Out in the Mountains

     (continnuedfrom pevious page)

the other bars in town, and Les Deux R
(1554 Ste. Catherine Est) feature nude
dancers, a leather/denim crowd, and some
very serious cruising.

For entertainment other than the boy-
meets-boy, dancing, and stripper variety,
try sonIe of the places featuring shows and
drag acts: La Boite en Haut (1320 Alex-
andre-de-Seve, near Ste. Catherine Est),
was the first disco in this part of town, and
builds on 15 years of drag shows, singers,
Sunday buffets, and holiday events in addi-
tion to being a decent place to dance.

Cabaret Chez-Bobette (1278 St.
Andre, one block west of St. Denis) is a
mixed bar with a large lesbian clientele and
an amazing variety of entertainment from
singers and drag to leather shows and les-
bian erotic dancers - best experienced in a
group. Cabaret L'Entre-peau (1115 Ste.
Catherine Est) features drag shows every
night, and the quality is usually quite high,
although if you don't speak French you may
not be able to fully appreciate the humor.

For simply hanging out in the Village,
try Taveme le Plateau (71 Ste. Catherine
Est), with its great window view of all the
boys walking Ste. Catherine (sunny after-
noons or early evenings are best); Taveme
Gambrinus (1 151 Ontario Est) is a wonder-
ful neighborhood tavern a few blocks from
the main village - very relaxed and friendly,
with a nice mix of ages; Taveme du Village
(1366 Ste Catherine Est) is a similarly re-
laxed place to hang out, play pool and
watch the world go by from the terrasse;
and Cafe Monarch (162 Ste. Catherine Est),
Montreal's oldest gay bar, where the long-
time regulars sit next to a younger crowd, is
quite friendly, with lots of table-hopping.

Finally worth visiting are a number of
mixed bars outside of the Village where
gay men and lesbians feel quite comfort-

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able with a trendy straight crowd. Notable
are Lezard (4177 St. Denis, comer of Ra-
chel) and Kiev (812 Rachel, comer of St.
Hubert), located in a great neighborhood
that's home to many gay men and lesbians.
La Nausee (1405 St. Laurent, comer of Ste.
Catherine) is a newly opened dance club/
bar for those who like punk and cutting
edge music and style; no one cares whom
you dance with.

Stop (3580 St. Dominique, comer of
Prince-Arthur) is a women's bar open to

everyone. It’s good atmosphere makes it a
great place to go out to with women friends.

This serves as an introduction to the
Montreal bar scene. Bars open and close
without notice, and what's in now may be
out next month. For best results, wander the
neighborhoods and explore places that
pique your interest. You might also pick up
a copy of one of the bar magazines (Fugues
or Vision) to check for new places or spe-
cial events at any of the regulars.

Beer: Canadian beer tends to be
richer and smoother than American beers,
and even those with American names (e.g.
Bud, put out by Labatt, and Black Label,
a very good beer from Carling-Okeefe)
are brewed locally and taste Canadian.
Most bars stock the well-known Canadian
brands: Molson, Labatt, and Carling-
O'Keefe. For a special treat, try one of the
Montreal micro-brewery beers (St. Am-
broise andBelle Guelle are good choices).
Expect to pay from $2.25 to $4.50 for a
beer in most bars, with frequent specials
in the competitive bar market. "En fut"
means draft, which is cheaper, but not
available at many places.

Cover: Except for some special
events, bars in Montreal do not charge a
cover, which makes bar-hopping in the
Village easier and cheaper. However,
wintertime frequently means a mandatory
coat check, which usually runs 75 cents.

Door policy: Most of the gay and les-
bian bars‘ in Montreal are strictly sex seg-

A Beginner's Guide to Montreal Bars

regated: women are not admitted to most
men's bars under any circumstances. This
is not illegal, and until very recently the
community has gone along with, and
even defended, these policies. While
ACT-UP and Queer Nation have begun
protests at new bars that discriminate in
admissions, they have decided to exempt
those already in existence. In addition,
some bars may decide that your outfit is
inappropriate for their style (especially at
leather bars), but being turned away for
this reason is relatively uncommon and
seems to be at the whim of door people on
crowded nights.

Drinking age: Quebec's drinking
age remains 18, and it is virtually unheard
of for people to be carded.

Hours: Bars stay open until 3 a.m.;
taverns close at midnight. Opening hours
vary, with taverns frequently opening at 9
or 10a.m.,and some bars opening earlyin
the afternoon, especially on weekends.
Taverns are always closed on Sundays.

16

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