Auberge St-Gabriel's take on Quebec History gets a brand new look

Built in 1688 by a French soldier, Auberge Saint-Gabriel was the first inn in North America. On 1769, the owner of the Auberge, received the first liquor license granted under British rule. In the 19th century, the Auberge was turned Into a private mansion. In 1914 the inn was restored to its original vocation as Auberge Saint-Gabriel and in 1987 it was purchased by the Bolay family The Auberge has become a monument to the history of a people, with playful nods to our recent and not-so-recent past. Designer Bruno Braën has taken an unpretentious but serious look at historical icons from Quebec and the rest of North America without comprising the restaurant's form and function. The first thing you see upon entering the restaurant is a huge spine of a whale hanging in the center of the restaurant, a reminder that even before the arrival of aboriginal peoples, this spot lay hundreds of meters below the surface of the Champlain Sea.

The building's architecture has been preserved, and any additions faithfully reflect the original construction. Attention is immediately caught by the tables made of Montreal stone that seem to rise up out of the floor of the same material, and by the lamps made of the same stone as the walls. But the really off-the-wall nature of the place lies in the truly novel way objects are used. For example, a grass-covered expanse becomes a picnic and play area for the young at heart, and two genuine stuffed moose joined at the neck—the antithesis of a moose trophy on the wall—serve as a lamp. The trained eye will also recognize tributes to Quebec design (deconstructed Oracle record player), modern 20th century art, (mural by Jordi Bonnet), heritage arts and crafts (quilted armchairs), the working of the land (lumberjack-style tables, suede armchairs, fur), industrial engineering (lights incorporated into water pipes and table wiring to illustrate hydroelectric development) and even our military heritage (bar stools with the official emblem of the Royal 22nd Regiment, the francophone battalion of the Canadian Army).