Philémon Bar receives mixed feedback, with some noting no food options and no service in French, while others praise the drink selection, friendly bartenders, and a music driven atmosphere that can lean into a rock vibe. The ambiance is described as cozy and dim with engaging people and a vibrant energy, though the space can feel jam packed at times. Occasional hiccups such as last minute changes to food availability on busy nights are mentioned, yet staff often try to accommodate by offering lounge access and a courtesy Prosecco to smooth over the situation. The venue is seen as a good spot for dancing and hanging out with friends, with a touch of old port charm, though hours and crowds can be inconsistent. Overall the reviews point to a popular destination built around strong drinks and music, delivering a memorable experience when conditions align and presenting some challenges when crowded or when food options are limited.
Terrible, terrible place! When inside, the staff are very rude. The (male) bouncers invasively pat down every girl & they split up groups of men & women & only let the women in. The women in my group all left after finding out! They claim to have a guest list, however they just profile & if you are a man less than 40/50 they don't let you in. Would not recommend to anyone!
Never bothered with the food here, only came here to party a few times. Nightlife in Old Port can be a hassle in general without reservations. Philemon is an exception to this, if you manage to get here before 10:30pm you will have a good shot at getting in. The atmosphere is a lot more fun & unrestricted especially later in the night compared to some of the more reserved Old Port establishments. Drinks are reasonably priced for the area. Great service, the staff does their best managing the bustling crowds which get super tight at peak. The DJ's are usually of quality selection too.
Feb 3, 2026
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Malheureusement, cette place n'a pas bien évolué. On est passé un samedi vers 19h pour un verre: musique populaire des années 90, les toilettes ne sentent pas bons & sont insalubres, le mobilier est brisé... Dommage, c'était vraiment un super bar il y a quelques années.
My coat was lost for 6 days because their coat check staff were assigning the same ticket to multiple people, & seemingly handing out jackets at random. When I went to get my coat with my friends at the end of the night, it was gone. A bouncer kicked out my friends (in mini skirts & it was-30), & told them they weren't to stand under the heat lamps. Coat check staff & bouncers are extremely rude, with horrible customer service skills.
I was here with my friends, & we all left our coats with coatcheck. Instead of stopping collecting coats when they were running out of space, they started double booking the same ticket for more than one customer, stacking jackets on one singular coat hanger. At the end of the night, my jacket was lost my the coat check staff, & my friends & I were belittled by the bouncers, & they kicked my friends out leaving me alone. It took 6 days for the staff to locate my jacket, & I had to go retrieve it myself. Awful, negligent coat check staff.
I had a really great experience at Philemon! The ambiance was really great, nicely decorated, cool setup with the bar in the middle & good music! It was busy but the servers were working hard & took my order swiftly! Emily was particularly sweet & attentive, shoutout to her! I will be back :)
Came here last Friday & was able to get into the bar no problem. Service was terrible, food was disgusting, & very bad quality. I came back a couple days later with girls who unfortunately booked a reservation at this painfully awful place, & did I get receive a different experience? No! when I showed my legal, & of age ID, I was told that I was'too young'. Your goofy employee couldn't even tell me the'age requirement' to get in. This is a horrible business & I highly suggest you stay away unless you want to waste money & get terrible service. Truly the worst bar in Montreal. The owner clearly doesn't care about the business, as they do not care about the MULTIPLE 1 start reviews on their business. Probably because they're buying all of their 5 star reviews to cover the evidence. I've heard crazy allegations about the bar to, I would definitely avoid this place at all costs.
We had a very disappointing experience on New Year's Eve. There was no information or explanation on the website about any mandatory food service or special conditions for that night.
We had only reserved seats at the bar, & when we arrived, we clearly told the staff twice that our reservation was for the bar area. After we were seated, they poured champagne for us without asking or explaining anything beforehand. Then we were told that on that night, if you have a reservation, you must dine there & pay for food.
This policy was never mentioned on the website, nor was it explained to us in advance. As a result, we were forced to leave after only about ten minutes & still had to pay $44 for three glasses of champagne that we did not request.
Overall, the experience showed very poor management & communication. This behavior was unprofessional & disappointing.
this place sucks. service is waaaaaay too long, like 20 min to receive a drink & music like basically chom fm but super loud. what is up with the volume going up & down & the lights. bye losers
Dec 16, 2025
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L'ambiance & choix de musique parfait (un peu plus rock comme j'aime), les drinks au 1001 saveurs & le super service A+++ font de cet endroit le parfait match pour une soirée arrosée entre amis.
Completely IN LOVE WITH MILAN! He was MVP all night! The place was a lil too packed for my liking but he made the stay go from a 30 minute drop in to 3 hours!! Music was a 4 star on 5
