David G.
Yelp
In preparation for our last minute visit to Montreal, I sought recommendations from several sources I know that travel. One suggested a place that is sadly closed until mid-January; the other suggested this spot. We came, without consulting Yelp and that was a mistake.
I'll start with what earned the actual stars: ambiance. It feels upscale, folks tend to greet you professionally at the door, but even that is kind of where it ends. Generally in nicer spots, every employee you see throughout (whether bus staff, other wait staff, etc.) always greet you, smile, yield to give you passage. All of that seemed lacking after the hostess station. Looks beautiful inside, we were seated on the third floor overlooking the street. Apart from having a spotlight directly overhead, that was a lovely spot to enjoy a meal!
Service overall was quite pleasant. Our waiter was accommodating to our indecision, he seemed warm and also quite busy! While it took longer to receive an option for dessert and the check after that than we might have liked, I never felt rushed which is good - so I tried to view that favorably overall especially considering how busy he was.
Food & beverage was as follows:
- complimentary bread: two of the three pieces were perfectly crusty, one slightly soft; delicious subtle nutty flavor, perfectly soft butter. 4.2/5
- espresso martini: a uniquely made, and quite costly. It simply wasn't for me. I have tried many varieties, and the ingredients just didn't blend with my palate. 2.4/5
- Moscow mule: (non-menu cocktail) appropriate bite from the ginger, lacking in spirit. 3.7/5
- crab cake: coated, unusually so. Lacked much flavor in the cake itself. Mango chutney was the star of this dish. Cake: 2.2/5; chutney: 4.3/5
- French onion soup: cheese was chewy, broth was flavorful. Not the worst version, not the best version. 2.8/5
- Garden salad: basic, cranberries became the say of the salad which were thankfully abundant. Dressing was decent. 3.6/5
- filet mignon (8 ounce, non-wrapped): filet has zero flavor; I don't expect to ever want a steak sauce in any steak house because I anticipate the beef being flavorful, appropriately seasoned. It was a perfectly cooked rare temperature, but the winning stopped there it was accompanied by mashed potatoes (2.3/5) which also lacked flavor, and green beans (3.7/5) and carrots (4.8/5) which I wish had come in a bundle and not so small because they were perfectly cooked.
- crème brûlée: beautiful appearance with the glass coating, decently flavorful but not as smooth as I expect from a custard; 3.8/5
- carrot cake: clearly pre-portioned and refrigerated prior to service; bone dry, no warm spicy flavor, evident by how dark the outer edges were but how pale the inner bites were. Carrots must have been pulverized before being put in the cake. Walnuts were intended to be the star, but they were softened by refrigeration. Utter disappointment: 1.4/5
When you come to a steakhouse, you don't expect the complimentary bread and the two carrots to be the main highlights of the meal itself. Lesson learned; read reviews even if someone you know suggested it!