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This summer, we published a wildly popular article on a toilet-themed restaurant chain in Taiwan, called Modern Toilet. Now, we’re approaching this topic from the reverse. Montreal, known for its modern art installations in its subway system, does not lack in creativity even for its bathrooms. Certain establishments have decided to make the restroom experience more interesting, moving beyond the functional, to create a lasting impression that has guests telling their friends that they “must check out the restroom!”
Here is a list of 8 quirky restaurant and bar restrooms that you can visit whilst out and about in Montreal:
The Whisky café is an extremely classy joint, which makes it all the more surprising when you walk into the restrooms. Women are invited to try the urinette, a device that allows women to pee standing up.
Here is the men’s restroom:
It’s hard to tell here but the steel wall is the urinal. When someone approaches and starts peeing, water trickles down the wall, creating a waterfall that mixes fluids.
This neighborhood bar really put a lot of effort decorating the restrooms and creating an experience. First, as you head towards the restroom, you are greeted by these charming men (uncensored in real life and the opposite wall shows naked women).
The men’s bathroom has two private stalls. In the first one, when you close the door to the stall you’ll find yourself in the middle of a lake, with full sized 360° photos of a lake surrounding you and a soundtrack playing typical lake sounds (the water moving around you, the sound of a paddle as it hits the water). In the other, the same type of immersive atmosphere is created but this time you are in the middle of the boxing ring and your opponent is about to come right at you.
The restroom for women is extremely girly, with photos of pinups and dogs allover the walls and girl power anthems playing as a soundtrack.
Here’s a video to give you more of an idea:
People come to l’Avenue for the giant brunch plates and the fun ambiance. Every morning, long lines form in front of this small Mont-Royal avenue joint. The food is scrumptious, yet what really gets people talking is the restrooms. As you step through the door of the restroom, you feel as though you’ve walked into a booming nightclub. Nearly every inch of the room is covered in black and white graffiti and the blue and pink fluorescent lighting works to make it feel even more like nighttime, even when your cellphone assures you that it’s 11AM. The women’s restroom also has a built in TV screen that plays an assorted selection of videos, like the documentary series Planet Earth or a DVD of clips by Moby.
The name says it all. This bar’s decor is as colorful as a Katy Perry music video. In the main room, walls are covered in giant Lego blocks and patrons order their candy drinks while sitting on stools shaped like women’s legs. The playful decor keeps going in both the men’s and women’s bathroom. Men get to relieve themselves into urinals shaped like the famous Rolling Stones lips, while women try the double stall (two toilets face to face in one stall).
The Foufounes électriques (Electric buttocks) is a legendary bar/concert venue that is geared towards the punk and goth crowds but it is popular with young people in general. The decor is very and very punk (think nightclub version of CBGB‘s) and the bathrooms are not for the faint of heart but they totally fit in with the place’s vibe and they are usually cleaner than they seem.
This newly opened café is a welcome addition to one of the few Montreal neighborhoods where coffee shops aren’t found at every corner. The owners ripped the former pizzeria apart and with lots of love and many trips to thrift shops, they managed to create a fun, warm atmosphere. The funky restroom’s crazy walls are the work of Montreal artist Étienne Nixon.
The Lawrence is a hip eatery with a classy but casual vibe. The decor is simple and modern with touches of vintage, like the wallpaper, designed especially for the restaurant’s restrooms by artist Jason Cantoro.
Joe Beef is one of Montreal’s most popular restaurants, with a hype that is being spread worldwide. Owners David Mcmillan and Frédéric Morin count Anthony Bourdain and David Chang as friends. Famous for their over-the-top cuisine, their menu features things like the fried foie gras double down.The fun keeps going in the restroom, where patrons get to share the room with a giant stuffed buffalo head.
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