Maude Lebowski: What do you do for recreation?
The Dude: Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.
Bowling rules. Need we say more? A bonus: In this town, they almost all serve booze. Here’s where to make like The Dude in Montreal. (Rolling on Shabbos is optional).
Rose Bowl
The mama of all Montreal bowling alleys is this NDG temple to the mighty pin, with 72 lanes (split in half between normal and small pins), a pro shop, arcade games and a bar. Plus it’s open 24 hours, in case you need to scratch that late-night 5-pin itch. 6510 St-Jacques St. W., (514) 482-7200.
Salon des Quilles International
Though its location in an industrial zone between two sets of train tracks may seem forlorn, Salon des Quilles – which you’ll recognize by its Eiffel Tower-shaped neon sign – is close to Mile-End, which means there’s a good chance that, at any moment, half the people bowling there are doing so ironically. 6590 Parc Ave., (514) 276-7222.
Le Forum
A Little Italy spot located right by the St-Hubert shopping strip, this joint features 24 lanes to play in as well as crazy psychedelic lights and sounds, all the better to accompany its cosmos bowling nights. 920 St-Zotique St. E., (514) 274-0797.
Sharx
Best known for its billiards (it’s frequently voted Best Pool Bar in Best of Montreal polls), Sharx also offers 10 lanes of bowling in its happy hour-friendly downtown location. 1606 Ste-Catherine St. W., (514) 934-3105.
