Recently we were invited to dine at restaurant Da Vinci in downtown Montreal, a dining establishment specialising in fine Italian cuisine. It is here we experienced the art of fine dining in our fair city. We do have the opportunity to eat in many dining establishments in Montreal, and many of them serve fabulous food and have an amazing serving staff. But at Da Vinci, the exquisite combination of service and fare make it a meal to remember in a location not to be missed.
Situated at 1180 Bishop street in the heart of Downtown Montreal, in a beautiful victorian heritage building, Da Vinci has been serving up delectable Italiane bites for the past forty years. Current co-owner and Matre D Vince Amodeo, is ready and waiting to regale patrons with some history or delicious recommendation. A staple in the city, it is conveniently located withing walking distance of many of the city’s hotels and attractions, and a favourite of locals and celebrities alike.
Dinner started with some nibbles of meat and bread, olives and cheese and some spectacular martinis. Accompanied of course by our waiter, Lavi’s, explanation of the menu and a little history of the establishment. The menu is the inspiration of chef extraordinaire and co-owner Renato Ferrante.
For our first course, we enjoyed a delectable sampling of seafood appetisers. As appetisers go, they were beyond amazing. If we had to choose a favourite, we are not sure we could. As per the suggestion of the waitstaff a crisp glass of Anselmi San Vicenzo made the perfect pairing.
Next, we were presented with a serving of mushroom and truffle gnocchi, light and tasty. It was a dish we could eat every day of our lives.
Staying with the same wine, we move from seafood to our fish dish. A lovely white fish, perfectly prepared each bite melted on your tongue. At this point, we were completely in love with the cuisine and the equally charming Lavi.
With a change in the menu, we also needed a change in wine. Our transition dish was salad, the perfect way to move from the pesce to the carne. Complemented by a lovely shiraz.
There is nothing like the taste of Angus beef unless there is Angus beef prepared to perfection. Our secondi platti did not disappoint. The salad, the beef, the wine, it just all went together so well.
Our meal was now coming to the end, but we all know what that means – dessert of course. But we did not have just one dessert we had three. Or to be more precise a sampling of three of the finest desserts you would find in the city. Creme Brulee, cannolis and Semifreddo, this was a platter to make a sweets lover out of anyone. But it would not be a complete meal without a glass of Passito di Pantelleria, a delightfully sweet wine.
If you are looking for a fine Italian dining experience, we recommend you sample the dishes at Da Vinci. Be sure to ask for Vince, he is waiting for your visit.
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