Montréal Underground Origins Blog

An alternative guide to 1974 Montreal: Montréal Insolite, pt. 2

15.06.2015

Restaurants prix raisonnables, service rapide.

Montréal Insolite

Da Giovanni
572 Ste-Catherine Est.
Les Montréalais l’ont véritablement adopté. Il y a foule tous les jours et les soirs de pointe, il faut faire la ligne. On y sert les meilleurs spaghettis de la métropole.

Le Sélect
Coin St-Denis et Ste-Catherine.
Nourriture robuste à des prix raisonnables.

Le Poulet Doré
St-Denis et Ste-Catherine.
Le meilleur poulet Bar-B-Q du bas de la ville.

Le Louvre
Papineau et Ste-Catherine.
Nourriture canadienne de qualité.

Howard Johnson
710 Ste-Catherine Ouest
1236 Ste-Catherine Ouest,
Excellents fruits de mer.

Smoke Meat

Dunn’s Delicatessen
892 Ste-Catherine Ouest.

Ben’s
1001 De Maisonneuve

Montréal Insolite

Ben Ash
1 Ste-Catherine Est

Steak Houses

Schwartz (Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen)
3895 rue St-Laurent.
Un restaurant qui ne paie pas de mine mais qui sert ie meilleur steak et le meilleur smoke meat en ville. Il est fréquenté par tous les Montréalais.

Moishe’s Steak House
3961 St-Laurent.

Joe’s Steakhouse
1459 Metcalfe.
Atmosphère chaleureuse. Steak très tendre.

Curly Joe’s
1453 Metcalfe

The Barn Sider
2250 Guy.
Le Steak house qui a le plus d’atmosphère à Montréal. Cuisine excellente.

Alouette Steak House
1176 Ste-Catherine Ouest.

Restaurants chinois

Les meilleurs restaurants chinois du centre-ville sont tous groupés, rue Lagauchetière entre les rues Clark et St-Urbain. Ils seront cependant démolis bientôt pour faire place à un complexe administratif. A recommander.

Le New Lotus

Le Jade Garden

Le Jasmine

Le Sun Kuo Min

Le Cathay

Le Sunya Richska

Le Welcome

Ailleurs dans le centre-ville

Le China Garden
1240 Stanley

Le Green Garden
223 rue Ste-Catherine Est.

Hôtels

Montréal Insolite

Quality Inn
410 Sherbrooke ouest, 844-8851
Classe 2

Berkeley Hotel
1188 Sherbrooke ouest, 849-7351
Classe 2

Hôtel La Salle
1240 Drummond, 866-6492
Classe 3

Seaway Motor Inn
1555 Guy, 932-1411
Classe 2

Ramada Inn
1005 Guy, 866-4611
Classe 2

Hôtel de Province
1494 Dorchester ouest, 861-7201
Classe 3

Colonnade Hôtel
1366 Dorchester ouest, 861-9064
Classe 3

Hôtel Colonial
764 Peel, 866-3324
Classe 3

Tourist Rooms

Montréal Insolite

Résidence Hotel
847 Sherbrooke est

Argoat Lodge
524 Sherbrooke est

Hôtel Pierre
163 Sherbrooke est

Armor Tourist Lodge
151 Sherbrooke est

Manoir Shangri La
157 Sherbrooke est

Casa Bella
258 Ste-Catherine ouest

Château Versailles
1657 Sherbrooke ouest

Paris Tourist Room
67 Overdale

Grosvernor House
1198 De La Montagne

Manhattan Tourist
1237 De La Montagne

Auberge Chez Bébert
4109 rue St-Denis

Discothèques

Le Rallye Club,
1469 Crescent.
La boîte la plus huppée du quartier, pour y entrer il faut montrer patte blanche et porter veston et cravate.

Thursday’s,
1449 Crescent.
Une petite boîte intime avec terrasse doublée d’un excellent restaurant.

Montréal Insolite

Sir Winston Pub,
1459 Crescent.
Une boîte typique du quartier.

La Barraka,
1429 Crescent.
Une boîte marocaine ou on peut boire le meilleur café à Montréal.

La Sexe-Machine,
1469 Crescent.
C’est vraiment la boîte de la rue Crescent. La décoration y est pour le moins insolite tout comme le mobilier. Et les serveuses ont les seins nus. C’est le seul endroit qui a réussi ce tour de force à Montréal.

Le village de la rue Crescent.

