Benelux

Love the beer here. Always great and always new brews to try.
Atmosphere is great too. Inside or out… But especially out in the summer!
However, the food REALLY sucks. Or at least it did today. I’ve been here at least 15 times since it opened but have never eaten here. Based on today’s experience, I never will again. Burger was white (?!) and pulled pork panini stank! Maybe an exception, maybe not. To their credit, they discounted the bill but not sure I would risk trying the food again.
Well… I guess they do say eating is cheating!
Once again. Amazing beer!

Late one Friday night, my beer-​loving friend and I wanted to go out for drinks so he brought me here. We arrived around midnight to find a dimly lit, lively but nice bar filled with a late 20s/​30-​something clientele. We settled into a cozy little nook off to the side of the main bar area that was fitted with several tables and comfortable booth seats. It struck me as a place where you could go to mingle if you wanted, or where you could have a nice, intimate time with just you and your significant other. We loved trying all of the different beers. I love a good IPA and theirs did not disappoint. The ambience plus the beer plus the music made for a wonderful end to the night. The only blemish on the night was a group of annoying hipsters who arrived and apparently thought that the entire bar needed to hear their conversation. But hey… it’s Montréal… there’s no escaping them.
I would definitely recommend this place as a final date stop before ending the night (or continuing it at home…).

good beer, really bad food, lousy service, had to wait 10minutes berfore the waiter actually noticed we were there
then took another 10 minutes before we were served
and the place was not busy,
Hmmmmmm, very disappointed

C’était ma première fois dans une brasserie et j’ai adoré l’expérience! J’aime l’ambiance, la musique, le service, la nourriture et, évidemment, la bière! C’est certain que j’y retourne pour les match de hockey et les mardis tacos à 2 $! :) Je suis fière d’avoir une brasserie de qualité à 2 minutes de chez moi. ;)

We come here mainly for the beer which is always interesting. The terasse is a great place to read a book and enjoy a drink or get together with friends. $ 5 pints during Canadians games.

Went for a 5@7 for work, 2^nd time here. I really liked it the first time but due to the bar-​rules and regulations in Verdun they were still only serving micro-​brass beers… I’ve never been able to drink beer no matter how long I’ve wanted to or how many times I’ve tried…
Tonight a colleague appeared to have an amaretto sour and i was very pleased to be able to order glasses of red wine… as well they still had an array of interesting beers i wish i could appreciate… also i think i saw a bottle of cognac being poured while i was outside on the heated terrasse…
The food is not to be ignored either, had their homemade hummus and chutney tonight and last time tried the sausages and some mini taco type plate and all are fantastic!
Prices are very reasonable and the atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable. Show up dressed to impress or in rags: u fit in either way. Beautiful décor, perfect blend of chic and chillax, but they didn’t flip out when one of our colleagues accidentally broke a glass making an arm gesture which was super appreciated. Service was perfect, attentive, but not annoying, and fast! Definitely making this place a regular!

I stopped in here for the first time tonight, a Saturday, around 6:30pm, and I have to agree with most other comments… the service needs to be improved.
When you walk in, no one greets you and you’re just kinda left to figure out what to do. Should I pick a table and hope they see us? Do we have to go up and order at the bar? Are we supposed to wait at the door? Who knows?
We decided to take our chances and chose a table and sat down. We grabbed our own menus from a nearby table and waited. And waited. After a while my boyfriend went up to the bar and ordered there. It didn’t take too long to get his beer, but my panini took a bit of time. I must admit, however, it was worth the wait. I ordered the chicken panini with vegetables, cheddar and pesto. My first bite it felt like it melted in my mouth. Absolutely delicious. The ingredients were blended together perfectly and the bread was soft and fresh. Yum. I don’t particular like that it comes with chips and olives and no other choice… I wish I could get a little salad or something instead since I don’t like olives and chips aren’t my favortes thing to eat. Although the chips were good quality and served warm which was nice.
All-​in-​all, I will likely be returning since my boyfriend loves the beer and it’s within walking distance to our place. The panini I’d rate a 5 and the service a 1, hence my overall rating of 3.

