Le Cheval Blanc

Le Cheval BlancLe Cheval Blanc
Le Cheval BlancLe Cheval Blanc
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

809 Rue Ontario Est
Montréal, Quebec
Canada

(514) 522-0211 | map
lechevalblanc.ca

Berri-UQAM Metro station.
BEER STATS
Average:
3.74
Beers:
89
Ratings:
197
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.95
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
55
pDev:
12.41%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by dturchin:
Photo of dturchin
Reviewed by dturchin from Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -30.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2.5
a ways down rue st denis you'll find this sparsely decorated steel walled industrial jaunt filled with noisy college students, local drunks, and the occasional wide eyed tourist looking for a good pour...decent selection, usually serving 7 or 8 of their own which range from bad to not that bad...easy to get to, right near several metro stops, but nothing that blew me away...attentative service, but when i asked about one of the beers i was told that it "had some hops and some malt character"...not a place id want to spend a significant amount of time or money
Sep 06, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.34 by Stignacious from New York

Feb 19, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Nov 23, 2023
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Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

4.03/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25
A nice, divey, character-filled, historic, brew pub with music, a full bar, and a medium-sized selection of rotating beer. It is worth it for the interior alone. Dank, retro-futuristic and sleek with a big, central horseshoe bar. They have 10 beers on tap at any given time, all brewed in house.
Good variety of styles, good quality. I find that as a general rule they make excellent hoppy beers, but I have had a couple duds here and there as well. The first brewpub in the province. Worth the trip. Closer to Berri-UQAM, but likely an easier walk from Metro Sherebrooke (all down hill). They don't accept credit cards and don't try particularly hard to advertise it in the bar, so be warned.
Mar 30, 2018
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Reviewed by eberesford from Canada (ON)

3.69/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Belgian style beers brewed on premises. Aesthetic steel and formica. Staff not too interested especially if your french not up to snuff. Beers pretty good. No food.
Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.6 by larelle from Vermont

Oct 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by MatChar from Canada (QC)

Sep 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.14 by e_beaulieu from Canada (QC)

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by VABA from Virginia

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.41 by jophish17 from Georgia

Jun 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.68 by StoutBoi from New York

Feb 19, 2015
Photo of DawnOne
Reviewed by DawnOne from Canada (ON)

4.54/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
One of my favourite little bars in Montreal. Sad they no longer make the Blanche on the premises as it was outstanding on tap. Coup de Grisou (buckwheat beer) on tap is another of my favourites.
Jan 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.89 by rale from France

Dec 22, 2014
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
Stopped by here with JLindros on the trip through Montreal. Inside was very high class, almost industrial with all the polished metal. Beers were written on a chalkboard on the wall near the entrance and across from where one would sit at the bar. Bar tender was not very attentive at all, but upon having hop questions the bar tender got the head brewer, Isael Dagenais, who came over and explained his beers. The brewer offered us tastes of upcoming beers and all around turned a rather mediocre bar experience (as once the head brewer came over to sit down and talk to us, the bar tender ceased paying us any attention) into the type of experience we were hoping to find in Montreal. Definitely a highlight of our trip up.
Nov 16, 2014
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Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
11 beers on tap, all brewed on sight, and a few Belgian bottles. Decent pieces. Didn't get food.

Very high class atmosphere, very chic and almost but not quite pretentious. Bartenders were ok but not very tentative at first, but the brewer himself was very helpful and friendly, he talked a lot and gave us samples of up and coming beers. He really made the difference of a so-so visit to a great one. One of the highlights of the trip.
Nov 16, 2014
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.39/5  rDev -14.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
The first of just a few places I had time to visit on a short trip to Montreal. Decent vibe here, noir-ish. There was a fairly good selection of beers to choose from, with a good range of styles. I believe samplers were available, but unfortunately the only beers I really had an interest in were only available in regular-sized pours. Thus--since it had already been a long day, and I had a tasting the next day--I only sampled two of the beers here, a DIPA and the Saison Framboise. Both were pretty average. The service left something to be desired. My bartender was evasive and detached for the most part. Took at least 5 minutes for him to take my drink order once I sat at the bar, and after that no service until several minutes of my glass being empty. It looked like they had small snacky food options, but nothing that really drew my interest.

