Fitzroy
Fitzroy sits at 551 Rue Mont-Royal East, just off Saint-Laurent Boulevard on the Plateau's main commercial street. The bar draws on Australian pub culture with a Canadian twist: craft cocktails, a solid beer selection, and a rooftop terrace that opens during Montreal's warmer months from roughly May through October. The interior holds about 100 people across a main bar room with exposed brick and wood accents. The rooftop adds another 60 seats and is the primary draw in summer, offering open-air drinking with views of the Plateau rooftops. The cocktail menu features Australian-inspired creations alongside classics, and the beer list emphasizes local Quebec microbrews. Fitzroy attracts a crowd in the late twenties to mid-thirties range, slightly older than the student-heavy bars further south on Saint-Laurent. The atmosphere is genuinely relaxed; this is a bar for lingering over drinks, not for pregaming before a club. Weekend evenings bring a fuller house and occasional DJ sets at low volume.
What to Expect
A warm, wood-accented bar at street level with a laid-back crowd nursing craft drinks. In summer, the rooftop transforms the experience entirely: open sky, cooler air, and the feel of a backyard party above the Plateau.
Laid-back and social, with an Australian-pub warmth adapted to Montreal's Plateau culture. The vibe shifts from mellow afternoon hangout to lively evening bar without ever becoming a club.
Indie, surf rock, and chill electronic at conversational volume. Occasional low-key DJ sets on weekends.
Casual. Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers. Nobody is dressing up here, and overdressing would feel out of place.
Craft beer and cocktail drinkers, rooftop seekers in summer, groups of friends looking for a relaxed pace
Cards and debit accepted. Cash works too but isn't necessary.
Price Range
Cocktails CAD 14-17, craft beer CAD 8-11, wine CAD 12-14
Cocktails ~$10-12.50/~9-11.50 EUR, craft beer ~$6-8/~5.50-7.50 EUR
Hours
16:00-03:00 daily in summer, 17:00-02:00 in winter (hours vary)
Insider Tip
The rooftop is first-come, first-served and fills fast on warm evenings. Arrive by 6 PM on summer weekends to guarantee a terrace seat. Ask about the Australian-inspired cocktail specials, which rotate monthly.
Full Review
Fitzroy works because it doesn't try too hard. In a neighborhood full of bars angling for the next trend, this place just serves good drinks in a comfortable room and lets the crowd set the energy.
The ground-floor bar is the year-round anchor. Exposed brick, wooden bar top, stools and small tables. It's not large, but the layout avoids feeling cramped. The cocktail menu has personality; the Australian-inspired drinks are more than a gimmick, incorporating native botanicals and citrus flavors that work well with Quebec spirits. The beer selection leans local, with rotating taps from Quebec microbreweries. If you ask what's new, the bartenders will pour you a taste before committing.
The rooftop is the seasonal headliner. It opens in May and closes when the cold makes outdoor drinking unreasonable, usually late October. The terrace is simple, with communal tables, string lights, and no pretense of being a rooftop lounge. It feels like drinking on a friend's roof, which is exactly the vibe they're going for. On warm Friday evenings, the terrace fills by 7 PM, and the wait for a table can stretch. Arriving early is the only reliable strategy.
The crowd is Plateau through and through. Late twenties to mid-thirties, mixed anglophone and francophone, dressed casually and in no hurry. Conversations flow easily here, between groups and between strangers. The relaxed atmosphere invites it, and the music stays low enough that you never have to shout.
Fitzroy's main limitation is its size. On busy nights, both the bar and rooftop hit capacity, and there's no overflow space. If you show up at 11 PM on a Saturday in July expecting a seat, you'll be disappointed. But if you plan around the crowds, it's one of the most enjoyable places to spend an evening on the Plateau.
The Neighborhood
On Rue Mont-Royal East, the Plateau's main commercial street, a block east of Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Surrounded by independent shops, bakeries, and other bars. The Mont-Royal strip has its own nightlife character distinct from Saint-Laurent.
Getting There
At 551 Rue Mont-Royal East. Mont-Royal metro station (Orange Line) is a 3-minute walk west. Bus 97 runs along Mont-Royal. From Saint-Laurent Boulevard, walk east on Mont-Royal for one block.
Address
551 Rue Mont-Royal E, Montreal, QC H2J 1W5
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