Paparmane: Dreamy tea time is served by Montreal brunch royalty

An entrepreneur of 15 years and counting, Pierre-Luc Chevalier has always thought about how things could be done differently in Montreal.

From his first restaurant Bistro la Cantine to Régine Café and Janine Café that continue to see line-ups almost daily, to his new ‘dream project’ of a tea room Paparmane, each spot makes (or looks to make) an impression through a peculiar signature of captivation.

Chevalier, Maxim Lepage, Charles Deschamps and now Anouk Trottier have developed a style informed by an old school blend of hospitality, visual appeal, and pleasingly emotional spaces. Be it Régine, Janine, or now Paparmane, they’re arranged like tableaus: Symmetrical, a little proper but not too serious, and framed just-so with whimsical colour palettes, all intended to evoke another world.

"Since I was young, I was going to hotels with my grandmother. I loved the feeling of them and their chic décor, the kind you don’t often find in people’s homes."

That old magic

Opened on April 18, Paparmane is no exception to the team's past successes: A 57-seat team room located near the Notre-Dame Basilica, it’s dressed in Louis XVI furniture, Renaissance accents, and Rococo ambiance with velveted and textured materials, all accompanied by curious paintings, vibrant plateware and wallpaper.

Servers stand at attention, and meals come served on fanciful tiered platters of classic, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and vegetarian options. Every drink is served with a teapot, be it a mocktail, a signature cocktail, or a glass of sparkling wine or champagne.  Birds can be found perched in the chandeliers.

“Since I was young, I was going to hotels with my grandmother. I loved the feeling of them and their chic décor, the kind you don’t often find in people’s homes,” Chevalier says.

“These designs come from this love, but not in an intimidating way; you’re meant to feel relaxed while you’re there as they mix styles and times to touch on recognizable elements for many people.”

“Before coming to Montreal, I was a hotel manager. Most of my career was in Mont Tremblant, working with the different hotels at the base of the mountain. But when I arrived in Montreal in 2007 or 2008, I couldn’t fit in with city hotels; I was used to the magical world of Tremblant, so I decided to open my first restaurant (Bistro La Cantine).”

“At Tremblant, everything is experiential, all the senses, the design, the service… during my 12 years there, it was part of my language. The magic, the wow, the experience; it was my university.”

“These designs come from this love, but not in an intimidating way; you’re meant to feel relaxed while you’re there as they mix styles and times to touch on recognizable elements for many people.”

Step into my apothecary

A lot this is magic is apparent in Paparmane’s details, perhaps most of all with its extensive apothecary of tea, with as many as 18 varieties spread across oolong, black, Darjeeling, green, white, rooibos, and herbal categories.

A wide range of infusions selected in collaboration with tea sommelier Elyse Perreault—known as ‘Lady T’—the teas and herbal options include vintages and signature blends such like Massala Tralala (black tea with ginger and cardamom finish), Jalousie double crème (an earl grey with vanilla notes), Gueule de bois (light notes of tomato, ginger and sweet beetroot), and an eponymous Paparmane made from Quebec-grown wintergreen with pink peppermint.

Herbal teas can come with a splash of vodka for those who’re feeling cheeky, and a range of tea accessories, products and pastries complete the tea room’s boutique offerings.

“I was a bit skeptical of having a tea sommelier at first,” Chevalier admits, “but Elyse has come up with things that have impressed and educated me. It’s been amazing to work with something so passionate.”

Old school, but with a new look

Breaking from London tea room services, Chevalier wanted to eschew and venerate typical elements like cucumber sandwiches and the occasional stuffiness of traditions.

Instead of bread-heavy options with an excess of cakes and scones, Paparmane goes in what seems like a more… Quebecois direction, where there’s more bombast, but not excessively so.

Deviled eggs are treated to truffle and parmesan, chicken salad is served on brioche, there’s a grilled cheese with walnuts, pistachios, 1608 cheese, onions and olive caramel; classic cucumber sandwiches come with salmon, miso, and ginger; scones come twisted with touches like strawberry-rosemary jam and sweet clover mascarpone cream; sweets range from chamomile cream shooters to Battenberg cakes, chocolate coquillette, and passion fruit tarts.

When tea time is served, the room fills up with tiered platters all topped by small birds—a small flock filling up the room.

“Magic is really important to me. Employees receive a ‘guide de magie’, a small guide they can put in their pocket about how to everything from welcoming customers to dealing with complaints. It’s meant to be something that’s in their day to day vocabulary,” says Chevalier.

 Paparmane is now open at 209 Notre-Dame Street West in Old Montreal; the English tea experience starts at $50 per person for adults and $24 for children aged 12 and under.