Miami, back and still as badass... even with a silly name like Plage Montenegro

You may have noticed the sign on St Laurent. Though the it's rarely on, this legendary place still seems gloomy and quite abandoned... until about 2 in the morning.

This dingy, dirty dive bar was probably one of my favourite discoveries in my first year of university in Montreal. Formerly called Miami, any smoker or student who has been here for over two years will definitely know about it.


Unfortunately, throughout this summer and last spring, it was shut down (for legal issues - from what I've heard, they've had trouble renewing their liquor license). I was so enthralled to discover that it had recently re-opened, under a different name, but the same waitress and the same Polish owner are still seen hanging around in the wee hours of the morning, serving up drinks. Even the peeling paint on the walls and the bathrooms haven't changed one bit.


I have to admit, as an avid smoker, the first appeal is the fact that they have an indoor smoking room. Even in France, though the reputation contradicts this, these rare places are quickly disappearing. But there is truly a joy of being able to smoke and drink at the same time. Sure you're killing yourself faster, but you're also enjoying your youthful years twice as much.


Apart from that, the drinks are averagely priced (expect to pay around 5 dollars for a mixed drink), the decor is hilarious - you'll notice all the porn and erotic memorabilia behind the bar with a touch of Slavic influences, and the crowd is composed of all the night owls out from nearby Korova's (either because it's too packed, or just for a nightcap).

If you don't mind the smoke, it's also a great place to have a drink with a date. Though this may sound silly, I find it highly un-sexy to have to yell at someone over the music when you're trying to flirt with them. The smoking room is one of the rare bar-areas where you can actually have a decent conversation (anywhere before 12:30 when the hipsters start coming) that can remain quite intimate. I haven't been to any other bar where they keep the music down low enough so you can actually hear each other.


And if your not with a date, it's also awesome to go with friends for a final drink (or five, if you're like me), and if you get lucky, get the pool table for a game. You also meet and talk to variety of interesting people, only to realise that you have about twenty acquaintances in common, as per usual in this city. And you never know, you might just end up finding a whole new group of friends.


So Mia...Montenegro in a nutshell:
3831 St Laurent


Drinks : Around $5
Atmosphere : 8/10 (if you don't mind the smoke)
Drunkenness: too many times to count