Bar WILLS

"In the renovated industrial Mile-Ex space that used to house Alexandraplatz, Wills is the brainchild of cousins Ethan and Alex Wills, and was listed among one of the best new terrasses (translation: patios) across Canada. While limited to just a few options, the cocktail menu includes some heavy hitters — mezcal, Campari, tequila, gin, and bourbon all make appearances — and will not disappoint, even if they cost a pretty penny." - Daniel Bromberg, Valerie Silva

"Montrealers mourned the loss of Alexandraplatz a couple of years back, but now, in its place (the building that also housed Brasserie du Vieux Montreal) comes Wills, where the bar-meets-brewery set-up lives on. Open since May, the new Mile-Ex drink destination serves natural wines, mixes creative cocktails, and pours local brews in a stunning indoor space — and outside, too, on a dog-friendly terrasse." - Valerie Silva

On the Grid : Bar Alexandraplatz

Best Quests

Google

We always love to frequent hidden local microbreweries and try their interesting brews but this really takes the cake when it comes to being inconspicuous. We try to avoid using the typical food blogger term "hidden gem" but this one is just literally hidden. Low key inside and out, a very relaxed atmosphere with friendly service, a diverse crowd of mustachioed beer lovers and yes, many great microbrews that you can also purchase in cans to go. Delicious, very reasonably priced beers that can be consumed in high volume without getting tired or bloated too quickly. But if the hoppy bubbles aren't for you and cocktails are more your speed they also have a solid list of great cocktails on the menu.

Olivier Guillard

Google

Great place to relax with friends, especially in the summer when the outdoor space is open, with tons of beer and non beer options. They tend to have a grill going on the side some days of the week which come as a perfect pairing with the beers on tap. DJ was on set when I was there which amplified the atmosphere into a fun and Dancy afternoon. Overall a great place for some late afternoon or early evening drinks with a small or large group of friends.

Martin Leroux

Google

New guys in town taking over the old Alexandraplatz spot. Met the owners - and the doggo, the real owner of this place, very friendly. The guy at the tasting station/beer to go was really nice, very knowledgeable as well. The bar itself was nice, but darker than a Batman movie. I'm gonna need infrared goggles to hang out here. The outdoor terrace is great. The beers were excellent, I tried the pils - flawless, a pale ale and IPA, really good, if you're into the New England style. This place will be the flavor of the year, count on it.

hamed farmand

Google

The place could be better designed 😉 but, that’s fine! I tried their beers, sine more than a year ago. Since then, I don’t buy any non-local beers. I had plan to come and taste it in their brewery, finally I did.

Tina Varvaresos

Google

Came here for my birthday with friends and it’s one of my new favourite places in Montreal. It’s so cute but casual, has drink options for everyone (not just beer!), super friendly staff. We didn’t try any of the snacks but definitely plan to go back and try in the future! I see a few reviews here complaining about the staff - we sat on the terrace, but the staff made it super clear to us we had to go in and order (not wait for staff), so I wonder if that’s why some folks had bad experiences.

Ramon Rubio

Google

First time coming in here and have to say I really enjoyed the experience. Liam who was working on the bottle shop side was super attentive and very knowledgeable about the beer offerings. On the bar side the staff not only made sure to present a menu right away but also provided water right away. The customer service is top notch, the beer is phenomenal, and this is definitely a place worth checking out whether you are a local or visiting from out of town.

Cameron C

Google

Nice bar, a bit hidden but worth the visit.

S Field-Green

Google

Drinks were nice and the food was really delicious! Had the pretzel, the savory choux pastries, the lamb tartare and the pear dessert. I want to go back and try the other dishes. There were options for a range of prices so you can go and not break the bank or splurge on something a lil more fancy. The atmosphere and service were great too. Not many spacious places like this around, and there was plenty of distance between us and the other tables so things didn't get too loud. Check it out

Jonny M.

Yelp

Finally got to check out Alexandraplatz on an early Monday evening. The terrasse was packed with people! We couldn't even grab a seat so we headed inside where there was plenty of room. The place is very hipster but loved the laid back vibe. You order at the bar so don't expect a server to come to you when you sit down. They have a good mix of drinks (beer on tap, bottled beer, cocktails, bubbles, wine and non-alcoholic). There's even a few snacks. - Radler ($6.00) - blonde beer and grapefruit soda. A solid refreshing, summery radler. Easy drinking. - Bourbon lemonade ($10.00) - Maker's Mark and lémo lemonade. Also good but you can taste the bourbon. - Rhubarb soda with vodka - this was their other special but they ran out halfway through making my drink. Luckily, they were nice enough and gave it to us on the house ($9.00 regularly). Tasted like a watered down version of vodka soda. - Chardonnay (Castor) (6.8%) ($7.00) - never heard of a beer being called a Chardonnay before but it was good. Read up that it's aged in Chardonnay barrels (interesting). Smelled great; I got hints of floral and citrus. Apparently it's a sour/wild ale. Fun spot. Cash only!

