At the Heart of the Plaza, Nestor hosts the first interview in this series of conversations with our local merchants. Today, meet Benjamin Desautels and Raphaël Léger, the two partners who created Nestor!

Can you introduce your business and your team?

Raphaël: We are two partners, Raphaël Léger and Benjamin Desautels. We have a manager named Nasry and a team of about 20 employees, both in the bar and the kitchen. It’s truly a neighborhood bar, with a super friendly and familiar team. It might sound cliché, but it’s the truth.

Benjamin: We’ve been here for 7 years. We’ve always been like a family. Some of our employees have been here since the beginning, or almost. Despite the pandemic and renovations, our team is stable, and those who have left are mainly students who finished school. We’re lucky to be surrounded by great people.

Raphaël: A strong stability, and recognition from the neighborhood too. As Benjamin said, we opened in 2015. The bar concept has evolved a little, but overall we’ve remained that neighborhood pub—the kind you can find in every major city. It’s a place where you can sit, enjoy a smiling and welcoming service, without any discrimination, from 8 to 88 years old!

About the opening story: We’ve lived in the area for a long time. Benjamin was good friends with the previous owners of Gainzbar (the bar that used to be in Nestor’s place). When I started my bar career, it was at Petit Medley at age 19. So we’ve known this world for a while. The previous owners wanted a change, and we were ready to take the chance.

Did you know each other before that?

Benjamin: We’ve known each other for almost 20 years! We’ve worked together in different bars, and even when we weren’t working together, we still saw each other quite often.

We saw each other regularly, professionally or socially. So when the opportunity came to take over Nestor, we decided to do it together. It was quite a natural partnership.

Why the Plaza?

Benjamin: We look for many businesses with a very local vibe. Personally, I’ve lived in the area for 20 years. I also ran another bar nearby. It’s truly a neighborhood space that is very lively, where locals come back regularly. Eventually, everyone gets to know each other, which is very pleasant.

Raphaël: People live in the neighborhood; they come from home mostly on foot and leave the same way. Parking issues for some merchants are understandable, depending on the type of business, but what attracted us was the proximity commerce aspect, plus an interesting location with two metro stations nearby. It’s a place we knew already, which makes it easier to open a bar or restaurant where you need to know your clients a bit in advance. I don’t think we could have opened a bar downtown.

Benjamin: Downtown bars work, sure, but it’s not really our thing. We prefer a quiet corner in Montreal where people can have a comfortable space and enjoy their visit. The upstairs space allows us to host events, making the bar more of a destination. Downstairs, it’s a true neighborhood bar where people recognize us and our staff. We want everyone to feel at home. Every customer is a potential regular. It’s not just about the beer—it’s the environment that matters. That’s what we create and love to do.

Raphaël: A typical week? We know our needs and supplies throughout the year. We’re open 7 days a week, 2 PM to 3 AM. Mondays are mostly ordering from our suppliers, we have 4-5 beer suppliers, and the SAQ for spirits. We also have a caterer, plus we do some things ourselves. The rest of the week includes staff training, floor management, shopping… We’re very hands-on.

Benjamin: There’s no truly “typical week”—there are recurring tasks, but also unexpected events, like plumbing issues, broken equipment, or staff illness. We adapt constantly.

Raphaël: My girlfriend is often frustrated! She asks when we can meet more, but honestly, I don’t even know myself! (laughs)

Benjamin: Exactly, but that’s part of the beauty—no two days are alike. Even Sundays, we get calls from clients or staff. It’s part of the game.

Raphaël: You have to make sacrifices and compromises, force yourself to take breaks, but also be present.

Benjamin: Honestly, we couldn’t do it differently. The concept is unique, tied to the neighborhood, and the clients shape it. The ambiance and energy are unique. Raphaël and I have other bars, but there’s nothing like this.

Raphaël: We aimed for a pub atmosphere like in Chicago: leather booths, dark green walls, dim lighting, gold accents… plus a nice cocktail menu. We have 20 lines of craft beer and imported wine.

Benjamin: We asked ourselves, “What bar would we want to visit in another neighborhood?” That’s what we tried to create.

Raphaël: We’ve been here 7 years. We celebrated our anniversary on Thursday, November 3rd—three in one, because the pandemic delayed previous celebrations.

Benjamin: Favorite businesses on the Plaza? Montréal Plaza, Snowbird Tiki Bar, Chez Ernest, Bistro Beaufort, Conserva… Also JACO UOMO, Gamache Tailleur, La Queue de Cochon. We try to source locally as much as possible.

Raphaël: For example, we buy bread at Automne Boulangerie (not on the Plaza, but nearby).

Benjamin: If we had to recommend a product from our bar, it would be a Quebec gin with a small chaser. We have 22 Quebec gins at Nestor! Come discover them!