Cocktail bar / Old Montréal
Le Bowie
NO HOODIES. NO PHOTOS. NO MONDAYS.
Old Montréal speakeasy-supper club pouring $18-26 cocktails over oysters, caviar and Japanese small plates, behind a strict door.
- From home
- 18 min walk
- Spend
- $$$$
- Our dates
- Open Wed, Thu. closed Mon, Tue
The verdict
Alessia's pick checks out: current menus, a sharp cocktail list, six oysters for $26, and chicken nuggets with caviar if you feel like being ridiculous. On our dates it's Wednesday Oct 14 (live music, closes at midnight) or Thursday until 2am. Book a 7-8:30pm table on OpenTable, dress sharp: the venue says caps, hoodies, sweatpants and graphic tees are not permitted, and it's 25 and over. The catch: 2026 reviews love the servers and the drinks but keep coming back to a brusque, inconsistent door, so go for cocktails and oysters, not the trip's big dinner.
- From Alessia's list
- Oysters and Osetra caviar service on the current official menu
- A serious cocktail list: signatures $19-23, martinis $22, mocktails $15
- Live music on Wednesdays from 7pm with no cover, per the venue
- Open on two of our nights: Wed Oct 14 and Thu Oct 15
Why maybeIt's open, the menus are current, it's open on two of our nights (Wed Oct 14 and Thu Oct 15), and it delivers Alessia's cocktails-and-oysters brief. Against that: getting in takes a reservation, being 25 or older, a strict dress code and approval at the door. Recent diner reviews are sharply split over how the door treats people, and no critic coverage has been confirmed yet. Worth it for a booked, dressed-up Wednesday; not worth bending the trip around.
Order this
Tap the circle to want it. Tap again once it's eaten.
Le Bowie, the short list
Must order
Oysters (Huîtres)
$26Served classic or chef-dressed; the venue says the chef's dressing changes from night to night.
The oysters are why it's on Alessia's list. Start with the chef-dressed half-dozen and ask what's on them that night. A January 2026 diner counted them among their favourites.
Must order
Japanese taco (Taco japonais)
$24Three tacos with salmon or tuna, crispy nori, avocado and jalapeño.
It's the food plate diners mention most: a January 2026 review names it a favourite and an August 2026 review praises it.
Must order
Crispy wagyu beef dumplings (Dumplings au boeuf wagyu)
$24Six crispy wagyu beef dumplings with chili-crisp mayo.
The other plate that keeps coming up: diners in January and August 2026 both name it.
Filet tartare (Steak tartare)
$24Beef tartare with crispy wonton, wasabi mayo and cured egg yolk.
An August 2026 diner praised a steak tartare along with the tacos and dumplings. It's the raw plate to order with the oysters if you want some crunch.
Chicken nuggets & caviar
$75Six chicken nuggets with 10g of Osetra caviar.
The venue calls it a signature: high-low, slightly absurd, and the most on-brand plate here. It's on the all-night menu, so it outlasts the 11pm kitchen cutoff.
Tomato martini
$22Gin or vodka with tomato water, plum vinegar and black pepper.
A September 2026 diner called it one to order. A savoury martini that makes sense next to oysters.
Solway Cosmo
$19Aupale vodka, mandarin liqueur, sour cherry, vanilla and cherry blossom.
A September 2026 diner singled out a cherry cosmo, which matches this one, and the venue's own cocktail page highlights it too.
Sunset Gimlet
$18Kalamansi gin, lime and sea buckthorn.
The cheapest alcoholic cocktail on the list. The venue suggests it with oysters, and a June 2026 diner who came on a live-music Wednesday praised a drink made with kalamansi gin.
What people actually say
Recurring themes, not cherry-picked quotes.
