Nirvana's Bringing New School Energy to Chinatown with an Old School Tattoo Shop

Traditional styles and apprenticeships keep the faith to the craft, while monthly block parties bring hundreds to the neighbourhood.

ByElle Magni

November 13, 2025 · 7 min read

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Pas de probleme cafe Dobe & Andy Nirvana Tattoo CHOP Buboy

Step through Chinatown’s iconic red arches and you’ll find a neighbourhood that still carries its weight in history and hustle: On the last Sunday of the month, the eastern half of de la Gauchetière hums with an event full of basslines from basement speakers. The smell of BBQ jerk chicken from Pas de problème and fried noodles from Dobe & Andy are some of the cameos you might catch. The lineup switches on the regular.

Down a graffed-up concrete staircase, the tattoo shop Nirvana, pulses with that same energy—the kind of place where art, skin, and street culture blur into something unmistakably Montreal.

Nirvana chinatown by eva blue — Hanging out in Nirvana during Sunday Service.

Nirvana tattoo by eva blue — Simon Lam getting ready to work on a client.

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