With its narrow cobblestone streets, centuries-old buildings and (until a few months ago) horse-drawn calèches, Old Montreal is the last place you’d expect to find a 1950s Cuban hotel lobby. But retro Havana-via-Miami elegance is precisely what the owners of the Coldroom wanted when they remodelled the 150-square-foot souvenir stand above their subterranean speakeasy. The room boasts an ornate glass chandelier, white marble countertops and, behind the bar, dozens of Caribbean rums. True to its name, El Pequeño holds 10 people—11 if you count the chatty bartender, who regales visitors with Hemingway anecdotes while shaking cocktails and pressing Cubano sandwiches made from a recipe sourced in Miami.
TRY: A MUCHO AUTENTICO MOJITO BOOSTED WITH MINT SYRUP.
Photo: TOM SCULLY & JORDAN MATTIA
