Where to go bowling in Montreal

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Between its throwback diner and ten-pin lanes, this Hochelaga-Maisonneuve has been serving retro bowling vibes since the sixties. Only small balls roll down the salon’s 24 sanded lanes, an old-school format that makes the alley a popular hangout for straitlaced kingpins. Hints of the owner’s inherited love of the sport cover the walls, including tributes to The Dude and a vintage knit bowling sweater once worn by her father. Roll in late for nightly disco themes, or join the early risers to catch the diner’s cupcakes fresh out of the oven.

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The good times have been rolling at this landmark pinhouse since it first opened near the airport in 1959. With 66 polished lanes—58 tenpin and eight duckpin, Laurentian is Montreal’s emporium for all things bowling. An onsite pro shop and in-house experts make this laneway a top choice for leagues and tournaments, but peewee pin pushers are well taken care of here too, with 40 bumpered stations, Angry Bird formats, and a Dragon Slide for added serve momentum. Order a smoked meat sandwich and poutine for a bonafide Montreal bowing experience.

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Hang a left from the Cineplex atrium and follow the walls lined with hockey memorabilia on the way up to this fourth-floor sports bar in the Montreal Forum—former home to the Habs. Beyond the billiards, shuffleboards, arcade games and ping pong tables, iridescent indigo illuminates 16 lanes backed by big screens playing the game. Booth-style seating makes it easy to scarf down monthly pub grub specials like curry duck poutine and braised beef lasagna. Lanes are first come, first served, on Fridays and Saturdays, so plan to hangout or strike out.

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Skip the bowling shoes, digital scoreboards, and other formalities at this Little Italy dive that has two duckpin lanes across from its bar. Dubbed NDQ, this spot is for casual players who don’t mind queuing up for a game in between rounds of cheap drinks. No balls roll on Sundays when Lipster Karaoke takes over the bar, but Thursday thru Saturday DJs preside over the wooden lanes.

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Across the river in Longueuil, this double-decker spot splits 24 lanes across two levels. Think kid-friendly alley on top and urban modern salon on the main level, where leather-lined banquettes and pendant lights add a little more polish than most laneways provide. An ensuite bar hosts karaoke crowds on Thursdays and Saturdays, and a posh boutique stocked to suit you up with Club 300 merch and personalized bowling gear.

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Not to be confused with the downtown Forum, this Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie neighbourhood alleyway is a 90s playback, with everything from tube TVs to confetti carpet a kaleidoscopic backdrop, and no-frills snackbar. Glow-in-the-dark cosmic bowling nights lend an otherworldly aura to the 24 alleys, each lined up with 10 pins and stocked with small balls. With an easy-to-miss entrance that shares real estate with an IGA grocery store, expect mostly locals to turn out for lowkey nights out.

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The newest lanes in town, located in Laval’s Centropolis, get the balls rolling with 5 à 7s and keep things running late for its 18+ crowd. You’ll find more lounge than league energy around the venue’s 10 lamp-lit and backlit lanes, equipped with large balls, fully automated scoring, and projectors that play the game or music videos on screens above the pins. After clocking strikes and spaces, move into the bar and grill for fried calamari or piri chicken with cocktails or something off the wine menu.

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Old fashioned string pinsetters line up small quilles so patrons can knock ‘em down at this Verdun-based alley. With two sections of 16 lanes, this neighbourhood establishment is often good for quick drop-in sessions and fast food. But late hour moonlights, disco themes, and vintage bowling shoes (look for the coveted purple pairs) lure groups to linger later and longer. Open at 8 a.m. everyday, till midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

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Headquarters to the Quilles G Plus bowling franchise, this Notre-Dame-de-Grâce alley may be Montreal’s biggest with 36 tenpin and 36 duckpin lanes, and five large rentable rooms for private parties. With its frozen-in-time decor and slightly rundown Jurassic Park arcade centre, the Rose Bowl packs a lot of nostalgia for those who grew up going to bowling birthday parties. Night owls will appreciate that the lanes, kitchen, and bar stay open till 3 p.m. every night of the week.

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Roughly 10 minutes east of the Olympic Stadium, this Hochelaga-based laneway is one for big and mini leaguers. Seal your lucky strikes with one of the centre’s many deals, whether it’s an engraved marble ball from the pro shop, two-for-one Boréales, or a trio special from the snackbar, which hands out stampable coffee cards alongside pogos and chicken fingers. Before claiming one of the 16 small-pin lanes, print the two bucks off coupon from the website.