La Petite-Patrie Just Got Its Very Own Irish Pub

La Petite-Patrie is now home to a pint-sized Irish pub, with the recent arrival of One Punch Mickey’s on Bélanger Street, near Avenue de Chateaubriand.

The project is the latest from Anthoni Jodoin, owner of Plaza St-Hubert’s Snowbird Tiki Bar and ‘90s nostalgia-infused Taverne Cobra in Little Italy, who says he wanted to fill a void in the neighbourhood with his latest drinking hole. “I didn’t want to go down the craft beer route because there are enough of those places ... but there’s nothing remotely close to what I would define as an Irish pub around here,” he tells Eater.

Other than pouring Irish whiskeys and what he calls “the holy grail of Irish beers” (Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, and Kilkenny), Jodoin says recreating the quintessential Irish pub experience required making over the space with dim lighting, rustic wood surfaces, and an overall time-weathered appeal. Unsurprisingly, deep greens and loungey leather seating also feature throughout, as do several pieces of anthropomorphic art, picturing dogs engaged in games of pool and poker, with cigars in mouth and beers in hand.

During the bar’s brief soft opening in mid-December, cut short by the re-introduction of certain public health restrictions, Jodoin says customers filtering in assumed One Punch Mickey’s was as old as it appeared. “They thought we’d been here for years, and that’s exactly what I was aiming for. I wanted to give the place a lived-in feel,” he says.

One Punch Mickey’s/Supplied

Named after Brad Pitt’s tough guy character in Snatch, One Punch Mickey’s takes over the 1,000-square-foot-space of former karaoke bar La P’tite Place, a stone’s throw away from Snowbird Tiki, where, within one of its nooks, Jodoin hosted an Irish pub pop-up back in 2019. He’s wanted to revive the project ever since, and this time around is joined by partner Simon Malette.

Now, Jodoin is looking ahead to One Punch Mickey’s reopening, the addition of pub grub to the menu, and what he hopes will be a triumphant St-Patrick’s Day next month.

One Punch Mickey’s is located at 521 Bélanger East, though currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.