Downtown Stunner Dominion Square Tavern Files for Bankruptcy, Permanently Closes

Those holding out hope that Dominion Square Tavern might soon emerge from its pandemic hiatus will be disappointed to hear that the once-bustling downtown spot has sadly gone bankrupt.

A tipster first informed Eater of a bankruptcy notice attached to the restaurant’s front door on July 5, and a search on Quebec’s business register has since confirmed as much. A public notice shows the business entered bankruptcy on June 20, with creditors’ first meeting scheduled for July 8 at 10 a.m. At the time, Eater was unable to reach the restaurant for comment.

On July 21, Tastet reported that co-owners Alexandre Wolosianski and Alexandre Baldwin confirmed the bar wouldn’t be reopening, pointing to lease negotiations, the pandemic, and construction on Metcalfe Street where it is located as reasons for the closure.

The downtown staple has been listed as “temporarily closed” due to the pandemic for some time, with its website continuing to describe it as such. The restaurant’s voicemail is full, and no update has been posted to its social media accounts since December 2020, when it was advertising pre-orders for a holiday basket. (At the time, indoor dining in Quebec restaurants was banned due to COVID-19 health regulations.)

Opened in 2009, Dominion Square Tavern has been a favourite for its old-school cocktails, upscale English pub grub and French bistro fare, vintage feel, and gorgeous interior — it’s housed in a former tavern dating back to the Roaring Twenties.

Something’s Amiss at Upscale Patisserie Maison Christian Faure

High-end Montreal pastry shop Maison Christian Faure seems to have paused operations at its three locations, with little indication of what exactly is going on. The business’s website comes up as “currently unavailable,” while an Eater tipster spotted a photo of an “à louer” (“for rent”) sign in the window of its Westmount location on June 29. Another tipster tells Eater its Old Montreal location is “completely empty inside.”

On Google, Maison Christian Faure’s downtown and Old Montreal locations are listed as temporarily and permanently closed, respectively. Meanwhile, the phones at Maison Christian Faure’s Old Montreal and Westmount locations are disconnected, with calls to the downtown number ringing until going ominously unanswered. No update has been posted to its social media accounts. (Its last post, a photo of Easter sweets, was on April 4.) Eater was unable to reach the business for clarification and comment.

Founded by French pastry chef Christian Faure in 2013, the business swapped hands in 2020, with a sale to Groupe Contrimark International, of which Faure’s son Ivan is a shareholder. The pastry chef launched ÔFauria, which started as a delivery-only operation and now includes a brick-and-mortar in Laval.

French BYOB Tandem to Exit Villeray

One of Montreal’s most cherished bring-your-own-wine restaurants, Tandem, has announced its departure from its Villeray digs. Chef Pascal Turgeoin and Erika Soleilhac opened the French restaurant in 2011 but now say it’s time to move on — to the South Shore. “Today is the time to write the last chapter and start writing our new book. It’s time to prepare the new Tandem, which will take up residence in Verchères!” the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post published on July 8. (The post did not disclose the exact location of the new restaurant or opening date for the new off-island Tandem.)

“We will never be able to thank you so much for the love you have given us, for your loyalty during COVID, before, after… Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the post reads.

Update: July 27, 2022, 11:30 a.m.: This post has been updated to include Tastet’s reporting on Dominion Square Tavern’s closing.