Tres bien!
I love La Distillerie for its delicious cocktails. Although I am not an avid cocktail drinker, this place has got its drink down right. It was a Saturday night when me and my friend came here and unfortunately, we had to wait outside for about 20 minutes before we could get inside.
DRINK: For $17 canadian for a 4 oz (large) mason jar of alcohol, this is such a steal compared to what is available in the United States. The drink was made well, of the right strength, and could knock you out of your seat if you drank too quickly. I found myself getting through half of the drink and really felt something.
AMBIANCE/SERVICE: Perfect! I believe this place is more mainstream in Montreal due to its location, so you hear a lot more English than one would anticipate. There are English and French menus and the waiters speak perfect English and French. Service was fast and we paid first upon getting our drinks via card, so that was convenient instead of having to flag somebody down later and could expedite the whole process.
The only thing preventing that fifth star for me is that wait outside in a cold Montreal day (maybe my California blood is too wimpy for it, but the cold is tres mal). I wish if the seating issue could be resolved inside, but it seems to be newly remodeled to accommodate the seating.
There are two other La Distillerie venues in Montreal, but I am sure if the other places could be equally as crowded!