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In the Lilt of Irish Laughter |
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Montreal's Irish pubs offer unique charm, a hearty menu and a fine pint of whatever your palate desires
by Amy Luft
Walk into an Irish pub and you'll feel it immediately. It's the comfort and familiarity of feeling right at home. A mixture of ages, an unpretentious atmosphere and an eccentric cast of characters are all what make visiting an Irish pub so enticing. Montreal is no stranger to the pub scene with a number of establishments lined along popular Crescent and Bishop Streets. If you don't believe me, do as I did recently and take the Irish pub crawl. You'll discover unique charm, good food at reasonable prices and a fine pint of whatever your palate desires.
Our pub crawl begins at the Claddagh (1433, rue Crescent) with happy hour or the cinq à sept. The Claddagh, situated along the famous Crescent strip, offers a full menu, 19 beers on tap and an assortment of 50 whiskies. Its large window sitting above Crescent Street allows patrons to people watch and enjoy some after-work banter.
Next, we saunter on down the street to Hurley's (1225, rue Crescent), for dinner. Irish pub fare can be found on the menu, including a Guinness beef stew and a hearty bookie's sandwich. Wind your way through this large pub's many rooms and secluded nooks and crannies and you'll see why it's a great place for either an intimate tête-à-tête or a rousing evening with the whole gang. The back terrasse is one of Crescent Street's best-kept secrets. Amid the hustle and bustle outside, the terrasse is a veritable oasis, with ivy climbing its stone walls and the gentle sounds of guitars and tin whistles lilting through the windows from the Celtic band playing inside.
Irish pub grub found on the menu includes Guinness beef stew and a hearty bookie's sandwich.
The crowd at Brutopia (1219, rue Crescent), is decidedly younger than Hurley's, catering to a mostly college-aged clientele. While not necessarily a Celtic watering hole in its truest form, this popular microbrewery has the look and feel of an Irish pub and its location next door to Hurley's makes it the obvious next stop on our crawl. Raspberry Blonde and Chocolate Stout, among many others, are brewed on site and the friendly staff and vigorous roster of up-and-coming local musicians keep the crowds happy and coming back all yearlong.
We then cross over to Bishop Street and nestle in nicely at O'Regan's (1224, rue Bishop). This small street-level pub plays host to traditional Irish jam sessions on Wednesday nights and a range of Celtic music throughout the week. A north stone's throw away is Grumpy's (1242, rue Bishop) where you'll find a regular cast of characters seizing the moment in an always lighthearted atmosphere.
The last stop on the tour is McKibbins (1426, rue Bishop). An Irish mega-pub, this three-floor establishment on Bishop just north of St-Catherine, serves a terrific menu, a range of imbibers and live music every night of the week.
Other honourable mentions include the Old Dublin on University Street, Ye Olde Orchard in the Monkland Village and Honey Martin on Sherbrooke Street in NDG.
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