I hope you like it! I was a great find for me and I had a lot of hope of finding a tavern that used to be hip in the 50’s still in operation or some kind of memorabilia but unfortunately it wasn’t the case.
When I was younger there was a tavern on Mont Royal called “Taverne Laperrière”. It was one of those old taverns that was pretty empty and that few locals frequented. When you passed the doors there was a picture named “september 2 1945, end of world war 2” and there it was, the place was packed by people celebrating. The room was identical and with a little imagination and that picture you could go back to that era.
“Montreal Confidential” is packed with nostalgia, full of bars and pubs and hotels that have become a bit mythical to me. Places like the “El Morroco” near the old Forum:
On the last days of El Morroco:
"The Last days of El were the dampest on record. On its final night, a rather sad farewell party was held with champagne flowing like the St.Lawrence. The party grew damper and sadder as dawn went into bat for dusk, At nine o’clock in the morning, while demolition crews were at work tearing down the building, the celebrants were still celebrating, sadly and damply.
Rocky Goldberg, who handled the backstage bar, and Hickey, who operated the spotlight for the shows, refused to leave the place until convinced a new El would soon re-open on a different site.
Although it operated for the brief span of five years, it has yet to be replaced as the spot where “everybody goes” If you get too nostalgic reading these lines. drop in The Continental at St Urbain and St.Kits [Sainte-Catherine]. The beloved mahogany bar, upon which leaned all and sundry, is now in operation there" (Montreal Confidential, Al Palmer, 1950)
An image of the place:
I’ve gone through several gallons of it with no stinkiness.