Peter Sergakis to Open 2 Bars in Former NDG Diner Picasso

“Colourful” Montreal bar magnate Peter Sergakis has a plan to revive the NDG space that formerly housed longtime 24-hour diner Serre Picasso (or Picasso’s, to many).

But the space will not really return to its roots as a greasy spoon eatery — instead, it’ll be a lot more Sergakis-flavoured (read: bars).

The Gazette reports that two establishments will open in the long-empty space on St-Jacques Street: nearby bar PJ’s Pub will move in, and a third location for Sergakis’ resto-bar Brasserie Le Manoir will also be opened.

While there have been ample hints at about some kind of revival for Picasso’s ever since it closed a decade ago — none of which have eventuated — it seems that the plans are more concrete this time, as renovations are already underway.

Le Manoir (which has locations in Lachine and Pointe-Claire) will take up the bulk of the space, and will be split between bar and restaurant. Breakfast will be served, apparently to lure the few people around who have been anxiously awaiting some kind of Picasso’s revival for ten years (instead of just heading over to Cosmo’s). It will “probably” serve all-day breakfast, Sergakis said to the Gazette rather noncommittally.

Other details Sergakis offered up is that Le Manoir will be family friendly, with the odd detail that there will be clowns “for the kids”. And if clowns don’t lure you in, there will also be projectors for televised sports.

In the smaller space next door will be PJ’s Pub, one of several Sergakis establishments to face criticism in the past for underpouring drinks. It’ll be a slight downsize for the beer, sports, and VLC machine establishment, but Sergakis says it’ll be mostly the same set-up.

Joining the two new arrivals will be Sergakis’ basement strip club, Amazones, which was already at the location. So: sports bar, family restaurant (with clowns!), and nudity in the basement: it’ll sounds like it should be quite the multi-purpose, uh, destination for any would-be NDG socialite.

• West-end Picasso’s restaurant is reborn — sort of [Montreal Gazette]
• Is 24-Hour NDG Diner Serre Picasso Getting Resurrected? [EMTL]
• Beer-measuring test shows some bars served 5 oz less than advertised [CBC]