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Else's
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 3 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
19 reviews for Else's
Review Highlights
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"...bar is light and airy during the day and dark and warm at..." In 4 reviews -
"the atmosphere is chill and laid back." In 3 reviews
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"The type of clientele here is very eclectic and interesting." In 3 reviews
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19 reviews in English
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Review from Valerie G.
Montréal, QC
1/29/2012
A very cool place where you can find all walks of life. I have lived around the corner for the last 10 years and have had met both friends, colleagues (realtors) and clients here. What I like about this place and why I recommend it, lets start with the story, Elses namesake a way cool chick who decided to open up a bar in the Plateau at a time when the plateau was filled with one of two categories, either Portuguese families, or all the bohemians living on the plateau back when it was really cheap, she was part of the founders of the plateau in my mind
. I first moved to the plateau over 20 years ago, when you could find an apartment at the rate of 100$ per room, so if you had a 4,5 it would cost 450$, needless to say that at the price the people living there were able to move from one place to another easily, there were tonnes of these cheap rentals and the vibe was all about moving every year, vs having to paint (not kidding it was too easy).
No one had money but everyone lived for dirt cheap and went out all the time to neghborhood places that sprang up randomely like elses, the vibe was about doing whatever you wanted (which is why she is considered a rebel, see this is restaurant according to the permit, so she must sell food, but let's be real, it's a pub where you buy chilly.
Just so you know this place can drop some serious names, I have seen poiltiicans, high end business execs, and once even someone like Will Ferrel they are mingling in the casual place with other regulars who simply spend their entire lived there The place it around for reason it just too cool a place to not try sometime. Elses is great anytime of the day, night or and yearound have fun -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
1/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I've been to many bars in my lifetime all over the world and Else's ranks amongst my ultimate top 5. There are 'fun' bars and there are 'cheap' bars - but for my overall favourites, Else's is part of an elite circle in my rankings. My criteria:
1) Good selection of whisk(e)y and draft beer
2) Unpretentious without being collegiate/divey/hipster - I should be equally comfortable going there in shorts and flip-flops or in a suit - it should be cozy and dark with a relaxed vibe.
3) Good for all occasions - suitable for any celebration that entails copious consumption of alcohol or drowning your sorrows by the bar by yourself or drinking for a wake
3) Friendly, eclectic and interesting regulars and patrons
4) Knowledgeable bartender and staff that clearly love their jobs
5) No TVs - NONE. I don't like sports in my bars. And music should be in the background and never intrude on conversation.
6) Classless and appropriate for all (drinking) ages
Else's has all this in spades. And it's definitely a locals bar being off the Ste-Laurent drag and it was one of the few places in Montreal that allowed me to start a tab (seriously Montrealers - paying per round is lame). Yes, they are officially licensed as a restaurant (check out the history of licensing struggles on the menu) so you may be asked to order some food to drink here. But there's a $4 vegetarian pizza on the menu... you know what to do.
In a word - this place is comfortable. I walked in timidly at 10PM expecting to grab a quick pint before calling it a night. I stumbled out at 3AM with an invite to a rock show, hand-rolled cigarettes, toasting to East Vancouver to someone that lived 3 blocks from me and a few solid recommendations on good hip-hop joints in the city and armed with the knowledge of how to fake a (male) orgasm. This place is that good - slink in for a bit and you'll comfortably lose a few hours here drinking and bullshitting. It didn't take long to figure out that no patron here works a 9-5 job - "everyone here is either an artist or has a story" as one of the regulars told me. So yup, I came back for another visit.
If I was living in Montreal, you can call me 'Norm' here. I'm already homesick for this place.Listed in: "You're the best! Around!", Un garçon de Vancouver à…
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Review from Eric V.
Pierrefonds, QC
4/9/2012
Great bar very cozy and relax.
Cheers,
Eric Van Nguyen -
Review from Zee K.
Vancouver, BC
3/3/2012
I like this place. Food is nothing special but the drinks are good and the atmosphere is cool. Good people watching.
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Review from Elleni T.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dropped in for a bowl of coffee one afternoon. Nothing spectacular happened, but I did notice that it was very cozy and relaxed. I think I could have spent my whole afternoon there reading or looking out of the window. I will definitely have to stop by for a drink one night.
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Review from Risa D.
