully arranged for intimate conversations. Highly recommend for anyone looking to unwind in style & comfort.
