Else's is another one of those hidden gems that Roy Street has to offer (the other one being Salon Officiel).

Else's is a real bar. Well actually, it's not a real bar because their alcohol license requires you to order something to eat (however small you want it to be) if you want to get drinks. But Else's has no dance floor, no people dancing on the bar, no TVs assaulting you with sports from every corner. It's just tables, and a small bar. The patrons are groups of students or local yupster; you will often see someone reading or writing in the bar.

The space is amazing: it feels authentic and homey. Behind the bar is large music cassettes collection (remember those?), the walls are plastered with photos of patrons and staff, accumulated in the over a decade since the bar has existed at the same location. "Else" is actually the name of the Norwegian lady (Else Smith) who founded the bar. Else has since passed away, but her legacy remains. As the name says, when you're drinking at Else's, it's as if you're drinking at a friend's place. And the bar really conveys that feeling.

Finally, what firmly sets-out Else's from other bars, are the huge windows that open all around the bar onto Roy and de Bullion Streets. You sit inside, comfortable in the warmth around a wooden table, but you can see the quiet streets all around you, with their trees and old houses; all this within a couple hundred meters of distance from the craziness of St-Laurent.

And this is what the magic of Else's and Roy Street is: it's central, right next to all the action, yet it is hidden and residential. You're in the middle of everything, but you're taking your time to enjoy a drink with friends.