With seating for just 12, Montreal pasta shop Etna Pastificio might be petite, but what it lacks in size, it sure makes up for in style and flour-based substance.
A close neighbour of the excellent Jean-Talon Market, Etna Pastificio is located in the Villeray neighbourhood, the 700 square foot venue (formerly restaurant Etna) immersed in natural light which helps the space to feel larger and more airy. Wanting a simple place, the owners turned to Studio MHA with whom they’d collaborated with before to design a spot where “clients would happily shop and dine; while in the open kitchen space, it would be a delight for the employees to make pasta.”
As a result, Michael Hall and his team divided the space length wise where on one side is the kitchen and the other the dining tables and sales displays for wine and pasta, meaning the staff skilfully preparing the pasta by hand take centre stage at the street-front window. Clients dine comfortably in a banquette, a wonderful corner where a casual lunch can be enjoyed while revelling in the afternoon sun.
Mindful to avoid design clichés, Studio MHA wanted the space to echo the architecture and design of Sicily and the surroundings of Mount Etna. The bold patterned tile floor of the store is a nod to the beautiful colourful tile floors of the older homes on the Mediterranean island. The rest of the material palette is deliberately restrained, consisting of neutral-coloured ceramic tiles, white and beige tones on the walls, birch plywood and the oak counters of the pasta kitchen.
For fresh pasta, classic Italian sauces and natural wines, Etna Pastificio in Montreal’s hip Villeray is a refined slice of cool and calm.
Photography, Phil Bernard / courtesy Etna Pastificio Montreal.
