Chill St-Henri Bar and Music Venue Is Resurrected in the Latin Quarter

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.

Kristen Groulx/Turbo Haus

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.”

Corey Kaminski/Turbo Haus

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.

Corey Kaminski/Turbo Haus

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]