Europea, Montréal (Québec, Canada)

If you ever find yourself in Montréal get your bony behind down to Europea. On a recent visit for dinner I was blown away by their food, service, ambiance - in short, everything. This modern international-style restaurant is located in the luxury boutique strip not too far from McGill University (so a bit of a hike from the old city if you are staying there).

My dining partner and I ordered their tasting menu which they paired with some delicious wines. The first amuse was a plate of marinated mushroom, fish and potato croquette as well as prunes wrapped in bacon (which on my return to Tokyo was one of the first dishes I cooked!). This was followed by a second amuse of a divine lobster bisque with truffle. This was followed by a plate of cooked and cold foie gras served with pineapple jam and a very drinkable Ontario sticky wine. The next course was a shot glass containing a foam of Caesar salad and bacon - our sole brush with molecular gastronomy for the evening...The main course was a stupendous plate of roasted scallop with prosciutto, duck confit ravioli, shittake mushrooms, artichoke and coconut sauce. Rich doesn't even begin to describe that creation!

This was followed by a dessert of savarin (like a baba au rhum), which was fantastic, and a large plate of petit fours. And as if that wasn't enough a plate of freshly baked madelaines was put in front of us as we drank our coffee, which itself came with chocolates. I finished every last bite that Europea served up and I am not ashamed. The crowd was an interesting mix of families, couples and hard-hitting business associates showing that the place has broad appeal. The staff are not in the least bit pretentious - just clearly a great bunch who love food and love to see you enjoy yourself. If I ever make it back to Montréal I will be back for sure.


http://www.europea.ca/eng/index.html
Tel: 513 398 9229

Comments

Joseph Mallozzi said…
Hey, my hometown! My sister, being quite the foodie herself, took me to Europa when I visited in July. I was more than pleasantly surprised. My write up here -

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/july-9-2009-get-your-stargate-fix-finally-a-decent-meal-and-news-of-note/

One of the high-points was a foie gras cromesquis shaped like a cigar and served in - what else? - a cigar box.

Also, hey, you were in Montreal and didn't hit Au Pied de Cochon. This is what you missed:

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/july-10-2009-playing-pop-a-weasel-in-church-au-pied-de-cochon/
TokyoEater said…
joseph - your review makes me want to go back there - it looks amazing what you had!!!! i wish it wasn't so far. actually i wanted to go to au pied de cochon but it was booked out. at least it gives an excuse to go back!
S Lloyd said…
Hi Dominic,
Glad to hear you have enjoyed l'Européa. It is a place that I like too, especially for the friendly chef Jérôme Ferrer and the efforts they put in pleasing the diner. Perhaps not my 1st choice among Montreal's finest, and I found their numerous aside nibbles to lack sparks therefore taking away a bit of the magic of the main dining event itself, but it certainly is a fun experience. PS: I'll contact you later on since I'm planning to visit Japan in the long run. Perhaps you could help me with some great dining suggestions in Tokyo. Thanks
TokyoEater said…
No problem - happy to help!

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