On a recent trip north, Area caught up with Jean-Claude Poitras, Québecs most celebrated fashion designer, who has since widened his attention to interior design, tableware, bedding, lamps, and contemporary and ecological prefab houses. The lifestyle designer filled us in on his favorite places in Montreal.
To stay, nothing beats Hotel Gault in the heart of the old city. A gem of understated contemporary design, it breathes new life into a beautiful old mansion. Or if luxury is what you’re after, Hotel Le St-James is a more traditional, but lavish palace. The headquarters of celebrities such as Catherine Deneuve and the Rolling Stones, it has the best spa in town and afternoon tea is not to be missed.
When it comes to food, taste the good life at Le Club Chasse et Pêche, an eclectic eatery behind an unmarked door that serves up inventive fusion cuisine. And Aszu is the talk of the town – a restaurant and wine bar offering one of the largest selections of wines from around the world. Dine on the courtyard terrace, an oasis of calm and enchantment.
And no trip to Montreal is complete without shopping. Espace Pépin is part gallery, part lifestyle destination featuring emerging local and international designers exhibiting their fashion, jewelry, table art and home collections. And the Bonsecours Market, in one of Canada's finest heritage buildings, has numerous boutiques and designer showrooms. A Montreal tribute to creativity.
