Le Mal Nécessaire

Petit bar caché dans le sous sol sur la rue St Laurent dans le quartier chinois, à peine visible de l’extérieur. Beau décor et belle ambiance, ça se rempli très vite à partir de 18h nous avons même du changer de place car nous n’étions que 3 alors qu’ils voulaient accommoder un groupe (désolée d’avoir si peu d’importance qu’on doive nous changer de place au milieu de notre soirée.). Je n’ai pas été impressionnée par les cocktails trop chers et trop forts à mon goût la présentation elle valait la peine. Ce qui m’a agréablement surprise c’est la nourriture provenant du resto au dessus! Alors la oui ça valait la peine les nouilles, les dumplings et le général tao un vrai délice!!!

Passable: excellents cocktails mais qu’il nous a fallu attendre 20 minutes pour nous voir servir, dommage. Le serveur ayant pris notre commande a disparu, donc on s’est demandés si on finirai par avoir nos boissons. Rare pour Montréal.

Ce petit bar caché dans un sous-​sol sur Saint-​Laurent propose une très longue liste de cocktails tous meilleurs les uns que les autres (ils en ont même dans de vrais ananas!). L’endroit est très joli et est parfait pour les 5 à 7 et les sorties entre amis. C’est assez petit, mais si on arrive tôt, c’est tout à fait possible de se trouver une place assise quelque part, que ce soit sur leurs grandes banquettes ou au bar.
Le service est hyper rapide et les employés sont vraiment sympathiques. Vous né savez pas quoi choisir? Demandez-​leur des conseils et ils vous répondront avec plaisir! Côté prix, c’est tout à fait abordable, surtout pendant le 5 à 7. C’est aussi possible de grignoter: dumplings, poulet général tao, etc. (en plus, c’est délicieux). Une valeur sûre!
Seul bémol: La musique est parfois TRÈS forte et on né s’entend carrément pas parler.

My new MTL staple. Awesome atmosphere — music, friendly staff, cool drinks. A bit crowded but that’s to be expected in any good spot. Great place to go with friends — too loud for a date, will be going back.

As a design nerd, I really appreciated the aesthetic and attention to detail at this hole in the wall cocktail bar. I loved everything from the neon green pineapple sign at street level, to the kitschy pineapple shirts worn by the servers. The vibe is young and hip, but really anything goes. I came on a Saturday night and the place was busy, but my DC and I were made to feel welcome and the host was able to ask another group to scoot over to create room for us. The lack of pretense was refreshing. It feels like going to someone’s basement, with long sofas and an open concept. It seems like a place where it would be easy to strike up a conversation with your neighbours if you were so inclined. The lounge-​y, eclectic playlist was on point and wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t talk.
But of course, atmosphere can only go so far. The drinks thankfully delivered. I had one with chia seeds and gin which was interesting, flavourful, and not too complicated. The cocktail menu is really well organized too, making it easy to find what you like. I didn’t go for the fancy ones served in coconuts because they were so much more expensive.
I’m really happy I found this spot, which is a nice alternative to the Plateau bar scene. Chinatown/​Quartier des Spectacles doesn’t have that many good cocktail bars (or I haven’t found that many) so Le Mal Necessaire is a great find!

Great place for drinks in Chinatown. Always busy and fun. Now with a DJ playing, making even more sweet for the start of the night out. PS — late night eats until 10:45 from the Chinatown restaurant next door. Love it!

I think I’m in love! My husband and I decided to stop by this lovely cocktail bar on a recommendation. Not only were we greeted with smiles but with excellent customer service. Now, this location doesn’t have a very lengthy the food menu. The snacks that are offered are cooked by the restaurant next-​door. Since we were starving, we decided to dine at the restaurant and then go straight to the bar for cocktails. As a sidenote, the restaurant was the de-​lish (nothing too fancy), fresh and fast. We ended up arriving around 9:30 p.m. and waited only a few minutes. We had the Bahama Mama (which arrived on fire), the signature drink and the Singapore Sling. We were in the city on a short holiday and wanted to see as much a possible; as a rule we don’t return to same place twice. We really had to fight the urge. But we’ll be back next trip!

