Arrival of ZIBO! Signals Change for Griffintown

New skyline aside, to keep pace with the wholesale, willful makover of Griffintown, one has only to look at the kind of restaurant that has recently come to the southwestern enclave of Montreal. Splashy, designer-driven projects like Grinder, Le Richmond, Arëm, Rufus Rockhead and Le Shinji , where, for good or ill, diners discuss who made the barstools and fixtures more than the tartare and crème brûlée. The arrival of a concept restaurant like ZIBO!, however, signals a killshot of sorts for the old Griffintown, as it cedes to condo developers.

With restaurants in Rosemère, Centropolis Laval, Quartier Dix30 Brossard, Anjou and Sainte-Foy, ZIBO! promises "mouth-watering California cuisine", a "generous wine list" and a "trendy atmosphere." The partners behind the venture, Hugues Bourque and Dominic Cayer, are also responsible for the new Vertigo stk+bar in the Altitude project across from Place Ville-Marie. Cayer runs AQUA Restaurant Bar, a "super-club branché du Faubourg Boisbriand", with other partners.

For a sense of what Griffintown can expect from ZIBO!, have a look this television spot.

· ZIBO! [Official Site]
· All Opening Alerts [-EMTL-]