Jean-Michel Mercier’s identity for Berto reworks the osteria’s codes — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

Berto is the first restaurant from chef Riccardo Bertolino and sommelier Isabel Bordeleau, who settled on Montreal’s Villeray area for its neighbourhood life and closeness to Jean-Talon Market. It is an osteria, the warm, convivial and generous kind of Italian neighbourhood restaurant – the cooking is traditional with a contemporary approach. Montreal-based freelance designer and art director Jean-Michel Mercier was commissioned to create the identity and its applications, from the custom wordmark, typographic system and colour through the printed pieces and signage.

“When we began working with Jean-Michel, Berto was still largely undefined. We had the name, restaurant plans and a few material directions, but no complete vision,” Bertolino and Bordeleau tell us. “We knew the identity would be central to both Berto’s character and longevity, so we gave him wide creative freedom – describing the feeling we wanted rather than a fixed aesthetic. The goal was an Italian-rooted restaurant that felt accessible, comfortable and welcoming, while still distinct, chef-driven, timeless and free from cliché.”

“The idea of an osteria naturally reflected the restaurant we wanted to create. Rooted in the notion of the host, it places hospitality at the heart of Berto,” Bertolino and Bordeleau explain. “From the start, the food, space and identity were developed together, balancing tradition and modernity, simplicity and refinement.” The interior is the work of architecture firm Mise à jour, whose concept was about 70–80% developed by the time Mercier came to the project, with the materials, textures and patterns of the room already settled.

“From the beginning, I understood Berto as an elevated osteria concept, so I proposed directions that would not feel overly loud at every level. The architecture already carries a rich material presence, which allowed the identity to be more restrained in some moments,” Mercier notes. “I deliberately avoided some of the familiar visual cues often associated with Italian restaurant branding, particularly the expected geometric sans serif approach and overly literal references to Italy.”

Mercier drew the wordmark as a monoline geometric script. “From the initial research, I knew I wanted the wordmark to feel distinctive and unexpected, but I couldn’t find an existing typeface that captured the right spirit. So I began drawing the foundation of what would become the final logo,” he tells us. The refinements to it were made by type designer Alexandre Saumier Demers. “Once the direction was approved by the owners, I knew it needed the eye of a specialist to bring it to its full potential. The logo was about 90% there, but the final 10% is what gave it its meaning and precision. Together, we tested different letter combinations and refined the details to find the right balance between freshness and elegance.”

The mark has two formats, one horizontal and one diagonal, seen on the menu and wine list. “The idea was to avoid making the identity feel static across the pieces guests encounter throughout their experience. By varying the format from one application to another, the different elements feel connected when seen together – like a family – rather than simply repeating the same logo in the same way,” Mercier explains. “Jean-Michel’s unique and unexpected proposal was one of the first things he presented, and the rest of the identity grew from it,” Bertolino and Bordeleau note.

The typography is set in two styles of Bull-5 – Bull-5 Typewriter and Bull-5 Mono – a family from the foundry TIGHTYPE that type designer David Einwaller drew from a style of 1960s typewriter lettering, which was introduced through the Italian office-products manufacturer Olivetti. “Since the architecture was designed around the convivial spirit of an osteria, I wanted the typography to bring a different energy to the identity while still feeling natural within the space. The custom geometric script already carried a strong sense of warmth and personality, so I chose two monospaced typefaces to create contrast and evoke the feeling of a small neighbourhood restaurant, with a touch of old-school charm,” Mercier details.

Words are broken across lines and spread over the sheet or sign that they sit on. ‘OSTE’ sits over ‘RIA’ in deep red on the window glass, casting its own shadow onto the sheer curtain behind. A menu page sets ‘PIATTO’ as six widely separated capitals running round the edges of a pale blue sheet, with ‘RAVIOLI’ and its description in Bull-5 in the middle. “The word breaks were considered carefully, both as graphic gestures and as readable compositions. They create a sense of rhythm and scale without competing with the space,” Mercier adds. “I wanted the sign to catch people’s attention through a less familiar typographic choice – something that would make them curious before they even entered. The monospaced typeface used throughout the identity also contributes to that feeling. It gives the brand a more intimate, personal character.”

Inspired by the materials already in the restaurant, the palette is a pale blue, strong blue, deep red, pale sage and cream. “I developed a five-colour palette that could complement and balance the interior rather than compete with it,” Mercier explains. “The deep red and pale blue became the two principal colours because they offered a strong contrast while still feeling warm, refined and connected to the space. I mainly used the pale blue as a background because of its lightness: relying too heavily on the deep red would have made the overall identity feel too dark and heavy.” The printed and physical pieces include the menus and wine list, coasters, matchboxes, aprons and glassware. The content imagery is by photographer Eliane Cadieux. “I wanted the photography to feel true, warm and authentic – to capture the reality of a moment at Berto rather than something overly polished or perfect,” Mercier tells us. There is also an icon, two interlocking ‘B’s. “The icon engraved on the glasses also marks the pour level,” Bertolino and Bordeleau conclude.