L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Will Open at the Montreal Casino This Fall

Sources with Loto-Québec and Joël Robuchon's restaurant group have all confirmed this week that the French chef's first restaurant in Canada will open at the Casino de Montréal sometime this fall. The Montreal outpost of Robuchon's L'Atelier concept will mark his eighth worldwide: others in Paris, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Las Vegas hold a total of ten Michelin stars. Robuchon's restaurant empire also extends to the likes of Bangkok, Macau, Monaco, and Singapore. New York will welcome a L'Atelier this fall as well.

After much guesswork, it looks like Éric Gonzalez will indeed serve as Robuchon's executive chef at L'Atelier Montreal. The move makes sense, on many levels. Gonzalez, in his capacity as chef at the Casino de Mont-Tremblant, is on Loto-Québec's payroll. The Juan-les-Pins, France native also knows Robuchon — the two spent some quality time together at an event in Las Vegas back in 2014. Moreover, Gonzalez's résumé seems tailor-made for Robuchon's style of kitchen staffer, from stints under Bernard Loiseau and Jacques Chibois, to Maxim's New York, and even Old Montreal's l'Auberge Saint-Gabriel. Look for L'Atelier Montreal this October, and stay tuned for developments.