12/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Else's is always chill and cozy, dark, yummy and badass in a punk mamma full of community love kind of way. It's at its best in the winter right after a big snow. The small corner it sits on is the perfect place to watch the coordinated massive machine ballet of Montreal snow removal. Nice scotch collection and beers on tap, tasty samosas and nachos and other little snacks - you have to order the eats to get the booze so they are not crazy spectacular but they are delicious, unpretentious and cool just like everyone who works and drinks and writes tucked into this friendly local institution.
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Review from Michael Z.
Montréal, QC
12/13/2011
This place is one of the few regrets I have about no longer drinking. A cozy little bar that reminds me of San Francisco...
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Review from Angela L.
7/23/2010
Regardless of whether you're with a friend, your laptop, or a newspaper, Else's is the perfect place to spend endless laid back hours on easy afternoons or evenings to the sounds of jazz and Beck. The unique forest green arched interior gives the sense of being in grandeur while eclectic decor is melanged with exotic cacti and memorabilia from yesteryear such as an over sized poster advertising for a Manet exhibition. One need look no further than your own table top to start though, as each tiny round is decorated with a different print, pattern, or painting.
While the menu is predominantly (and impressively) libation-centric, the food options of open-faced sandwiches and and other snacks make perfectly tasty and cheap accompaniments. The Delhi Belly featuring pakoras, pita wedges, chickpea dip, balsamic dressed greens, and a veggie samosa is hands down my platter of choice. -
Review from Krista A.
Montréal, QC
8/21/2010
I love this place!
My friend lives one block away, and so it ends up being a late night watering hole for us some times. I've only ever been here late at night on the weekends. It's very low key and unpretentious. The type of clientele here is very eclectic and interesting. It's got really low lighting and small tables that sit up to 4 people. There is a little space at the bar (up to about 6-8 people), where the service is friendly and sincere. I can't speak to the food as I haven't eaten here.
This place is just my style, laid back, full of interesting people, good drinks... what else do you need? -
Review from Keewi H.
Montréal, QC
2/7/2010
This is little local bar with nice music and ambiance. People are little older than other bars on St. Laurent and it's not touristy but where local people hang out. My husband and I, we just came back from this bar after having 4 gin and tonic, Guinness, 2 Porto blanc and little quesadilla. I was very happy with our bill. 3pm to 8pm, there is Happy Hour - 9$ for 2 drinks - Gin&Tonic, Vodka & Tonic, Rhum&Coke and Porto Blanc- and also pitcher of Sangria for 25$ (for large one).
And There are great selections of SingleMalt Scotchs. Try it!
The music is great. The tables are nice. We like to play some games while we are drinking and it was perfect place for it.
The best thing is that All the drinks are Good price - Ok I am from Menlo Park and I believed that the Bay area has the most expensive booze but When you start to live in Canada, that's different story. I have nice "real"pint of guiness with $6- after tax. All the prices are already included Taxs so you don't have to be surprised by unexpected Large bill after several drinks. - 12.5% Tax usually added to your bill :)
We played Banana Grams - nice game you should try :P-for 2 hours and drank and talked. Nice place for Local, or people who are little mature side. -
Review from olivia k.
5/3/2011
After four years at McGill, Else's is still in my top 3 for favorite bars. Not only are there multiple strings of Christmas lights (obsessed) but my friends and I sometimes just went there for some of the best nachos I've ever had. Lots of different beer choices (i.e., the Snakebite and Golden Velvet were mixes of beers with Guinness and cream ale.. delicious). The music was always fantastic, and the servers were always polite and crush-worthy. A little off the beaten path, but that only added to its appeal. Lots of different groups of people there, and free wifi during the day!
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Review from Erin A.
11/24/2008
This was no one's first choice for eats but we skipped Schwartz's due to the line and even had to bail on Santropol due to a 45+ minute wait. Did I mention it was bitter cold? We wandered to Else's figuring, corrrectly that we would find an open table. The food was meh but it was warm in there. I think its more of a bar but we just got hot cider and tea with our chili. 75% of our group got chili because the waitress couldn't figure out how to work the oven for the other food we ordered. The tofu dip was good.
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Review from Jeffrey T.
Montréal, QC
4/18/2009
Intimate place with a lot of character. The food is so-so but you don't really go there for a meal--it's a bar. Good beer list and an impressive variety of whiskeys available if that's your thing.
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Review from Robert G.
