The most intriguing thing about Portland’s highly anticipated new restaurant Kann might be what’s underneath it. Sousòl, named for the Haitian-Creole word for “basement,” is the sister bar to James Beard award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet’s wood-fired Haitian cuisine eatery, which was recently named Portland’s restaurant of the year by The Oregonian, among a bevy of other accolades.
Kann’s light and bright dining room finds its foil in Sousòl, which is dark and moody, with dramatic lighting and rich textures. Partnering with Rejuvenation, Portland’s longtime lighting and hardware restoration shop, Sousòl features custom furnishings such as classic leather swivel barstools and caned chairs. Lustrous fuchsia banquettes from Raleigh Hills Upholstery anchor the space, offering guests an inviting seat to enjoy Gourdet’s pan-Caribbean menu of cocktails, zero-proof drinks and bar snacks.
