After years of drinking martinis, I finally found the best place to have them. I personally would recommend this lounge to the Prime Minister if he ever asked. Its name will forever stick with me: Mélë.

The décor was very modern but cozy at the same time. With two stories of space, there is also a terrace that overlooks Old Montreal. On the first floor is a bar on the left hand side with tables to sit down and enjoy the drinks. The second floor is filled with tables and comfortable chairs. There are sofas to sit on and there is a fireplace at the back wall. Everything is modern but it feels warm, unlike most modern furniture, which often feels cold and pretentious.

The waitress was delighted to serve us and brought three menus to order from. Each menu had a different theme and had a different color. The pink menu had the selection of 33 different original martinis. The blue one had finger foods to choose from, and the yellow one had all of the regular drinks. My favorite was the pink menu with the uniqueness of the martinis, each made from Skyy vodka. I administered a blind taste test a few months back and found that Skyy vodka was the best tasting out of Grey Goose, Ketel One, Smirnoff, Absolut and Stolichnaya. I decided to try three of them to get an idea of what was ideal to order.

First, I tried “The Montreal,” which was a mix of champagne, Skyy vodka and 7UP. Second was a mix of white Godiva chocolate liqueur, Skyy vodka and cacao called “Diva.” Lastly, I sampled the “French Kiss,” which was a mix of mango liqueur, peach snapps and raspberry vodka. I have never been so satisfied with my drink orders in my life until I tried these martinis. My favorite was “The Montreal” but the other two martinis were decadent!

The service was excellent; she was knowledgeable on each martini and brought them in an efficient amount of time (especially since she had to walk down the stairs and back up with the martinis). The manager came over and introduced himself bringing complementary bruschetta as well. The food was very good albeit a little salty, but that’s the whole point of it being on the house—salty foods will keep a person ordering more drinks.

The prices of the martinis are a tad high. “The Montreal” was $15 and the others were around $12. This is a tad pricy for a martini, however they are so delicious that you really feel like you are getting your money’s worth.

I have been to many lounges, bars and terraces in Montreal and I have to say that this is definitely one of my favourites. The location is slightly far since it is located in the outskirts of the Old Port of Montreal and if you do not really know your way around it is hard to find it. It is not in a busy location so you would not likely go in because you saw it and randomly decided to try it. I do however, recommend that it be added on any tourist’s list at hotels in Montreal. I also think that it is a great atmosphere to throw a medium size work related or even birthday bash.

I have no complaints and strongly recommend that everyone try it out! They even serve lunch, what’s better than an excellent martini with some excellent smoked salmon?


The Canadian Value Investor © 2007