Café Campus

Worst music venue. Doors opened at 7:30 and we got in at 8:45 having stood in line for 75 minutes. Thus missing half of Johnny Flynn’s opening act. Sound system was terrible. Guitar distorted and bass heavy. Lyrics were incomprehensible — why would you want understand the words of a singer/​songwriter? Not a place I’ll ever go back to.

LE lieu incontournable des jeunes francophones qui ont envie de bouger leur body dans une ambiance incroyable et très décontractée.
L’endroit en lui-​même n’a en réalité rien d’exceptionnel, mais leurs soirées spéciales et le public qui le fréquente rendent le tout bien agréable pour une soirée entre amis. Avec ses trois étages on arrive toujours à se trouver une petite place même pendant les soirées à succès. Attention cependant au line-​up qui peut être bien long, le mieux est d’arriver tôt, se faire tamponner quand il n’y a encore personne… et revenir plus tard.
La soirée incontournable et très prisée du Café Campus est bien sur le «mardi rétro»: tous les mardis c’est un come back sur les oldies qui est proposé. Parfait pour les nostalgiques ou ceux qui veulent réviser leurs classiques.
Des spéciaux sont proposés en tout temps au bar, mais il faut aimer la bière (et la bière pas bonne).
Bons moments assurés…les anglophones risquent par contre de s’y ennuyer.

Young crowd, mostly freshman/​sophomore in college and then of course the random older «dudes» that infest a club with a cheap cover. The layout is interested, for there is a small dance floor but platforms to climb up and dance on. The lighting is cool and electric, and the smokiness that envelopes the dance floor is really fun! But i can’t say my experience was any better than any other average club in this area. Side note though, if you’re a girl perhaps looking for a fun girls night out or to not get groped and touched while on the dance floor by older men that don’t respect your space then don’t go here! But if you’re up for that, then you do you!

This is kinda an odd shaped venue. It was a pretty crowded event on 4÷20÷14 so i stood in the back near the bar and could only see like half of the stage. If it’s a band you really like, I would suggest fighting to get up close. Other than that, it was a good time. Easy to find and friendly people!

Café Campus is a student club, and a crazy one at that. I like this place because it’s down to earth — drinks are cheap, people are chill. Yup, it’s all good here.
Ever so often, local artists will be performing on a separate stage floor behind a random door in the staircase. No surprise, it’s chill here too.

This review is based on attending the Impro Musicale event which happens on the first Thursday night of each month,
My first impression: a LOT of stairs. If you’re a sweet young thing looking to dance the night away, not a problem. But if you have a physical disability, good luck. There are railings for all except the outside stairs.
My second impression: a friendly crowd. There were lots of student-​aged folks but enough older people (we are in our late 30s) that we didn’t stand out. It was a «have a beer or two» vibe.
My third impression: a smoothly-​run event. The event started on time, moved quickly between elements, and had great participation from the audience. The LIMM sets up a battle between two bands, improvising within a set style with certain constraints to tell a story, much like improv sketch comedy. The audience votes for the winner of each improvisation and has the chance to contribute ideas.
And FUN! It was so much fun. The musicians had a lot of talent and imagination. If you like music in any way, you will have a blast.

Le Café Campus, le QG des étudiants !
L’endroit n’a rien de bien exceptionnel, une grande salle tout simplement, accompagné d’un étage! Ce que j’aime, c’est de pouvoir s’y rendre en y allant relax, pas besoin de sortir la petite robe et talons, de temps en temps ça fait plaisir surtout quand il fait un froid de canard ! La boisson de prédilection est bien évidemment la bière, c’est pas hyper bon mais le pichet est pour rien alors on en profite !
J’y suis allée plusieurs fois et en général, il y a une bonne ambiance, assez rétro, c’est plutôt cool de se défouler sur de bons vieux morceaux !

I often go there on Tuesday where the pitcher is at 5 $. It’s certainly not a top notch place, but for what you’re paying it’s all right. You mostly have the international students from France going to this place… I have to say it’s not very classy, I’ve seen some pretty odd things there, but it’s a good place to go to with your friends to drink and have a good time. I always have a good story to tell.
For the music… ehh it could and should be better… Basically, you want to go there for the cheap beer.

On s’y amuse vraiment bien! L’endroit n’est pas exceptionnel, mais c’est l’ambiance qui fait tout. Je recommande les mardis soirs. Il y a beaucoup de monde et la musique est entrainante. Même si tu n’as pas envie de danser, tu n’as pas le choix ;)
Pour la petite anecdote, le Café Campus est né d’un boycott de la cafétéria de l’Université de Montréal décrété par l’Association Générale Etudiante de ce campus.

I’m a sucker for decades music so, on a quiet Tuesday night, I decided to spice some things up. Not being from Montréal (my friend and I are coming from Vancouver) we like to ask the locals on their opinions of certain places. Café campus had very mixed reviews so I decided to check it out for my self. And it was quite the experience to say the least. Upon our arrival, the kids in the line (notice how I don’t say people) look way too young to be out at that time (okay it was only 11). But anyways, cover was only 2 dollars because we got there before 11. Walking in we were bombarded with suffocating smoke and extremely drunk girls. Again, of which whom looked too young and innocent. It almost seemed like they were presented with alcohol for the first time. SUPER cheap drinks, I’m talking 5 dollars for a pitcher, but absolutely shitty service. I usually tip at the end of the night, but the bartender said, and I quote «you need to tip here when you get a drink». I laughed ad gave her a much better tip then she deserved. The people were VERY young, or maybe just acted very young, and the guys were there on a mission. My friend and i got two pitchers so we were forced to stay there longer then we had liked. But I digress, go to café campus with a big group of friends if you like to get plastered and dance (you would need to be super drunk to have fun) and don’t mind dirty whispers from complete strangers, but if you’re looking for more of a mature and relaxed setting STAY AWAY.