Montréal Insolite

La rue Crescent est en train de devenir le Yorkville de Montréal. Les petites boutiques de luxe y poussent comme des champignons et viennent s’imbriquer parmi les discothèques les plus fréquentées. On peut s’amuser durant de longues semaines rue Crescent. On peut trouver de quoi satisfaire tous les goûts.

Le Tacot,
1010 rue Bishop.
Une petite discothèque intime très intéressante.

L’Annex Disco,
1441 rue Bishop.
Une terrasse recouverte de bulles de verre ou l’on peut causer et bien s’amuser.

Dominique’s,
1455 rue Stanley.
La discothèque la plus chic du Centre-Ville. On y trouve des filles racées, de la meilleure société et l’endroit est bondé tous les soirs. A ne pas manquer.

Le Harlow
1285 De Maisonneuve.
Cette boîte de classe est la propriété de Rodrigue Gilbert, joueur étoile des Rangers de New York. C’est le rendez-vous de tous les sportifs de la Métropole.

La Casa Mexico,
1448 Peel.
Seule boîte de type mexicain à Montréal. Excellents musiciens.

Montréal Insolite

John Bull’s Pub,
1201 de Maisonneuve.
Un des nombreux pubs qui poussent un peu partout dans l’ouest de la ville.

Le Sabayon,
666 Sherbrooke ouest.
Excellent restaurant grec ou on peut terminer la soirée en dansant le “bouzouki”. A ne pas manquer.

Tiffany’s,
2045 Crescent
Magnifique petite boîte très bien décorée. Atmosphère calme et sereine.

Oliver’s,
1400 rue Crescent.
Discothèque ou l’on “swinge” jusqu’aux petites heures.

Montréal Insolite

Don Juan
2022 A rue Stanley.
Excellent pour le dragueur habile.

Cafés terrasses.

Deux immenses cafés terrasses forment une espèce de frontière, boul. de Maisonneuve. Au coin de la rue Crescent, c’est La Casa Pedro. Coin de La Montagne, Chez Bourgetel. Ils sont tous deux également fréquenté. C’est l’endroit où l’on cause le plus à Montréal. On y rencontre les plus jolies filles.

Club de nuit, discothèques, etc.

Hôtel Jacques Viger.
1254 Saint-Denis
Il y a trois établissements dans ce complexe. La Cave des Moines, un pub et un cabaret avec spectacle. Atmosphère typiquement canadienne-française.

La Porte St-Denis.
4596 St-Denis.
Cabaret typique du quartier. Spectacles mettant en vedette les artistes canadiens.

Le Caprice.
4585 St-Denis.
Spectacles parfois intéressants et originaux.

Le 321
321 Ste Catherine Est.
Danseuses à gogo, topless.

L’Abitibi.
251 est, Ste-Catherine.
Danse tous les soirs au son d’un excellent orchestre. Cet établissement est appelé à remplacer le célèbre café St-Jacques fermé depuis quelques semaines pour faire place à l’Université du Québec.

Le Saguenay.
984 St-Laurent
Spectacles de travestis.

Le Rialto.
1217 St-Laurent.
Spectacle de basse classe.

Le Lodéo
St Laurent et Lagauchetière.
Petit spectacle et bière à bon marché.

Montréal Insolite

Le Casino Gaspésien.
316 Ste-Catherine ouest.
Spectacle style Western québécois avec les meilleurs artistes du genre. Le rendez-vous de tous les Gaspésiens qui habitent la Métropole. Bar typique du quartier.

1680 Ontario Est.
Normalement de bons artistes tiennent l’affiche. Bar typique du quartier.

Le Café Provincial.
1165 St-Hubert.
A cet endroit il y a une immense salle de danse ou les femmes se donnent rendez-vous l’après-midi. Au dessus, une discothèque huppée, le Lover’s, ou les Montréalaises de l’est vont s’amuser les fins de semaine.

Le Vieux Munich.
1170 St-Denis.
Une immense salle de spectacle qui est en même temps un immense restaurant. On y mange une nourriture robuste de type allemand que l’on arrose avec une chope de bière. Pour faciliter la digestion, on peut danser dans les allées au son d’un orchestre bavarois. Un endroit à ne pas manquer. On s’y amuse ferme.

Le Rockhead’s Paradise.
1252 St-Antoine.

Le temple du “SOUL” music à Montréal. En bas au Paradise Lounge l’excellent trio de jazz d’Yvan Symonds. Le rendez-vous de tous les noirs de Montréal. Un endroit d’un caractère spécial et qui se remplit à craquer toutes les fins de semaine.

