Restaurant Le Serpent

Art for the eyes and the tastebuds
The Darling Foundry welcomes Le Serpent

The Darling Foundry has been home to a visual arts centre since it was restored by in situ atelier d’architecture in 2002. This architectural firm recently headed the installation and integration of the new restaurant, Le Serpent, in the same building. The eatery takes its name from a no-longer functional elaborate ventilation conduit on the roof of the building, which was nicknamed “the snake” by the local community. Designing an inviting Italian bistro with comfortable acoustics in an industrial space with an 18-foot ceiling height was no easy feat!

The dining room and bar with its full-length Carrera marble countertop are located in a corner space with abundant windows. The kitchen was created in a new two-floor section to serve both the restaurant’s patrons as well as visitors to the arts centre. The ebony colour of the carbonized wood cladding contrasts with the brick walls and concrete floors, all painted a very pale gloss grey.

The patina of the beams and columns, which have been preserved in their raw state, evokes the factory of yesteryear. Sets of globe lights, specially designed for the project, whose shape is reminiscent of peas in a pod, hang down from the acoustically treated ceiling.

Three large works of contemporary art adorn the walls and capture the spirit of the Darling Foundry. This one-of-its-kind complex in Montreal has captured attention not only in Quebec but also in arts communities around the world. The inventiveness of the Le Serpent restaurant will contribute to raising its profile even further.