Welcome to the Tiki Central 2.0 Beta. Read the announcement
Tiki Central logo
Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / Snowbird Tiki Bar, Montreal, Canada (bar)

Post #780912 by Piddersthecat on Fri, Oct 27, 2017 5:50 PM

You are viewing a single post. Click here to view the post in context.

FYI...my review is based on what I experienced and what I know of tiki (not very much according to all of the knowledge here). It's the first tiki bar that I've been to, so my excitement may have out weighed any objectivity I might have had.

This past week, I had the opportunity to meet up with my mother in Montreal. I'm not saying that Snowbird was why I agreed to shlep across the country in October, but it didn't hurt :). For what it's worth my mother turned 72 this past Sunday and has never been in a tiki bar, so most of the story is fairly entertaining from my point of view. We also went with my 70 year old aunt (who remembers going to the Kon Tiki when she was much younger). The trip may have been slightly doomed from the beginning.

I made a reservation because I don't leave a lot of things to chance and I would have been disappointed if I wouldn't have been able to go. it might have been the fact that it was October, it might have been the fact that it was absolutely pouring, or it might have been that I chose 5:30 as the time to go. Either way, there was only one table occupied when we got there, but two other small groups showed up later. I was super excited and may have told my mother and my aunt that it was a restaurant (not a bar that serves food). Those two got all dressed up. The looks on their faces when they walked in was priceless. To say that they were horrified was an understatement...while I was on cloud nine and bouncing off the ceiling. After an hour, my mother still wasn't convinced. She had me go check out the washrooms to make sure that they were clean. Just so you know, the washrooms were very clean and have bamboo covering the walls. :)

Here's the outside. When it's nicer (or summer maybe), they have seating outside (that's what the internet tells me).

The bartender sat us in a booth and left us to check out the menu...I knew what I was having, so I started taking pictures. This is looking along the bar from the back.

This is looking down the bar from the front.

This is facing the bar from our booth.

These are tables heading towards the back.

This is at the front of the bar.

This is at the end of the bar.

Next we have some lamp pictures.

Next we have some pictures of pictures...and a tiki.

And a puffer fish...

We ordered drinks. I started with a Mai tai (of course), my mom had a Singapore Sling, my aunt had a Cocomo (the bartender said it was their take on a Pina Colada). All three were very well made. I could have used a little more sweetness in the Mai tai (but I like sweet drinks). I was a bit surprised that they didn't use an agricole rum in the Mai tai (they have a lot of different choices where we have maybe 2).

Here's the Singapore Sling...I cut my mom out so I don't get in trouble.

And the Cocomo...

I knew from looking at the menu online, that Snowbird has a Pu Pu Platter. Well yes sir sign me up for flames and food!

Then I ordered a Painkiller because I've never had one. They didn't make it with Pussers, but it was really tasty (and I had nothing to compare it to). It was more my style, sweeter by a mile and it went down too easily.

Now I don't drink a lot. And I rarely drink in front of my mother, but by the time I finished the Painkiller, I was slurring. I was slightly embarrassed when the bartender had trouble understanding me when I said Aloha spirit. Yup that happened.

The staff was pretty great. They managed to make my mom coffee. Their shipment was delayed and they didn't have the ingredients to make their regular desserts, but they managed to make my mom dessert. They don't have mugs (or swizzles or matches, which disappointed me of course), but when I asked to buy a menu, the bartender gave me one. I thought that was pretty good of her.

So that's about all I have to say about Snowbird. If you're in the area, I think it's worth a visit!

[ Edited by: Piddersthecat 2017-10-27 18:40 ]