Admired Au Cinquième Péché Auctions It All Off

Many Montreal diners were chagrined, and surprised, by Au Cinquième Péché's sudden shutter three weeks ago. The restaurant, owned and operated by brothers Benjamin and Benoît Lenglet for a decade, bid longtime customers farewell with word that it had experienced a decline of over 50% in sales in recent months. Tough times in the Plateau for a restaurant formerly heralded by Montreal's critics, and profiled in The New York Times for its advocacy, and use, of seal meat.

Alas, the curtain will formally close on Au Cinquième Péché later this week when the restaurant's equipment—from tables and bar stools to a Garland stove, even old hockey memorabilia and a piano—is sold. The auction will take place on Friday, October 9, at 10:30 a.m. at Au Cinquième Péché. (A spokesperson for Les Encans Belec called the auction a bankruptcy sale today but the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada has not yet received an official insolvency filing from the restaurant.)