There is something about French cuisine, not sure if it is the look, the smell or the taste. But when we think about it only one word comes to mind – magnifique. Now when we are talking about the fare offered at Chez Alexandre, magnifique just does not make the grade. We would call our experience there extraodrinaire, magistral, luxueux, because it was beyond magnifique.
Located on Peel street, Chez Alexandre has been a Montreal institution for almost four decades. Generations of families have sampled the cuisine only to return time and time again to celebrate memories and make new ones.
The restaurant is sectioned off into three distinct areas, a quiet dining space, a more casual bar area, and finally the upstairs cigar lounge. The Dinning room is spacious, comfortable and colourful with murals depicting Parisian scenes on the walls.
The bar area, is amazingly reminiscent of Paris bistros found in Montmartre, right down to the little round tables and wicker chars on the patio in summer. The perfect spot to sip some wine, and enjoy the view on a beautiful summer day.
The second floor boasts an area for drinking and a fully stocked cigar bar. The only true cigar bar located in the city. Just walking up the stairs you can see the smoke and smell the aroma of people enjoying their favorite stogie.
Dinner is served under the watchful eye off the ever present and attentive staff, catering to your needs and desires all you need to do is ask and they are there to please.
We started our dinner with a nice glass of wine, while we learned the history of the establishment from owner Alain Creton.
As in all French restaurants we started with an amuse-bouche. This is always our favorite part of the meal as this is where the chef shows his creativity, and gets to think outside the box. We were not disappointed.
From there the meal just got better. We were spoiled with appetizers of ravioli stuffed with escargot and sweetbreads. The ravioli was cooked perfectly, and the escargot filling was so flavorful and delicious. The sweetbreads were just amazing, and we would highly recommend trying them.
We do not know if it is possible, but the next course the food was even better. We opted to try the liver and sea-bass. The liver was prepared to perfection, tender and delectable. The sea-bass melted in our mouths as we ate it, one exquisite bite after another.
Although we were quite full, the staff convinced us to try the desserts, it did not require much convincing and was well worth the calories.
The service and the cuisine was outstanding and we recommend you try Chez Alexandre, bring your family and make some Montreal memories.
