A martini glass with a lemon twist on a marble bar top, with softly blurred bottles and warm amber light behind

Cocktail bar / Downtown

Gokudo

BEHIND THE BLACK CURTAIN

A Japanese cocktail bar with a sake-leaning menu, Japanese whisky and signature drinks at $14-15.

From home: 23 min walk; 1.63 km, or 5 min by car
Spend: $$$$; est. $30-55 per person
Our dates: Open Wed, Thu. closed Tue; Give it 1.5-2 hours

Mood photo, not this exact place.Photo: Ambitious Studio Rick Barrett, Unsplash License

The verdict

Go on Wednesday or Thursday for a dark, low-lit late drink with a sake-leaning menu. Order a Hōjō Masako and something from the Ryōshi counter. The listed schedule has it closed Monday, so it likely cannot be your Thanksgiving night.

Sake and Japanese whisky focus
Signature cocktails around $15
Ryōshi snack counter attached

Why maybeStrong concept and fair prices, but listed as closed Mon Oct 12 and current-status evidence is thin (official site undated, latest review seen 2024). Good Wed/Thu late option if it checks out by phone.

Order this

Tap the circle to want it. Tap again once it's eaten.

Gokudo, the short list

Must order
Hōjō Masako
$15
Gin, dry sake, nori, kalamansi, lemon, Himalayan pink salt.
The signature drink on the current menu; also the favourite in Tastet's review (updated Sept 2021, menu may have changed).
On their menu: Official website
Bunshin
$15
Rye, Sichuan pepper, plum bitter, served in a smoked cedar wood glass.
Spirit-forward option with a theatrical glass.
On their menu: Official website
Saigō Takamori
$14
Dry sake, crème de cassis, hibiscus, cherry, plum bitter, cinnamon sugar.
Sake-based and lighter for the lineup.
On their menu: Official website
Wagyu shot (1 pc)
$14
A5 Japanese wagyu strip-loin with shiso, sesame, yakiniku sauce, rice.
The splurge bite that pairs with whisky.
On their menu: Official website. Ryōshi menu, may be brought to the bar
Spicy shrimp temaki
$7
Matane shrimp, spicy yuzu mayo, shiso, nori, sushi rice.
Cheap, easy bar snack.
On their menu: Official website. per piece
Smoked scallop crudo
$15
Hokkaido scallops, ponzu, coriander pesto.
Lighter plate for cocktails.
On their menu: Official website
Sashimi don
$28
Marinated tuna, scallops, Matane shrimp, shiso, sesame, Japanese rice.
The one proper meal if you arrive hungry.
On their menu: Official website

Menus change. Prices are from the posted menu, before tax and tip.

What people actually say

Recurring themes, not cherry-picked quotes.

Love

Dark, sultry setting that suits dates
Cocktails are the draw
Deep sake and Japanese whisky list

Know before you go

Service described as friendly but sometimes forgetful
Food reported as uneven or mediocre by some
Can get busy with a wait
After 11pm the room gets livelier
Listed closed Sun-Tue, so likely not open Mon Oct 12
Listed open Wed Oct 14 and Thu Oct 15 (undated schedule; call to confirm)
No online booking found; call to confirm

Dishes that keep coming up

Hōjō Masako, temakis, rice bowls

Room: Dark, moody room; calm early, livelier late, per aggregator summaries (not independently confirmed).
Service: Friendly but uneven according to a few 2023-2024 reviewers.
Value: Signature cocktails at $14-15 are fair for downtown.

Based on Tastet (older, updated 2021) and an aggregator summary of 2023-2024 reviews; no Reddit thread or 2025-2026 reviews found; platform reviews not accessible. Atmosphere and service themes could not be re-verified in the fact-check; aggregator pages not re-opened.

Vibe check

moody/sexy/intimate/date night

Best fora date-night nightcap, sake and whisky nerds

How much we'll spend

$$$$Est. $30-55 / person

Signature cocktails $14-15, sake glasses $5-23; snacks $6-16, mains (Ryōshi) up to $28. Two cocktails plus a couple of snacks estimated.

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

On our dates

Wed-Thu 5:30pm-1am, Fri 5:30pm-2am, Sat 7pm-2am; closed Sun-Tue

Mon 12ClosedThanksgiving: holiday hours unconfirmed
Tue 13ClosedThird-party hours
Wed 14Open5:30pm to 1amThird-party hours
Thu 15Open5:30pm to 1amThird-party hours

Thanksgiving MondayOfficial schedule (undated, footer 2022) lists Monday closed; no Thanksgiving-specific notice found. Oct 12 is a Monday, so closed is likely but not explicitly confirmed for 2026.

Full week

Mon	Closed
Tue	Closed
Wed	5:30pm to 1am
Thu	5:30pm to 1am
Fri	5:30pm to 2am
Sat	7pm to 2am
Sun	Closed

Official contact page, undated (site footer 2022). Ryōshi food counter runs shorter hours (Wed-Thu 5:30-9:45pm, Fri 5:30-10:45pm, Sat 7-10:45pm); food can be brought into the bar. Third-party listings show Wed-Thu opening at 5pm. Re-check Oct 8: official page undated (footer 2022), so hours may be stale.

Hours from a third-party listing. Confirm before you go.

Where

630 Rue Cathcart, Montréal, QC H3B 1L9

23 min walk (1.63 km) / 5 min drive, no traffic / 13 min by bike

From 216 Rue Young. Routes from OpenStreetMap data; transit times are in the maps app.

Show on our map gokudo.ca Instagram Call

No online booking found. Official site only mentions group bookings (contact page); listings say call 514-375-3715. Walk-in likely possible but unconfirmed.