Bonjour, Montreal!

Alessi, purveyors of cult design objects and...er...one of our most prized clients...has recently opened a Montreal outpost! Never ones to miss out on a travel opportunity, BDE's Team Alessi made the journey to visit our neighbors to the North...here's what we found:

Alessi Montreal: 2085 rue Crescent

First stop: Alessi Montreal located at 2085 rue Crescent, in the heart of Montreal. Housed in a classic row-house style building, we were struck by the stairs leading up to the shop. Almost all of the shops on rue Crescent have staircases leading to the front doors, with other stores located beneath them - it reminded us of Newbury Street in Boston. 

The moveable display units can be configured in multiple different ways.

A di Alessi's "Poplike" collection's bright colors are the first thing you see as you walk in the door.

Inside the store, Alessi products abound. The shop's walls are lined with shelves where everything from A di Alessi's cheerful Banana Boys to Officina Alessi's exquisite La Cintura di Orione pots and pans are impeccably displayed. There are also rolling table units in the center of the store for movable displays. We loved the miniatures that rested in their own glass case near the back of the shop. Next door to the shop was the Nespresso coffee bar - the coolest place we'd ever gotten our caffeine fix!

Enjoying our delicious coffee!

Each flavor is represented by a different color, ranging from mild to bold. The sugar packets are designed to match the color of the K Cup!

 

 

The coffee bar (we snuck photos - no pictures allowed!)

Eager to check out the neighborhood around the shop, we lunched at the Newtown with Flare Magazine's Montreal correspondent. A lovely, open-air spot by day and a rockin' nightclub by night, the Newtown did not disappoint. And, for all of our Canadian friends, be sure to check out Alessi Montreal in the August issue of Flare!

The Newtown - restaurant, bar, club and general hot spot.

Post-lunch we took a little tour around the city - since we had to fly from New York to Montreal and back in a day, our limited time was precious. We loved the old architecture of the city, and the cool public bike rentals throughout the streets! Look for more from Alessi Montreal in the coming months, BDE is so excited about this new venture!

Public bike rentals line the city streets - but no helmet laws are in effect!

A classic example of Montreal's stunning architecture, this building is a banquet hall and restaurant rolled into one.