Great cocktails. Hard working staff. I went on a Tuesday night and was surprised by how busy it was. The cocktail list focuses more on tropical drinks but they can make any classics beautifully. Might take a while to get your drinks but it’s well worth the wait.

I loved this please because it was low key, but it was really hot inside like a dry sauna. The drinks were super delicious, I loved the painkiller :)

Super nice staff! The hostess that greeted my friend and I was adorable. The Mai Tai in the pineapple is super good. The place is quite small and cozy so I would say to get here early. Great place for a chill drink with friends with some funky upbeat music in the background. I’ll be back!

I passed this place on my search for bars/​clubs during my last trip to Montréal but this time I actually stopped by and went down beyond the pineapple to see what was up. The reviews seemed promising and they are as true as you would like! They have a great selection of drinks for a fair price, nice seating, and great service. You can have something as crazy as drinks out of pineapples or coconuts or your typical drinks in glasses. The music was not bad and it’s a nice place to sit and chat with friends while enjoying some good drinks.

I loved this place. A great drink selection, with a lot at $ 10 with tax. If you’re looking to spend a bit more, you can get a drink in a pineapple or coconut.
The décor is really great, staff were great, and the drinks really tasty.

I like it when the signature drink at a bar is good. Le Mal Necessaire is both a great drink and cocktail bar. They have scads of cocktails (all in lovely packaging) and the ambiance is very easygoing.
I must try the snack options next time I go — they have an option to order Chinese food from the restaurant upstairs.
And the waitstaff are delightful.

Super Brooklyn (NYC) vibe.
NOT a mixologist place, but a fun bar with nicely-​presented drinks. (no plastic cup, no fake cherries, no cranberry vodka)
A full bar that wraps around on the left, and a continuous bench that wraps around the right with short tables.
DJ & a tiny tiny dance floor. Crowd is young 20 – 30, and got crowded around Midnight.
I really enjoyed it here, nicely designed and felt clean/​organized. Staff is friendly (bilingual), great place to start off the night!

Unpretentious bar with chill and relaxed atmosphere, and impressive cocktail menu. The mixes produced by the bar tenders at Le mal nécessaire are masterfully crafted. Unfortunately the implementation may be inconsistent and depends on who“s mixing the drink, the experienced bar tenders should not overdo on ice and minimize the alcohol. My latest experience with the refill of the yummy cachaca coco water mix was very icy. Basically don’t get the refill, for two dollars less you will be served a cocktail free of booze. Otherwise every mix I have tried so far in the bar is wonderfully delicious. I love the concept of serving drinks in coco shells and pineapple fruits, as well as the cocktail pitchers you can share. The service is extremely attentive when it is not crowded, but the reality is I have avoided the late busy hours up to now. Definitely a place to stop by more often for a drink!

I ordered a Mai tai which served in a pineapple. I’m not sure how this can charge me 22. I think it’s a bit pricey considering the drink is mostly ice.

Cool ambiance, good music, awesome staff, cool drinks in a pineapple and a selection of good Chinese bites. Awesome place, will be back for sure. The drinks are pretty strong too so don’t mind the price that can seem slightly high, you won’t be disappointed.

Never would have expected a bar like this in the heart of Chinatown. It’s located in the basement and you can easily find it by the glowing green pineapple. It was a late Sunday night but the bar was pretty packed. It felt like I walked in to Williamsburg, except this was Canada. We grabbed the last remaining table while we waited for our drinks. The menu was pretty straightforward, some of the drinks come in a pineapple or coconut. Even though the whole menu was in French, it’s possible to decipher what most of the ingredients were. I shared the piña colada with my bf and it was pretty large and strong. It came in a coconut too. But i guess they scraped away all the coconut inside because it was just bare. The cocktails were reasonably priced especially for how strong they were. They was a mix-​up with the bartender and we got a Mai-​Tai instead of the Bahama Mama, but it was fine. It does take the bartenders some time to make them so don’t expect your drink within like 5 minutes. But the cocktails are worth the wait. Also love how friendly all Canadians are. The bartender was really great and the DJ played some sick beats, almost felt like a Friday night.

