Huis Clos
Not your typical submarine joint
Huis Clos--"behind closed doors”-- refers to a dramatic piece in which the action happens in a single room, named for Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 play about three people locked up together for an eternity of torment.
But rather than claustrophobia and antagonism, neighborhood resto-bar Huis Clos in Montreal’s Villeray sector inspires a sense of intimacy, adventure, mystery and connection.
The raw, mechanical, enclosed setting evokes a submarine. The play of light on the textured white ceiling mimics the crushing oppression of a wave crashing overhead. The sub-nautical theme is extended by reflective surfaces and the narrow, linear space is divided to create a number of “berths” where small groups can gather.
A focus on the galley
A focal point of Huis Clos is the wide cutaway bay that opens onto the kitchen. In contrast to the more intimate dining spaces, this aperture in an atypical polygonal wall at the far end of the space renders the kitchen open, luminous and lively.