L’Hôtel Colonial.
764 rue Peel.
Danseuse à gogo et striptease.

Le Shack
1200 Ste-Catherine Ouest.
Une immense discothèque fréquentée également par les petites noires et les petites Canadiennes. Musique de qualité, rythmes endiablés. A l’avant une excellente petite boîte ou le streaptease est à l’honneur. Du côté nord de la rue Ste-Catherine on peut voir l’ombre des artistes qui se trémoussent dans la vitrine.

Rockhead's Paradise, 1974

Rockhead’s Paradise, 1974

An alternative guide to 1974 Montreal: Montréal Insolite, pt. 1  
 Blue Metropolis: Montreal 1975 / 2015 discussion

Leave a Comment

Comments

  1. John
    Tuesday, January 26th, 2016
    Question - what was the name of bar before Ziggy's on Crescent. Street.
    • David McCarthy
      Friday, June 19th, 2020
      The Wrong Number
  2. Marvin
    Sunday, July 9th, 2017
    There was as Italian Resto on Cote Des Neiges near the now Metro with a large water fountain. What was it called?
    • Casey
      Tuesday, October 9th, 2018
      Chez Vito
    • thomas szirmay
      Friday, December 4th, 2020
      Paesano
  3. Richard Skelly
    Sunday, December 10th, 2017
    Well done. This definitely captures the era.

    As a West Coaster, I spent summer ‘74 taking French Immersion at the University Of Montreal. Program leaders Chantal Massinon and Pierre Nadeau included a visit to local restaurants in the curriculum. I’m pretty sure Le Gobelet was on the list. After hours, I remember great nights at Cafe Campus soaking up sounds from artists such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

    I arrived a few weeks before the course to better soak up the city’s cultural ambience. One of my local guides was Liam Mullan. Arguably Canada’s greatest record promo man of that era, he had recently relocated from Vancouver, but knew Montreal well.

    That summer also featured a huge outdoor anti-Vietnam War event with Jane Fonda as a featured speaker. Rounding things out, day or night, was superb bilingual rock radio, courtesy of CHOM.

    Plus there was an unforgettable open air concert pairing Joni Mitchell with French chanteuse Veronique Sanson. Joni was backed up by Tom Scott and the LA Express. While Sanson performed, I briefly chatted with Veronique’s then-husband Stephen Stills. He popped up by the mid-field mixing board to ensure technicians made adjustments for his new spouse’s unique voice.

    Again, salut to this site’s curators for using text and photos to bring to life a very special year in Montreal.
  4. Richard Skelly
    Sunday, December 31st, 2017
    Since commenting December 10, I learned Chantal Massinon passed away in 1999. As a French language instructor, she was nonpareil. My classroom time with this woman extraordinaire helped me navigate Montreal during the rest of summer of ‘74 and a subsequent trip. A loving reminiscence of Chantal, posted by friend Anne Aucy, survives at par4chemins.free.fr

    Au revoir, Chantal.

