Le Quartier Latin
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Crescent and St. Laurent are great for a wild party night, but le Quartier Latin is the best part of town to have a relaxed night out with friends, especially in the summer. Le Quartier Latin is primarily on Saint Denis Street between Sherbrooke and Sainte-Catherine. The Strip is filled with Bars, restaurants and most importantly Terraces unlike any other you will see in other parts of town. Chances are you will not see these outdoor hangouts as they are not like the Crescent street bars with balcony terraces overlooking the street; these are more like huge courtyards, hidden as if to keep them as close to a secret as possible. The best example is Saint Sulpice , this place can have more people outdoors than all of the crescent street terraces combined! The beer is cheap, the people are nice and more importantly, everybody looks comfortable. Flip flops and t-shirts replace the high heels and tight dresses, while the pitcher of Sangria at 15$ replaces the 200$ bottles.
Although it is packed at all times, this part of town can still be considered a hidden treasure, primarily for tourists and even local anglos who are stuck on mainstream Crescent and St. Laurent. The clientele is mostly French, which contributes largely to the uniqueness of the area. Shisha lounges, Rock Music bars and restaurants with in-house breweries are pretty much the norm, with the smell of soft drugs as a constant in pretty much the whole neighbourhood.
The best time of year to visit the Quartier Latin is during the Just for Laughs festival, when the street gets blocked and pedestrians take over along with the hundreds of performers. The show, organized by the Juste Pour Rire festival, is something that cannot be missed and can be best compared to an acid trip, with excentric borderline esoteric dancers, comedians and performenrs who bring a show unlike any other in the city.