Love
- Table service gets the most praise: servers are named for checking in often, giving spot-on recommendations and making birthdays feel special, sometimes with a dessert nobody asked for
- The cocktails, with a tomato martini, a cherry cosmo and a kalamansi-gin drink singled out
- Music and momentum: live music nights (jazz and a salsa band come up), and a DJ later on that turns the room into a dance floor
- Food that beats bar expectations, especially the Japanese tacos, wagyu dumplings and oysters
- A dark, good-looking room; one diner liked that the no-photo rule keeps the night off phones
Know before you go
- The door is the recurring complaint: many 2026 reviews describe rude or dismissive door staff, people turned away at capacity, and a door and dress-code policy that feels arbitrary or unevenly applied. Some reviewers felt women got harsher treatment
- Several reviews also call a hostess or other staff rude, separate from the door
- Saturdays get packed, hot and loud, with long bathroom waits in at least one account
- Drinks are pricey, and a few people call it overhyped
- Service can slip on busy nights: slow food and rounds, forgotten dishes, one overcharge complaint and one too-salty calamari
- The no-photo rule annoys people who didn't know about it before they arrived
- Without a booking, expect to be turned away on busy nights, even if you arrive early
Dishes that keep coming up
Oysters, Japanese tacos, Wagyu beef dumplings, Steak tartare, Tomato martini, Cherry cosmo, Kalamansi gin cocktail, Crispy calamari, Homemade ice cream, Birthday tiramisu
- Room
- A dark, low-lit supper club with velvet and no sign outside. It's quieter at the 7pm seatings and on live-music Wednesdays. From Thursday to Saturday after 10pm the room gets louder and more club-like; diners describe a DJ and dancing later at night, especially on weekends.
- Service
- Split down the middle. Servers inside are named and praised again and again, especially for birthdays. The door team, and at times the hostess, draw repeated complaints about attitude and uneven admission. Management replies publicly, and in one reply said it turns away dozens of people on Saturday nights because of capacity.
- Value
- Not cheap: cocktails $18-26, six oysters $26, larger plates $42-55, caviar from $75. Fans rarely mention price; critics say the drinks are expensive and the night doesn't always earn it.
Vibe check
sexy/moody/scene y/date night/loud
Best fordressed-up cocktails and oysters for two, a Wednesday date night with live music, a late Thursday that gets louder after 10pm
How much we'll spend
Food plus one drink, before tax and tip, from official menu prices. Low end: two people share six oysters ($26), Japanese tacos ($24) and wagyu dumplings ($24), plus one $19 cocktail each, which comes to about $56 per person. High end: a dozen oysters ($48), the $29 tacos, dumplings ($24), the 6oz wagyu bavette ($55) and bok choy ($16), plus a $23 signature cocktail each, which comes to about $109. Caviar ($75-250) or Champagne by the glass ($36-40) pushes it past that.
On our dates
Wed 7pm-midnight; Thu-Sat 7pm-2am; closed Sun-Tue
- Mon 12Closed
- Tue 13Closed
- Wed 14Open
- Thu 15Open
Thanksgiving MondayNot a Thanksgiving-specific confirmation. The venue's own oyster, bar and live-music pages (re-read Oct 9, 2026) list operating nights as Wednesday to Saturday only and say the kitchen closes at 11pm 'on all operating nights'; Monday is not among them, and Restoenligne lists Sunday to Tuesday as closed. No Thanksgiving or special-opening notice was seen on the official site. Instagram (@bowiesocial) could not be checked, so a one-off holiday opening is not ruled out. Tuesday Oct 13 is also a regular closed day.
Full week
| Mon | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tue | Closed |
| Wed | 7pm to midnight |
| Thu | 7pm to 2am |
| Fri | 7pm to 2am |
| Sat | 7pm to 2am |
| Sun | Closed |
Pair it with
- Mama C first, at 100 Rue Saint-Paul Ouest. It's also on Alessia's list, serves Greek dinner 5-10pm on Wednesdays, and asks guests to skip caps and sportswear too, so one outfit covers both
- Bambino (428 Rue Saint-Nicolas), another Old Montréal pick from Alessia's list where semi-formal dress is expected, for a Thursday dinner before a late Bowie table. Its hours aren't published and short-notice bookings are by phone, so call first
Where
457 Rue Sainte-Hélène, Montréal, QC H2Y 1T9
The house rules say a reservation is essential for entry; the bar page says walk-ins depend on availability, which is limited most nights. The official reserve page sends regular tables to OpenTable (restaurant ID 1382488). After 10pm, and for groups of 6 or more, you fill in a request form instead, and the team has to confirm it. You can also call 514-360-9290 or email reservations@lebowie.com. The door team admits guests based on the headcount and group balance given at booking. Guests must be 25 or older, and tables more than 15 minutes late can be delayed or released. Bookings are quoted before tax and gratuity.
