Dominion Square Tavern – You’re NOT on vacation!

Another great discovery (and reminder to return) to this lesser known Montreal establishment. Somewhat hidden away, smacked on the small strip of Metcalfe just below St-Catherine yet in a very obvious downtown core location is the Dominion Square Tavern. The team at 514eats.com pretty much summed up EXACTLY how I feel about this place:

Originally a hotel restaurant in 1927, with a short stint as a gay bar in the 70s, the Tavern was reinvented in 2009 as an English gastro-pub at the hands of the Baldwin Barmacie folks.  The beautiful interior maintained its “old-world” heritage throughout the decades; you can easily picture tycoons from the Roaring Twenties conducting their business here over whisky and steaks.  Full 514eats.com  review here.

I have not actually been here since drinks with a gal friend years ago and I live so close by! This is the kind of place that has a thick enough ambiance to transport you out of your element and give you that “Out of town” feel. Other venues that give me that feeling are Billy Kun, The St James Hotel, Joseph Heskia’s No name bar/lounge on Parc Avenue and The Mansfield club. Being a design addict, the carefully done renovations at the Tavern have respected all eras and one can take a trip down memory lane especially throughout the 20s, 50s and 70s by admiring small details in the ceiling, lighting and floors. Somewhat pricey for a quick dinner bite- but a great place for drinks and snacks.