When I agreed to take my first story for the life section, a bar review, it seemed like a pretty good idea. It occurred to me later that being asked in the first place meant that I had developed an unwarranted reputation as a budding alcoholic, but I shook the thought, and decided to persevere.
I rallied two of my friends to join me on my Saturday night adventure and we set off enthusiastically for Mont-Royal metro. The bar, located on Mont-Royal Ave., was surprisingly close to the station and it was only a short walk until we were out of the cold.
Within the first five minutes something occurred to me: my friends and I were probably the only students there. After another five minutes, I noticed with some chagrin that the walls were decorated with stuffed ostrich heads. Thirty minutes in, I was quite sure that Bily Kun was not my kind of place.
I was surprised by how full it was at quarter to ten when we arrived. There was a good variety of drinks, cocktails, beers, and wines, all pretty well-priced. I recommend the Piña Colada, which was sweet and delicious. I had the house sangria, which I can only describe as tasting like an overripe raspberry, if you can imagine that. Also, they had snack food like nachos and fancy cheese trays, which is always a plus in my book.
Walking into the bar, or even seeing pictures of it online, it looks like a really good date spot, but believe me, that is not the case. There are all kinds of sweet little tables for groups of two and warm flickering lights. So what’s the problem?
First and foremost, the music was unnecessarily loud and off-putting. We’re not talking distinguishable songs either. It was more like nondescript upbeat elevator music. Whether you find that quirky or disorientating, it was definitely too loud.
Despite the setup, it was laughably difficult to carry a conversation because of the volume of the music. I am not exaggerating when I say it was pretty much impossible to be heard without resorting to an outside voice. So it’s a bar and it’s dark and loud, what else is new?
All I’m saying is that if you aren’t keen on seeing or hearing your date, this is the place for you. On that note, the yelling-to-be-heard-over-the-tunes can cause a lot of strain on your voice. If you plan on using it in the near future, or if you just want to avoid the dreaded morning after hangover rasp, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Okay, so let’s recap. The decor was outlandish, but definitely not boring. The bar was crowded and hectic. The drinks were fairly priced, but the music continued to grate on my nerves even after we left. These things are mostly a matter of taste, forgivable even, but here’s what really bothered me.
The waitress was initially attentive and polite, but as the night progressed, I felt like her patience was waning a little. And who could blame her? Working in a bar can be a trying experience, but considering that she makes most of her money in tips, she could have made more of an effort to perk up. As if that wasn’t enough, she completely forgot to bring my nachos until we reminded her 20 minutes in.
It was pretty busy, so maybe that explains the waitress’s attitude, but it is no excuse not to check on our section regularly. It causes me unparalleled frustration to find myself waiting for what seems like ages to put in another order. Am I right? I didn’t come to this bar to stare at my empty glass.
So I had a decent time, but I probably won’t be back anytime soon. That is, unless I get stuck with a really bad date. I guess in the end, like that date, Bily Kun just wasn’t nearly as charming as I imagined it would be.
I rallied two of my friends to join me on my Saturday night adventure and we set off enthusiastically for Mont-Royal metro. The bar, located on Mont-Royal Ave., was surprisingly close to the station and it was only a short walk until we were out of the cold.
Within the first five minutes something occurred to me: my friends and I were probably the only students there. After another five minutes, I noticed with some chagrin that the walls were decorated with stuffed ostrich heads. Thirty minutes in, I was quite sure that Bily Kun was not my kind of place.
I was surprised by how full it was at quarter to ten when we arrived. There was a good variety of drinks, cocktails, beers, and wines, all pretty well-priced. I recommend the Piña Colada, which was sweet and delicious. I had the house sangria, which I can only describe as tasting like an overripe raspberry, if you can imagine that. Also, they had snack food like nachos and fancy cheese trays, which is always a plus in my book.
Walking into the bar, or even seeing pictures of it online, it looks like a really good date spot, but believe me, that is not the case. There are all kinds of sweet little tables for groups of two and warm flickering lights. So what’s the problem?
First and foremost, the music was unnecessarily loud and off-putting. We’re not talking distinguishable songs either. It was more like nondescript upbeat elevator music. Whether you find that quirky or disorientating, it was definitely too loud.
Despite the setup, it was laughably difficult to carry a conversation because of the volume of the music. I am not exaggerating when I say it was pretty much impossible to be heard without resorting to an outside voice. So it’s a bar and it’s dark and loud, what else is new?
All I’m saying is that if you aren’t keen on seeing or hearing your date, this is the place for you. On that note, the yelling-to-be-heard-over-the-tunes can cause a lot of strain on your voice. If you plan on using it in the near future, or if you just want to avoid the dreaded morning after hangover rasp, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Okay, so let’s recap. The decor was outlandish, but definitely not boring. The bar was crowded and hectic. The drinks were fairly priced, but the music continued to grate on my nerves even after we left. These things are mostly a matter of taste, forgivable even, but here’s what really bothered me.
The waitress was initially attentive and polite, but as the night progressed, I felt like her patience was waning a little. And who could blame her? Working in a bar can be a trying experience, but considering that she makes most of her money in tips, she could have made more of an effort to perk up. As if that wasn’t enough, she completely forgot to bring my nachos until we reminded her 20 minutes in.
It was pretty busy, so maybe that explains the waitress’s attitude, but it is no excuse not to check on our section regularly. It causes me unparalleled frustration to find myself waiting for what seems like ages to put in another order. Am I right? I didn’t come to this bar to stare at my empty glass.
So I had a decent time, but I probably won’t be back anytime soon. That is, unless I get stuck with a really bad date. I guess in the end, like that date, Bily Kun just wasn’t nearly as charming as I imagined it would be.
Bily Kun is located on 354 Mont-Royal Ave. E. Hours: Monday-Sunday from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.
