Though recent events on St-Laurent have rendered some of the nightlife more tame, other locations continue to explode in popularity and craziness. We were lucky enough to spend a night with one of the architects of St-Laurent’s reinvigoration recently: Zach Macklovitch. The current owner of Suwu, Apt 200, and École Privée, his influence is hard to miss in the city. A long time promoter, he made the leap to owner with Suwu and has never looked back.
Suwu before 10:00pm is a legit choice for a chill resto-bar with excellent drinks and food to match. After 10:00pm, it becomes packed with rap & R&B lovers standing about, enjoying fresh drinks and fresher beats from the frequent guest DJs. It was a rather quiet Thursday when we met up with Zach. He’s so humble that we did not even realize he was the owner at first. Pick up a conversation with him, however, and it becomes clear he is passionate about making his properties the best they can be. And it shows.
Their food has consistently wowed us with originals like the ramen crusted chicken fingers in cherry sauce ($10) or the always amazing grilled cheese mac n’ cheese ($8). Their drinks are also so good, that if you don’t like sake, you may come to like it. Or at least the sake mixed with vodka, lime, and grape in a Wu-Tang ($12). Zach has stepped up Suwu‘s game considerably in the last year. Before long, we were stuffed but unable to turn down the chance to see the legendary Apt 200.
Loyalty is a beautiful thing. When you give chances to aspiring artists who blow up shortly after, they often come back to party with you. Apt 200 is the epitome of this ideal, having hosted rap mega stars like Nas, UZI, Joey Bada$$, and Post Malone. When they come back, the party can only be described by its aftereffects: sticky and wet. All those things people sing about like throwing $100 bills in the air or popping bottles of Don Perigon on crowds… well that’s the tamer side of what has been known to go on at an Apt 200 party.
But there’s another side to this amazing club. It’s also an incredibly beautiful and comfortable space. Full wooden bar, giant sofas, a bed in the VIP area, and random carpets strewn over the cement floors. If you haven’t been out to Apt. 200, you are definitely missing out. And despite the raucous good time, Zach still had more in store for us across the street as we slurred our way past froshing freshman and busking bands (two alliterations we were unable to say at the time).
Zach’s newest creation is École Privée. The only house and techno property of the three, its music can be heard by passing pedestrians on Sherbrooke. With a very underground burlesque sexiness to it, the space is smaller than Apt 200 but truly for dancing the night away. The lights create an almost ethereal feel and the music demands that your body mold itself to the DJ’s musical will. Perhaps it was the amazing drinks that seemed to always be flowing from place to place, but École just made us want to dance for hours. Luckily, Zach pulled us off the floor long enough to show us what someone called the Porn Room. It is aptly named and will no doubt spawn hundreds of regretted, if awesome, selfies.
All in all, Zach Macklovitch knows how to throw a party. And what he has done is make three separate spots to invite you to join. Each has its own vibe, but to really get their feel, we suggest immersing yourself in their amazing music, ambiance, and people.
Photos courtesy of Suwu, Apt. 200, and École Privée.