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Europea Restaurant
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
1227 Rue de la MontagneMontreal, QC H3G 1Z2
(514) 398-9229
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- 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
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
40 reviews for Europea Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"We both got the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings." In 15 reviews -
"Duo of pan seared and torchon foie gras." In 10 reviews
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"Amuse bouche: goat cheese mousse with risotto and bacon." In 6 reviews
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Jay B.
5/17/2012
Wow. Wow. I've eaten some pretty long meals, but the degustation was a 3.5 hour experience. The 10 courses is more like 15 after the amuse bouches, etc. We finished a bottle of wine and had 4 courses left. Service was fantastic. The special touches and creativity are unparalleled.
Word of warning, you should refuse to sit on the second floor. We bounced around (wine glasses shaking, noticeable chair vibration) with every step of every waiter, and they have a lot of waiters. I'm going back if I'm in Montreal again, but I will walk out before I sit on the second floor. -
Review from Sharm D.
4/18/2012
I came here for valentine's day a couple years back and I still dream of this restaurant.
What struck me most was the very elaborate and refined menu. We went with a full tasting menu with wine, and we enjoyed the most delightful and eventful meal of our lives to date. The creativity of the chef and the flavors will have you impressed for years to come (like myself).
Alas, since I am small of stature, I was unable to finish my meal or wine, which paired excellently with all the courses. I only wish that I had a bigger stomach and higher alcohol tolerance!
What was even nicer about the night was that we parted with some gifts courtesy of the chef that night. As if the experience wasn't enough!
I would LOVE to come back here, but the dinner service came out to about 500$ with tip for the two of us (pricey, but it was well worth the culinary experience). I'm guessing that since it was valentine's day and it was a special menu, the prices were higher than usual. Either way, I liked this place much better than Toque! where I experienced a similar (but sub-par) tasting menu with wine, so if you've got the urge to splurge, I'd highly recommend Europea. -
Review from Rebecca C.
4/18/2012
What to say about Europea? First of all, I'd like to mention that I went with my 12 year old son. He has a pretty open mind when it comes to food but this exceeded all my expectations. The servers were great with him, not condescending at all. He ordered the Cornish Hen and they brought the whole pot out with the hen sitting on a bed of hay to show him beforehand. He ate literally every bite, including the artichoke puree and the ratatouille and wiped the plate clean.
I had the 6 course tasting menu which was wonderful. They cook the foie gras on a rock that they bring out prior to the foie gras itself which they sear on one side in the kitchen, and it finishes cooking on the rock right in front of you. Amazing!
Everything other people have said about the food is true: The tons of little bites they give you before even bringing your appetizer, the cotton candy, the cookies on the way out. We even got the note from the chef wishing us a good dinner.
What a wonderful meal! -
Review from Thy R.
2/29/2012
MY 1st review in 2012 I want to start it with a bang! Kidding.
I beat my RECORD TIME inside a restaurant. 4 HOURS! 8PM-12PM!
My Mom celebrated her birthday here and everyone enjoyed it. If you know me... French cuisine is over-rated :-P Like seriously. But since it's her birthday, I need to be present right?
I'll make this review quick:
We had the $ 95. 50 tasting menu. Consists of 10 courses, and little knick knacks in between. I would say, on my 5th course, I'm already full. Then on my 9th and 10th course, I'm not enjoying it anymore. It's not because it's not good. It's because I'm so full.
My favorite was the Calamari and Bass. I was surprised how good it is. Like literally explosion in my mouth.
Why 5 stars? The service is just impeccable. Our service is very sweet and attentive. Great presentation on each course as well. It was artistically made and they devout some time to make it look pretty - and good I would say. I had some "wow" moments. You have to go to check it out. Like really, they will surprise you with something.
Is it worth 95.50 bucks? Yes. Should I go back again? On special occasions only. I recommend it. -
Review from Alexandra S.
12/31/2011
We went there last night for my birthday. And what a birthday dinner it was! About 2 minutes after we sat down we had two amuse bouches- goat cheese and latka "lollipops" and mini bread-sticks. That was followed up by 2 prosciutto "chips" and something else amazing. Then we had a piece each of cheese wrapped in smokey bacon, served in the glass dome shown in a picture here on Yelp. All that before we even ordered!
In short, this place is all about atmosphere, presentation, and impeccable service (thanks, Jack!). The food is absolutely out of this world. The prices are to be expected, but the "extras" make it all worth it. The dessert was 5 courses, including cotton candy! And you walk out with freshly baked mini-madeleine cookies and macaroons. Unreal. Drinks are good, but very pricey, so watch out ($25 champagne cocktails? really? thank goodness it was a special night).
I was very happy with this as my birthday dinner and do recommend it to others..
To respond to Gary F.'s review: the portions are small because they're FULL of butter and fat and all sorts of things that if you have too much of, you'll feel ill. We went on empty stomachs (after a 5 hr drive from Boston) and were completely full when we left. -
Review from Devin L.
3/24/2011
So we wanted a really nice dinner one night. Being from NYC I figured this would set me back about $300-400. Well this place came highly recommended from some fellow Yelpers, so I decided to give it a whirl.
I made a reservation from the hotel and was greeted by a friendly waiter who took our coats and gave me a special message. It was a hand written letter from the Chef Jerome Ferrer, I've never been given anything like that to begin a meal, I was impressed.
Looking at the menu I was a bit disappointed. I have a mushroom allergy and could not eat most of the entrees, and I hate being a bother. I settled on a dish called Morue which is fillet of cod, homemade tomato ketchup tapenade, potato espuma and peas emulsion. Well I'll never say settled again....it was phenominal.
We were also treated to multiple appetizers including a cheese cigar served in a humidor, a lobster creme cappuchino, and a wonderful pistachio dessert.
