Little Burgundy’s Favourite Pub is Adding a Rooftop Garden

Notre-Dame West pub Burgundy Lion is a juggernaut, having poured huge volumes of beer (and more), 18 hours a day for all but two days every year, for almost a decade. And now, it’s getting bigger.

The pub closed temporarily on Monday, and will remain closed through Wednesday next week (August 16). The reason? Two sizable expansions to the premises.

First up is a 25 seat Scotch room on the third floor — co-owner Paul Desbaillets describes it as “a warm Victorian style space, ideal for private whisky tastings and family–style dinners”.

But the crowning jewel, and probably the addition most likely to excite the crowds is a rooftop English garden. According to Desbaillets, it’ll be in a rooftop solarium (presumably opened up terrasse-style in warmer months), seating 30 — a novel addition, given that rooftops for (legal) drinking are a relative rarity in this city. They’ll also serve a very British Sunday tea there too, with scones, cucumber sandwiches and Champagne.

The pub reopens August 16, although depending on the pace of construction, the new spaces may not open until later on; the pub is planning a reopening party for September.

• All Burgundy Lion coverage [EMTL]