Halloween may have just ended, but one Montreal bar has already traded its pumpkins for twinkling Christmas lights.
La Taverne de Noël officially reopened for the season on Wednesday, November 4. Every year, Le Petit Dep’s location on Saint-Laurent Boulevard turns its bar, La Buvette du Dep, into a cozy holiday hideaway, and this year’s version looks just as festive as ever.
What it’s like inside
Stepping inside feels a little like walking into a Christmas card. The room is decked out in garlands and soft, dim lighting, with festive music playing in the background and the smell of warm spices in the air.
Whether you’re catching up with friends, planning a holiday date night or just looking to escape the cold for an afternoon, you’d be hard pressed to find a more cozy spot during the most wonderful time of the year.
Festive drinks
The star of the menu is the Guim-O Choco. The creamy hot chocolate is topped with a handmade torched marshmallow and a touch of dulce de leche, then served in a mug with a chocolate-dipped rim covered in cookie crumbs.
It costs $8.75, plus tax, and it’s available at all Le Petit Dep cafés until January 11, so you don’t have to visit the tavern to get your hands on one.
The tavern also has a seasonal cocktail menu, featuring local ingredients and new twists on traditional holiday drinks. If last year is anything to go by, expect plenty of eggnog, mulled wine and spiked hot chocolate.
How to get a table
There’s no need to book ahead. In fact, you can’t. La Taverne de Noël doesn’t accept reservations, so all tables are first-come, first-served.
The evening is reserved for diners, though. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., priority seating goes to guests who are staying for dinner, with a minimum of one food item from the evening menu per person.
So if you’re only stopping by for a drink or a dessert, Le Petit Dep suggests coming earlier in the day or after 8 p.m.
The tavern is open every day from 8 a.m. to midnight, and the kitchen opens at 4 p.m.
La Taverne de Noël
Price: Free entry. The Guim-O Choco is $8.75, plus tax.
When: Open daily from 8 a.m. to midnight, until early January.
Address: 5125 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal
Why you need to go: For a cozy, festive escape in the Plateau, complete with holiday cocktails and a torched-marshmallow hot chocolate.
La Taverne de Noël on Instagram
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