A restaurant that was on the decline in the W Montreal hotel has been replaced by a restaurant-art gallery concept that seeks to be a living piece of art.
The new ê.a.t (which stands for Être Avec Toi (or “to be with you”) restaurant combines murals, tableaux and installations aimed at highlighting the city’s artistic diversity.
It’s a concept developed by Sid Lee Architecture along with restaurant operator bpc, a New York City-based hospitality company that operates restaurants, bars and hotels around the world and is helmed by husband and wife team Peter and Erin Chase.
The 160-seat restaurant is situated on the hotel’s entrance level and features a seafood-based menu. It replaces the 11-year-old restaurant Otto, an Italian restaurant that was declining in popularity among both locals and tourists.
“There was a need for a more interesting restaurant destination,” said Jean Pelland, principal partner of Sid Lee Architecture.
The previous restaurant had a “heavy décor” featuring stripes on the walls, patterned carpets and chairs. It was all stripped away to create an all white space with a minimalist look.
Street-art murals occupy ê.a.t’s entry and bars, and a dense array of contemporary paintings, sculptures and installations hang throughout the casually-sophisticated dining room.
The idea is to replace the art regularly with art from local artists. “It’s like a sandbox that can be remade and remade,” Pelland said. “We’re rewriting the story as we progress.”
As part of the restaurant’s constant change, a different DJ will create new soundtracks every month and depending on the time of day — breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night.
The restaurant makeover took three months, but was in the planning stages for much longer, Pelland said.
The hotel opened in 2004 in the former Bank of Canada building off Victoria Square in the fringes of Old Montreal. It has been undergoing room renovations for the last few years.
“Real estate is about more than buildings, it’s about creating living spaces,” said Sylvain Fortier, executive vice-president and global chief investment officer at Ivanhoé Cambridge, which owns the building. Ivanhoé Cambridge is the real estate investment arm of the Quebec pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
“Investing in a project such as ê.a.t is perfectly aligned with our strategic vision of creating living which brings together the community around an innovative and artistic concept,” Fortier said in a release.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide owns the W Hotel chain.
