On Old Montreal Restaurant Le Local Chef Deck says:
If I was homeless in the city of Montreal I would chose to sleep under the bridge on University corner of William Street. Why you ask? Well for one, there are lots of rich business people to beg from, two I could eat at Cluny’s Restaurant every day for lunch, three I can cleanse in the river, four I could pursue my dream of being an artist at the Darling Foundry, five I could steel the new biki government bikes on William street for transport, and six I could jack people’s meals on the terrace of Restaurant Le Local for dinner! So yes I am a fan of this fine Old Montreal restaurant designed by architects Lemay Michaud. On this particular night we started with escargot and homemade gnocchi which were great, and a beet salad with crispy bacon, breaded poached egg and truffle oil that I crave every night. For the mains we had decent ravioli with duck confit, and a baby calves liver that was thick like a fillet mignon and delicious. Also a fun little tidbit is that the former chef of Leméac Charles-Emmanuel Pariseau has been hired by chef/owner Louis-François Marcotte, and their old chef Alexandre Gosselin is now at the new Bar et Boeuf. So if your ever robbed while enjoying your meal on the terrasse by a fat man, don’t worry because it is just I Chef Deck trying to fill my belly!
Tastiness: 8.44234349/10
Stars you can stock: we ran into the great Mosé Persico, local G-d/10
Price: $5-$20 apps and $19-$31 mains/10
Le Local Montreal Information
40 William. Old Montréal
Payment: Major Credit Cards, Interac
Metro: Square Victoria
Phone: 514 397 7737
Hours: (kitchen open): Mon – Fri, 11:30 am – midnight, Sat 5:30 pm – midnight, Sun 5:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Cuisine Type: Tapas, French, Bistro
Meal Type: Lunch, Dinner
Website: resto-lelocal.com
Yes, big fan of the beet salad myself and, of course, of the design (Viateur Michaud, from Lemay Michaud, also designed some very very nice hotels…;)). I must say though that I was never impressed with the service (with the exception of Marie-Soleil, the best hostess in the world, and François the Maitre D')….
Ive made so many comments on this website!! wheres my free dinner?
Le Local food is really not that sophistocated. fun location and everything, but the food is actually mediocre. sorry but its true. good, not GREAT
Good is not mediocre…;)
Roses are red, Violets are blue, good or bad everyone is entitled to their opinion, so i thank both of you!
People win at random….me i hope it’s your time for glory
I will have to make sure I eat inside. All mine hehhe
Of course! My point was just that there is a difference between good and mediocre. Stephanie said it was mediocre, and then that it was good. So I was just wondering.
I have never been to “Le Local”. I always had the feeling that it was one of those overated restaurants, that are more about “form” than “content”.
Looking at your pictures, and reading your desriptions, I see some potential. The textures and falvours combinations seem to be interesting, and quite harmonious.
So, I will give it a try. Thanks Chef Deck!
yumm.. the place looks really inviting, & the appetizers indeed look n sound appetizing.
To me, Le Local also sound(ed) like an overrated place (as mentioned by Line just before me) but the truth is that I just judged the book by its cover. Now thanks to your review, I might just go and try it for myself to see if I find something I like…and you know what? I bet I will.
Oh ya, and thanks for the pictures that accompany this article because I have been curious to see inside for a while.
Let me know what you think
simplement délicieux!
The Place is stunning, the maitre d' is fabulous, the hostess is gorgeous. After Gosselin left the kitchen, Pariseau was asked to take the weel. That's about when I got hired. With over 300 covers/night on the week-end, there is a lot of action in the kitchen. What a mess!! Pariseau has no idea how to direct a team (He got fired at Lemeac) and everybody is frustrated in the kitchen due to the high level of production and the way we have to handle the food-there is no love there!!
Anyways, all I have to say is the food is a bit overrated-LOTS of french fries everywhere, almost no veggies, bland puree, and mediocre desserts. If your priority is to be seen and don't mind paying more for what you get, you might like it. Otherwise, there is a lot of small restaurants in Montreal with much more interesting menus, more attentive waiters and decent prices. I would go for a drink and some bar food but definitely not a full meal. Not after what I've seen. Sorry.
100% true review. After months of not being able to get a reservation at a normal hour, I went last week with my girlfriend. The service was terrible, placing us at a cafe-style low rise table, despite the fact that it was a dinner reservation. Only after I argued with the hostess did they agree to place us at a normal table. With regards to the aesthetics, the place is gorgeous. Clean, minimal, modern lines. However, the food is below subpar. A McDonald's hamburger has more flavor and complexity than their AWFUL steak tartare I had as my main. The girlfriend ordered scallops which were overcooked, and clearly not fresh. My entree was equally awful and bland. The “mushroom veloute” was devoid of flavor, and certainly just a food processor blending of remaining mushrooms picked off from previous plates. I'm quite disappointed with the relatively positive review from this site that made me interested in this way-subpar resto. This seems to be just a typical occurrence in Montreal's gastronomic scene: over-hyped design and foolhardy customers more interested in being seen than eating quality food. Awful. 1/10.
100% true review. After months of not being able to get a reservation at a normal hour, I went last week with my girlfriend. The service was terrible, placing us at a cafe-style low rise table, despite the fact that it was a dinner reservation. Only after I argued with the hostess did they agree to place us at a normal table. With regards to the aesthetics, the place is gorgeous. Clean, minimal, modern lines. However, the food is below subpar. A McDonald's hamburger has more flavor and complexity than their AWFUL steak tartare I had as my main. The girlfriend ordered scallops which were overcooked, and clearly not fresh. My entree was equally awful and bland. The “mushroom veloute” was devoid of flavor, and certainly just a food processor blending of remaining mushrooms picked off from previous plates. I'm quite disappointed with the relatively positive review from this site that made me interested in this way-subpar resto. This seems to be just a typical occurrence in Montreal's gastronomic scene: over-hyped design and foolhardy customers more interested in being seen than eating quality food. Awful. 1/10.
Is this place any good for vegetarians? I need to find one in the old prt to take my dad to.