Having opened last year, this Great bar is hidden in Chinatown. Spot the neon green pineapple and you’ve found it!
The drinks are great and tropical feeling. The crew is super efficient and very welcoming. You can tell they love to do what they do which makes a world difference!

Simili bar à cocktails, à tendance tiki … mais ce rade né mérite définitivement pas le titre de bar à cocktails.
Beaucoup d’espoir dans ce bar, un ananas fluo à l’entrée éclairant un escalier à descendre pour rejoindre le bar … des ananas un peu partout, dans des cages, c’est mignon, on se dit «wouha, trop cool, on va pouvoir se régaler» … ah ouais? et bien non !
J’ai testé le Pain Killer, cocktail de base d’inspiration tiki … le goût? un pauvre jus d’ananas avec des notes d’orange … on né sent ni le rhum, et limite on se demande s’ils ont mis du lait de coco (alors qu’ils l’ont bien noté sur leur carte).
Verdict? un cocktail complètement raté, alors que cela reste un cocktail très simple à réaliser. Sérieusement, à se demander si le barman goûte ce qu’il fait, vérifie si son cocktail est digne d’être servi …
Un ami a pris «le mal nécessaire», cocktail créé par l’établissement, verdict? un cocktail imbuvable, car trop de glacé, et personne n’arrivait à tirer sur la paille.
On se demandait pourquoi un autre client n’avait pas bu ce cocktail, il était parti alors que le verre avait l’air d’être encore plein … et bien on a compris ! C’est normal, le cocktail né peut pas se boire !!! WTF ?
Alors, je vous le concède, c’est un concept, le cocktail que tu commandes, que tu payes mais que tu né peux pas boire … mais bon, c’est de l’enfilage à sec dans les règles, une ARNAQUE.
Après s’être plaint, et limite méprisé par le serveur nous expliquant que limite c’est normal si tu né peux pas boire le cocktail, ils ont tenté de casser un peu la glacé et ils ont rajouté de l’eau dans le cocktail … ah c’est mieux, on peut le boire maintenant, ah mais c’est original ça, un cocktail à l’eau qui sent la cannelle.
Y’a aucune notion de balance dans leurs cocktails, on né sent qu’un ou deux ingrédients, mais surtout on né sent pas du tout l’alcool dans ces breuvages, aucune note de rhum … alors à quoi ça sert de travailler avec des rhums de qualité si c’est pour né pas les respecter, autant mettre du rhum premier prix.
Non franchement, ce bar est une honte, et apparemment ce même barman est genre le barman qui a gagné un obscur concours de cocktails sur Montréal … c’est dire le niveau des bars à cocktails sur Montréal … je sais bien que pour le moment, il n’y a pas vraiment de scèné de bar à cocktails, mais là … je n’arrive pas à comprendre toutes ces bonnes notes … que ce soit le service, les cocktails, ils ont tout à revoir … mais stop, please, stop.

I honestly have no idea how a place like this can get that many good reviews.
I sometimes wonder if the people here have any idea what a good cocktail is.
Because I can’t believe we just got unlucky tonight.
I love cocktails. When I went back to Paris I was amazed to see a few amazing cocktails bars and I was so sad to leave, but in my mind I was hoping it would be ok, I would get good cocktails bars some place else. Well it’s definitely not in Montréal that I’ll have the chance to experience that again.
Because this one is supposed to be one of the best. And what do you get ?
A glass of ice with cinnamon flavoured water.
I seriously couldn’t drink it. The ice glass came with three straws. I tried the three of them to hopefully get a taste of the cocktail and … Nothing. I never thought I would ever have to suck so much on something.
Joke aside, I said to the waiter that I just couldn’t drink it and he told me «bring it to the bartender and ask him»
Maybe when he saw my face he decided it was his job to bring the drink back and try to do something about it.
So I don’t really now what they did with it, changed the straws, add more water to it, I have no idea.
When I was finally able to drink it, it tastes like cinnamon water. And I’m not exaggerating.
My friend Karim came from Paris and I wanted to show him a good place. I was ashamed. Literally ashamed of what Montréal has to offer when it comes to cocktails.
This place is a joke.
I have no idea how it gets good reviews. Absolutely no ideas. But good for them I guess. Maybe I’m too picky.
Oh, if you’re a fan of sucking hard to get cinnamon flavoured water: THIS IS THE PLACE

J’aime j’aime j’aime j’aime! L’ananas fluo vert dans l’escalier, l’originalité des cocktails et de leur présentation, le décor, le fait que ce soit caché dans le Chinatown, le staff, la musique, le monde qui vont, la disposition des tables (style banquettes ouvertes). J’espère que ça va rester encore peu connu de la masse de Montréalais, parce que c’est définitivement un spot de choix.