Anna C.

Yelp

Really fun bar! picnic tables and an outdoor BBQ to make a few bites. Their cocktails are very good and they have a great selection of natural wines. This time we went for their end of season block party, which was really cool. There were food trucks, a huge paella station, lots of local merchants selling nice products (not junk!). Later in the evening they had 3-4 DJ's lined up.

Cindy Feng Xin L.

Yelp

Came here before the official opening for a Yelp Elite event, it's a trendy bar that is quite hidden on the Esplenade Street in Parc-Extension. I come to this neighbourhood very often but never noticed this bar, since it's not very visible. The bar offered us two different cocktails and both were quite good (one more citric and the other one marguerita). The interior decor of the bar is simple, the neons are the highlight and the vibes are quite chill. They have a big terrace space and it's quite cool to come here for a 5 à 7 or something!

Mike S.

Yelp

If someone hasn't told you about this place... you'll probably NEVER stubble upon it. What a GEM this is. I only went once but it's really cool. Nestled in the middle of BF nowhere lies this informal bar. And the fact that they are "IN" the Brasserie du Vieux-Montréal bottling plant ensures fresh product! Go... go now! PS: You might want to bring you GPS.

Janine T.

Yelp

The industrial location right around the corner from nothing made me feel like I was pretty darn special when we rolled up to this gem. Alexandraplatz, where have you been my whole life? From your light bulb string lights to your super yummy Japadog, I knew that I liked you after my very first sip of your bourbon lemonade. Everything is affordable, the service is top notch and the picnic tables full of new friends are way fun. The staff rocks and it's a great chance to meet some cool locals and enjoy being actually cool seeing as not everyone knows about this place (yet!) I will definitely be back, and not just to see if the guy dressed in white from head to toe will be there again.

Rose L.

Yelp

Excited to finally come here after reading so much about it. Personally I like the interior better, not so much into the industrial setting. But a friendly barmaid and chill Mexican music made this a great place to chill. I tried the Weiss and the Blanche and was more partial to the Blanche. And a surprise! $1 off their beers before 7pm on weekdays so it was only $6. A really unique bar. I will definitely come back and try the food as well.

Antonio S.

Yelp

I found out about this place on yelp. It's a part of a warehouse right next to a brewery that's transformed into a bar/terrace. The staff are very friendly, the atmosphere is nice and it's a good vibe whether you're inside or out on the terrace. You get plenty of sun too..didnt imagine there was a hidden bar like that in that part of town.

Risa D.

Yelp

Open again and better than ever! Couple great new local beers and cocktails on the menu, and the ever important bottles of vino verde on ice.

Katerina B.

Yelp

Although this place seems fun and I did have few cool nights out with friends, it's not my favorite bar. They do have pretty good selections of drinks and it's nice to enjoy a sunny day seating outside, also they food truck parties are fun. Yet, for me it's not my kind of vibe, as I find it little bit too basic. Overall, it's a good solid 3 stars from me.

Clotilde L.

Yelp

Berlin in Montreal. Really cool place that has become victim of its own success. you can wait up to 20 min to get a drink! Nested in the "oh-so-hip" industrial Neighborhood called Mile-ex, you don't go there randomly. Imagine an old garage transformed into a bar with picnic tables, little lanterns and the parking lot of the next-door brewery used as the terrace: there you have it. Drinks are cheap and if you are in the mood for something a little fancier than the usual "draft Blond" order a Bicycletta!

Alex M.

Yelp

There are so very many positive aspects about Alexandraplatz that I witnessed last Friday when I met up with friends there and got liberally sauced: 1. Cocktail drinks in large pint glasses. FTW. I kept having the Hare Sake . Like a gin and tonic with sake and also ginger. Refreshing! The bourbon lemonade was also good but kinda sweet. 2. Vegan treats! When we got there around 8, they were dishing out these really cute portions of pad-thai with some thinly sliced BBQ grilled tofu and fresh coriander on top of some rice pasta. Joanne dropped her tofu on the ground and no probs, they gave her some new one. Afterwards, like around 10, these two dudes showed up with home-made (!!) vegan sausages and probably made a killing selling hot-dogs and nachos (great nutritional yeast sauce, dudes). 3. The general feel of it. Was friendly and open and sweet. With that being said, the whole terrace thing was a bit of a shit-show and you get the sense that they're dealing with new-found popularity and don't really know how to manage. At first, someone came to tell us we could't sit in the loading area with drinks and that we had to go to the terrace even though a bunch of folks were drinking their brews right on the sidewalk. Then later on, like after 11, we were told we couldn't have our drinks on the terrace. Even though by then the whole outside thing was a bit out of control with people having their drinks whichever way. And then somehow, when Joanne asked later on, it felt like they just gave up and it became ok to drink on the terrace. So yeah, right on that Alexandraplatz is doing good. They're awesome. They just need to tighten it up. But that's cool.

