10 New Venues in Montreal for Fall 2021 Meetings and Events

The long-awaited new Autograph Collection property, Humaniti Hotel Montreal, opened in the heart of downtown Montreal in June. The hotel offers 3,985 square feet of event space across three event rooms and five maximum breakout rooms—including the 3,000-square-foot Hémisphère Ballroom for private events with open-concept floor plans and seating. Guests can also meet at h3 Restaurant, which offers three private dining rooms: the h3 Terrace for appetizers and alfresco bites; the h3 Lounge, ideal for small business meetings; and Spa Humaniti, a 2,000-square-foot lifestyle indoor getaway that can be booked for eye treatments, facials, manicures, pedicures, massages and waxes.

Over the summer, this Mediterranean restaurant, bar, market and gallery experience opened in Griffintown. Bazart’s eatery—co-developed by chef consultant Massimo Piedimonte and chef Athiraj Phrasavath—is inspired by beachside restaurants in Mykonos, Ibiza and Tulum, and serves mezze and charcoal-grilled dishes such as tzatziki, caponata, octopus and lamb. The venue hosts Canada’s first nonfungible tokens (NFT) art gallery showing digital artwork, as well as an outdoor open-air exhibit curated in collaboration with local gallery Station 16. And an indoor market showcases a wide variety of Mediterranean-inspired products created by local merchants. Guests can reserve a time for cocktails, dinner, brunch and the NFT gallery and visit the outdoor gallery or market throughout the week.

Located inside Plaza St-Hubert, Brillouin, from Dominic Tremblay and Ludwig Ciupka (co-founders of Tux Creative Co. agency), opened in September. Open from 8 a.m. until midnight during the week, the wine bar and cafe boasts breakfast and brunch favorites such as yogurt parfait, banana toast and grilled cheese, as well as hot beverages made from sustainably sourced coffee beans. In the evening, a wide selection of organic wines is available to be sipped and paired with charcuterie plates and meals made with fresh ingredients from specialty grocery store Conserva. The venue can seat approximately 80 guests indoors and has room for more guests on the outdoor terrace.

Based in the town of Georgeville, the Auberge McGowan inn and restaurant, which originally opened in 1883, sits adjacent to Lake Memphremagog and was rebuilt and reopened in June. The new John Hay-designed venue was constructed using historical architectural styles from Eastern Townships and is adorned with photos and artifacts showcasing the community’s rich history. The inn offers seven uniquely decorated guest rooms—four of which include balcony views. The restaurant on the premises, which leverages organic ingredients from local farmer’s markets, accommodates up to 70 guests and includes a private dining room for up to 12 people, as well as a large lakeside terrace. The venue is available for various group bookings such as weddings, retreats and holiday gatherings.

An extension of Le Speakeasy—Montreal’s prohibition era-themed bar and bistro located outside Victoria Square—Vandale opened on the establishment’s main floor in September. The graffiti covered restaurant invited a dozen local artists to “vandalize” the space, which reflects the ambiance of Old Part and Griffintown. Small plates created with Quebec ingredients, including ratatouille, deer tartare, and tagliatelle and mushrooms were curated by chef Alexandre Payon. And Jake Cristofaro, the in-house mixologist, developed a cocktails list incorporating a broad range of fruits, spirits and liqueurs to encapsulate the eclectic nature of the space. The 2,200-square-foot space offers capacity for 80 guests indoors, plus 20 more on the terrace, and it is available for full buyouts on request.

Located equidistant between Montreal International Airport and downtown, the dual Hilton property, Hilton Garden Inn & Hilton Homewood Suites Montreal, from Westbury Montreal, opened its doors in June. While Hilton Garden Inn offers 157 guest suites and Hilton Homewood Suites has 133, both hotels provide more than 7,800 square feet of total event space across eight meeting rooms—which can be booked according to individual booking space requirements. Guests at either hotel can dine at relaxed classic Italian eatery Brasserie Blandino or Mexican restaurant Pancho Taqueria, which is set to launch this fall. Visitors can also book the on-site 5,000-square-foot Westbury Ballroom, which includes a 1,700-square-foot outdoor terrace.

Based out of a historic Old Montreal building, Babacool serves up staples of Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed setting. With a sleek, casual interior highlighting silver and peach accents, candlelight and exposed brick, the restaurant was co-developed by Sophie Chenier and Charles Manceau, co-owners of Venice, and Marco Benatar, who is behind Jatoba and Flyjin. The menu features modern twists on baba ganoush, hummus, hot olives, fig leaves, shakshuka, muhammara dip and more, in addition to boldly flavored cocktails, such as watermelon mojitos, spicy margarita, and the Baballini. Reservations for larger parties can be made by contacting the restaurant directly.

Cafe Léo, which opened in August in the Latin Quarter, is steps away from Université du Québec à Montréal. The hybrid cafe and multidisciplinary studio space was designed to give students in particular a place to work on projects such as podcasts, photography exhibits and films, and it allows their creativity to flourish. Hourly reservations can be made from three individual spaces that are 300 to 600 square feet and include multiple tables. With coffee, tea, specialty and iced beverage favorites as well as pastry and sandwiches at the counter, the location is set to host numerous events, including arts classes, pop-up exhibits and concerts throughout the year.

Named after the colorful nightlife district in Lima, Peru, Barranco was opened by Fidel M. Vasquez, Renatto Miranda and Josué Briones Corcuera—known for their work developing several Montreal eateries and clubs. The location initially opened in the spring and most recently debuted a Peruvian-Montreal weekend brunch menu. The 1,863-square-foot space, which seats up to 56 guests, features exposed red brick walls, neon lighting and a combination of photography, paintings and murals depicting Peruvian culture created by local artists. Visitors are invited to enjoy zesty traditional cuisine including ceviches, causas, chicharron and salchipapas, as well as regular latin music performances by local DJs and musicians.

G.O.A.T Grill, a sports-themed Portuguese chicken spot that opened for takeout over the winter, held its launch party in August—which was attended by former Montreal Canadians forward Steve Bégin, 1996 Olympic gold medalist Bruny Surin and former Montreal Impact captain Patrice Bernier. G.O.A.T., which stands for “greatest of all time,” is located next to Parc Gédéon-de-Catalogne, and features an outdoor mural paying tribute to celebrated athletes. The indoor space, which has a capacity of 12, includes bar stools and booths under a vibrant orange ceiling where guests can enjoy hot chicken sandwiches, entrees and poutine. The restaurant’s terrace can accommodate an additional 25 visitors, and private group reservations can be made by contacting the restaurant directly.