What an upgrade from the Benelux on Sherbrooke!
I had avoided the other location for several years after a couple really claustrophobic experiences involving really lousy service.
The terrasse is a gem; it’s no Ste Elizabeth-​secret-​garden but it comes damn near close. The service wasn’t great but man-​oh-​man were the micro brews good. I had the wheat wine and my partner had the scotch ale (both priced at a reasonable $ 6 for happy hour!) and we were both over the moon with beer-​glory.
My only actual complaint for the place would be the food menu– beyond being a pretty simple menu I asked our waiter if we could tweak one of the sandwiches and he informed us that their sandwiches were pre-​made and no-​can-​do. Meh. I probably could have been inclined to stay longer if their food game was upped.
Needless to say, its worth a haul to Verdun for the beer and the sweet space.

Good place for a drink with friends or alone. Good prices but service something that needs to be worked on.

Love this place. Love it love it love it. Best terrace in town as far as I’m concerned (although the inside is nothing short of spectacular either). Totally worth the trip to Verdun. (Have we talked about this? Don’t be so quick to overlook Verdun, guys, It is a happening place.)
The beer (which is brewed on site, or mostly on site) is delish, with many different varieties for different tastes. There are some good snacks, mostly of the panini, hotdog, chips, and olives variety.
Service tends to be kind of slow but friendly and helpful with beer choices, and the price is just right.

Le ouate de phoque est incroyable! (Bière blanche) tellement hâte de la déguster sur la terrasse cette été! Par contre, service un peu déficient…

Benelux on Wellington frustrated me beyond words last night.
After finishing a Zumba class across the street, a friend and I popped in here for a quick drink and something small to eat.
We walked in at 8pm and got seated. After 10 minutes of trying to get the attention of the hostess to place our orders, she came over and said that she would be back. 15 minutes later (since arriving), I walked up to the bar asking if someone would serve us. The same hostess barely glanced at me, and then told her co-​worker to attend to our table. She didn’t say a word to me or acknowledge the fact that they have been ignoring our table and ignoring me standing right there in front of her.
By the 20 minute mark, we put our coats on not interested in begging for service. There are tons of other places to go to on Wellington.
As we walked away from our table, the co-​worker asked us what drinks we wanted and we said that having to wait over 20 minutes and repeatedly asking for service wasn’t really acceptable so we were going to leave. The answer we got in return? «Ok.» and he walked away.
This is definitely not a way to treat potential customers. I’m *never* going to set foot in a Benelux again — there really are about a million other places in the city to go to where you’ll find great service and a better atmosphere.
To whoever is running this joint, please train your employees to not just do their jobs, but to be courteous and apologetic when they mess up.
I’d give them a 0 if I could… Don’t waste your money here…

I went there
birthday with a few of my friends. We loved the cool look of the place. We also really liked the awesome tasting of the 5 beers for only 10 $ it’s a. great way of tasting. all kinds of beers. The food was okay. It took a realllllllly long time for the waiter to come back to get our food orders. When he did, it was aftet 8 and we couldn’t have the before 8 deal. He said that he would chec
k with the manager and NEVER came.back. I bad to go get him for him to tell me the same thing he 15minutes ago. Anyways after that whole thing we got our food and he brought me a. free beer for my bdAy. So I. forgave him. Overall good food, good beer and medium service

Although Benelux has been open for about a year now, it was my first time at the micro-​brewery. The pub features a selection of artisan beers and various meal options, among them a couple of vegetarian options. Upon entering my husband and I found most of the clients crammed up in the dimly lit alley terrasse, which was all for the better since we had almost all the pub to ourselves. The venue consists of a simple, casual and cozy lounge-​type bar populated by friendly staff. The noise level on a Friday night was low and enjoyable. Overall it’s a nice place to hangout.
I will be frank; I am no beer connoisseur or fan, so I cannot provide an in-​depth review of the finer notes of the beer. Since I am not a big beer fan, more drink options would be a nice addition. That being said, my husband enjoyed his old ale which was, I must admit, not too bad for a beer.
I recommend Benelux for anyone who is looking for a relaxing evening with friends. The atmosphere is nice enough that I’d consider going back without ordering a drink. I believe that says it all.

