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AG
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants French Canadian (New), French [Edit]
5195 Magdalen AveNiagara Falls, ON L2G 3N9
(289) 292-0005
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
14 reviews for AG
14 reviews in English
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Review from Jimmy L.
12/18/2011
What a wonderful, high-end place, classy in every way. My wife and I went there with our eight-year old daughter, for whom they made a dish of buttered fettucine. The helpful and refined wait staff took great care of us. We had the gnocchi, the salad, the filet of beef, and the poached pear. My wife is a vegetarian, and they easily accommodated her. Good bread, wine, and gin and tonic. Very intimate and comfortable seating. Google maps are a little off, so look for the entrance on Ellen Street.
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Review from En L.
Planning a weekend to Niagara with my husband. As I was researching restaurants, I see a lot of positive reviews on AG. Hence, I made a reservation. One of the review recommend the tasting menu, so, we did the tasting menu. It was delicious. Each plates were beautifully presented, using local ingredients. My fav dishes were the pork belly and lamb, just melt in your mouth. It's pretty decently price at $65 for 5-course tasting menu. You can add wine pairing at an additional $40. And, they only offer Ontario wines which are also very decently price.
The ambience was pretty romantic. There was live music on Saturday. Service was perfect, very friendly and professional.
My only critic was the lack of clear front sign. Firstly, as we walk in the front door of the restaurant/inn, we were staring at a hallway with no clear indication where the restaurant is located. Once we look around, we noticed a sign pointing to the basement "dining room". I think there should be a clear sign as you walk in the front door instead of having to look around for the restaurant. First impression was a bit lacking. Secondly, the tasting menu was not indicated on the menu nor did the waiter mentioned it. We actually had to ask. People may not be awared that it is being offered, which is unfortunate because it's incredible. -
Review from Crissy H.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the romantic atmosphere - Even though there are other people in the restaurant - you feel like you are having an intimate dinner. The decor has a very lush/rich feel to it. This is defiantly a place you want to come for a special night out.
The food is delicious - Every dish is packed with unique flavors that compliment each other. My favorite was the homemade gnocci's and seared scallops. Rich buttery and melts in your mouth.
Oh and the martini's are to die for! Each one is better than the other. I highly recommend getting them to share, that way you can try each flavor. -
Review from Rachel C.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm always wary about hotel restaurants. Let's face it, they're usually not very good. So going into this place....even with the good reviews...I was skeptical. My fears, not necessary, thankfully!
The atmosphere reminds me of a very chic NYC club/restaurant. It's very dim and romantical with lots of red velvet drapes and candlelight. A great place for a special night out!
I was excited to see Hanger Steak on the menu because I've really been into the thinly cut rare strips of steak. So I ordered that which came with vinegar slaw and potato salad. I was a little confused by the potato salad aspect but it actually ended up to be a delicious mix with the slaw and steak. it all had a slight balsamic vinegar taste, which i love, and all just beautifully came together for a really fantastic meal!
The bad? My cosmo was a sad sight, with the poor martini glass only being filled up halfway. I know they're trying to be cool by bringing it out in the shaker and pouring it out at the table....but put a little more booze in that shaker please!
The other weird thing was that our server was also the hostess and the bartender. There wasn't many people in the restaurant dining and there were probably 3 other server all doing the same thing. Weird, right? It made the service a little slow but since there were so few people dining it didn't become too much of an issue.
They have a tasting menu for around $100 for two people that serves you four courses that I would like to try if I ever come back again (and can convince the hubs to try!). So there will be a next time, but fill up my cup! -
Review from Roy S.
6/15/2011
With all the chain hotels and chain restaurants in Niagara Falls, it'd be easy to miss AG, especially as it's tucked away in a fairly non-descript area with just a Howard Johnson and the like to keep it company.
It's worth seeking out though. They serve only locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, always a good sign. My starter of mushroom veloute with ham hock terrine was a delight - deep, rich mushrooms with the terrine slowly melting into it to deliver bursts of intense flavour. My wife enjoyed her Indian candied salmon.