D'Arcy L.

Yelp

Groovy little alleyway bar that is so concealed you either need to hear about it or good luck in finding about this gem. The scene is local, industrial and fairly chill in this area of town which is somewhat being gentrified. I brought some out of town friends here for a couple of drinks on an early eave inn to get the motors running. There was a food truck within a stones throw away and we enjoyed great conversation over drinks and some good laughs. Happy that the selection of drinks included a different array of choices from the normal. My bourbon was just what the doc ordered.

Katherine G.

Yelp

Reasonably priced drinks & tasty selection. I like that the clientele is mixed; there are anglos and francos, the hip and the casual. Minimal set-up - picnic benches, lanterns and a parking lot, but it somehow creates the oh-so desired Berliner feel. But we all know Montreal is where it's at, right?

Masao K.

Yelp

Don't go there on Friday or Saturday but this place is a lot of fun. The place is basically a garage that they put a bar into and lined it up with picnic tables. It's located somewhere that gets no foot traffic you'd have to know where it is to even find it. I imagine its only open for the summer. The beer is good and cheep and the vibe is great. Only drawback is that its packed if you go Fri/Sat and that both the clientele and the place is so hipster its painful.

Yoko H.

Yelp

Alexandraplatz is SOOO much more better looking in person than in pictures! So cozy, inviting, comfortable... And has ginger beer! Bathroom sink was a nice touch. Felt like I could have been somewhere in Brooklyn or the Mission. Great spot to meet up with friends or for date night!

Sabrina N.

Yelp

My boyfriend brought me here for a quick drink. Love the ambiance, love the vibe, the fries looked amazing (there was a food truck close by). The sun is beating down on you with a cold drink in hand and a super chill environment... What else can you ask for?

Grant C.

Yelp

Cool spot with good beer. Best visiting later at night I think as I went there at around 6 pm and it was still pretty quiet.

Sarah D.

Yelp

Brooklyn vibes away from the madness. Mechanics garage turned chill bar with picnic tables inside and out below the glow of string lights. Sounds nice, huh? The drinks are even better like the Bourbon Lemonade or various homemade sodas crafted by an older lady in her neighbourhood kitchen. The people are cool, the space is chill.

Christine D.

Yelp

The service at bar was fine and the atmosphere was inviting, but it was rude and concerning that the waitress approached us after we bought 3 drinks and stated that the tip was not included in the bill and that she demanded a tip...

Alex L.

Yelp

Had a bad experience with the staff, clearly avoiding to serve us at the bar for 10 mins. Ambiance was great but its one of the first times I felt racism in a bar in mtl.

C B.

Yelp

Diverse crowd and affordable brews. If you like drinking beer, stepping out for a smoke and a walk in an unfamiliar but not too distant area it can be fun. Its location makes it that much more interesting. Also I'm not vegan but they made some pretty good vegan tacos one time. Replace the leechy ATM with a debit card terminal and some complimentary wifi and it is a solid 5 star place.

Nina N.

Yelp

Bar set in an old garage -- the post industrial look makes the place set for a casual but yet intriguing encounter. The all-open doors during warm weather makes it feel like an open air pub. Try the cocktails with the grapefruit juice made from fresh fruits in store! Local tap beers available. Cash only.

Radia J.

Yelp

Awesome place to grab a drink among friends. Very laid back atmosphere in a unique area. The service was great. Friendly bar tenders. However, it can get a bit chilly so be sure to dress warm. The bar is located in an industrial garage and the door is kept wide open in the spring. It will be a great place to hang out in the summer by far! Lastly, unfortunately, the venue is cash only and because it's located in such a remote area you have no choice but to use the unbranded ATM machine with outrageous charges for minimum transaction security. Great place but in desperate need of interact/credit card terminals.

Lucy B.

Yelp

summing this place up: minimal decor, happy staff, chill drinks, friendly crowd = good vibes.

@onthegrid