The rooftop of this historic building from 1850, high above the city’s crowded sidewalks, deserves the honour of your visit if only for its classic-bar resolve amid raging swankification. As you sip on your $10.00 White Sangria, take a glance around the terrace, complimented with dried flowers and candles, the crowd grows as the sun sinks away into a black Montreal skyline.

All fine, but have you ever thought about the fact that Hotel Nelligan is one of the best spots in town for those many, many days when there's a chance of showers? Indeed, sitting inside the straddling hotel restaurant, Verses, during a summertime rain shower is a true Montreal pleasure, the smell of the ozone off the park, the sight of hipsters strolling in puddles, the knowledge that when it clears up you might have a chance at one of those prime seats on the terrace. Clearly, the chance of rain is an odd thing to think about when considering an outdoor cocktail, but if you've lived here long enough, you too know it's an essential concern. - R.B.