This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Those who experienced the effervescence of the 1980s and 1990s remember the lively supermarket restaurants that transformed into discotheques or cabaret at night. These supperclubs have recently experienced a renewed vitality, to the delight of night owls!
With the relaxation of sanitary measures, nightlife has resumed its place. Customers are looking for more places to extend the pleasure from 5 to 7, until the early morning. If around 2015, it was almost the end of supperclubs — whether we think of Montreal’s iconic Buonanotte, Sainte-Foy’s Beaugarte, or Laval’s Moomba, all of which have closed their doors, today we are witnessing a strong comeback in the heart of Montreal. type of establishments, which offer food and entertainment under the same banner.
For seven years now, the Soubois, this large 200-seat restaurant that turns into a nightclub around 10:30 p.m., has been attracting a clientele fond of fine cuisine and late-night entertainment.
“After two years of the pandemic, which put our establishment in dormancy, we are reborn with an improved offer. We have enlarged our dining room, repositioned our menu around the raw bar and the grill and have invested in a sound system and high-performance lighting effects”, points out Alexandre Brosseau, one of the owners of Le Soubois.
According to him, the secret of the success of his establishment, he owes it to the quality of the cuisine of his restaurant, led by the talented chef and partner Guillaume Daly, as well as to an entertainment offer where nothing is left to chance. . “We are targeting an upscale clientele who appreciate both sides of our establishment and who like to stretch out the evening in the same place,” adds Mr. Brosseau.
Fun experience
Launched last spring, the Yoko Luna is another example of this trend. Billing itself as “the largest restaurant and cabaret in Canada”, the establishment offers cuisine inspired by nikkei (fusion between Peruvian and Japanese cuisines) as well as eight distinct zones where entertainment is king until 3 am. Nestled in an old historic building dating back to 1859, which once housed Le Cinq nightclub, it’s the destination to feast on chef Andrew Bambino’s menu, assisted by Hakim Chajar, and to marvel at performances by burlesque artists .
“As soon as you enter, you will be transported to our personal version of an indoor Japanese garden, where an electric atmosphere reigns. Yoko Luna is the culmination of all our projects carried out so far. The fun experience is pushed to its climax here,” says John E. Gumbley, who is also behind the Bord’ELLE cabaret.
Other establishments, such as La Voûte, which is more of a nightclub, have decided to improve their gastronomic offer. In addition to offering meal trays to share, they add themed evenings, such as their Food Is Art Thursdays, where you can enjoy a creative menu at a reasonable price from 8 p.m. One way to attract customers more interested in the restaurant side than the club side.
For its part, Kabinet exploits the idea of a “three-in-one”, by offering a concept of refreshment bar where the emphasis is on natural and organic wines, perfect for happy hours! We continue with small bistro-style dishes, served in the evening in an atmosphere reminiscent of the Parisian restaurants of the 1930s, and we end the night by going to the other side of the dividing wall, at Bar Datcha, to dance to wild rhythms. .
The wow effect
This idea of keeping the clientele captivated from the beginning to the end of the evening also germinated with other restaurateurs, such as Steve Havitov, Tongue Bui and Jamie Sunny, who imagined the Greenwood Summerhouse project. Here, we rely on an exotic decor that invites people to relax.
“I was charmed by the atmosphere of the restaurants in Tulum. I wanted our customers to be able to feel on vacation and live a unique experience. The open-air restaurant, the abundance of plants and the use of wood and rattan in the decor all help to reinforce the illusion”, explains Tongue Bui. The open kitchen until 1 a.m., the festive vibe of deep house music, and sunny cocktails served all night long are all ways to turn a simple restaurant into an extended outing.