Barraca Rhumerie & Tapas

If you like rum and tapas, you'll love Barraca Rhumerie & Tapas. While sipping cocktails down south, François Forest and Danny Pyton began their love affair with southern-made rum. François had also travelled throughout Spain, sampling the local cuisine and discovering the centuries-old traditions of Spanish fare. Soon enough, an idea began to brew.

Back home in Montreal, they noticed that there weren't many places with a large selection of rum and were soon convinced that the area would welcome a comfortable place that served up southern cocktails and Spanish dishes. "We wanted to combine aspects of Spanish cuisine and tradition with the relaxed feeling of vacation cocktails," says François.

François and Danny were joined by friends Mathieu Aubin and Étienne Brabant, who ran successful bars in the city, and in July 2002, they opened Barraca Rhumerie & Tapas. Day one was a launch party for friends of the owners, and the rest is history. This lounge-style bar was an instant hit with young crowds looking for the ideal place for a drink, a date or a night out with friends.