A garage in Montreal’s Griffintown has been transformed into a light-filled restaurant with equestrian theme.

Perles et Paddock takes its name from the stables that dotted the neighbourhood in the 19th century, and the restaurant is the brainchild of Maxime Perrault and Jessica Goulet. They enlisted local architect Maurice Martel and FX Studio Design to mastermind the building’s adaptive-reuse, while paying homage to the humble stable.

‘We chose the horse as an emblem, in memory of all the forgotten communities that helped develop Montreal,’ Perreault told Francophone blog Dans Cuisine. ‘And the paddock is where the horse has to spend a few hours a day to be balanced and healthy, like our restaurant for our customers.’

Says FX design studio principal Frédric Clairoux: ‘We wanted recreate an outdoor feel, an interior terrace soaked in the sunlight… With our long winters, natural light is really important.’

The building – at 403 Rue des Seigneurs – has a glazed roof that pools light into the dining room below, and the interior concept is simple: bright and and comfortable. A pale colour scheme helps exaggerate the volume of the minimalist space, while custom-designed tables, cabinetry (and even sections of the walls) are made from wood.

‘It was very important for us to leave traces of the past,’ adds Clairoux. ‘The original wood ceiling was just painted in a warm white. We did the same with the concrete walls.’

A focal point of the 80-cover space is its sleek bar, made from a soft grey marble countertop, with a triangular tiled front. Details have been created in steel, including the custom lighting fixture at the bar’s back.

Perles et Paddock’s herringbone stone floor tiles also evoke the terraces of a stable complex, and other equestrian touches include a specially commissioned piece by artist, Marc Gosselin.

Food meanwhile is modern French fare, with a rotating roster of craft ales.

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