While summer is technically over, it is never too early to start thinking about all the fun things you and your girl pals can do once the summer season comes back around. For most university students, the idea of summer may seem ideal, but then, the reality of spending most of your time working quickly sets in. For that reason, it is important to find time to get together with your friends and have some fun. This is exactly what my friends and I did this summer. Discovering a new bar made our time together even more amusing.
Canal Lounge, located at 22 Atwater Avenue, is a bar on an actual boat, where you can enjoy special cocktails while on the water. This unique bar is an ideal spot for a girls’ night out or even a romantic date. The set up allows clients to either sit inside the boat or on the deck — the entire bar offers a great view of the Lachine canal.
While the lounge does not offer full-sized meals, it does offer some delicious snacks. We tried the tapenade for two — it comes with hummus, olives, guacamole, chips, bread, brie, and charcuterie. If you are more into sweet than salty, they also have some deserts.
All their small plates are a great pair to the main attraction, the fully-stocked bar. They offer some classic drinks and some nonalcoholic ones, for those who want to enjoy the place and stay sober. The go-to drinks, in my opinion, however, are the signature cocktails like the Sunny Ice tea, made with lemon-infused vodka, ice tea, and orange pekoe and lemon amber tea. If you are a fan of ice tea with a little twist, this is the drink for you. Not only are they tasty, but some also come in cute glasses, which makes the experience even more amusing.
The boat only allows eight passengers on board at a time and it is first-come-first-served. The small space gives the bar an intimate vibe, which only made our experience better. The limited capacity also allows for good quality service. We found the staff extremely friendly. The owner’s dog even made an appearance during our time there!
The decor adapts to the time of day. It goes from casual during the day time to a more romantic setting at night, once the sun goes down. We found the vibe was relaxed and sophisticated, people were there to unwind and enjoy the beautiful experience. This is not the place for binge or sloppy drunking.
Sadly, this fun location only opens from May 21 to October 6. Time is limited, so enjoy it while you can!
Overall, if you are looking for a good spot to have a girls’ night or a great study spot on the water, I recommend this place every time