While you're there
The receipt
Where every fact on this page comes from.
Fact-checkedResearched and independently re-checked Oct 8, 2026, 2 details corrected. Confidence: medium.
Details to confirm
- Instagram (@bowiesocial), where the venue posts events and updates, could not be checked. Look there for any Thanksgiving-week changes and for the live-music act on Wednesday Oct 14.
- Postal code: the official site's structured data gives H2Y 1T9 and Restoenligne gives H2Y 1V9. The street address (457 Rue Sainte-Hélène) matches everywhere.
- Thursday closing: the visible house rules and the April 2026 pages say 2am; the site's hidden structured data says midnight.
- OpenTable availability for Wed Oct 14 and Thu Oct 15, and how far ahead tables open; the OpenTable page timed out from this environment.
- Whether late-night (after 10pm) or group requests carry a minimum spend: the request form says bookings are quoted before tax and gratuity but gives no amounts.
- Sashimi of the day is market price; ask on the night.
- OfficialOfficial website (English): Le Bowie home: address, phone, email, Instagram, menu links and house-rules panel (hours, entry policy, photography, dress code); sitemap last-modified July 9, 2026
- OfficialOfficial website (French): Bienvenue au Bowie: accueil, with the French house rules (heures d'ouverture, politique d'entrée, code vestimentaire)
- OfficialOfficial website (English): Reserve Bowie Montreal: OpenTable link (restref 1382488), After 10:00 PM and Private Events request links, house rules; sitemap last-modified May 19, 2026
- OfficialOfficial website: Food menu PDF (EN), created May 21, 2026: main menu until 11pm, Let's Dance classics and sweets all night
- OfficialOfficial website: Wines, Cocktails & Alcohol menu PDF (EN), created July 9, 2026
- OfficialLe Bowie (official request form, linked from the reserve page): Bowie Reservation request: Group / Late night (EN). Groups of 6+ and private events need confirmation; door approval, 25+, dress code, 15-minute late policy
- OfficialOfficial website: Oyster Bar in Old Montreal at Bowie (hours, kitchen closes 11pm, oyster formats and pairings); sitemap last-modified April 20, 2026
- OfficialOfficial website: Live Music in Old Montreal at Bowie (Wednesday live music from 7pm, no cover; hours); sitemap last-modified April 20, 2026
- OfficialOfficial website: Bowie cocktail bar and supper club page (no sign outside, walk-in policy, dress code details, 25+ rule); sitemap last-modified April 6, 2026
- OfficialOfficial website: Caviar at Bowie (Osetra service prices; chicken nuggets and caviar described as a signature order)
- OfficialOfficial website: Cocktails at Bowie (price bands by section, Solway Cosmo highlighted, bottle service)
- OfficialOfficial website: Sitemap with page last-modified dates (homepage July 9, 2026; blog posts Aug 26, 2026)
- CommunityRestoenligne: Reviews for Bowie Speakeasy, page 1: dated diner reviews mirrored from Google, May 16 to Sept 14, 2026; address and opening-hours listing
- CommunityRestoenligne: Reviews for Bowie Speakeasy, page 2: dated diner reviews mirrored from Google, February 27 to May 15, 2026, with management replies
- CommunityRestoenligne: Reviews for Bowie Speakeasy, page 3: dated diner reviews mirrored from Google, January 15 to February 21, 2026; weekly hours table
- OfficialMama C official website: Dinner menu: Greek restaurant, evening service 5-10pm Sunday to Wednesday, 100 Saint-Paul O. (used for pairing only)
- OfficialMama C official website: Foire aux questions: dress code asks guests to avoid sportswear, beach sandals and caps (used for pairing only)
- OfficialBambino official website: Location: 428 Rue Saint-Nicolas, Vieux-Montréal (used for pairing only)
- From usTraveller (Alessia's list, via the MTL master brief): Le Bowie (cocktails/oysters), from the screenshot of Alessia's recommendations
- OfficialBambino official website: Reservations: semi-formal dress expected; for bookings within the coming week or parties over four, call (used for pairing only)