Star Bar is an essential Montreal hangout for Pizza Bouquet slices, cheap drinks, and packed events

André Thériault and David Evans had a conversation that a lot people would have in their early twenties. The difference is that they followed through.

Stumbling out of a Toronto bar, they shook hands on a dream: "We were drunk at a bar, and we said, 'in ten years, we'll open a bar together,'" André recalls. Fast forward 15 years—just five years past the mark, not too shabby—and that promise materialized into Star Bar, their cozy spot on Saint-Laurent that's quickly become a local fixture.

A lot happened in that decade and a half. After Thériault moved to Montreal and launched Pizza Bouquet out of Notre-Dame-Des-Quilles (now widely considered among the city's best pizza spots), the pandemic hit. Evans, working odd jobs in Toronto, hadn't seen a paycheque in months when André called asking for help.

"He didn't really have any staff anymore, not that he had that much staff at that point," Evans recalls. "And he just called me up and was like, 'You wanna come help me?' And I hadn't worked in like six months, so I was like, 'Yeah, let's go.'"

Simple enough.

You've got a lot of heart, kid

Over time, Thériault and Evans turned to reviving that old dream alongside Sony Cody, Isobel Walker, and Nikkolas Hancock. When Evans spotted a vacant spot on Saint-Laurent, the pieces fell into place—he could finally put his restaurant-building skills (honed through years of constructing bars and nightclubs in Toronto) to work on a place of their own.

The result is something that feels both new and old at once—a quality that's not accidental. Wood dominates the space, from floor to tables to bar, an aesthetic choice that Evans acknowledges might seem outdated in an era of sterile minimalism.

"It's kind of outdated, but like I don't care. I love wood. I love the way it feels. It feels organic and I feel like it brings shit down to earth," he says.

This down-to-earth quality feeds into so much more than the interior at Star Bar. Instead of declaring itself with a high-end cocktail lounge or a dirt-cheap dive, Star Bar lives comfortably in between. It's like a new old bar—a place that looks like it's been there for decades despite opening in October 2024.

Behind the weathered aesthetic lies deliberate craftwork. The stained-glass star lamps hanging above were handmade by Evans' partner. The bar back is the work of another friend who wove in personal mementos from each owner—Thériault's childhood marble, a bell from Evans, little pieces of themselves—that are literally embedded in the space.

"All my favourite bars anywhere in the world have that feeling that's popular in the almost working-class sense of the word," Evans says. "Just a community place that's no frills, but it's got personality to it."

Looking at Star Bar's drink menu, they've taken the same no-nonsense approach to their beverage program as they have to their space. It's a straightforward selection that hits every necessary note: Four Origines brewery features heavily on tap, alongside Krombacher Pilsner and Les Grandes Bois' Superpause IPA. For those skipping alcohol, Sober Carpenter's Blonde and IPA options show consideration beyond the typical afterthought mocktails. The prices ($8.50-$9.50 for most draft pours) definitely keep things accessible.

Personality that extends beyond décor

Star Bar does indeed supply Pizza Bouquet's acclaimed pies in a new setting, with the same attention to quality and creative combinations that earned the original its devoted following. Single slices go for a reasonable $4.75 (veggie) or $5.25 (meat), while full 16-inch pies ($28-29.50) showcase all the hits.

But while Star Bar can rest laurels on being a new second home for the New York-style pizzas that have earned Pizza Bouquet its devoted following, the space has quickly become known for its events. Bartender Lenore Claire Herrem runs trivia nights that have become so popular they're often standing-room only, and bi-weekly charity bingo events that funnel proceeds to organizations like Chez Doris or Lebanese refugee families.

"I love making games. I love writing. I love hosting a space," Herrem says, describing how the role perfectly combines her talents as an interdisciplinary artist. The events have transformed Star Bar from just another place to grab pizza and beer into something more like a community hub.

Herrem sees Star Bar as filling a void left by the pandemic. "It's something that Montreal has been waiting a long time for. I feel like COVID changed so many things in the city, and that includes social spaces like this—too many today are unrecognizable or even went out of business."

There's also another, subtler layer to what makes Star Bar special, particularly for Herrem. "As a queer person, there aren't a lot of spaces that feel the way that I would like them to," she explains.

"What I like about Star Bar is we're not branded as a queer bar—we don't advertise ourselves that way—but the truth is that when you go there, the service staff is likely gonna be more than half queer and trans people, so the space feels safe that way without having to declare it."

This unforced inclusivity seems to be working. The bar has quickly drawn a diverse crowd, including many who've discovered the spot through themed trivia nights that pull in different niche communities each time.

As for the future?

A terrasse is in the works for the warmer months, and the basement is slated to become another extension of Star Bar's activities—once they navigate the sound concerns that come with sharing a building with residential neighbours. These tensions between nightlife and residential living aren't unique to Star Bar; they're playing out across Montreal as post-pandemic social spaces clash with an increasingly residential downtown core.

"Bars and nightlife spaces do need to exist, and they have always existed on Saint-Laurent," Herrem points out. "What does it look like if this continues and these spaces can't exist in places they always have?"

For now, the team at Star Bar is focused on building awareness in the neighbourhood. "I've talked to some people in the neighbourhood and they're like, 'Oh, I had no idea that I could call and just get a pizza to go,'" Evans notes, highlighting the ongoing challenge of establishing dual identities as both a bar and a Pizza Bouquet outpost (they offer delivery now, by the way).

But if the packed trivia nights and growing regular crowd are any indication, word is spreading. Fifteen years after a handshake in Toronto, Thériault and Evans have worked with friends to create something that feels both fresh and familiar—a place where you can get a solid cocktail without pretense, eat exceptional pizza without breaking the bank, and maybe even win at bingo while supporting a local charity.

Not bad for a promise made while a few rounds deep at a bar 15 years back.