For entrees, my wife scored with trout served with saffron cream, shrimp ravioli, maple glazed sweet potatoes and swiss chard. My whitefish with a cassoulet of navy beans and chorizo was necessarily more muted, given the delicate flavour of the fish but was expertly cooked and very good. Portions were deceptively large, so we sadly skipped dessert.
Whilst I liked my ice wine martini, my wife felt that whilst her locally-grown cask matured wine was OK, it was a pity that the locally-sourced rule couldn't be relaxed for the wine list.
The check we felt was more than good value for the quality of the cooking. We paid roughly the same as for an OK but not stellar meal at our hotel a couple of nights before, but this was far far better cooking. If this place was in New York or London it could easily charge half again or twice as much.
This was easily the best meal we've had since moving across the Pond in January. Monsieur Bibendum, please send your inspectors out to Niagara Falls, Ontario as there is a restaurant there in need of a Michelin star. -
Review from Mark F.
Was here in May 2010, thought I had already left a review. Here's my copy and paste review from tripadvisor:
Cannot recommend AG highly enough.
We bought the 'escape' package online (at the Sterling Inn and Spa), which included a 3 course dinner.
We were a bit surprised that we were the only couple in the restaurant at 7:30 on a Sunday. Another couple arrived about 15 min later. We were there the first weekend of May, not sure if it's typical or not. Based on the food/service, it shouldn't be.
Our waiter, Derek, mentioned that the chef prepared a 5 course tasting menu for $10 on top of the pkg dinner. We both opted for the upgrade.
We started with an amuse bouche of chicken with truffle oil. First course was salmon cured with elderberry and vodka, served with a beet salad. Second was asparagus with crab hash. Next up was duck breast with duck confit pierogies. Fourth was elk served with potatoes and a dab of osso buco. Finally, for dessert we enjoyed goat cheese cheesecake and strawberry shortcake.
I can't describe each course thoughtfully, but suffice it to say we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals.
It's flabbergasting that a restaurant of this quality would be empty on a Sunday evening. I suppose most travelers have already checked out,
but how about the locals? Perhaps fine dining isn't high on everyone's list right now.
Anyway, if you're looking for a great meal, AG would be a fantastic choice. -
Review from ILLAN K.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2010
I came here with my wife and we both got the 5 course tasting menu they were offering at the time and left about as impressed as we've been in years.
The meal began with an amouse-bouche of a chicken pate on a small crouton that may have been the most flavour-packed single bite of food I've ever had in my life. A great way to start the meal.
The first course was a smoked blue cheese (can't remember which cheese exactly, but it had some blue to it) on a small vegetable puree with a squash and autumn greens salad. I loved this pairing. The blue cheese with the vegetable puree was perfect and the sweetness of the squash in the salad was fantastic.
The next course was a seared scallop on a barley risotto. The scallop was among the most perfectly cooked I've ever tasted (the only restaurant that made one as good was Olivia's at 53 on College street in Toronto). The risotto was very interesting - I liked how they turned the barley a bit more savoury and generally flavour-packed than I would imagine.
The third course was braised lamb on gnocci in a blue cheese sauce. This was delicious as well - the lamb was cut-it-with-your-fork tender, but the blue cheese sauce may have been just a bit of an overpowering flavour for the dish.
The fourth course was duck breast on a creamy polenta with an elderberry reduction. The pairing again was superb.
Finally, the fifth course was a pumpkin cheesecake with I think some sort of maple syrup sauce.
To drink, I just got a simple vodka martini, but my wife got an icewine martini that really had a nice taste to it.
Overally, a wonderful dining experience that I would recommend to anyone. The one thing I would say is that it's a pricey place - bring your extra wallet. -
Review from Mariana R.
8/15/2011
The food was really good!!.. every dish we tried was Delicious!!!....The service was good, but not the best.. The place is very beautiful!!...
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Review from Julie D.
8/30/2011
Way overhyped and overpriced. I felt the chef fell short on many of his ingredient combinations. the duck two ways was very tasty though. I wanted a separate order of the corn sauce :-)
Desserts were where they really fell short. $9 for a martini glass of preportioned chocolate mousse is just wrong. The topping of peaches amaretti cookies, and lemon cream (calling it a trifle isn't correct) was just an odd combination on chocolate. Sure, this may be the best restaurant in Niagara Falls, but that really isn't saying much when you realize the competition.
