Visited Le Violon on a Wednesday evening after hearing plenty of praise and recognition. We were seated at the bar with a view through the window of the kitchen.
The food was good, but arguably safe and one-dimensional. Everything was very well cooked; the fish was flaky with a crispy skin, and the gnocchis very soft and peas still fresh with a light pop. Yet, each dish felt like it was just missing an element of surprise, whether a contrast in texture, flavor or aroma; something that stands out to make the dish more memorable for the price point.
The decor and the vibe of the restaurant is undoubtedly beautiful. Le Violon embodies the ambiance of an elevated resto de quartier. That said, the noise level was high and at times, it became difficult to have a conversation.
All in all, Le Violon was good, but perhaps not good enough to justify the cost. I was more blown away by the bill than the food.
This restaurant is stunning. I can’t get over how delicious the food is. The service is attentive and approachable. We didn’t have a bad dish. Let the chef guide your experience. You won’t be disappointed. We will come back to Montreal just to return to this restaurant. Chef Danny Smiles is exceptional.
Absolutely fabulous place. We had beef tartare, white asparagus, pork, ravioli, and for dessert we had marenque and citrus tart. Tried 2 different white wines and 2 different res wines. Excellent recommendations by the staff. Dong Ding tea was delicious, reminded me of oolong tea. High quality service and sooo comfortable ambiance and energy. Just fabulous!
Amazing food and service! Allie and McKenzie were great! Super attentive and knowledgeable! The food was the most homey, approachable food for a fine dining experience! Beautiful surprise was the Guinea fowl - lots of umami and great portion! Favourite dish: white asparagus, Rimouski crab and hollandaise - pay extra for the crab, u won’t regret it! Very approachable wine list!
So we were excited to try this place because it got 8th on the list of Canada's top 100 restaurants.
So we were expecting the meal to be great.
We've done many tasting menus and so we thought that would be the best way to experience but the chef has to offer.
The first dishes were a bread dish with butter and lobster with asparagus and a bechamel sauce. They were good but nothing special.
The pate and the fish with harissa sauce were both not that great. The pate for some reason was paired with radish so you had a very very silky smooth Pate which was delicious, but the radish would add a watery texture to it. Not very appealing.
Then we got the mains. The salad was fresh with a light dressing. Once again, nothing super special here. And the pork was mixed with a bechamel and a jus. That was good , and finally the fish which didn't really stand out either.
For a restaurant getting the top 100 , you would expect something that would stand out and be different.
The deserts though were outstanding , that pastry / desert chef deserves an award by herself 🤣. Those were epic.
Also our server was amazing and great as well.
Overall though not a place I'd recommend to spend $450. Def had better experiences at that price point.
