Two Bars and a Restaurant Are Quitting One Old Montreal Hotel This Week — and Other Closures

OLD MONTREAL — Big, big changes at the W Hotel across from Square Victoria: the Marriott-owned boutique hotel is ditching smaller hospitality agency BPC and handing over responsibility for the hotel’s restaurant and bars to its corporate parent. But given that the current two bars and restaurant at the hotel were founded by BPC, the company is packing its knives and cocktail shakers, and taking them with it. In short: Wunderbar, Plateau Lounge, and Ê.A.T. (Être Avec Toi) are all closing this Saturday, December 16. According to W Hotels’ director of sales and marketing Steve Boisclair, the hotel is gearing up for a makeover in many of its public spaces.

A restaurant will stay open continuously after this Saturday, although it won’t be named Ê.A.T., and for the next month or two will be serving primarily hotel guests and will temporarily occupy a different space until a restyled restaurant is ready. Wunderbar will be converted into the hotel’s primary lounge and bar, and Plateau Lounge will be permanently nixed, says Boisclair: “There’s more bars in Old Montreal than there ever has been so the fact that we were operating four bars at the hotel didn’t make sense anymore.” Out of the hotel bars and restaurants in Montreal, the W’s set-up was relatively vibrant — Ê.A.T. commissioned pop artists to help decorate its rather unique interior, for one — but the replacement plans are still in the works so it’s too early to say if it’ll stay that way. There’s a last call event happening at the bars this weekend to say farewell.

CÔTE-DES-NEIGES — Restaurants and retailers in the city are often unhappy about roadwork and construction, and here’s a valid reason why — Decarie Boulevard breakfast-burger-and-more spot Tiffanys shut up shop recently, putting out a press release that blamed three months of construction on the street outside, partially blocking its entrance. “The ensuing traffic chaos and unrelenting business interruptions caused us irreparable financial damages which we cannot continue to sustain.” The statement notes that the restaurant intends to reopen elsewhere in the future, and in a nice touch, is helping to find employment for its staff (although the restaurant also appears to be informing staff of the details of their final paychecks via Facebook, which seems...unconventional).

PLATEAU — St-Laurent sliders and spirits venue Pompette is no longer — it clocked in some 18 months of service before meeting its demise.

PLATEAU — What’s going on with Starbucks in Montreal? First the controversial Jean-Talon Market location closed its doors, then another in Outremont — now the location on the busy corner of St-Denis and Rachel has shuttered permanently. Got any insight as to what’s going on? Tell us about it.

OLD MONTREAL — Speaking of coffee chains, the McGill Street outlet of Montreal-based café Java U has also closed up for good.

PLACE-DES-ARTS — An Eater tipster reports that gyro counter Cuzina Neos in Complexe Desjardins has vanished, stripping the centre of one of its less-bad food court options. The Cuzina Neos on Jarry appears to have remained open.

AHUNTSIC — A friendly reminder that Fleury BYOB spot Le Chien Rose closes at the end of this month, so say goodbye while it’s still there.

Seen any bankruptcy notices or papered-over windows in your neighbourhood? Tell us about it.

• Controversial Jean-Talon Starbucks Shuts Down [EMTL]
• Iconic Plateau Bar and Music Venue to Close in Spring — And Other Shutters [EMTL]
• Gaze Upon ÊAT, the New Restaurant Inside the W Hotel Montreal [EMTL]