Celine, a Montréal-Inspired Restaurant, Is Coming to Boston’s Fort Point

Coda Restaurant Group partners, from left: Ted Hawkins, managing partner; Deirdre Auld, CEO; and Jim Cochener, founder. / Courtesy photo

Celine is coming to Boston, and she’s going to be a vibe. The forthcoming fifth restaurant from Coda Restaurant Group, a French-Canadian homage opening in Fort Point’s former Blue Dragon space around late summer 2026, is named after Québec’s greatest export, Céline Dion. The reference is more than a wink; it’s a guiding philosophy. “She’s the greatest voice of our time and has been this hilarious, fun, but also serious representation of Québec and Montréal,” says Coda CEO and partner Deirdre Auld. “That’s what we want to be: not too serious—not fine-dining—but not too casual or flippant. Fun, craveable, talented.” It’s also an easy-to-pronounce, feminine name that feels well-suited to a restaurant blending French-Canadian inspiration with American food, an emphasis on cocktails, and the kind of “neighborhood-centric” warmth on which Coda has built its reputation.

Fresh off of celebrating the 10th anniversary of Venice-inspired South End gem SRV, the Coda Restaurant Group is planning a “a heavy bar presence” for Celine, including a cocktail focus and “strong” wine list, which will “split the difference” between the group’s more casual restaurants, Salty Pig and Gufo, and its “upscale but not fine-dining” dinner destinations SRV and Baleia. “It’s a concept that Jim [Cochener, Coda Restaurant Group founder] and I have been talking about for years,” says Auld, “showcasing that Montréal French emphasis, but also American food, blended together.” Cochener has close friends in the Canadian city and visits frequently, notes Auld. “It’s always been a place that he has loved very much, and it’s a place that all of us love in terms of its Boston vibes—historic, old, beautiful, but much more vast.” It’s also an epicenter for produce, says Auld, not to mention artisanal cheeses and breads, so the group is excited to “reflect some of that” on the menu at the forthcoming restaurant.

Menu development is in the early stages, and when the group hires a chef, they’ll be given “a lot of creative liberties, as we do at all our properties,” says Auld. But the team is picturing “a blend of things that are clean, simple, and healthy and things that are maybe more ‘cheat day’-esque.” For the former, for example, Auld loves that many restaurants in Montréal have a perfect green salad: “so simple, so tasty, very balanced.” And for those with titanic appetites, watch for an indulgent burger. “Smashburgers are delicious and have been a fun trend,” says Auld, “but we’re excited to bring back something more bar-and-grill-style.” Classics like steak or salmon tartare will likely find a home on the menu, “and we’ve been envisioning a really delicious chicken liver mousse and a beautiful piece of cooked fish, simply prepared.”

As for perhaps the most infamous Canadian food, poutine—which had its moment locally around a decade ago, for better or worse—it might not make the cut. The cheese-curds-and-gravy-smothered fries are “not as prevalent in the really serious [French-Canadian] restaurants as we think they are,” says Auld. But: “Maybe it’ll be a special.”

Celine will “have a little bit more of a bar feel” than the group’s other restaurants, reiterates Auld, likely including “a strong martini program.” Wine won’t be an afterthought, and while French grapes will get a bit of attention, there’ll be options from all over. “We’ll have a blend of Old World-style, classic expressions and some of the newer, natural, exciting things happening in the wine world right now.”

Coda Restaurant Group is thrilled to put down roots in Fort Point. “The neighborhood has evolved so much,” says Auld. “There’s more of a residential component in parts of Fort Point that didn’t exist before, and the Seaport, obviously, has drastically changed. So I’m very excited for us to bring something that is really neighborhood-centric.” And yes, while the name is a nod to Québec’s best-selling diva, this won’t be a novelty concept or a shrine. “We’re not trying to be the glitziest, glammiest Instagram place. Just: ‘You live here; come here.’”

To that end, the space will “feel like it’s always been here, a blend of Old World and New World,” says Auld, not tied to a specific moment in time or current design trends. “There will be elements that are modern,” but the design will also lean into the brick and the shape of the space, a one-story building that almost became a dispensary after Blue Dragon closed during the pandemic. “It’s so unique to have a standalone building here, and the shape is unique,” says Auld. “It feels very Boston: Shove it in a corner and make it fit.”

The group is handling the design internally for this project—Auld has a background in interior design and architectural studies, and she and Cochener have always enjoyed working on this part of the process even when collaborating with outside firms. “This project is small; it’s not going to be a big gut renovation.”

For Coda Restaurant Group, the space is a vital part of the equation: It’s essential to finalize new restaurant concepts alongside their spaces rather than plunking a fully-formed vision into whatever real estate is available. “Our growth has been predicated on that,” says Auld. “Does the right space come up? Jim [Cochener] has a great eye toward what works where, and whether a neighborhood is growing or shrinking.” Auld, who stepped away from the group in 2021—serving as director of operations at the time—to attend graduate school, returned in a partner role with expansion as a priority. “It’s important for me to challenge myself, and we also have team members who are super awesome and want to help them bring their visions to life.” New restaurants bring internal growth opportunities, including the chance for staff to partner on specific projects—chef Andrew Hebert is a partner in Baleia, for example.

So, the group probably won’t stop with restaurant five, and Auld can envision opening more single concepts as well as repeating existing ones elsewhere. With themes ranging from Italian to Portuguese to French-Canadian to who-knows–what’ll-be-next, is there one unifying philosophy for Coda Restaurant Group? “Definitely hospitality,” says Auld. “Post-pandemic, a lot of restaurants have decided to let that part go, care a little bit less about service excellence and genuine connection. It’s something that we’re never letting go.” Another priority is affordability, although Auld acknowledges that looks different for everyone, and rising goods and labor costs are a challenge. “But we’ll do everything we can to make it so we’re not isolating our consistent patrons and neighbors. We’re committed to not allowing our prices to exceed what the neighborhood can support.” Indeed, SRV and Baleia each offer generous tasting menus that are a relative steal compared to others around Boston ($67 and $70 respectively).

With Celine’s debut still at least a half year out, there are many details to finalize, so it’s yet to be seen how Coda Restaurant Group’s commitment to hospitality and affordability plays out when it lands in Fort Point. But with each of Coda’s restaurants excelling at building a neighborhood following and drawing in diners from elsewhere, one thing’s likely: Near, far, wherever you are, you’ll find yourself at Celine eventually, sipping martinis and snacking on French-Canadian classics. And sure as there’s a Céline Dion power ballad on your shower-singing playlist, this Celine, like that Céline, really will be, as Auld puts it, “a vibe.” We can’t wait.

324 A St., Fort Point, Boston, codarestaurantgroup.com.