Rachel E.
Google
Beautiful ambiance and excellent service. My waiter was absolutely lovely. However, my dining experience left much to be desired. I was very excited for one particular appetizer listed on the website under the Tables Gourmandes tasting menu, only to be told that the menu had rotated and the option was no longer available. I would advise to keep the menus updated on the website to avoid this type of disappointment from customers.
In lieu of my desired appetizer I ordered a duck confit fried spring roll. This was served on a hard, non-porous rock-like platter. As a result, there was a huge pool of oil accumulating under the food (see the attached photo). I'm normally not difficult and very understanding with kitchens, but this is the first time I had to offer a kind suggestion to the chef at a restaurant because the amount of oil my food was swimming in was simply not acceptable. The waiter was very gracious in receiving my feedback.
My main, the chicken ballotine, was good - nice flavour, pretty presentation - but the dish itself fell flat and felt uninspired. It wasn't bad, just not exciting or creative, which is what I was brought to expect based on the restaurant's website.
The tiramisu was perhaps my biggest disappointment. I am accustomed to a tiramisu that is light and airy, ladyfingers packed with coffee flavor. I was disappointed to find that this rendition of "tiramisu" was topped with a cream that was thick, dense and pasty - it had clearly been pre-refrigerated. At $7 for a small portion, I expected more.
As a Montreal local, I've stayed at this hotel before and I've had breakfast at the restaurant. It was good (not outstanding, but good). With such excellent reviews, I wanted to give the lunch offering a go, especially with the limited edition menu (which ended up being pretty much the same as their regular one...). I was left feeling that the overall experience was quite mediocre and the service and atmosphere were the only redeeming qualities.