And being a hotel restaurant, they get the hotel guests that don't realize (or care) that it's an upscale place. I don't enjoy crying babies and fussy toddlers with parents who ignore them while I try to eat a $30 entree. I'd read a review where the host suggested room service to a weary, horrbily under-dressed family, and was hoping I'd see that done again. No luck. -
Review from max s.
8/27/2011
Try the tasting menu
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Review from Bryan T.
1/31/2010
Although difficult to find and a bit off-the-beaten-track in the Sterling Inn & Spa, AG restaurant is a quiet, romantic getaway for a delicious and unpretentious meal featuring many regional ingredients.
AG resides in the boutique hotel, the Sterling Inn, and the restaurant itself was tucked away in a dark corner of the building. The name of the restaurant can be seen from outside the building, but once you walk through these doors it can be a bit confusing.
The menu consisted of regional delicacies from Ontario and the dishes were constructed with great care. I started with a butternut squash soup, which seemed to show up at several restaurants throughout Ontario during the November month. Although this version was not the best, it was definitely good enough to order again. For entree I chose a medium-rare beef fillet. It was cooked exactly to my liking, and I savored every bite. I was too full for dessert, but they looked great.
The real prize at AG though was the Icewine Martini. I'm a huge fan of icewine already, but this concoction was genius. Such a simple cocktail, mixing what I believe was an Inniskillin icewine with vodka in a martini glass. The sweetness of the icewine paired with the vodka was a perfect balance. These two alcohol champions should be married whenever possible!
Service was a bit lacking, but was made-up with a great attitude. The restaurant was desperately understaffed - towards the end of what is considered tourism season. Despite being overworked, the staff made up for a lot of this by their politeness, personality, and elbow grease.
In my opinion, the price was a bit steep, but not yet enough to keep me away a 2nd time. Also, if the location were a bit more along the main strip, I predict it would be a packed house every night. The fact that AG is off-strip makes it a rare and fulfilling find. -
Review from Nan S.
7/8/2011
A perfect table, great service and wonderful food. Understanding all the terms on the menu was a bit intimidating, but the server was very helpful. It is a perfect adult restaurant and was a perfect evening until the couple with the crying baby walked in and they were seated next to us. Wish people were more considerate of others. Get a babysitter or go to a kids restaurant.
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Review from susan k.
6/13/2011
My husband and I and our 3 children had an excellent dinner at AG. We all would strongly recommend AG! The food was fantastic. Everything was exceptional including the bread, wine, appetizers and entrees. I left out dessert only because we didn't have dessert. Everything was unbelievably fresh and delicious. The service was excellent as well. We live in the Chicago area and eat at many very good restaurants, and AG was one of our more memorable meals. They also accommodated our youngest with an outstanding homemade pasta. We walked from the Sheraton. I would say well worth the price. You won't be dissappointed.
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Review from R. M.
Scarborough, ON
2/23/2011
Actually, as far as food is concerned, I am very tempted to give this a 5-star rating! My husband and I went on a very quiet Tues. night, and thought it was great. AG is upscale, to be sure, but low-key, with beautiful, modern decor. Being attached to the 'couples' hotel in Niagara, it has wonderful private booths and a lot of romantic ambiance. The service was great - very personable and attentive. We had risotto and smoked salmon as starters, and both were great - the smoked salmon had a lot of add-ons - pickles and salad and poached pears etc., and I was sure it would be too busy. But no - it was an amazing combination! My husband had lamb that was perfectly cooked and very generous, and I had venison with a spiced bread pudding and pickled cabbage. Classic winter fare, mind-blowing deliciousness! The only issues we had were with the wine list, which was almost 100% Niagara wine and not so extensive even in that... I appreciate the commitment to local, but with food so good, we would have appreciated more choices in wine. Our bottle of red was too cold, also. The music playlist was distracting at times (Johnny Cash singing 'Hurt' right as I dig into perfectly rare venison.....?). Finally, the restaurant is basically in a basement, and sure enough, I was uncomfortably cold for most of the meal (wine helps!). But apart from these minor complaints, we thought the meal was worth every penny. Very highly recommend!
