arcon! - Gin and tonic please, and keep 'em coming! Summer-loving Montrealers are just as fond of outdoor boozing as martiniboys.com writers, and we solely agree that Hotel Nelligan’s Versus Sky is one sublime joint for kicking back in the sunset, people watching and playing hooky from the grind.

Work on your tan, make cell phone calls (unobtrusively, please), lower those designer shades occasionally to scope out the honeys at the nearby table (the sun doesn't go down for a few more hours) – and smoke!

Yes, smoke. Because of its open-air environs, the 100-seat terrace on the rooftop of Hotel Nelligan, with its awe-inspiring view of Old Montreal, wasn’t affected by Quebec’s public smoking ban, which is currently in full force. So strut through the Nelligan’s lobby, head for the top floor and order their signature “Clear Sangria,” a concoction of sparkling wine, white cranberry juice and lychees. Just waltz in like you own the place, sink into your seat, enjoy a drink and have a smoke.

The provincial anti-tobacco legislation has smokers scrambling for new places to have a smoke with their drink, which gives rooftop terraces an extra transient je ne sais quoi. And, Verses Sky - quite possibly the best rooftop deck in Old Montreal - is everything you’d expect from a boutique hotel roof-top patio – an impeccable view, beautiful people and killer cocktails.

Indeed, Versus Sky has a timeless romanticism about it; it also has great crab cakes, although on a busy night you might have to eat them standing up. That’s a grand slam. But just as satisfying is Versus Sky’s striking presence, which makes the relationship between roof-top and hotel more complex. It certainly helps that the whole package is so easy on the eyes.