Overall, this was not a bad place, but I doubt I would ever go back, mainly because of the service. And the beer didn't really leave me wanting more. Seems like there are other better bars in the nearby vicinity.

PS - If I remember correctly, this place does not take credit cards, and will only accept US money in $20 denoms or less.
Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dewso from Canada (QC)

Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by AnHeroicHippo from Canada (QC)

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by edugasmtl from Canada (QC)

Jul 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Jul 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DaveR514 from Canada (QC)

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by mrskunk from Connecticut

Jan 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by davegray from California

Nov 14, 2013
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Visited yesterday.

My initial impression is that of an urban/artistic diner. The bar and stools surrounding it give me this impression. Nice view of the brewing tanks beyond the bars. Big chalkboard with prices, descriptions (including ABV) and names of beers. The service was ok at first. Had to approach the bar but she let me try a beer before buying so that was cool. Again, not much vibe since it was early in the day. Has an artsy/retro feel to it that my wife would appreciate. I liked it and will come back for sure.
Dec 22, 2011
Photo of Tut
Reviewed by Tut from New York

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Le Cheval Blanc is one of the best brewpubs in Montreal and it's one of my favorites. I've drank there many times on numerous stays in Montreal and have always enjoyed their beer and atmosphere. I have no idea what happened during the previous reviewer's visit, but his one time experience is the complete opposite of my 15+ visits. I find it interesting(and telling) that he joined BA on 6/18/11 for the sole purpose of slamming Le Cheval Blanc and hasn't been back here since.

Le Cheval Blanc's beers are well made and they offer a very wide range of styles. The cask brown ale they had during my two week stay in August was excellent. The staff have always been polite and helpful and I've never seen them act rudely to anyone. I really like Cheval Blanc's slightly edgy(in a good way) vibe and the mixed group of people that frequent the place. I think Cheval Blanc is at it's best after dark and I often make it my final brewpub stop of the night. Whenever you go, give yourself time to adjust to the quirky ambiance and I think you'll really enjoy it.

One of the things I like best about Montreal's brewpubs is that they're small compared to American versions and each has a unique look and atmosphere that is very distinct. Ignore the previous review. Le Cheval Blanc deserves a serious visit from any craft beer fan exploring Montreal's offerings.
Sep 06, 2011
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Reviewed by ajzbeers from Oregon

1.68/5  rDev -57.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 3
This was the last day of a 2 week tour of Montreal microbreweries and the worst experience. Not only did the beer leave a bad diacetyl taste in my mouth but the service was horrible. When I asked if I could exchange my drink for another one the waitress not only denied my request, but got upset and began berate and curse at me for asking. I should also mention that this was after we paid a table fee and tip. In Montreal on business I was having drinks with representatives from five different breweries. We were so appalled that we left without finishing our drinks. I would not recommend this place to anybody.
Jun 18, 2011
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Reviewed by CBA from British Indian Ocean Territory

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
A well worth it stop amongest many choices in Montreal. A darker more mellow bar to have a pint of one of their excellent house beers or open your wallet for an impressive selection of imports - De Molen, Saint Somewhere, Bruery, Jolly Pumpkin etc. They've got kind of a 50's retro vibe going on with the lighting and formica tables. Service was tops, and despite our (my) woefully inadequete French we were well taken care of. Frequently serving a cask selection as well.

Had:
Cherry Porter - cask
Doppelbock - tap
De Molen Rasputin
De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis
Dec 31, 2010
Photo of bobsy
Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Popped in here on the Friday night of Mondial and was not surprised to see a large and eclectic crowd. The bar itself is surprisingly large, and had no problem accommodating the mass of people in there. Bizarre feeling to the place - part dive bar and part trendy bar. Seemed like a serious beer place, though, and the crowd seemed to know what they were about. Alongside the regular brews there was a great selection of funky wonders, and we worked our way through brett warrior IPA (100% warrior hops and brett-inoculated), 2005 Boon Geueze Mariage Parfait, and India Rouge on cask. I was also given some samples by other people at the table, and while the quality seemed to vary between awful (brett warrior) and great (India Rouge), all the beers did seem to have been kept well and displayed competence.

