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Montreal's 5 Best Terrasses |
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It just isn't summer until you've imbibed al fresco
by Ginger Jacobs
If I am asked to make a personal list entitled "The Finer Things in Life," drinking outside would be right up there with goat cheese and not being cold.
After arriving in Osaka, one of the first indications I had that I would be happy during the year I was to live there was the fact that I could go to the convenience store, buy alcohol and drink it in the concrete park while watching Japanese teens play rock music. (Chuhai, which tastes like a Jolly Rancher's evil twin, is one of the most superb drinks ever invented. The fact that it has not yet been exported on a large scale is a crime of monumental proportions.)
Still, there's no place like home. Plenty of cities have bars with outdoor patios, but Montreal has elevated outdoor drinking to a higher level. The terrasse is as inextricable a part of Montreal's summer culture as the Jazz Fest, Jean Talon market, and sweating until you want to cry.
So here, we present some of the best places in Montreal to enjoy this civilized pursuit.
Le Ste-Élisabeth
Quartier latin
The first terrasse that comes to mind is inevitably St-Sulpice on rue St-Denis, and its super sized exterior is always pleasant (if packed.) But it doesn't hold a citronella candle to the relaxed atmosphere of Le Ste-Élisabeth's verdant courtyard. The staff is courteous and quick, and the ivy-drenched walls stretch up into the sky. It's like the Secret Garden, but with beer.
Le Jardin du Ritz
Downtown
Speaking of gardens, it doesn't get much fancier than a landscaped courtyard centred on a duck pond. While technically a restaurant, this little downtown find is the perfect place to enjoy a late afternoon cocktail and pretend you're at the Queen's garden party. Real live ducklings are kept in the pond for your viewing pleasure. I'm starting to get why ritzy is an adjective.
The ivy-drenched walls stretch up into the sky.
It's like the Secret Garden, but with beer.
Foufounes Électriques
Quartier latin
If the fancy makes you squirm in your leather pants, head for this storied punk bar. Fouf's is a gargantuan, graffiti-bedecked, Mowawk-friendly place. While the terrasse is not the most aesthetically pleasing, it boasts some of the best people watching in town, and drinks so cheap that your own buttocks will feel electrified in no time.
Miami
Le Plateau
Another divinely divey place, Miami committed the Montreal equivalent of a cardinal sin a while back when they enclosed a large part of their rooftop. Consequently, their terrasse is decidedly mini, so don't count on a table outside during busy periods. But if you're looking for a 3 p.m. watering hole that feels like a hidden corner of the world, this is your spot. Pogues-loving grad students welcome.
Le Jardin Nelson
Old Montréal
Along with rue Crescent, during the summer tourist season many native Montrealers avoid Old Montreal like the plague's antibody-resistant genetic mutation. There's a good reason tourists love the area though; it's darn pretty. If you're one of those tourists - or a local with a love of masonry - you'll find nothing but terrasses encircling the historic Place Jacques-Cartier. One of the best is le Jardin Nelson, which is set in a 200-year-old building. Watch the time (and the street performers) go by out front, or choose the sculpted garden of the courtyard in back, where live music is a regular fixture. Best of all, tables are shaded by awnings and parasols, so the hardcore terrasse lovers out there can enjoy a drink al fresco, even when it's raining. Now that's what I'm talking about.
Ginger Jacobs is the nom de plume of a freelance writer living in Montreal.
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