Le Cheval Blanc

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
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!

07-06-2008 08:26:52 | More by Deuane

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
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.

08-21-2007 16:29:50 | More by northyorksammy

jjboesen

Maryland

3.99/5  rDev +2%
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.

06-26-2007 21:35:09 | More by jjboesen

dturchin

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -30.2%
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

09-05-2006 23:52:05 | More by dturchin

rrwiltse

Colorado

3.66/5  rDev -6.4%
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!

07-27-2006 01:37:31 | More by rrwiltse

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.86/5  rDev -1.3%
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.

06-10-2006 07:05:38 | More by TheLongBeachBum

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

visited this place later at night on a friday- it was full of after-work people, students, and some beer fest peeps.

this place is right smack-dab in the heart of prostitute central. if nothing else, that gives LCB some local flavor. the place itself reminds me alot of new york city and their bars.. it's set up in that deep but narrow railroad car fashion. there is a bar to the immediate right, but the left wall is crammed full of small, cramped tables and chairs. they go all the way back to the rear. bathrooms are on the right, as well as two bubble-domed beer kettles that look like rejects from a futuristic brewing movie. the toilets are oddly situated right across from the seating area and are the size of coach bus bathrooms. the walls of the bar area are covered in a hospital green marbled pattern, random plants hang from the ceiling. one small wall near the door has those thick glass tiles set into it, which feels very random. the place is dark and barely lit in an orange-reddish hue. kinda overall has a real bare bones/rummage shop feel.

the waitress we were assigned was very happy-go-lucky and friendly. when i asked her what the difference was between the $15 shirt and the $25 shirt, she spent five minutes researching the answer. also, she never let my glass sit empty for too long (big plusses!).

beers on tap during my visit were helles lager, stout, belgian wit, saison, maibock, india red ale and something called 'sparta'. couldn't quite figure out the style on that one. the i.r.a. was excellent with a citrusy understanding of the us west coast beers. the maibock was fruity and rich, deep with complex malts. most of the other beers i tried were ok- but fresh. i've had their bottled product and i definitely prefer 'dining in.' a good place to sit with a group, enjoy some fresh brews, and listen to actual good music (the only beer place in montreal that offers such an ambience).

there is food, i didn't have any, but the nachos looked really, really good. had we not just gorged on thai.. they might have been in order.

i don't think my group dug this place as much as me, but i have sentimental feelings of LCB. among other things, it's the first brewpub i ever visited.. ever. i can then remember drinking the fruity framboise and the creamy blanche wit and having some good conversation with friends. that's exactly what i did this time and i had a damn good time. just not the best beer in town.

06-05-2006 21:09:08 | More by goodbyeohio

dirkchivers

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

This place rocked. I can't argue with a place that places The Clash, Radiohead, and Le Tigre. It was very crowded to say the least, but then again, my friends and i showed up at 11pm on a Saturday. The waiters helped us out by finding a place to stand and offering up their beer menu of 7 beers, i believe. I had the Cream Stout, Blonde Lager, and the killer Triple. The lager was okay, not my thing, but the Stout and Triple were exceptional. The people that hang out there come off as real snotty indie types, but the staff was much more friendly, and i had a chat about beer with the bartender. The prices initially frightened me, 5 loons for a 14oz. pint, but the product made the exchange fair, and then again, i'm a cheap college student, anything over 3 dollars is too much. I would definatley pay 5 anyday for this beer though. I will be there again when i can get the gas money.

05-07-2006 17:20:55 | More by dirkchivers

Prufrock

Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Visited March-06.

Very nice atmosphere. Narrow but deep from the street, a long bar area with a few chalkboards listing the day's beers. The brew tanks are in the seating area (in some metal and glass casing), so you can actually set your drink on them and sit next to the beer you're drinking as it ferments. Not too smoky.

I didn't try the food, but I got a sampler of 5 oz. beers: blanche, amber, cerise, and a few others. Beers were pretty enjoyable, although nothing stood out as fantastic. They had eight or so on tap; the cerise was the most interesting.

03-13-2006 02:42:48 | More by Prufrock

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.14/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $

Funky and retro, Cheval Blanc seems to thumb it's nose at some of todays modern concrete,glass, and steel brewpubs.
Kind of long and narrow on the interior, with lots of tile and stainless, in groovey 70's tones.
Tables on one side, bar opposite- facing the cooler doors.
In describing this place, start at "unique" and take a left on "irreverant" ave.
Sort of like a french dining car with cool lighting fixtures, and beers that range from great to just plain odd.
Oh, yea, and let's not forget the small fermenter with a clear dome over it next to the bar, that looks like the head of a robot from "Lost in Space".
Always a wide range of beers here, featuring yeasts pioneered by the infamous Pierre Rajotte.
No big beers on my last visit, but a delicious Wit, an interesting mint-stout, and a pungent,warming Ceyenne concoction.
Didn't try the food, but the favorite local- panini, looked obtainable.
They also keep a stock of bottled beers in the cooler from brews gone by, so don't be afraid to ask.
Big ups to the barkeep that night, friendly guy, and he pointed us the one of the best meals/restaurants we had that weekend.
It was a hole in wall Portugese place, family owned and run, and had some of the best damn mesquite grilled calamari ever. Friggin' cheap too.

05-07-2005 13:26:34 | More by brewandbbq