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St-Henri bar, music venue, art space and more Turbo Haus has been given a new lease of life, as it reopens in a fresh location in the Latin Quarter.
The bar throws its official opening tonight (Thursday October 18) in shiny new premises on St-Denis Street near Ontario, taking over former Italian restaurant Amarone. You can’t miss it: it has a statue of a robed, red-headed woman making a shaka sign right out front.
The same three owners as the St-Henri version are all on board — Sergio Da Silva, Michelle Ayoub and Dan Matheson. The original Turbo Haus was located on Notre-Dame West above winey gastropub Loic, but it departed the historic bank building that housed it in November 2017, with the owners saying that the location wasn’t ideal.
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Da Silva tells Eater that he wants the new iteration to be a casual hang spot for locals, even if it’s not in such a residential area.
“We’re basically a neighborhood bar that’s not really in a neighbourhood — it’s not like being in St-Henri or NDG where [many] people live, but a lot of people are here so we wanted to do a nice comfy space where you can listen to alternative music...without being in a place that looks like hell.”
The new Turbo Haus will host shows, particularly heavier rock and metal bands, but the venue will be a lot fresher than the sorts of perhaps DIY venues that touring bands might often visit, says Da Silva.
“I was on tour a lot and at some places, there’s be no bathroom doors and skulls everywhere, but now I’m an adult...I want to enjoy the things I like, like heavy music and old video games without feeling like you’re going to get tetanus.”
The space itself has plenty of old school touches, particularly with its old stone walls and exposed brick (there’s also an old-fashioned dome-like golden espresso machine left behind by the previous tenants), as well as some refreshed furnishings — the salle de spectacles is separated from the bar, so patrons can drop by the bar any time, without having to pay for show tickets.
“If there’s a show going on, you can come to the bar and not have to deal with it at all,” points out Da Silva.
The bar will keep things cheap and cheerful with two pints for $10 during happy hour — expect mostly St-Ambroise beers. At a later date (to be determined), Turbo Haus will start serving mostly snacky food — think beef jerky and grilled cheeses.
STATUS — Turbo Haus is open at 2040 St-Denis from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
- Turbo Haus [Official]
- Saint-Henri Heritage Landmark Gets Fresh Start as Loïc, Turbo Haus [EMTL]