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| - Introductory caveat: I am an American. Not in a dickish way, but in a way that does affect my experience drinking as a tourist in Montréal. I'll explain below, but the short version is that while I was tempted to write a two-star review, I think my review would be higher if I were local.
Whisky Café is a great concept with a pleasant space and, assuming you like Scotch, a great whiskey list. Voluminous Scotch menu. The menu is a bit lighter on bourbon, rye, etc., but still has some good stuff (I was happy to see Blanton's behind the bar).
Here is where my American experience comes in. In the U.S., booze is cheap, perhaps stupidly cheap. This is not a dig against Canada -- far from it. However, my thought was that since I could order the same whiskey in a bar at home for half price, I would try Whisky Café's cocktail menu, since that would be a bit more of a distinctive experience. The cocktails sucked. Both my cocktail and my wife's were so citrus forward that we could not taste the whiskey (and we like whiskey). My wife's was the lesser offender, yet she still remarked that she felt like the drink was stripping the enamel from her teeth. Certainly disappointing from an upscale, pricy place that ostensibly takes pride in the quality of their drinks.
So my read is this: if you are local, are into good whiskey, and can afford to drink at the Whisky Café, I think I recommend the place (just order the straight stuff). If, however, you're not that into whiskey, prefer mixed drinks, or have the luxury of procuring the same whiskeys at south-of-the-border prices, I might recommend a pass.
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