Occupying the ground floor of a residential tower in downtown Montreal, Minnibar pairs contemporary Italian cooking with Japanese-inspired design; the 160 square metre restaurant serving up house-made pizzas and pasta in a light-filled corner space that evolves from daytime café to evening dining, with floor-to-ceiling glazing opening the interior to the streets outside.
Designed by Ivy Studio, the layout revolves around a central volume housing the kitchen, bar and pizza counter, naturally dividing the café from the restaurant while maintaining an open flow throughout. A long counter runs along the windows, serving morning coffee before becoming a casual dining spot later in the day. Towards the rear, the counter lowers into an intimate omakase-style setting facing the pizza oven, while flexible seating and a single banquette define the main dining room. An angular stainless steel DJ booth is quite the welcome for guests upon arrival, signalling the venue’s commitment to music as part of the overall experience.
Rather than conceal the building’s structure, Ivy Studio chose to highlight it. Concrete floors, columns and ceilings remain exposed alongside visible ductwork and services, providing a robust backdrop for a carefully restrained material palette. Off-white walls, textured stone, black-stained timber and stainless steel sit alongside subtle references to Japanese interiors, creating an overall calming atmosphere.
Custom furniture plays a central role throughout. A cream-coloured stone counter forms the centrepiece, while the omakase counter introduces warm white oak and camel velvet seating that stands apart from the otherwise monochrome interior. Black-stained dining tables are paired with Ivy Studio’s first in-house chair design, crafted from ash and finished in a muted yellow, adding a splash of colour to the dining room.
Lighting softens the industrial shell and changes the character of the space as day turns to night. Rice paper panels suspended above the central counters cast a warm glow across the restaurant, while matching screens temper the daylight pouring through the extensive glazing. Custom lighting wrapped around the concrete columns, integrated artwork and concealed acoustic panels complete the interiors.
From early morning coffee to late-night pizza, cocktails and vinyl, Minnibar brings Italian cooking and Japanese restraint together under one roof, downtown Montreal’s dining scene gaining a space built to change shape as the day goes on
minnibar Montreal Photography, Alex Lesage.