We were seated immediately and asked whether we wanted something to drink. I asked what they had in terms of non-alcoholic beverages – hoping that they might have some fun virgin drinks but I was informed it was pop, tea, etc. I asked if they could make a spritzer and my waiter said, “Spritzers are made with wine.” …umm, they are but they can be made with other things as well. In any case, I said water was fine, he took our order and was off.
We didn’t wait too long for our first course – I ordered the Earl Grey infused Butternut Squash Soup and Brian ordered the ½ lb Mussels.
My soup was good, it had more than a hint of Earl Grey and was slightly spicy and peppery which worked well with the sweetness of butternut. The soup was a little on the thin side, but still quite enjoyable.
The ½ lb Mussels were served in a broth of tomato jam and chorizo. This dish was good too, the mussels had a nice smokey and spiced flavour to them and the accompanying broth paired with the mussels well.
For our mains, I ordered the Coq au vin and Brian ordered the Beef bourguignon.
The Coq au vin is served with stewed mustard lentils, lardon and foraged mushrooms. The chicken is a good size and also very tender and flavourful. The lentils complimented the texture of the chicken, mushrooms and lardon and there was a healthy amount of them as well. I felt the stew was a bit too salty.
The Beef bourguignon is a good size and served differently here than what you would normally see elsewhere- served with pomme puree, lardon, mushrooms and pearl onions. One of the beef chunks was tender, but the other chunk was very dry. Overall, the flavour was good in this dish.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Mousse duo and the Espresso crème brulee.
The Chocolate Mousse duo is served…interestingly. I can’t say I’m a fan of the presentation, it kind of reminded me of slugs or leeches. I think what would’ve made it more appetizing looking would be the addition of greens or served on a smaller plate. The dish itself was nice, it wasn’t too sweet and the hazelnut crumble helped with texture.
The espresso crème brulee has an intense espresso flavour – which is enjoyable. The hard caramel crust is a little thick, so it was difficult to break apart to enjoy.
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2/5
Value: 2.5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
OVERALL: 2.5/5