Benelux has been there for about a year now, apparently they have some growing pains to deal with. Ordered a Tex Mex Chesseburger, when i think of tex mex, i think of monterrey jack cheese, maybe some salsa in there, hot peppers, etc. I got a burger on cold bread with processed cheese (which i would not have noticed had it been melted), and the bottom bread was lined with mushrooms, it had a sauce what appeared to be Kraft Hamburger spread. I called over the server, to ask if she had made a mistake, but no, this was a Tex Mex burger. For real… Sorry Benelux… this doesnt even come close. The menu does not list their ingredients in their dishes. I despise mushrooms, and certainly would have opted for something else. The server promptly took away my «Tex Mex» burger and brought me a menu. I chose a euro sandwich with veal sausage. I asked the server exactly what was in it, veal sausage on a ciabatta with dijon. Plate arrives, there is a pound of vinegar laden saurkraut on top, another dish i do not care for at all. Both dishes came with a side of miss Vickies chips… which would have been alright had the main dish not been a total letdown.
Benelux seriously needs to put ingredients in their menu, at least for the folks who suffer from food allergies. As the prices are middle of the road, the food itself is below what one expect. With the plethora of great restaurants in Verdun, one could certainly make a better choice.

Client du Benelux ”le classique” sur la rue Sherbrooke depuis 2006, j’avais hâte d’aller à Verdun, découvrir le petit nouveau. Situé dans une ancienne Banque de Montréal, on retrouve donc le même concept que l’original, la bonne bière faite maison de qualité (noms des bières étant différent que l’autre Benelux), ainsi que le design urbain du bar, chaises, tables, magnifique plafond restauré et sans oublier la grande terrasse arrière avec même un petit feu au gaz. Le prix des pintes était de 5 $ lors de la soirée de ma visite dû à la partie de hockey, sinon prix régulier à 7 $. Tous les éléments gagnants sont là pour que ce nouveau Benelux connaisse le même succès que l’original ! Bravo, un client satisfait.

Que dire de plus que fantastique !
Et oui, lorsque rentre dans cette ancienne banque de la BMO, les odeurs de houblons caresse vos narines et vous emporte jusqu’au bar.
Une multitude de choix de bière artisanale sont disponible telle que la «Champion» ou la «Victor». Une sélection de sandwich accompagne d’olives et de chips (croustilles) sont à la disposition des gastronomes aux petites faims.
Une terrasse — jardin est disponible été comme hiver (avec un petit feux pour ce réchauffée par les nuits étoilés).
Ma place préféré pour prendre un verre à Verdun :)

At first we thought it was closed since we couldn’t see anything through the double door entry. Fortunately it was open as it is the only bar in the area. It was very dim in a classic lounge décor mixed into a new school lunchroom feel. Great sitting both indoor and out. $ 7 pints were tasty but the service was meh. No one came to our table until after we waiting 20 minutes and ordered our first round from the bar. Kitchen was open at 1 am, mostly panini and sides, had a bite if my friends and it was quite tasty. Would definitely go back if I were in the area, preferably to take over the outdoor terrace.

Tres belle place! Manqué qqll chaise .mais tres bien et c est a Verdun et non downtown. us de place pour stationnement

Après 138 ans, la bière coule à nouveau (enfin!) dans Verdun et je né pourrais pas être plus heureuse que ce soit Benelux qui ait l’honneur d’être le premier brasseur dans le quartier! De bons brasseurs montréalais avec une superbe réputation, je né pouvais m’attendre qu’à du positif pour leur nouveau lieu.
Effectivement, comme je m’attendais, le nouveau bar est vraiment top! La variété des fûts est différente de leur offrande sur Sherby et ça né m’a pas pris de temps avant de trouver ma nouvelle brassée: la Berlinoise. Pour ce qui est de l’ambiance, j’en suis tout autant impressionnée. L’intérieur est spacieux et j’adore la mazzanine au dessus des fermenteurs. Mais là où j’ai vraiment trippé, c’est sur leur terrasse! Elle a tellement de place avec de beaux recoins et quelques arbres. Un beau refuge.
Alors, comme Claude Frisoni l’a si bien dit, «Bière qui mousse amasse la foule.» Mais né vous en faites pas, contrairement au Benelux sur Sherbrooke, ici, ils ont de la place pour tout le monde!

So wonderful to have brew pub in Verdun. The pub is in a nice old building that used to belong to Bank of Canada. Today the vault is used to store precious liquid… Perfect garden in the back yard to sit and enjoy good beer!

