Badin: The cocktail-forward listening lounge built for aurality and intimacy in Little Burgundy

Dim and humming below the Little Burgundy restaurant HENI, the curated experiences of its downstairs 24-seat, cocktail-forward listening lounge Badin has opened its doors to Montreal.

Accessed via HENI’s front doors, Badin’s spent a few weeks in a soft launch mode until its grand opening the weekend of April 12, 2024, now acting as “the intersection of cocktails, music, and intimacy. That’s what makes Badin what it is,” says its director of operations Soufian Mamlouk.

Deeply insulated and spinning all kinds of music from a multi-genre rotation that will slowly evolve over time, even 100dB can be contained within the space—even if the lounge won’t push it that high.

The space will place guests in a cocooned setting that feels like sitting inside of an audiophile’s living room: Low lights, velour banquettes, side tables, and nooks and crannies that all surround a center stage DJ opposite Badin’s heavy front door.

“We wanted to get excited to do something different, to curate sound and experience that offers something eclectic,” Mamlouk says.

“Everything that happens in this room feels so much more special because of its size”

Absolute intimacy

At Badin, hospitality is meant to be more reminiscent of an underground jazz bar in an old and bustling city than a modernist cocktail bar, even if it will provide high level cocktails in a welcoming and friendly environment for people to connect, chat, ask questions, and try new things.

Hence the name. 'Badin' is the French word for someone who loves a light-hearted joke and has a cheerful disposition, but if it’s pronounced as ‘bah-din’ instead of ‘bah-dan’, it means ‘afterwards’ in Arabic.

Its presence bodes well for a city that’s been struggling with maintaining a nightlife scene, offering a small space that acts as its strength: Easier to maintain, smaller groups to serve, and a sense of intimacy that can’t often be found elsewhere in Montreal.

“Everything that happens in this room feels so much more special because of its size,” Mamlouk says.

“Guests have shared that they experience a deeper sense of intent in the space while they watch the bartenders or DJs work. You’re closer to everything, and the energy in the room is different from what I could have imagined as we conceived the place.”

Guests are guided in by their servers, and service acts as the orchestrators of their evenings from beginning to end.

“Badin introduces a heightened sense of awareness. Here, I see things I wouldn’t normally notice,” Mamlouk adds. “Things that get lost in bigger spaces—conversation, intimacy, comfort, and realness—can be appreciated fully.” 

"Aside from being high quality, the materiality at Badin references our chosen design language that’s also reminiscent of our cultural heritage and inspiration"

Built for aurality

As a vinyl-only experience to start, only a small crew of selectors who understand the experience Badin is trying to bring to its guests are playing music. The equipment matches the commitment: As each one plays, they’re bookended by two McIntosh MC901 Dual Mono Amplifiers and tank-like JBL 4350 speakers, and standing over Technic SL 1210 MK2 Turntables.

Following in the footsteps of HENI’s design language, Badin is heavily inspired by organic shapes and colours. Crafted by design director Omar Boubuss of Studio Circa, rounded forms and earthy tones fill its small space with selections of stone, wood, and cork.

Mamlouk explains that a lot went into insulating the room and soundproofing it for guests upstairs. The room had extensive treatment, with over six layers of varying material and finished in 360 degrees of naturally forming cork that was dyed and sealed by Badin’s team.

“Aside from being high quality, the materiality at Badin references our chosen design language that’s also reminiscent of our cultural heritage and inspiration,” Soufian explains, referring to HENI’s focus on the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) region.

“It’s more about transformation—clarifications, filtrations, reductions, fermentations—to create a balanced drink, a chemical that people have never tasted before.”

Rich in sound, rich in taste

Émile Archambault heads the cocktail program of Badin as its creative director, bringing experience from the bars of Île Flottante, Cabaret l’enfer, and Le Petit Mousso. He’s joined by HENI’s Noah Abecassis as general manager, and bartender Jonas Kempeneers who sports stripes from high-concept mixology spots like the Cloakroom Bar.

“The menu here reflects my creativity; there’s no specific taste profile or guideline, or a cultural one. Instead, I always refer to food to do my cocktails,” Archambault explains.

“It’s more about transformation—clarifications, filtrations, reductions, fermentations—to create a balanced drink, a chemical that people have never tasted before.”

“Having worked in restaurants, whenever I go into the walk-in, I’ll take ideas from there as well as past experiences I’ve had with food, even souvenirs from my grandmother’s recipe books for inspiration.”

Archambault’s cocktail menus for Badin will be ephemeral, changing seasonally with slow transitions where a given cocktail may only last a few months. They will often use ingredients which are less expected—think smoked jalapeno or yellow mustard, for example—in ways that encourage guests to expand their comfort zones.

Each will also draw influences from Archambault’s trips out to his Outaouais vineyard Fragments to pick products and source ideas, whether it’s cultivated berries or wilder ingredients.

Eventually, Badin will take advantage of an oenological connection to HENI, featuring a bubbly program and the potential for trips into the cellar below the restaurant. It will also feature bites made in collaboration between Emile and HENI’s chef Julien Robillard.

Those looking for updates on Badin can tune into its IG @salon.badin, and a newsletter will be coming in May 2024.