The Café Cherrier

Café Cherrier is going on 40. For decades it’s been Quebec's creative fauna’s restaurant. Jacques Boisseau founded the Café in the company of his artistic acolytes.

To resume Boisseau's life, there is the before Cherrier and after, since.

He began his career as a real estate appraiser and then a statistician in the civil service. At 30, he sold his assets and opened one after another, café-terraces in the two major cities of the province (La Cour de Québec and La Cour de Montréal).

This fast-tracked background led the man, whose ancestor settled in Verchères in 1670, to place his restaurant in the heart of the city. A prime location.

It all began in 1981 when he spotted the architectural gem housing the corner of St-Denis and Cherrier Street. It was not in the best shape but he could see potential.

The Plateau, at that time, was a popular neighbourhood. Many artists and personalities chose to reside there, and whether at the Carré or Café, you could hear discussing, composing, and more at all hours. Poetry has marked the aura of the quaint Victorian park with an enchanting fountain in the middle. Poets such as Émile Nelligan or Gaston Miron basked in this unique ambiance for years. Naturally, the Café became the local intellectuals’ lair.

These creators still infuse life into the family-run Cherrier to this day. These indestructible bonds have stood the test of time. Artworks of all kinds have flourished, in a range of disciplines from sculpture to cinema. The novel "La Serveuse du Café Cherrier" by Yves Beauchemin gives readers an impression of the creations inspired. One can also think of the evocative paintings of Miyuki Tanobe or Claude Théberges', just to name a few examples.

Café Cherrier is more than a restaurant; it's a family adventure that has nourished and been nourished by its circle of supporters. For Jacques, family involvement represents a crucial pillar. He encouraged his children and their partners to actively participate over the years. And even after the painful loss of his eldest son in 2019, Alexandre's entrepreneurial spirit and dedication continue to inspire the daily operation of Café Cherrier, a well attended Montreal institution.

The devoted team at the Café Cherrier restaurant is at the heart of its charm. With unwavering dedication, they have been an integral part of the establishment's success, embodying the essence of the café's immuable bonds that have transcended generations. Some members of the team have passionately served patrons for over three decades, maintaining the spirit of warmth and hospitality that has defined Café Cherrier's identity since its inception. Their commitment, alongside the Boisseau family's active involvement, has made the Café not just a restaurant but a cherished family institution. 

In this artistic haven, where creativity and conversation flow freely, the team continues to play a leading role, ensuring that the show goes on every day with the same enthusiasm that Jacques Boisseau has always exuded in pursuit of dreams and challenges. As he put it himself so well :

[Life at Cherrier is] "A show that we play and repeat every day, (...) and I still love the show." - Jacques Boisseau