As someone who likes to nap the entire afternoon (and evening) away, midnight often finds me wide awake and ravenous, with few options to feed my face. I usually head over to St-Denis to quell my nocturnal hunger pangs, as its late night food selection is the least bad of a lackluster bunch. But unless you’re willing to drop a bundle, you’ll still probably end up with some variant of pogos and poutine in your stomach.

Sure, there’s always l’Express. Classy, good baguette, free pickles…but it’s rather pricey, and the elegantly-clad waiters and patrons mostly frown at the jogging pants and post-nap ’do I’m sporting for the evening.

Then, of course, you have Fameux. It’s cheap n’ plentiful. Open 24/7. Delicious grilled cheeses and Creamsicle floats. Bathrobes worn with impunity. But I’ve already eaten here 3 times this week, and it’s only Wednesday. Rapido is more of the same, but without the Creamsicle floats. Lame.

If you wander a little further up St-Denis, just past Mont-Royal, you’ll discover a hidden gem on the late night eating scene, le Barbare. More bar than restaurant, at le Barbare you can get a pretty tasty hamburger, pizza or salad between the hours of 11pm and 3am, with prices in the $8-16 range. May not sound like much, but le Barbare’s pizza far exceeds the average pointe, and if you’ve ever craved late-night greens, you’ll know that in this city after midnight it’s damn near impossible to find a vegetable that hasn’t been deep-fried.

Le Barbare’s selection of local microbrews is also pretty decent; enjoy a pint of broue dans l’toupet (cream ale) or tigidou (oatmeal stout) with your hambourgeois. The bar doubles as a gallery space for local artists. With le Barbare in your life, you can nap to your heart’s content and use the wee hours to eat, drink, and get cultured all at once.

Le Barbare, 4670 Rue St. Denis. (514) 288-8377.