Photography by Laurent Guerin
Montréal-based celebrity chef Jérôme Ferrer’s new multipurpose restaurant Europea comprises a grandiose two-storey fine-dining area with tall arched entry, fluted columns, glassed-in display kitchen and dramatic spiral staircase; double-height wine cellar; a more casual, less-expensive brasserie; a tearoom; and a lunch counter. Among the memorable touches are banquette and bar alcoves faced in dark, heavily veined, in-your-face marble; and carpeting with an oversize floral print pattern inspired by the work of American florist-turned-photographer Ashley Woodson Bailey. While the design credit goes to Provencher_Roy, some of the project’s impact can be attributed to actor, director and producer René Richard Cyr, who has staged shows for Cirque du Soleil, Celine Dion and Montréal Opera. As Chef Ferrer stated in Tourismexpress, “The idea of staging will be a world first and to realize this dream, I immediately thought of René Richard Cyr. The outing to the restaurant will now rise to the rank of a real evening show.”