    Richard Skelly
    rockinrichskelly@yahoo.com
  5. Holly Avila
    Sunday, July 1st, 2018
    If you hung out in Le Vieux Montreal that summer, I was the American hippie woman singing on the streets with my Quebec Quoi girl friend. I wrote a song that summer that is on my CD, Mountains Back Home, and I'm writing my memoirs from that summer, since I kept a journal at the time. I would love any photos from those years, particularly of the Iroquois Hotel, where I often stayed. hollyavila.com
    • Mary
      Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
      Hi Carole,
      I sure do remember, having spend most of my (underage then) evenings there for 2 years and so. It was very special, roomy for dance, aery with its two floors height, and the crowd was really nice.
      I think the address was 1226 Stanley.
      But in mémories it seem to have been shadowed by the close bu Lime Light... Which I never liked as much.
      Many friendships there... I wonder were every one is gone.
      Hope live have been good to you. :)
  6. Carole
    Saturday, September 15th, 2018
    Does anybody remember the Lorelei dance hall on Santly st. ..?
    • Mary
      Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
      Mary
      Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
      Hi Carole,
      I sure do remember, having spend most of my (underage then) evenings there for 2 years and so. It was very special, roomy for dance, aery with its two floors height, and the crowd was really nice.
      I think the address was 1226 Stanley.
      But in mémories it seem to have been shadowed by the close bu Lime Light... Which I never liked as much.
      Many friendships there... I wonder were every one is gone.
      Hope live have been good to you. :)
    • Edith
      Monday, December 31st, 2018
      Yes! I used to go there all the time in the mid-70s when I was 18 or so. Loved dancing there.
      • Vittorio
        Friday, February 24th, 2023
        I never saw you!
    • Casey M
      Thursday, February 18th, 2021
      Yep wasn't called Loreleight right next to Limelight... One of my first underage clubes I frequented. Is was a open 2 floor club, huge Dance floor in the center, Band at the end. Second floor, here was tables all around onto opened flor!
    • Mary and Kim
      Tuesday, November 1st, 2022
      Sure Carole, I loved so much the place and ambiance.
      We were underage, then but we spend night there nearly all week long for 2 years or so. A lovely and very special place, very unusual and 70"... And I knew nearly all the regulars customers. I wish I have kept contact, or at least have some pictures.
    • Vittorio
      Friday, February 24th, 2023
      Nop.... but I recall the Muspateque. Crescent St.
    • Vittorio
      Friday, February 24th, 2023
      Hi Carole,
      Do you remember the fellow who walked Crescent ST in the company of a dack and a cat?
  7. Vicki, Chicago, IL
    Monday, November 12th, 2018
    Hi! I passed through Montreal in the summer of '74 and have always wondered where I stayed. My girlfriend and I were backpacking and we met a student who invited us back to his dorm downtown. It was a high rise and there were police outside but we walked in no problem. Inside we were able to buy and smoke marijuana freely. We appreciated the hospitality. Any idea what school that was?
    • Steve
      Monday, February 4th, 2019
      Sounds like YMCA on Stanley street
  8. Barbara Farnham
    Tuesday, June 16th, 2020
    Trying to find a magazine type information for my brother who worked at Le Gobelet in the 70 's
    Les dernieres annee de le Gobelet
    • Vittorio
      Friday, February 24th, 2023
      Do you remember the fellow who walked Crescent ST in the company of a dack and a cat?
  9. Celine
    Thursday, April 8th, 2021
    Quels souvenirs! Merci!
  10. Win
    Monday, September 6th, 2021
    Does anyone remember the restaurant La Tour Eiffel on rue Stanley . There was a wonderful chanteuse from Guadeloupe who sang beautiful songs and played guitar. Wish I could recall her name.
  11. Alexander MacDonald
    Thursday, May 5th, 2022
    Looking for the name of the mall that eventually morphed into Eaton centre.
    Octagonal split level with lots of sets of stairs . A truly confusing place.
    Roughly where 750-800 Ste Catherine o
    Thanks! Alex
    • Christine
      Monday, July 4th, 2022
      The shopping Center before it became The Eaton Centre was called ‘Les Terrace’
      - as you described it - it was multiple floors - rather confusing to navigate I must say. I once found a purse I really liked and went back the next week to purchase it and never found the store again lol.
      In the basement level they had a mini Julip ( big orange - just like the one on Decarie Blvd) where they sold Orange Julip!
    • Lesley
      Sunday, July 10th, 2022
      "Les Terrasses" from 1976–1987.
  12. David Blakely
    Thursday, February 2nd, 2023
    It's amazing there are no photos of Chez Georges that was on Stanley Street until 1990 (My favourite restaurant from '71). An amazing venue where beautiful people met and icons of Quebec like Rene Levesque dropped by.
  13. Vittorio
    Friday, February 24th, 2023
    Le Carmen
    2061 Stanley, 288-8424.
    Café-expresso.
    On y sert une nourriture hongroise et européenne.
    Plusieurs variétés de café. Prix très raisonnables.

    And women were also très raisonnables!!!…………..

    V.
  14. Vittorio
    Friday, February 24th, 2023
    Nop.... but I recall the Muspateque. Crescent St.
  15. M.Dworkind
    Sunday, April 16th, 2023
    Thanks a very nostalgic journey.
    Nothing stays the same?
  16. neil stone
    Wednesday, July 12th, 2023
    thanks for the rip if you were downtown in the 70's 80's we met
  17. John Lea
    Friday, September 8th, 2023
    There was an Italian restaurant on Ogilvy Avenue next to CTV station, what was the name
  18. Jub
    Sunday, August 18th, 2024
    Wonderful site! Brought back memories when I used to work in the Sunlife Building.

    What was the name of the restaurant across from the old Forum in the 70’s that had pictures of hockey players on the walls?