10/14/2010
Been here twice and stayed till closing both times. Good beer, great scotch selection, and good bartending. Seems to be a favorite with the locals, and as some previous reviewers mentioned, the atmosphere is what makes it. Just come by and hang out and you'll enjoy yourself. Apparently they don't actually have a liquor license, just a restaurant license, but they seem to get by just fine.
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Review from Nicole T.
5/12/2011
This bar has the best atmosphere. Cute blue outside, dark and intimate inside, with ivy and a collection of audio tapes on the walls. Free wifi for studying during the day, and delicious food and drinks at night. Else's has a homey, neighborhood atmosphere but is also very welcoming. It's a great place for a date or a chill night out with friends, and the excellent music they play is an added bonus. I would give this place 5 stars because it is one of my favorites in the city save one fact: their liquor license requires you to get food if you are getting alcohol as well. While their nachos are the best I've ever had (seriously, I dream about them), it is easy to rack up quite a tab as their pints are slightly more expensive than average. Since sometimes I only want a drink and no food, I've had to forego many trips to this place, and it is something for potential patrons to keep in mind when they visit. Even so, it's a phenomenal and cute bar that is definitely worth a visit...or ten!
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Review from Christy A.
12/1/2010
On a recent visit to Montreal, Else's provided a welcome respite from the unseasonable cold. It was recommended by a great friend and former grad school classmate who is now studying at the nearby McGill University. She lives close by, in a lovely neighborhood near Montreal's pleateau, and this is one of her favorite local haunts. If I lived here I could see myself returning to this cozy, mellow establishment during the day with my book or laptop to relax with a cup of their excellent cafe au lait, or at night with someone I want to get to know better. I sipped my coffee during the evening too, but for those interested in something stronger there is a full and interesting cocktail menu (my friend gave her exotic tequila beverage a stamp of approval) along with a selection of hard cider and wine. Their food menu is filled with tasty looking small bites, such as open faced sandwiches, a platter of Indian treats like fragrant samosas and pakoras, and a variety of pizzas. Its worth noting that their liquor licensing is limited, and any drinkers need to order food to accompany their libation. With two dollar cheese bread with salad on the menu, that's not hard to accomplish on a budget. With its dim lighting, casual eclectic decor and thoughtful music selections (we heard everything from Fleet Foxes to Frank Sinatra), Else's is an ideal neighborhood gathering place.
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Review from A b.
Montréal, QC
3/18/2010
I live right by here, so I may be a bit biased, but only in the sense that I come here all the time. The bar is light and airy during the day and dark and warm at night... the atmosphere is chill and laid back. Don't expect prompt or especially impressive service, and you will be surprised by how friendly and fast the servers are (It's all in the attitude!). You have to order food to get drinks (it's not technically a bar), but don't come for the food (although if you want some sure bets the sandwiches are a great, as is the hummus plate and the veggie chili). The drinks are good, the happy hour is excellent, their music taste is good, and the people that frequent are all real neighborhood characters. Everything is well priced, and not expensive. I love Else's, and am sad that we're moving soon and it will no longer be my neighborhood bar!
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Review from Abbie T.
7/13/2010
I love this place. Very low-key, even during the most touristy parts of the year in Montreal. It's a place where you can go with friends and actually hear each other talk, or go on your own with a book to decompress after a long day. The staff and patrons are the perfect balance - everyone is friendly enough but nobody is overly interested in anyone else. It's worth noting that part of their alcohol license means that you have to have food on the table in order to have drinks, but they have lots of options for small and inexpensive but good snacks. Even though I no longer live in Montreal, I stop by Else's every time I'm back in town!
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Review from jules z.
2/17/2011
I live in New York now. I am homesick for this bar/ cafe. Maybe it's who I was with the nights I was there or the timat in my life but this is my favorite bar and probably always will be. I used to live on Laval around the corner and would love running over to get a hot calvacidre and split the mandatory small plate of veggie pizza or indian snacks. There's nothing quite like running head down through a snowy Montreal night to turn the corner and get inside Else's door and find the mellow life going on inside. One night, at the table next to me, a man who I am assuming was a magician pulled a bunch of doves out of a box. It somehow seemed normal. Something about the ambiance and the attitude and the drink menu and the story of the founder Else and her vision for her namesake makes this place the best meeting place, the most special first dates venue, and the best escape from the utter chaos that was St Laurent during uni.