Service was decent, and for the non-Frnacophones out there, English was spoken. Food menu appeared to be limited, and none was being served by the time we got there (11pm). Prices seemed to be pretty decent.

A decent stop in the area, which would make a good stop on a pub crawl. Its not at the same level as L'Amere a Boire or Dieu du Ciel, but the addition of a cask is a huge plus, and I'd happily go back again.
Jun 16, 2010
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Reviewed by Yoonisaykul from Canada (QC)

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Being about 7 blocks from my office, I would drive or walk by here regularly and notice the bummy looking boomers smoking in front, talking loudly and looking drunk. Apart from the name, nothing made me think this place was different from all the other crusty bars in the neighborhood. A few reviews on BA convinced me to check it out.

Yes! What I can now say is that I was partly right about my prejudice but it's all worth it.
The beers on tap are (I'm pretty sure) all their own recipes and brewed on the premises. Some are very good. Some taste kind of dirty and/or homebrewed.
They also have a smallish selection of great imports.

The bar staff is nice but doesn't know much about beer. I asked the barman which nitro-taps he had to which he pointed the cask handle. I then said the ones with the black tips and got a good answer.

I've met lots of interesting people there like brewers and beer enthusiast tourists but also (mostly) saw a lot more nutcases and freaks. I don't have a problem with druggies and freaks, they're often very entertaining and lots of my friends are, but sometimes you just wan't to enjoy a good beer in a quiet setting or with like-minded people.

The menu is particularly simple but very good and of quality just don't arrive there hungry, they're basically snacks. They don't know anything about the food they serve either: I asked what kind of saucisson were in my plate and they couldn't really say.

Cool atmosphere but definitely not ideal to taste some of the expensive (up to $35) imports.

In the two weeks following my first visit I have returned 6 times for 5 hours at a time and twice for a quick 20 minute pint. I've also introduced 5 friends to the place who all said it was cool/great and wanted to go back.
They also have concerts/shows which can be great fun or annoying depending on your mood.

All in all: The beers are great. and the people are either super chill and interesting or crazy and disturbing (in every sense of the word).

Not perfect but I do love it and hope to return often.
Apr 05, 2010
Photo of Viggo
Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Stopped in here over the weekend to meet up with some friends. About 5 to 10 minutes up from Berri-Uqam station.

Very artsy atmosphere, pretty hip looking crowd, most everyone chatting and downing some pints. Decent interior, slightly trendy but still has an old school feel. Seemed like a lot of locals gather here.

They did have a cask engine and I enjoyed a good pint of their IPA Rousse. Had a few beers and all were pretty solid, nothing crazy but definitely good value. They have a small food menu, pretty much the norm in Montreal brewpubs. Had a fantastic plate of cheese and olives though. Service was good, the servers didn't go out of their way very often but it never took very long to grab a pint. A good stop in Montreal. Not a must like DDC but definitely required if in Montreal often.
Feb 16, 2010
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Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
My wife and I did a quick, two day brewpub and good food tour of Montreal (and then on to Burlington VT) in early June of 2009. Our brewpub stops in Montreal were determined by high BA ratings and proximity to public transit.

These five Montreal stops put me at 273 stops in my quest to visit every quality brewer/brewpub. Below is a ranked list of our stops starting with the best at the top. They were all worthy visits and Montreal is a great destination if you ever have the chance to visit. The specific review follows the list.

Le Saint-Bock Brasserie Artisanale Inc.
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Benelux Brewpub & Café
Le Cheval Blanc
L'Amère à Boire

Le Cheval Blanc had 8 house beers coming in around 5% each. Atmosphere is lounge meets diner (which we guessed is what it was in a former life). Funniest part of this stop was when my wife tried to flex her French and the server told her, in plain English, to speak English.

