Design Crush: A French Brasserie in Whistler with Eclectic, Antique Charm (and a Mural on the Ceiling)

For those escaping the big city for snow days in British Columbia’s northwesternmost alpine resort town, a French brasserie feels entirely the right fit—a cozy, come-as-you-are eatery that’s still a world away from the usual. 

Among brick-laid, rounding streets is an indulgent, transportative menu: classic French fare such as onion tarte tatin with foie gras torchon, a lobster vol-au-vent with sweetbreads, leeks, truffles and lobster cream or—if you’re feeling really indulgent—a beef tartare and bone marrow, served on a hearty half-beef bone complete with black garlic, lavash and a cured egg yolk, can all be found inside Lorette Brasserie, the French dining spot located in the middle of Whistler Village.

Beyond the mouthwatering menu, the design inside the 90-seater transports diners to the kind of French brasseries you’d find in Paris or Montréal the moment you walk through the door.

In the restaurant’s opening enclave, coats are checked in a 100-year-old antique French wardrobe, which designer Wade King of King Design Group sourced on Facebook Marketplace. Just beyond it, a dark walnut bar wraps along one side of the restaurant. Three brass light fixtures, each with a trio of globe-like white bulbs are dropped above the bar, resembling bird cages.

And, if you just look up, drawing together the motif is a fresco-style mural of birds in a garden recessed into the ceiling.

“The ceiling murals are both function and form as they are canvases painted in a French-Italian garden fresco style, but used acoustically to absorb sound,” says King, who has been working with Umberto Group (that’s the stalwart restaurateur behind fine dining establishments Giardino in Vancouver and La Trattoria in Whistler) for 25 years, making his mark on the old world European charm displayed in the iconic Pacific northwest restaurants. He’s now taken on three different projects with Paré Restaurant Group—which is the team behind Lorette itself—including Whistler landmarks Quattro and Caramba.

“The inspiration for Lorette was a classic French brassiere, so the room colours, tile and furniture are classic French bistro style,” says King. “I wanted the room to be eclectic and somewhat busy, giving interesting views and elements to look at.”

The eclectic look comes together with multiple vintage round tables, all sourced on Facebook Marketplace and restored to their former glory, Turkish antique mirrors in varying sizes and an assortment of artwork, either created by King himself or found at flea markets and second-hand shops.

“Each of the families I got [the tables] from were thrilled that their mothers’ or family tables were going to good use at a restaurant,” says King. “And they all said they would come up [to the restaurant] and visit their table.”

The walls of the 90-seater are a warm, three-tone lime wash, while the ceiling is a polished Venetian plaster, and no two corners of the room are quite alike.

“We used lots of different styles of lights to create interest and variety,” says King, and you’ll find that reflected in the dome lights that illuminate the space’s second bar-seating area, looking into the kitchen. Brass wall sconces line booths, and more dropped pendant lighting in the dining room draw the eye away from recessed, modern pot lights.

And if somehow—between indulgent mouthfuls of vol-au-vent or sips of the spot’s classic frozen vesper, surrounded by warm, eclectic design—you start to arrive back to the modern world, just look up.