Club Pelicano
Bar · Downtown Montreal ·
Underground pool-themed bar with wine, cocktails & vinyl DJ sets
Underground pool-themed bar with wine, cocktails & vinyl DJ sets
"Tucked beneath Peruvian-Japanese restaurant Tiradito is Club Pelicano, which draws its inspiration from a French art déco swimming pool. Despite the historic reference point, it feels distinctly modern, with a fun crowd, solid cocktails, tasty snacks, and some of the most interesting decor in town." - JP Karwacki
"Designed as an ode to Paris’ Molitor swimming pool, this moody Old Montreal spot offers nightly happy hour specials on their inventive cocktails and wines. Notably, on Wednesdays, bottles of wine are 25 percent off from 5 to 7 p.m." - Erinn Blicher
"I heard from David Schmidt, co-owner of Club Pelicano (and Pamplemousse), who questioned the BDC's decision to exclude bars, saying he isn't sure whether he'd need to apply and that singling out any small businesses is problematic; he also pointed out practical ambiguities—'What constitutes a bar? If we have a bar permit but we're selling 50% food, does that make us a bar? Are we not eligible?'—that make a blanket federal exclusion difficult to apply." - Tim Forster
"Dive into one of the most exceptional bars in the city at Club Pelicano, an underground swimming pool-themed speakeasy where the elegance of a bygone era is reflected in the aquatic décor. This neighborhood bar pays homage to the Art Deco pools of Paris and Montreal with ceramic tiles and swim lane-inspired signage. Club Pelicano’s creative cocktail list and bar menu change weekly, sharing inspiration with their adjacent sister restaurant, Tiradito, the only Peruvian-Japanese bar/resto in Montreal. Happy hours with interesting drink options, pop-up chefs, and a great soundtrack round out the experience in this unique space." - Vox Creative
"Tucked under Peruvian-Japanese restaurant Tiradito, I found a basement bar that’s easy to miss from the street but unforgettable once inside: a swimming pool–themed layout with foot-tall stepped levels, blue tiles with a “No Diving” sign spelled into the floor, high wood ceilings and medieval stone walls that together give off a 1930s Paris art-déco vibe. Owner David Schmidt discovered the space while opening Tiradito and, inspired by the Piscine Molitor, intentionally fashioned the venue to feel like an old public bathhouse; it opened in April 2018 and quickly earned Eater Montreal’s 2018 Bar of the Year for its effortlessly cool ambiance. The bar is DJ-heavy and music-centric but equally serious about cocktails, centering on aperitivos inspired by southern France, northern Spain and Italy; Schmidt also pushed the menu toward zero-waste practices—reusing citrus (zesting, juicing, boiling for cordial, rehydrating for garnish or salt and then composting the remainder), making almond coffee syrup from used grounds, and sourcing many liquors locally—which he says cut waste in half. Because it’s underground it attracts a late-night crowd, the zero-waste drinks are often priced lower, and staff still wrestle with convincing patrons of their value, but the rotating drink list and DJs keep the chic, transportive experience consistently different and needed in Montreal." - Audrey Carleton