Montreal Weekender: NYE Edition

This weekend, Notable brings to you the ultimate and, of course, most notable New Year’s weekend in Montreal. Even in the trenches of winter, Montreal is alive with a hustle, bustle and energy that the people who live there crave and celebrate. New Year’s weekend is no exception. From the plethora of New Year’s parties , great restaurants and high-end shopping, there is more than enough to keep you busy as you ring in 2012.

Let’s keep Friday night ‘low key’ with a late and lengthy supper at our favorite Monkland neighborhood restaurant and watering hole. Lucille’s Oyster Dive is one of our favorite spots in the city for seafood and cocktails. We find this is the perfect night before New Year’s Eve to go to as you can dine late and have a few drinks and make a night out of it without partying until the wee morning hours. We suggest a plate of oysters to start, the fish taco as an appetizer, and either their famous lobster rolls or their renowned hamburger as a main. The lobster rolls can easily be shared as the order comes with two and a massive mountain of French Fries.

Saturday, start your pre New Year’s Eve celebrations with brunch and an afternoon pre-party at Burgundy Lion. This is our favorite Saturday hang out. Specializing in an authentic English breakfast, go nuts with blood sausage, eggs, bacon, potatoes (and then some), and a few pints of one of their many on tap specials. Spend the afternoon here having some drinks with friends, head home for a shower and put on your best New Year’s outfits and head for dinner at Kitchen Gallery Poisson. The sister restaurant of Kitchen Gallery, located in the Parc Extention, specializes in fresh seafood and meat dishes that change up every week and with the season.  

We are keeping you in Old Montreal for your next stop at Philemon for their VIP New Year’s party. This is not advertised or ticketed and, in true Montreal style, is the hottest party in the city where Montreal’s coolest night owls will meet up after their dinners for amazing music and great cocktails to ring in the New Year. At 3am, head around the corner to Le Gros Jambon for late night diner food.

Sleep in on Sunday and then grab your closest friends and head to The Beaver Club for a New Year’s brunch. There isn’t much open, so make it a lengthy brunch while catching up with friends and swapping New Year’s Eve bash stories and New Year’s resolutions for 2012.

Photo courtesy Kitchen Gallery