Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal: A Modern Twist on the French Brasserie
May 30
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.
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.
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal: A Modern Twist on the French Brasserie. Image of: CKDA
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal: A Modern Twist on the French Brasserie. Image of: CKDA
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.
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
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.
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
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.
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
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.
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
Chez Lionel Arrives in Downtown Montreal. Image of: Maxime Brouillet
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.
Great design bridges past and future, creating spaces that evolve with us.
Our built environment is in a constant state of beautiful evolution. At Forma, we believe that architecture and design are deeply personal—they dictate how we live, grow, and connect across every stage of life. As a community of designers, architects, engineers, trades, builders, suppliers, students and creators, we are constantly tasked with bridging what was with what will be. Whether we are exploring innovative new builds, thoughtful restorations, or the visionary people shaping our industry, our mission remains the same: to look beyond the aesthetics. We invite you to explore the human stories woven into the brick, light, and landscapes of the spaces we inhabit. Thank you to everyone who reads, contributes, and shares in this vision.
The University of Alberta has officially opened the doors to University Commons, a breathtaking 405,000-square-foot transformation of its century-old Dentistry and Pharmacy building. Designed by the visionary team at Zeidler Architecture, this monumental project turns a historic landmark into a vibrant, modern gateway.
Humans spent 99% of their evolutionary history adapting to the natural world. Today, we spend roughly 90% of our lives inside sealed, climate-controlled boxes. This massive shift has left us chronically stressed, fatigued, and disconnected.
Winner of the 2026 Award of Excellence in Architecture from the Quebec Association of Architects, the Aubé House is more than just a beautifully designed residence. It is a physical timeline—a space where a rich family history meets breathtaking modern design.
Just north of Toronto, perched on the edge of a wooded valley, sits Ravine House—a contemporary home that redefines what it means to live in harmony with nature. Rather than acting as a barrier against the outdoors or simply occupying a plot of land, this stunning residence acts as an immersive, beautiful mediator between comfortable domestic living and the natural landscape.
On May 29th, as the sun began to set over the historic brick facades of Old Town Toronto, the streets took on a new, electric energy. The King East Design District (KEDD) Neighbourhood Hop—the highly anticipated annual event presented by DesignTO in collaboration with the Old Town Toronto BIA—was officially underway. For a few magic hours, the neighbourhood morphed into a sprawling, interactive playground for creativity and innovation.
In the heart of Quebec’s rugged Laurentians region, a new kind of home has taken flight. Located in the quiet community of La Conception, The Albatross is not just a house; it is a masterclass in modern residential design. Image courtesy of: Stéphane Groleau Created by the teams at MU Architecture in close collaboration with architect Anik Patry, this extraordinary home was built around a beautiful, simple idea: to place a modern family at the very center of a spectacular nat
Great architecture does more than simply house people; it shapes how they learn, create, and connect with the world around them. Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) has long understood this, and the architectural community agrees. Recently, UQAM’s iconic pavillon de Design was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s (RAIC) Prix du XXe siècle, a prestigious honour that recognizes the most outstanding and enduring architectural achievements of the last century.
Medical laboratories are often defined entirely by their complex, technical needs, leaving little room for architectural beauty. However, the new Montérégie Central Laboratory in Quebec completely rewrites that rule. Designed by the architectural firms NFOE and Archi–, this cutting-edge facility proves that high-tech infrastructure can be surprisingly elegant.