I love saving milestone reviews for la crème de la crème so it’s only appropriate that Le Mal Necessaire is my 200^th review. This bar is a fantastic addition to Chinatown and is not to be missed. Tucked away in a basement you know you’ll have found the place when you see the neon green pineapple light over the doorway.
Cocktails are fairly priced and are pretty strong so you definitely get your money’s worth here. I was a fan of the Singapore Sling. The drinks in the pineapple or coconut are more expensive but I didn’t try them so I can’t really comment on whether or not they’re worth the extra money. They’re on the list of drinks to try on future visits though!
With regards to food they have a few items on the menu which you can order from the restaurant upstairs. My friend and I tried some fried squid which were spicy, crispy and quite tasty. We also had some steamed pork dumplings which were really good. Don’t expect to be able to get a full meal here though.
The bartender was really friendly and did a great job of looking after us. He also made some great drink recommendations. If you’re only two it’s best to sit at the bar because we seemed to get better service than the tables. It appeared that if you’re at the tables you have to go up to the bar anyways to get a drink.

We walked past this bar once before realizing we had gone a few blocks too far. I didn’t mind at all though, I got to see a lot of Chinatown during this mulligan.
After finding the neon pineapple at the top of a downward staircase we knew we had found the place. We walked down and were pleasantly surprised that the interior seemingly did not match the exterior. The interior features included beautiful light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, lots of low booths that looked comfortable and warm, the bar was large especially for a basement bar.
The bartenders were friendly and helped us make the perfect cocktail selection. I really wish I had penned this review earlier and could remember exactly what we drank. All I can say is that the glassware was awesome, totally tropical and not what I thought I would find anywhere but a tropical island.
I can’t wait to go or have friends holiday there so I can recommend this place, in addition to a nice stroll through Chinatown. Who doesn’t like buzzed window shopping for lucky cats and other interesting figurines?

Super-​hipster semi-​underground tiki bar in Montréal’s Chinatown. That sums it up.
Good drinks, with fun twists like chia seeds or served in a pineapple. Nice staff. Decent crowd.

Après 2 fois là-​bas je peux vous faire un review digne de ce nom ! Le bar est en soi caché, il faut le trouver à l’aide du gros ananas vert sur la devanture. C’est quand même spécial de voir un bar à cocktail dans le quartier chinois, mais c’est pas fou comme idée! Les places assises sont divisées en 3 énormes banquettes elles-​mêmes divisées avec 3 petites tables chacunes. Donc, idéal pour les groupes comme pour les plus petites réunions. Des chandelles partout, du vert, un miroir, des ananas. L’ambiance est feutrée et rappelle un peu un speakeasy, mais kitsch. Valérie (ma barmaid préférée de tous les temps) vous attend au bar munie de son ingéniosité et de son palais fin. Le menu propose différents choix à partir d’alcools différents (gin, rhum, tequila) et des ingrédients particuliers pour accompagner le tout. Oui, il y a des drinks dans des ananas. Oui, il y a des pichets de drinks (malade). Et oui, ils sont fait fort. KABOOM.
Pour ceux qui voudraient manger une bouchée il est possible de commandes des dumplings du resto d’en haut, qui sont particulièrement délectable après un verre ou deux. (ou 3).
Je recommande !!

Le choix de bouffe est limité mais tout de même délicieux. Mon plat de dumpling était délicieux, j’ai piqué une bouchée aux crevettes sur un pain grilé que mon ami a pris. Délicieux.
J’avoue, j’ai pris un un Abacaxi Mai Tai servi dans un ananas avec rhum, du sirop d’orgeat, de la lime et du jus d’ananas. Bref, une expérience à vivre