Montreal Casino permanently closes Robuchon restaurant

Montreal Casino, the largest casino in Canada, has announced the end of its contract with the fine-dining restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

Canada.- The largest casino in the Canada, Montreal Casino, which is owned and operated by the state through a subsidiary of Loto-Québec, the Societé des Casinos du Québec, has announced the end of its contract with the fine-dining restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

The iconic restaurant opened in 2016. Authorities said its closure was due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced all casinos and restaurants to shut down.

“The decision can be explained by the exceptional circumstances caused by Covid-19, as well as the uncertainty as to when the casino will reopen,” Loto-Québec said in a statement.

The restaurant gained notoriety when it opened since there was some public criticism of the use of public funds for a French restaurant chain instead of promoting local talent.

Responding to critics in 2015, the Casino’s executive chef Jean-Pierre Curtat said: “The idea was to have a chef who could help Montreal gain visibility as a gourmet destination”.

Read more: Loto-Québec revenues face steep decline

Joël Robuchon was a well-known French chef, who gained a record 32 Michelin stars while building an empire that included restaurants in more than a dozen cities, including several at casinos. He died in 2018, at the age of 73.

New plans for casinos in Québec

The Société des casinos du Québec said it was “proud of the exceptional work of the teams of L’Atelier, which offered an unforgettable experience to patrons.”

According to the Montreal Gazette, the Société des casinos du Québec plans to revamp the concept of the restaurants at Montreal Casino and Casino du Lac-Leamy. Those plans depend, however, on the evolution of the pandemic and a reopening date coming into sight.

The location used by L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon will be used to expand Ajia, the Asian restaurant already operating out of the casino.