A Look into Tendresse, the Vegan Restaurant Hitting The Village This Season

The owners of Verdun’s Bar Palco and The Gay Village’s Bar Renard have devoted themselves to a new project this Winter: Vegan bistro Tendresse, set to open by this Spring.

The restaurant, located across the street from Bar Renard at 1259 St-Catherine Street East, is currently under construction, but co-owners Marc-Antoine Coulombe and Isabelle Corriveau (who also co-own Renard and Palco) and their partners Catherine St-Cyr and Étienne Parent say they hope to soft-open by the end of February.

The team behind Tendresse told Eater Montreal in a statement that they see the new restaurant as an opportunity to “reinvent ourselves.” Making a departure from the chic cocktails and modern bistro dishes that Renard and Palco are both known for, they plan to serve vegan cuisine “inspired by a lot of multicultural flavors” at Tendresse.

What this means, exactly, is still up in the air; the Tendresse team is still crafting their menu and working out details. However, we do know a few specifics about their service so far: The Tendresse team plans to offer a modern, upscale wine list, and will do both take-out and sit-down food service. They also plan to host a weekly “boozy brunch” and sing-a-long to 90’s hits every Sunday.

In terms of space and design, specifics are still under wraps — but if the hints they’ve left on their Instagram are any indication, their colour scheme is skewed toward regal shades like deep gold, bronze, copper, and will include a touch of vibrant peach.

“Our design will make you never want to leave,” Tendresse owners said in their statement.

And if there’s anything conclusive the team is carrying over from Bar Renard to Tendresse, it’s their ethos of inclusion and accessibility. Renard, which markets itself as a safe space that represents the diversity that Montreal’s Gay Village has to offer, and has a fully wheelchair accessible outdoor terrasse during the summer, has set the example for Tendresse to follow.

“Tendresse is a restaurant for one and for all,” the owners said in their statement.

STATUS — Tendresse is currently under construction, set to soft-open by the end of February. Bar Renard is open from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day, and Bar Palco is open from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday and Monday, and from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

• Tendresse [Facebook]
• Happy Hour: Montreal’s Best 5 à 7 Bars and More [EMTL]
• Un nouveau bistro où se “dater” ouvrira bientôt dans le Village [Le Journal de Montréal]
• Bar owner defies Montreal’s terrace rules on purpose [Global News]