The best jazz bars in Montreal where music's hot and drinks are cool

You can’t talk about jazz venues in Montreal without talking about the House of Jazz, whose original downtown Montreal location enjoyed a 40 year stretch as the city’s jazz mecca. The Laval outpost continues brings in an ever-rotating list of local & international acts. Equipped with a full bar and full menu, this is a great place to visit for a romantic night of a delicious dinner accompanied by beautiful music.

Bistro à Jojo proudly proclaims to be serving up live music ‘7 on 7’. They live up to that claim with at least one act playing every night, and two acts back-to-back on most weekends. This is not a place for dinner & a show though, as it is much more of a traditional music bar with the only items listed on the menu being liquors, beers and house wines. Then again, you don’t need food when the music is this good.

Traipsing through the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, you may feel yourself taken over by the need to listen to music as charming as the street’s mosaic. Luckily for us, Modavie is supplying the more historic part of town with all of its music listening needs. Adding to the venue’s unique Montreal charm are the set-runners that fulfill the restaurant's emphasis on highlighting local acts. They take it a step further by partnering with the Université de Montréal’s jazz program to highlight up-and-coming stars in the program.

A modern classic of the Montreal Jazz scene, Diese Onze is located on Rue St. Denis, a street that used to be filled to the brim with jazz bars. Diese Onze is one of the few that remains and proudly carries the legacy of this city’s beautiful jazz culture.  Step down into the little basement theatre and you’ll be seduced by whatever talented musician they have up on stage. During the Montreal Jazz Festival, many of the acts playing the big stages will come here for a more intimate performance.

Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill leans towards the more serious side of the jazz listening scene in Montreal. And deservedly so! Many international jazz acts make this place a routine stop on their tours. As such, on the showcase nights on Friday & Saturday the owner insists on a polite advisory that the crowd be silent and still. All attention should be on the jazz!

Wandering down the always-bustling Saint-Laurent Boulevard, you may find yourself wishing for a speakeasy away from the electro ‘unce-unce’ of all the college dance clubs that dot the Main. Your salvation will be found at Bootlegger L’Authentique. Modelled after a New Orleans style hideaway, Bootlegger offers creative cocktails paired with upbeat jazz, blues and swing performances to keep you dancing until late in the night—among many more entertainments.

We deserve an award for surviving the slush and slog that comes every winter in Montreal, so treat yourself come terrasse season in the city: A leisurely long dinner in the backyard garden at Jardin Nelson to the sweet soothing sounds of jazz. Alongside a reliable menu of burgers, seafood and fries, the venue keeps jazz running from midday until late at night. Not so much a venue to explore the new & upcoming musicians of the city, but to listen to their dependable house musicians.

If the slower-paced wail of jazz horns isn’t fulfilling your need of music to fuel your dance, check out Salsatheque. In a room filled with flashing lights, disco balls and a large dancefloor, the salsa rhythms spill out and implore all spectators to cut a rug. It has been operating since 1989 and has developed some fan favourite theme nights over the years. Check their website to see if there is a night that specifically caters to you.

This dive bar has a simple slogan that encompasses their purpose: “Live bands, cold beer, good company”. They don’t get too fancy with either the (non-existent) food, or the drinks (mostly pints and shows). They ensure there is always cheap pints available and an experienced band on stage ready to entertain spectators. If you’re looking to try your own hand at jazz, they offer an open mic night on Tuesdays, but the staged jazz nights on Wednesdays are what you want when you need a show.

In the Thunderdome that is the Saint Henri nightlife scene, there are few places that serve as a live music venue or a reliable corner café serving simple well-priced fare. Somehow La Luncheonette covers both of these needs with a short but strong menu of Guinness-chocolate cupcakes, pulled pork sandwiches and peanut energy balls. They bring the jazz in on weekends to pair with a wonderful brunch service.

This American Prohibition-era style lounge in Plaza Saint-Hubert is a great spot for a fancy cocktail, with live music sometimes, including live blues on Monday nights, all within the spirit of Montréal’s roaring ‘20s. It was the high time for jazz in the city, and for drinking—Americans would flood Sin City North to soak up our whisky cocktails and saucy nightlife. Go old fashioned here with an Old Fashioned, Negroni or Paper Plane.

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Get a real feel for the age of Old Montréal at this steakhouse, where the original stone walls, hardwood floors and cozy fireplaces set the tone for some stellar 30-day-aged steaks enjoyed with live music in the background. Dinner comes served with a side of hot jazz every Friday night, as well as every weekend morning, for their famous live jazz brunch. In the summer months you’ll hear the notes tinkle right out onto the beautiful garden terrasse.

This Plaza café-bar-resto has the feel of a community centre in the way that it draws together the local community with programmed nights of live music, musical quiz nights and open-mic nights. On Tuesdays it’s swing night, for those looking for a lively form of jazz you can shake a tail at. Settle in for the night—try something from the absinthe list and have a go at the build-your-own charcuterie board menu.

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A brewery on the Main up in Little Italy with an impressive list of local pints and all the favourite comfort-foods to go with them, Vices & Versa is also appreciated for its commitment to local musicians. It’s the luck of the draw for who’ll be playing, but in general you’ll find a jazz-flavoured twinkly-twiddly sound that’ll pair well with the lively conversation.

Keep an eye on the constantly evolving daily music programming at this pub and showbar on the Plateau to catch the jazz nights. It’s always worth a gander, though, whether it’s more on the experimental, pop-rock or folksy side of things. Quai des Brumes hosts local musicians with or without experience, so it’s a site for discovery—and cheap beer.

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