Fourteen mostly Belgian guest bottles. I had a sampler with blanche, Coup de grisou, non-filtered amarillo pale ale, India dark ale, and a 6 month imperial stout. Kudos for offering such unique and well crafted beers.
Jun 30, 2009
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Reviewed by Otterburn from Canada (QC)

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I might be wrong but this is the first brewpub in Montreal..

Situated east of metro Berri-Uqam on Ontario street.

This is a fun place to go, very nice vibe with artworks on the wall, sometimes there is vernisage from local artists.

Theres that kind of artistic vibe around this place and its fun to hang out here.

Beers are fresh original and good, service is alright,kind of laid back a little bit but efficient, there is a good selection of beers on taps. It's reasonable for the price.

It's quality brews with a nice vibe around this place.
Feb 02, 2009
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Reviewed by altgeeky1 from New Hampshire

4.66/5  rDev +18%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
A bit away from downtown, but worth the trip. Great selection and with amazing prices. Where the hell else can you get a 20oz rauchbier for $3.25?? Atmosphere's dark, like a 50's diner with a secret. The whole thing is rows of tables along the left wall, with a diner counter on the right. Bar has bolted down diner stools you couldn't possibly fall outta, and there's so many good beers you want to test that theory. 1 raised table on a dias in the back of the room, and a small patio out back. Went there in the daytime, and the place was still over half full, but not noisy.
Jul 17, 2008
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Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
One of our stops on the 2008 Mondial pub crawl.

Interesting place...long and skinny with the bar on the right as you walk in the door. This leads to a raised area at the back, which might be a stage during performance times....but for your group of 8 it is where we sat!

Art deco like 1950 American diner thing going on. Nothing crazy but interesting nonetheless.

If I recall they had about 8 beers on tap....and damn if I didnt loose my tasting notes from here...I know a had a beer or two but I cant for the life of me remember what they were!

Service was go up to the bar and order. The tender was very friendly and more than happy to speak English to our American group.

All in all a nice place...and with it being so close to St Bock and L'Amere a' Boire I am sure we will get back for another visit. This time I wont loose my notes!
Jul 06, 2008
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
A better than average quality beer place East of downtown and north of Old Montreal. A must stop for the beer geek. Safe. Just about every table taken, but the bar fairly wide open, so where do you think I sat. Crowd of Twenties to Fourties Quebecoix, with the long hair thing. So while harmless though they stare at you, it may be intimidating to someone not used to this sort of thing. Bartender was knowledgeable and competent and in charge. Very reasonabley priced. Fairly dark at night. Like other Quebec establishments, something to read for my non-drinking friends, in English please. I will go back.
Aug 21, 2007
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Reviewed by jjboesen from Maryland

3.99/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
The final stop of my Mondiale de le Biere sojourn, took me here. Located a very short walk down St-Denis from L’Amere a Boire and a left on Ontario East, Le Cheval Blanc, or “The White Horse” is in a rather scruffy neighborhood off rue Berri – shuttered storefronts, scattered trash, drunken squatters amid the fragrant scent of urine. Let’s face it, while no tourist to Montreal will ever accidentally stumble upon this place, any dedicated Beer Advocate would know of it – and seek it out as a beer destination.

And it is a destination worth doing so. Previous reviews have remarked that Le Cheval Blanc was once a diner. Possibly so, given that it is a very dark and narrow place with a long bar (counter) – its stools bolted down - on the right and some raggedy-looking tables along the opposite wall. (Of course, it was dark, so who knows what they were?) Include in some red lanterns, a few slow-moving ceiling fans that rotate over the heads of grungy, unwashed slackers and add a chalk board listing a wide selection of house beers, such as my choice: the India Rouge Amercaine IPA (62 IBU, 6% ABV).