I am not a beer-​gal, if you want to know about good micro-​brews, rare beers, good stuff vs. bad stuff, ask someone else because when it comes to beer, I’m pretty clueless. It’s just one of those tastes I never really acquired.
However, having said that, I had to come and check out Benelux, the first micro-​brasserie/​bar to have opened up in (normally dry) Verdun in something like 80 years and I wasn’t disappointed. They did a wonderful job with the back terrasse, with a controlled open pit fire, chairs and tables on fine pebbles, a side area with outdoor heaters along the building to keep you warm on those spring or fall chilly nights, a very friendly waiting staff, industrial washrooms (the building was once a Bank of Montréal) where some of the old vaults can be seen. I also have to give them points for keeping the old, giant tree in the back. It really is reminiscent of the beer gardens of Munich in that regard.
I did try the Regina, a white beer and I was impressed. Haven’t tried their food yet but the menu highlighted paninis, chips and the like. A very unpretentious, chill crowd, great tunes on the sound system, from bands like The Pixies, I’m so happy Verdun has scored such a great hang-​out.

Enfin, un bar à Verdun! En plein ce qu’il nous fallait dans le quartier. J’attendais l’ouverture du Benelux depuis si longtemps!
Puisque je né bois pas de bière, mon avis né touchera pas ce produit, mais plutôt le service, les repas et l’ambiance en général. J’étais un peu sceptique lorsque j’ai vu que le Benelux ouvrirait ses portes dans une ancienne banque. Je me disais qu’ils né rénoveraient sûrement pas tant que ça et je me demandais bien ce dont le bar aurait l’air. Quelle surprise en entrant! Les plafonds sont hauts, l’espace tout ouvert, wow! Le mobilier est également très beau. J’avais du mal à croire à une si grande métamorphose, bravo Benelux! Tous les clients avaient l’air heureux de s’y trouver alors l’ambiance était très bonne. Mon seul point négatif: les tables sont si rapprochées les unes des autres qu’il est selon moi impossible de juste rester debout pour discuter. Tout est hyper tassé, je n’ose même pas imaginer ce qui arrive lorsque la terrasse ferme à 23 h et que tous les clients se déplacent à l’intérieur pour le reste de la soirée…
Côté service, j’imagine que c’était moins bon parce que l’endroit est tout nouveau… Même si je me considère jeune, je n’aime pas trop qu’on s’adresse à moi en me tutoyant et en me parlant comme si on me connaît depuis toujours. En plus, la serveuse avait l’air dépassée par les événements. Je né dirais pas qu’elle était impolie, mais j’ai carrément détesté interagir avec elle. Cependant, je dois dire que même si l’endroit était bondé, le service a été assez rapide. Nous avons tous reçu nos boissons et sandwichs en un rien de temps. J’ai commandé le panini poulet et avocat et j’ai été plutôt déçue (disons que je préfère ceux que je cuisine moi-​même à la maison!). Plusieurs de mes amis avaient quant à eux commander des hot-​dogs européens et ils ont tous adoré!
Puisque c’est tout près de chez moi, j’y retournerai certainement pour profiter de la terrasse et qui sait, peut-​être commencer à aimer la bière!

Assez accueillant comme premier pub dans lequel on met les pieds en arrivant sur Montréal pour la 1ere fois! Bons souvenirs avec ma gang d’étudiants de la même filière universitaire que moi.
Convivial même pour apprendre à se connaître! Pas d’ambiance froide, mais au contraire invitant à la discussion.

Nous sommes allés au Benelux le weekend dernier pour souligner un anniversaire.
Lors de ma soirée, j’ai vu beaucoup de potentiel et je devrai surement y retourner a un autre moment pour y partager certaines impressions. Mais voici un bon début.
L’endroit présente un décor très industriel, une très bonne touché qui se prête bien à ce type d’établissement. Plusieurs coins et tables pour s’y installer entre groupe d’amis par exemple. Nous étions là vers 11:00 par contre. Nous n’avons donc pas pu profiter de la terrasse qui semblait très agréable ! surtout avec cette chaleur suffocante qu’il y avait à l’intérieur étant donné tout ce beau monde entassé !
Pour ce qui est des bières, il y en avait pour tout les goûts et leur plateau de dégustation est une très bonne alternative pour les premières fois afin de trouver LA bière qui nous convient. Par contre, les bières manquait un peu de broue et d’effervescence. On aurait dit qu’il manquait quelque chose au tout pour en faire des bières parfaites.
Donc, j’y retournerai c’est sur, et je me réviserai si il faut !
Bonne Bière !

