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.
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.
« Super belle découverte ! L'ambiance est chaleureuse, intime & parfaite pour passer une bonne soirée. Les cocktails sont originaux & vraiment bien travaillés, on sent la passion derrière chaque création. Le service est attentionné & sympathique, on se sent vite à l'aise. Je recommande ce bar sans hésiter à tous ceux qui veulent vivre une belle expérience à Montréal!
Sep 30, 2025
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Wonderful experience, live jazz sessions on sundays, food was great. They have a variety of items to choose from for all of your cravings. Service was quick & efficient, the experience with the cocktails is a must! I would recommend this place 100%!
Great prices for happy hour, wonderfully attentive service, but my girlfriend contracted depression from the lack of cohesion between the stylistic choices of the bar. Most elements are well intentioned but poorly executed & feel cheap.
Martinis given out in glasses too small with decanters carrying the remaining portion, the high top booth seating not having foot rests, dollar store jars with stickers of the company logo among a myriad of other sins give the bar an uncanny feel.
Les cocktails sont très bons & les barmans sont prêts à nous faire découvrir des cocktails. J'ai découvert le sidecar la dernière fois que j'y suis allé, une belle découverte.
Always a pleasure to eat here! The food is fresh, hot, & delicious - I especially love the bao buns. The staff are friendly & professional, & it's one of my favorite lunch spots.
I visited Bootlegger tonight & overall had a great time with the food, drinks, & especially the service.
The Bootlegger burger was absolutely amazing-juicy, flavorful, & something I'd definitely order again. The pulled pork burger stood out as well, tender & satisfying. The side salad with sun-dried tomatoes was a refreshing touch & paired nicely with the mains. On the other side, the wagyu burger was a bit disappointing; it came out quite dry & there was no option to have it cooked more rare since that's left to the chef. Also, some condiments would've made it better & flavourful.
For sides, the potato wedges were tasty but a little plain. They really could've used more sauce what came with them was barely a spoonful, not enough to go around.
On the drinks side, I really enjoyed the Donkey King. The banana-vanilla flavor profile worked for me, though I can see why some people (like my friends) would find it unusual for a cocktail. The Agent Orange was good-nothing particularly special, but solid.
The service was fantastic. Our servers were professional, attentive, & funny, which made the whole experience more enjoyable.
The only other drawback was the table setup. The tables themselves are really small, & the plates are fairly large, so we ended up shifting things around constantly to make everything fit. If we had been a group of four instead of three, I don't think it would've worked at all-I'd recommend smaller plates to help with space.
All in all, Bootlegger has some good burgers, creative cocktails, & top-notch service that make it worth a visit, but a few tweaks (especially to the wagyu burger, sauce portions, & tableware) would really take the experience up a notch.
Excellent service & the oysters were such a great deal & very yummy! Drinks are exquisite & the staff truly goes above & beyond! Make your reservation in advance & thank yourself later.
Bootlegger was a very cool spot to grab cocktails! The cocktails are very unique, but they are able to make you something different if you don't see something that you like. I would strongly recommend making reservations as we didn't know we had to do that & got very lucky with being sat after about a 20 minute wait.
