Griffintown’s Hvor Closes, Is Quickly Replaced With South American Grill [Updated]

Chic Griffintown restaurant Hvor has announced that it is closing its doors after a little over two years in its Notre-Dame West location — and within just a few days, was replaced with a South American grill restaurant (more on that further down).

The restaurant posted the news to Facebook Friday afternoon, noting that a new project is in the works for the same location, but without giving precise reasons for the demise of Hvor. Reservations for the restaurant are no longer available, indicating that the closure is effective immediately.

The owner of Old Montreal’s La Champagnerie opened it up in mid-2016, and the restaurant quickly earned props for its refined and delicate cuisine, showcasing plenty of local vegetables. (It even scooped up Eater’s Restaurant of the Year award for that cycle.) The restaurant boasted an on-site garden and greenhouse to help that mission along.

Chef S’Arto Chartier-Otis helped Hvor make its name — yet he left within the first year to consult on other projects, although by various accounts, the restaurant stayed strong after his departure. An Eater tipster suggests that some of the same team will carry over to the new project in Hvor’s premises.

Update (October 4): In a speedy turnaround, the replacement restaurant for Hvor is a grill restaurant named Asado — and it’s already open for business. It’s promising “a festive atmosphere and a menu inspired by several methods of cooking on embers where 90% of the food will touch the flames, from your first cocktail to dessert,” and seems to be taking an Argentine-style parrilla grill approach. Also — flambéd cocktails? Grilled cocktails? That’s unclear since the drink menu isn’t out yet.

The ownership has changed, with asado owned by Andres and Gustavo Diaz, known mostly for working on nightclubs like La Voute and now-defunct Altitude 737. While the grilled meat dishes seem to lean Argentine with dashes of chimichurri and chorizo, the overall menu is pan-South America, with a ceviche, and plenty of touches of peppers, corn, and a few tropical fruits. The dining room itself has been given a big makeover — gone is the whiter, brighter style of Hvor; it’s now a darker and more minimalist setting.

Asado/Supplied

STATUS — Asado is open from 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday at 1414 Notre-Dame W.

• All Hvor coverage [EMTL]
• At Hvor, Chef S’Arto Chartier-Otis Has a Stunning New Griffintown Home [EMTL]
• Griffintown’s Hvor Loses Chef — And Other News [EMTL]
• Asado [Official]