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Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal: A Modern Twist on the French Brasserie

  • 4 days ago
  • 3 min read

Just a few steps away from the bustling Bell Centre, a fresh take on the classic French brasserie has opened its doors. The new Chez Lionel, located inside a landmark building at 1250 René-Lévesque Boulevard, brings a contemporary pulse to a timeless dining style.


Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal: A Modern Twist on the French Brasserie. Modern black brasserie storefront at dusk, glowing LIONEL and BRASSERIE FRANÇAISE signs, warm-lit interior behind glass windows.
Image courtesy of: Maxime Brouillet

Designed by Cleo Katcho Design Architectural Inc., the project breathes new life into a 1990s commercial space. Instead of fighting the building's strict architectural limitations, the design team embraced them, creating a beautifully connected, fluid environment where the bar beats as the vibrant heart of the room.


Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

When the design team first walked into the space, they faced a disjointed layout where the dining room, bar, and upper levels felt entirely disconnected. The biggest hurdle? A massive, immovable granite core housing an emergency staircase sat right in the middle of the room.


Instead of hiding this obstacle, Cléo Katcho and her team used it as an anchor.

  • A Bold Expansion: The designers made the daring choice to extend the restaurant outward into the building’s main lobby.

  • Blurring the Lines: This created a seamless lounge area that connects the public lobby to the private dining space, giving the restaurant a striking, inviting presence right from the street.



The Bar Takes Center Stage

In the restaurant's previous life, the bar was tucked away on an upper mezzanine. For Chez Lionel, the team brought it down to the ground floor, completely changing the energy of the room.


Now, the bar sits directly in the center of the action. It acts as both a natural walkway and a welcoming gathering spot. Whether guests are walking in for dinner or just grabbing a quick drink, they immediately feel the lively brasserie atmosphere.


To keep this connected feeling going, the designers merged two separate upper levels into a single, unified mezzanine. This ensures that no matter where a guest is sitting, they have a clear, engaging view of the bustling ground floor below.



Designing the Vibe: Classic Meets Contemporary

The look of the new Chez Lionel balances the familiar warmth of a traditional French brasserie with sleek, modern upgrades. The design team carefully selected materials that update the classic aesthetic while honouring the building's original character.


Key Design Elements:

  • Urban Textures: Warm brick pairs with sleek metal accents to give the room a modern city feel.

  • Classic Glamour: Gold finishes, woven mesh details at the bar, and custom crystal lighting bring in the traditional elegance of a European brasserie.

  • Lush Greenery: Thoughtfully placed plants mimic the feeling of a grand European glasshouse, adding freshness and life to the room.

  • Original Stone: The building’s original 1990s granite floors and columns were kept intact, anchoring the restaurant in its downtown history and giving it a unique personality.



Solving the Invisible Challenges

A beautiful space also needs to feel comfortable. With so many hard surfaces—like granite, glass, and brick—the room naturally echoed. To solve this, the designers cleverly hid sound-absorbing materials within the darker ceiling finishes, ensuring the dining experience sounds as good as it looks.


Additionally, the bright lights of the building's public lobby threatened to ruin the moody, intimate vibe of the brasserie. By working closely with building management, the team adjusted the lighting levels to create a smooth, gentle transition from the bright entryway to the cozy restaurant interior.



A Masterclass in Smart Design

The new downtown Montreal location of Chez Lionel offers a wide variety of seating—from cozy banquettes to casual lounge chairs—making it the perfect spot for everything from a quick evening aperitif to a full, lingering dinner.



Through smart planning and creative problem-solving, Cléo Katcho Design Architectural proved that the best design doesn't always come from a blank canvas. Sometimes, true innovation comes from taking strict limitations and turning them into the very foundation of a great experience.

Cleo Katcho Design Architectural Inc. is a design studio specializing in corporate, commercial, medical, funerary, multi-residential, and hospitality projects. Its approach focuses on creating spaces that are both functional and human-centred, while meeting performance requirements and supporting operational efficiency and long-term value.


For over six years, the team — composed of interior designers and architectural technologists — has supported clients at every stage, from initial concept through to execution. The practice is grounded in a structured methodology, informed by a deep understanding of context and oriented toward concrete, implementable solutions.


By combining technical expertise, business insight, and design sensitivity, CKDA develops environments that adapt to evolving organizational needs and support their growth over time.

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