Sparrow

Human beings are creatures of habit. We curate our collection of favorite places which keep drawing us back over time but left to our own devices, new discoveries can be a bit of a slow go. That’s why we have our amazing friends who drag us out of our comfort zone and enlighten us with new and exciting places that we may not have ventured to try on our own. One such discovery in Montreal is Sparrow. Located in Mile End, just north of Fairmont on St. Laurent, Sparrow (or le moineau as it’s called in French) is a great place to grab a drink any night of the week. They make crazy cocktails and they keep a small collection of beer on tap. The atmosphere is cool and laid back and the setting feels a little like an English hunting lodge with wall paper featuring a slew of animals and birds decorating the main bar and washrooms. Sparrow also has beautiful wooden bar you can’t miss as you walk in. The wait staff is friendly and the service has been top notch each time I’ve gone. All sorts of people flock to Sparrow (including their very own contingent of obtusely edgy hipsters) setting a generally friendly and upbeat mood.

The last time I went, my friends and I were joined by the owner of the kitchen who sat with us to watch the Montreal Canadiens get slaughtered for the last time this year. I learned a couple of things about Sparrow that night. First of all because I’m always parked at the bar, I had no idea they had a kitchen and second, their brunch is pretty popular. I’m not much of a brunch person but I was compelled to nibble while we sat at the bar with our drinks. The food was pretty great (I had the chicken club on toasted and buttered bread) and all of their ingredients (including bacon) are freshly made in house or come from local providers.

Sparrow is a great little resto-bar nestled along the Main. If you find yourself feeling thirsty or even a little peckish and looking for a fun, relaxed place to hang for the evening, this place could easily become habit forming.