IAteMontreal received a great honour recently, the honour of dining at Restaurant Renoir at the Sofitel Montreal. It would be so easy to say the meal was a work of art, but it was beyond that it was a true masterpiece.
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
To say we dined well at the Renoir would be an understatement, because it was just not about the food, it was the ambiance, and it was about the people. Usually around this point we regale you with the fashion and the decor of the restaurant, but there is not much to say. It was after all a Sofitel establishment and the mane Sofitel speaks for itself. But if we had to choose our word for the Sofitel Montreal it would be perfection and the Renoir was just that perfection.
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”― Ruth Reichl
Our favorite part of the Renoir, only because we had to choose one, was the people who work there. We use the term “work” very loosely here, because quite frankly the staff just love what they do. How do we know this? We know because they exude such joy in being around their customers. Under the tutelage of Chef Perret the kitchen works like a well-oiled creative machine, delivering divine dish after dish. The attentive wait staff is always there with a recommendation, or to take care of your requests. With a management team like Karim Ikrimeh and Marc Pichot we learned very quickly why the team worked so well together.
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
But enough about the staff, on to the center of attention of the night, the meal. With enough food to share with our new friends we were invited to sample the best the Renoir had to offer. It was simply amazing.
We began our experience with the charcuterie board, overflowing with, proscuito, garlic sausage, a very spicy chorizo, raisin and mushroom sausage, fois gras, and smoked duck breast. It did not matter what we tried first we had to try it all. There was also the perfect accompaniment of a selection of cheeses, Monsieur Emile, Cabanon, Charlevoix 1608, and finally Bleu Ermite. The complimenting cheeses made the charcuterie board the only way to start your dinner or a nice sampling to enjoy with a glass of wine or two during a 5 a 7.
“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”― Julia Child
As we were experiencing the bar menu, the next dish was of course the delicious burger, The (Ham)Bourgeois of Yul. The burger is served the traditional Montreal way with fries and coleslaw. It was presented to us along side it’s counterpart of the Dish of the Moment, the codfish tempura sandwich. The codfish tempura was a stroke of genius and a must try for all seafood lovers. Since we tried the burgers we had to try the hot dog, if you could call it a hot dog. Filipe’s Sausage was no ordinary dog, with the pickled veggies and the truffled mustard it was the king of hot dogs and Filipe should be very proud. Should you feel the need to share these ample sized sandwiches, the staff would be happy to divide them for you.
As we are in Montreal, you cannot enjoy bar food without having the top Montreal dish, poutine. The Poutine Qwack is, as you can tell by the name, covered with duck confit and a red wine sauce. You may also choose to add a sublime helping of fois gras, making it the perfect poutine. Be sure to watch for the Renoir’s offering during poutine week coming in February 2016. Because what else do we have to do in February but eat the best poutine in the city. If that was not enough to eat we were offered a special treat, the KCG ribs. Braised ribs prepared in a sweet and sour sauce, the were so good the meat melted on your tongue.
“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”― David Mamet, Boston Marriage
Sadly we had to come to the conclusion of our dining experience. But not before being served an angelic selection of the most delectable desserts. Alas no pie, but we were presented with eclairs, cakes, fruits and more. Our choices, well that we are keeping to ourselves, you will just have to go and try them all.
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”― Erma Bombeck
Thanks to the amazing staff and management at the Restaurant Renoir, it was an experience we shall never forget.
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3646-sofitel-montreal-golden-mile/index.shtml http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-3646-sofitel-montreal-golden-mile/index.shtml http://www.restaurant-renoir.com/
