# Inviting French Brasserie Interiors Cléo Katcho Design Architectural Designs a French Brasserie By Kalin Ned | Published 2026-07-07 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/french-brasserie References: [v2com-newswire](https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/categories/commercial-interior-design/press-kits/3962-02/cleo-katcho-design-architectural-reinterprets-the-french-brasserie-with-a-new-chez-lionel-location-in-downtown-montreal) [Cléo Katcho Design Architectural Inc.](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supreme-eyewear) has completed the design of a new downtown Montreal location for the [French brasserie Chez Lionel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/life-of-forms). As part of this project, the firm transformed a fragmented, constrained space within a landmark building into a fluid and inviting dining environment where the bar now serves as the vibrant heart of the experience. Cléo Katcho Design Architectural Inc. demonstrated a sophisticated approach to spatial problem-solving in this project, as the design team confronted a significant obstacle — an immovable granite core housing an emergency staircase that divided the room — by using it as an organizing. By extending the French brasserie, the designers created a seamless lounge and bar area that draws visibility from the street while establishing a gradual transition between the public corridor and the more intimate dining room. The bar, previously isolated on a mezzanine, was relocated to the ground floor, where it now acts as both a passage point and a gathering space. Image Credit: Maxime Brouillet ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.4/10 - Popularity: 25% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 85% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Adaptive Heritage Interiors:** Historic building constraints are becoming catalysts for distinctive hospitality spaces that blend preservation value with modern guest flow and operational flexibility. - **Bar-centered Dining:** Relocating bars into prominent ground-floor positions creates social anchors that increase street visibility, dwell time, and experiential differentiation for restaurants. - **Fluid Spatial Transitions:** Layered movement from public entry zones to intimate dining areas supports more immersive restaurant journeys in compact or irregular urban footprints. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Restaurant Design:** Brasserie and casual fine-dining concepts are using architectural storytelling to transform functional layouts into memorable brand environments. - **Hospitality:** Guest experience models increasingly depend on spatial choreography that turns circulation points into revenue-generating lounge, bar, and gathering areas. - **Commercial Architecture:** Landmark urban properties offer opportunities for design firms to convert structural limitations into signature planning features for tenant differentiation. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Eclectic Bistro Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deux-gares-express-caf.md) - [Chic Avant-Garde Restaurant Interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/avantgarde-restaurant.md) - [Italian-Inspired Restaurant Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/il-bracco.md) - [Cross-Influence Fusion Cafes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/challe-caf.md) - [Design-Forward Hybrid Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/caf-social.md) - [Immersive Brutalist Dining](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/menu-extra.md) - [Art Deco Café Interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/atypique-1.md) - [Colorful Chocolate Boutique Interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/les-chocolats-de-chlo.md) - [Modernized Office Interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jodoin-lamarre-pratte.md)