Karaoke and dive bars go together like milk and cookies, and Sel et Poivre is one of the premier venues in town for it. It’s been around for over 40 years, and has made a point of offering bottom-barrel prices no matter what decade it’s pulling pints in.

A dive bar and casse-croûte rolled into one, this East End spot periodically hosts rather franco karaoke and comedy nights. Some say the fish ‘n’ chips are worth the trip.

Very francophone east Plateau bar Jono does cheap pitchers, cheap shots and will always screen Habs games, winning or losing. Great neighbourhood spots for both a game of pool and a round of pinball—if the machine works.

Right near various rapidly gentrifying parts of the Plateau is La Remise, an old favourite hockey bar.

Parc Extension is relatively light on bars, so if you're in the neighbourhood, this is one of your only choices, period. The jukebox is loud, the beer is cheap, and the crowd a tiny bit rough.

This Plateau bar of legend makes a point of serving cheap beer and shots on the regular alongside regular live music programming most nights of the week. Don’t be surprised to see locals cram into its tight confines, even when people try to play a game of pool in the back, or when someone feeds their dog a beer.

A much-loved dive on a stretch that's now infested with overpriced nightclubs, Bifteck draws crowds for Habs games, pool, and free, extra-salty popcorn (presumably to prompt you to drink more).

Blending into Chinatown’s lineup of unassuming addresses on its section of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, all you need to do is walk up a set of exterior stairs to get into this cavernous dive bars that’s filled with VLTs (video lottery terminals) and deals on cheap beers and mixed drinks.

A dive bar is always enhanced by a highway-adjacent location, which is the case here: right next to the Decarie Expressway. Le Bièvre (sometimes known as Bar Rouge) had a makeover a couple of years back, but we won’t hold it against the place.

Pretty much right above Charlevoix metro, Chic Régal is some 90 years old, decorated with Habs memorabilia, and often has karaoke.

A longtime reliable location for live music in NDG, the Wheel Club is a favourite of locals and travelling musicians alike, especially on Mondays when their regular Hillbilly Night shows features country music standards no furthers than the 1960s. They now allow food orders from nearby Ai Dumplings, but that’s all that’s really changed since the COVID-19 pandemic—beers and shots remain cheap.