First time at this venue. Great place to see a small band, great seating arrangements so everyone can see.

What a joke! They played backstreet boys and Will Smith’s getting jiggly with it. The smoke machine pretty much suffocates anyone remotely close to the front of the dance floor. Drink prices were the only good thing about this place. I realize there is a possibility it could have been 90s night, but there were way better songs back then to dance to than what was playing. The 2^nd star comes in because the DJ actually took requests unlike other DJs. The venue is quite large and has the potential to be bangin. They would have to cease with the smoke and ensure a better line up. 4 stars for potential, 2 stars for my experience there.

Une soirée passée la bas hier soir, un mardi, un des rares endroits à être ouvert ! C était une soirée rétro, idéale pour mes potes et moi qui avons passé la trentaine, on connaissait toutes les chansons…:) pintes de bière à 5 $, piste pas mal, l’endroit doit être encore plus chouette quand il y a du monde. on y retournera sûrement ce week end pour voir !

Mon 100ième avis, déjà ! J’avais envie de noter quelque chose d’un peu plus exotique que les snacks dürum de Bruxelles, je me rends donc à Montréal où j’ai passé un Ersamus de folie de 5 mois. Quand j’y repense, je suis tout nostalgique :-(.
Le Café Campus, c’est le lieu de rencontre des étudiants. C’est une sorte de boîte dédiée à leur gloire: P, oh mon dieu quand je repense à toute ces soirées passées là-​bas… J’habitait en plus à deux pas de là, Rue Saint-​Denis.
Deux étages, des bières qu’on vous sert à la cruche, des shots, my god, c’était bon ! Excellent pour les erasmus comme moi, pour les natifs de Montréal, c’est sans doute un peu moins sexy.
J’y retournerai un jour ! Oui oui, j’y retournerai !

Campus has a couple different floors with different stages of different sizes, all with totally different vibes depending on the night. Like lots of great places in Quebec Campus is run as a coop — ie; it’s co-​owned by the staff and all members and it’s run with a decidedly community-​oriented vibe, participating in most festivals that happen in this fest-​craaazy town. The décor is kind of black box industrial, not in an aggressive way, just in a way that allows it to be a blank slate for whatever is going on. I’ve seen exceptional singer-​songwriters here, British girl groups, press conferences and massive variety shows. Anything goes, including straight up dance party. Check what’s on the schedule and if something strikes your fancy don’t hesitate to support this rad local institution.

If you feel like dancing to all the generic hits of the decades you’ve heard a million times this is the spot! I know it sounds mean but it’s not, sometimes that’s exactly what you want to do.
GOOD FOR DANCING! The floor gets busy and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.
Not so good for talking and lounging. Limited sitting space, no outside patio for smoking/​drinking.
Worth taking a look :)

Le 17mai 2011, jai ecrit :
Sympatoche, entrée gratuite pr tt le monde et carafe de bière a 5dolls avant 22h, soirée Annee 80 le mardi soir, ambiance étudiante!
Le bon plus est qu’on né nous prend pas la tete a l’entrée et qu’on consommé ce qu’on veut, il y a des places assises, 3 bars sur 2 etages, bcp de monde, mais surtout bcp de célibataires pr les cœurs brisés ;)
Cependant, né vous pointez pas avant 21h, vous risquez de vous trouver un peu seul, sauf si c’est pr réserver les bières ;)
Sinon rien a signaler, amusez vous bien ^^
Petite mise a jour de ce soir! (mercredi 18mai) :
Je sors tout juste du café campus où était présentés 5 humouristes de Montréal! A l’occasion des «Mercredis juste pour rire» et franchement, Café campus 2 fois de suite! Mais je né regrette pas d’y être retournée!
C’était simplement génial! Je m’y suis super bien amusée!
Je pense au départ m’ennuyer du fait de leur accent et de leur rapidité de blabla! Mais au final ! C t trop fuuunnnnnnn! Ils né sont pas connus mais ils sont tous supers!!!
Ca me fait un peu penser a un petit djamel comédie club, mais avec de nouveaux participants toutes les semaines ;)
Merci pr le spectacle! Et a bientôt ^^
je recommaaannnndeee!!! ;)

Un club plutôt sympathique même si la moyenne d’âge y est très jeune. Mais c’est normal, c’est le haut-​lieu des soirées étudiantes! La musique y est pas mal, plutôt moderne et… Jeune! L’endroit est grand, il y a deux étages plus une autre salle encore. On y est à l’aise pour danser. Idem pour les bars, il y en a deux, du coup on n’arrive à obtenir un verre (relativement) rapidement. Enfin, l’avantage d’un club étudiant, c’est que les boissons né sont pas chères!
Je vous le conseille pour débuter vos soirées, histoire de vous mettre dans l’ambiance.

I wasn’t really sure about this place when I read what others were saying about it. It didn’t really sound like my type of place. But this is where the conference was having their ‘after-​party’ and so I went along without high expectations.
It was really quite a good time! It does have a bit of a gungy vibe to it, but that fit it well. It is a nice venue but since most of the other people there at the time were conference attendees I can’t speak to the usual clientele of the place. I did notice on the way out that the queue was mostly younger but I could stand that as the venue is nice and cover is relatively cheap. Drink prices were relatively cheap as well so you can get well tipsy without breaking the bank.

I really like café campus, it has a laid-​back, casual (almost grungy) vibe to it. Whenever I’m in Montréal I try to make a stop here just for tradition’s sake. I will agree though, that the crowd is really young and there is alot of fighting that goes on. Cover is usually $ 3 – 5 which is awesome

VERY young crowd, mostly 18 year olds it seems, I would have a lot more fun here if I were at that age. $ 3 cover.