Café Cléopâtre is a relic of Montreal’s red-light district that refuses to fade into history. Straddling the intersection of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine, it’s a layered experience: an unconventional strip club on the first floor, a historic drag-queen cabaret upstairs, and a time capsule of The Main’s glory days. Here, eroticism meets inclusivity, and tradition rubs elbows with rebellion.
Owned by Johnny Zoumboulakis since 1985, the club is as much about breaking conventions as it is about holding onto them. With a progressive hiring philosophy and a firm belief in respect over profit, Café Cléopâtre is known for challenging the rigid norms of beauty often imposed by the industry. Beyond its performers, it has stood as a safe space for Montreal’s LGBTQ+ community, offering drag shows long before they were mainstream.
Surviving demolition attempts and cultural shifts, it’s not just a venue—it’s a monument to Montreal’s nightlife resilience.
Mentioned in
Montreal Pool Room: Serving a city's hot dogs for over a century
How a Bulgarian immigrant's billiard hall became one of Montreal's most enduring institutions, from pimp steaks to late night eats infamy.
Shop The Main's Dépanneur. Open 24/7.
Want to know what's happening in Montreal?
We curate local content into a weekly news bulletin so you can find out what's going on around town in one place. Sign up to stay informed.
