For the better part of the last few months, Montreal’s W Hotel has been undergoing a little work to help freshen the place up. We’ve seen first hand the wonderful work they did to their luxurious rooms and last week, at one of the biggest bashes of the year, we finally got our first glimpse of Êat (être avec toi), the new house restaurant taking over from the defunct Otto.
It was a veritable who’s-who of Montreal’s nightlife-loving social scene as we came out in droves to walk the red carpet and check out this amazing new space. Throughout the course of the night, VIP celebrities, tv and radio personalities, designers, socialites and Montreal’s media trickled into what will certainly be one of the most important and talked about gatherings (and afterparties) of the year.
Êat is exactly what Montreal’s restaurant scene needed. The new street-inspired space is deeply creative, entirely ballsy and a shot in the arm that will without a doubt send a ripple effect coursing through the city’s next wave of restaurants. The owners have stripped away every last vestige of Otto, leaving a blank canvas for artists who, over the course of the next couple of months (until February), will add their personal touch to the restaurant’s evolving decor. Kicked off by artists, Stikki Peaches, WIA (What is Adam), Jean Labourdette and more, the graffiti covered walls and illustrated tabletops (by artist Jason Wasserman) evoke both Montreal’s gritty spirit and our chic rebel-rocker attitude.
Each month artists from around the city will come and fill in the remaining blank canvases that are dotted along the walls so each time you come back, you will have something different to see. Êat’s space is refreshing, provocative and already filled with so many pop culture references that you’ll find yourself endlessly staring at the walls trying to take it all in.
Adding to Êat’s avant-garde, Montreal clothing designer, Travis Taddeo was commissioned to design the uniforms that will be worn by the restaurant’s staff. He came up with a street inspired, unisex ensemble that definitely adds to the overall vibe of the new restaurant.
The menu is largely seafood-based and features a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, with lots to chose from morning, noon and night. Sebastien Giannini helms the kitchen as Executive Chef and presides over a menu designed by NYC based partner chef Alan Ashkenazi. The menu also features a world class selection of over 200 wines that are available on-tap and cocktails in collaboration with NYC-based mixologist, Eben Klemm. Stay tuned as we will have more from the menu in the weeks to come.
Êat is as much an art collective as it is a restaurant and is certain to be one of Montreal’s next big hits. With its hip, Montreal-inspirited decor and vast menu of food and drink, it is poised to be our city’s next hotspot.
The live art performance schedule is as follows:
December 10: Bonar, Labrona
December 17: Ganev, Labrona
December 18: Botkin, Labrona
January 8: Ganev, Bonar
January 12: Botkin
January 21: Botkin, Bonar
February 4: Botkin, Bonar
February 19: Ganev, Botkin
For more, visit Êat’s website here!
Photo credit: Stephanne Brugger for Sid Lee and W Montreal
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