Verdun avait besoin d’un bar depuis un bon bout de temps maintenant, et oh combien je suis contente que la gang de Benelux ait eu le courage de passer au travers toute la paperasse et les obstacles pour devenir le premier bar du quartier depuis plus d’un siècle!
Je suis allée à leur deuxième journée d’ouverture alors qu’ils n’avaient qu’une bière de disponible, une blonde que j’ai bien aimée. Depuis, ils ont rapidement ajouté d’autres concoctions mais je n’y suis pas encore retournée alors je me laisse le temps de l’essayer encore quelques fois et tester leurs futures bières avant de leur accordé la fameuse 5e étoile! J’ai aussi entendu parler que leurs futures bières auront toutes des noms inspirés de la vie du quartier et des noms de rues. Ça fait sourire mon cœur de Verdunoise!
J’adore le fait qu’ils ont ouvert leurs portes avant que tout soit parfait et bien mis en place pour nous donner un aperçu et nous permettre de découvrir l’endroit au fur à mesure qu’il se construit. J’adore le décor autant à l’intérieur qu’à l’extérieure et je suis vraiment impressionnée avec le concept de la terrasse à l’arrière. Ça risqué d’être une des terrasses les plus «hot» en ville cet été!

Woody Allen once joked that he made a five o’clock reservation for the Copacabana nightclub. He took a date there and watched them set up.
That is kind of how I felt visiting the Verdun-​based Benelux this past weekend.
This bar has a ton of indoor seating and a somewhat industrial, stainless steel ambiance that works well for a brewpub, while the outside terrace was pleasantly packed for a sunny Saturday afternoon, but still large enough to accommodate two bubbly people strolling in.
Unfortunately, the home-​brewed beer was a lot less effervescent than its patrons.
Each of the five beers in their sampler was flat and under carbonated. The flavors were there, and for the most part showed potential, but the beers were just too watery to be truly enjoyed.
Given they only opened this month, it’s not surprising that they may have rushed into action and gotten a bit ahead of themselves to get a nice variety of beers on the menu, but what we drank was not quite ready for prime time.
I found that a bit disappointing, as they could have waited to launch until everything was ready, especially since they have the monopoly on bars in this area, with no imminent competition on the horizon. But rushing things this way, and even opening up with only one beer on tap and their terrace incomplete as another review indicated some days earlier, seems a bit greedy. It conveys they are in it for the money and not about bringing tasty, unique beers to light.
While the beers we sampled were imperfect, their stout did offer subtle coffee flavors that I did enjoy, while their Munich-​style amber ale was equally promising.
I would, however, pass on their American Pale Ale that had pungent floral notes the next time, as well as their Hefeweizen that lacked some of the the traditional clove and fruity esters I am more accustomed to when drinking this style of beer.
That being said, Benelux is backed with lots of brewing experience, and their brewpub on Sherbrooke West has never missed the mark and does seem to care about the product they sell, so I really hope they’ll work out the bugs and focus on their product, and become the toast of Verdun because of the beers they have to offer and not because they are the new kid on the block, and one of the only bars in this area.

Nice little spot and a great way to open the door for bars in Verdun. The bar was a little difficult to find as it looks like the BMO bank that once housed this space, and in fact, the bank of ATMs are still available for use during business hours. As such, I walked by it twice before I finally double check the address and looked up to see the barely visible Benelux sign.
The space inside is really nice. There is a second floor of seating and a large window overlooking the brewing stations in the basement. I’m really fond of the interior and layout.

Came here on day two of it opening — they’re still building the terrace out the front, and they only have one beer on tap (because all beer sold must be brewed IN Verdun, due to the antiquated laws in this neighbourhood).
The venue itself is amazing. The interior is tastefully done, with lots of wood, plenty of tables and seats, and hiiiiiiiiiigh ceilings. While the inside is great, the outside is better.
The terrace out the back is large, and has lots of seats. There’s a bunch of couches and tables down the side (which looks like they’ll be enclosed in Winter), and the main section is a nice mix of sun and shade. The installed benches are great for fitting plenty of people in comfortably. This is going to be one of the best terraces in Montréal.
The only beer they had was a blonde, and it was a good one — I expect more good beers to be available soon, given the quality you can get from Benelux’s other Montréal venue (on Sherbrooke).
This place was a easy 4 stars — even with only one beer on tap — but being the only real pub/​bar in Verdun gets them a bonus star!