A Swank New Downtown Montreal Restaurant & Rooftop Terrasse Opened At Place Ville Marie

Montreal's restaurant scene just got a whole lot swankier with the newest eat-and-drink addition on the block: Hiatus and RoseOrange. Located at Place Ville Marie, Hiatus is a resto-bar combo offering up breathtakingly panoramic views of Montreal's skyline, a sight that can be best enjoyed with a cocktail in hand.

Hiatus, which officially opened its doors on August 1, 2023, occupies two top floors of Place Ville Marie. On the 45th floor, guests will be able to find a café-bar that will remain open all day so you can enjoy a morning coffee, an afternoon bite, or an after-work 5 à 7. As the evening eases in, the café bar area of Hiatus will offer a selection of wines by the glass and cocktails, as well as small bites, all in a cozy, upscale setting.

The views of the city from Montreal restaurant Hiatus located at Place Ville Marie.Courtesy of Alex Lesage

The 46th floor is where patrons will find the dining room, bar and open-concept kitchen. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner and provides Montrealers and visitors alike with private rooms for meetings, business lunches, or dinners with work associates.

Now, let's talk food. Hiatus offers a French-Japanese menu spearheaded by chefs Yoann Therer, Kari Prassi and Olivier Vigneault, who are bringing their experience from Montreal hotspots Jatoba, Île Flottante, Pastel and Nomi, to the forefront at Hiatus. The dishes focus on fresh and quality Japanese ingredients combined with French cooking techniques.

The entrée menu includes oven-baked oysters made with shiitake, garlic butter and miso; bluefin tuna; foie gras tart prepared with Asian pear, hazelnut and shiso; and ramen made with matsutake mushrooms, poached egg and corn.

As for the mains, Hiatus offers wagyu beef; an aged duck served with beets, wild strawberry and purple shiso; pork kurobota; and a miso eggplant made with buttermilk, tonburi and rye.

The views of the city from Montreal restaurant Hiatus located at Place Ville Marie.Courtesy of Alex Lesage

The interior was designed by Sid Lee Architecture and allows guests to enjoy a likely rather extravagant night all while surrounded by lush greenery, warm tones, and lots of light.

A key component of this new posh eatery is the rooftop terrasse. Located on the 44th floor of Place Ville Marie, RoseOrange is joining Montreal's impressive roster of rooftop terrasses. However, this spot in particular has taken things up a notch — it's the highest outdoor point of view in all of Montreal.

The terrasse is ideal for those looking to catch the sunset or settle into the night with some summertime appetizers and refreshing drinks. The RoseOrange menu consists of more low-key bits such as marinated olives, smoked eggplant hummus, heirloom tomato salad, a prawn cocktail and a seafood platter made up of oysters, shrimp, albacore tuna, snow crab and scallops.

A few cocktails that sound perfect for a summer night include Summer At Home, which features watermelon and cucumber, the Yessir Miller with peach and white cranberry, as well as the El Coco-Fresa, which is made up of strawberry, coconut and lemon. All cocktails can be made with any base alcohol of your liking.

The goal behind the Place Ville Marie project is to enhance Montreal's foodie experience and attract Montreal residents and tourists to the downtown core, and judging by its menu and location, Hiatus and RoseOrange just might do the trick.