A new pub opens in the Southwest today

Today, Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m., Annexe St-Ambroise (5080 St-Ambroise) will be open for business and ready to serve patrons in St-Henri, Côte St-Paul and beyond.

The space was formerly known as Centre St-Ambroise, the room just off the Terrasse St-Ambroise on the Lachine Canal, and having DJed there back in the mid aughts’, I was really impressed with the remodelled Annexe space when I visited back in January, even in its half-finished state.  The room has been completely transformed into a classic pub, its bar, stools, tables and chairs made with wood repurposed from CP trains, as well as a full sound system to accommodate DJs and bands and (coming in the fall) a full kitchen.

Today is a soft opening, Taylor McAuslan explains.

“We’ll be open Friday and everyone is welcome to come down,” he says. “We’re not going to have a DJ or a show for right now, and the kitchen is not 100 per cent open, but we’re going to serve nachos and beer pretzels that are made for us, heated up with St. Ambroise mustard.”

The terrasse is set to launch for the season in mid-May, but the Annexe will remain open as well, from 4 to 11 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

“We’re keeping our neighbours in mind,” McAuslan says, “but we’ll also be using the space during the days for meetings and conferences, so we don’t want it to be a crazy party spot that’s raging till 3 a.m.”

With local brew, pub grub and live music to be booked on the weekends, the Annexe is a very welcome addition to the Southwest bar scene. ■