Le Cheval Blanc earns no points for aesthetics, but gets much respect for being a very unusual place to spend a final night in Montreal enjoying a beer.
Jun 26, 2007
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Reviewed by rrwiltse from Colorado

3.66/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
One of the more interesting brewpubs we visited! Upon approach on the street, there were quite a few people outside Le Cheval Blanc on the sidewalk, very drunk and rather obnoxious (it was rather late on a weekday)...not a great first impression, but I guess at least they had a good time! The interior is certainly interesting--you can tell this place has been here a long time! Lots of black, lots of stainless steel (including the bar!). Long and narrow, and possessing an interesting vibe with a diverse crowd--college kids, loners getting drunk at the bar, and couples. Quite a few brews on the beer board--honestly, I can't remember what all was there, we were pretty tipsy by this point of the evening. The bartender was effecient without being overly friendly. I remember the blanche I had was quite good, and I wished we had had more time and alcohol tolerance to spend there! Certainly worth a visit!
Jul 27, 2006
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Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Headed back to the Le Cheval Blanc after a sunny afternoon at the Mondiale and subsequent visits to Dieu De Ciel and Vices et Versa. It was a final stop after a long day of travel and drinking. Handily situated close by to the Hotel where I was staying with BA Erica, we ended up meeting BA’s Andy and Jennie as well as again bumping into BA’s goodbyeohio and Spesh, plus their entourage of friends and loved ones with whom we had shared a few brews earlier at the Mondiale.

From the outside it looks rather simple; a large white lettered sign sits above a two-tone frontage and simply advertises the establishment as the ‘The White Horse’. To the right a black frontage with windows whilst to the left a silvered frontage houses the entrance, a little Art Deco in style.

History is engrained here, but it never seems to leap out at you. It was Montreal’s first licensed Brewpub way back in 1986. The interior is a mixture of several decades; overall the 1970’s punctuates all aspects with some retro 30’s fittings, 50’s décor and a sliver of modern day 80’s and 90’s here and there. Potted plants, which look plastic, juxtapose the red paper lantern style lighting. A clock sits at the back, rimmed with a green neon light. It is all rather dimly lit, yet the darkened interior certainly adds to the cozy ambience. T-shirts and LCB attire and other BrewPub ‘for sale’ articles randomly line the walls behind the bar. The tops of two stainless tanks are covered with glass spherical domes that add a ‘Lost in Space’ feel to the already confused interior. Difficult to nail down - except for the fact that it ‘works’ the eclectic décor angle rather well.

The inside is a long thin room, with the stainless steel topped bar to the right, whilst seating with tables, line the whole of the left wall. A small-stepped raised seating area is right at the back, this is thankfully lined with dark wooden paneling – this breaks up the rest of the walls which are all lined with green marble-effect Formica panels to a height of 5 feet. The Urinoir/Urinals are hidden from view, it’s a Quebec sport it seems to watch punters piss themselves whilst they frantically try to find the toilets – well here it’s the green-marble panel that is slightly darker than all the others just beyond the bar on the right hand side and it is actually a door, thanks to Andy Crouch for pointing that one out!

Beer range was good, 6 regular brews: Lager, Red Ale, Wit, Saison, Maibock and Stout plus a Seasonal Special I recall. I opted for the cloudy and quite funky White. The spiced coriander and Curacao in this one were omnipotent and the “all natural” character was self-evident. I sampled someone’s Stout and that too was a solid interpretation. The beers seemed OK, maybe above average once in a while, but nothing shattering.

Cheval Blanc does food but I had already eaten; the Menu contains snacks like Nachos and Cheeses.

Service was OK, I always had beer in my glass and we certainly did not get ignored.

I enjoyed Le Cheval Blanc; it has self-defined character and a unique identity which grows on you. It is not drawn down with a Restaurant crowd, but just frequented by drinkers enjoying a few beers and chatting in a relaxed laid-back ambience. Sadly, as close as it was to the Hotel where I was staying, I would have liked to have spent more time in here to be honest. Maybe a quiet afternoon with a few brews, or an early morning hour session to close out the day. Whilst the beers are not the greatest, I’d still love to get back here.

Last Visit: Friday 2nd June, 2006.
Jun 10, 2006
Le Cheval Blanc in Montréal, QC, Canada
Brewery rating: 3.74 out of 5 with 197 ratings