This place was wonderful and made you feel very special. The waitstaff is great at what they do and you will enjoy yourself completely. Oh and the huge bill I though I was going to have was just upwards of $200 with tip. Very resonable.Listed in: My 5 star places, Montreal
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Review from Victoria J.
1/25/2012
This was a celebratory night for me, and Europea put the exclamation point on it. I had the tasting menu with wine pairing. The food . . . it's been said. There was not one dish I didn't like. The calamari (with the poached quail egg), the cornish hen (roasted in hay) and the venison stood out for me. The fact that the venison came close to the end and I ate it like I hadn't eaten that day should speak as to how the quality and flavors of the food just build. The presentation and innovation were also great, but not too over-the-top. The service is very respectful and knowledgeable. The sommelier was awesome and spot-on; he really wanted to give me wines I hadn't tried before, and they still worked. This place was a Per Se-like experience for me. I'm just sorry I forgot my for-the-road goodies when I left.
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Review from Gary F.
8/18/2011
Eurpea was recomended from our hotel. However, If you are hungry do not bother coming to this place.
Starting on a bad note...Our table was updatirs near the spiral staircase and shook everytime the waiters and patrons went up and down the stairs. That was very distracting.
The portions were small, in fact the chef contantly sends out free apps, like the lobster bisque in a espresso cup Other free apps were cheese cigars, similar to a mozarella stick, tempura cauliflower, mini olive muffin and a small sampling of deserts.
However, the real misconception was the hen I ordered was shown in the roating pot tableside and was brought back to the kitchen and presented back to me with only 2 oz of meat. For the price of $34, I should get 1/4 bird.
I also agree with other reviews the wine pours are skimpy as well.
The food presenations was pretty cool, but I would rather have bigger portions.
I would not go back again.
Try DNA aor other guide book recomendations, -
Review from Michael C.
12/12/2011
This restaurant is worth the price of admission. Very rich food with whimsical little apps in between made for an enjoyable experience. Service was great and attentive, while the sommelier was very helpful. It is located right off Ste. Catherine street and is a must try. Looking forward to going back again.
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Review from Ernesto G.
5/24/2011 13 photos
Belinda Carlisle was right; "Heaven is a place on Earth" and its called Europea!
From the moment you walk into the main door of Europea, you are greeted by professional friendly service by everyone. Our party of 5 was seated upstairs on the second floor at a spacious table and I was presented with a card from the chef welcoming us to Europea (a very nice touch).
Our entire party ordered the 12 course tasting menu and we decided to order a bottle of sparkling white wine from Napa to start off our night properly.
The food was AMAZING! From the choices in bread to 4 different types of butter (regular butter, butter with fleur de sel, super creamy butter, and butter with seaweed) to delicious tasty foie gras to beef tenderloin to 4 different desserts...Europea will take your on a magical journey, and leave you completely full and satisfied.
If you live in Montreal or just visiting, please ensure Europea is on the agenda. You cannot miss this incredible gem of a restaurant!
Thank you to everyone at Europea for making our night a very very memorable one.Listed in: The 5 Star List
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Review from Allen K.
2/13/2011
Best meal ever. Period
Got the tasting menu. Subtle tastes using all parts of the palate Starts with the butter for the bread (was given 4 different ones) and ends with the deserts. Presentations are interesting but conservative and do not overwhelm the food itself. In the case of the smoked rib, it augments it (see photo-thats a glass serving dish with smoke in it, when the waiter takes off the top, you get a wiff of smoke, which starts gets everything going. Service was outstanding also. You will not be disappointed. Make reservations in advance. -
Review from Christopher W.
10/21/2010
YEA!!!!!!! Yelp has FINALLY come to where I travel most: Montréal!!!! For about a 2 year span (07-09) I practically LIVED in Montréal! (Hence my lack of reviews for so long! Eh?)
That said: This review is about my experience at Europea, and OH what and experience it is! Chef Jérôme Ferrer was ALWAYS a gracious host. On every visit he would step away from the delights of the kitchen to say a very quick hello. (I think more for my company, George Hanna, Luciano Girlando, Gérald Tremblay, Tom Kostopoulos and a list of others, than myself. I am NOT name dropping, merely refreshing Chef's memory! Oh you better believe he or one of his staff are reading this (these) review(s)!)
On to the experience!
One of the BEST places on has to stop and an "LSD" experience with food! I say this NOT as a slight but as a true explanation of what you (will) experience. SENSORY OVERLOAD! The BEST way to explain this is to reference the Disney Pixar movie, Ratatouille! trying to explain the overall experience is like Ratatouille trying to explain to his brother food tastes! Even more difficult is the actual tastes that explode on your palate that render ones mind inoperable for a few moments at every bite! The experience will leave you utterly whirling at your seat.
Anyone who has read any of my reviews will know that I do not GIVE away rave reviews! However, Chef Ferrer can rest assured, whenever I am in Montreal, he will most assuredly see me in either in Europea or the Birks Café par Europea! -
Review from Christopher M.
1/9/2009
I wish I could rave about Europea. I wish I could say it was an amazing meal. By all rights it SHOULD have been an amazing meal. But my experience at Europea was hit-or-miss, iffy, okay, so-so, par, mediocre, average at best, and the bill was anything but average.
I spent the weekend around New Year's Eve in Montreal, and wanted to end the vacation on a high note with a spectacular French tasting menu. Many of the city's top restaurants were closed for the holidays, but Europea and its tasting menu came recommended from several sources, so we made reservations.
We were greeted by a cold Maitre d' who seated us at a small table in the middle of the BEAUTIFUL restaurant. A spiral staircase ending at a fireplace, bold colors and beautiful artwork everywhere. This is the kind of space where I'd want to hold a private function.
As soon as the cold Maitre d' left, we were handed menus by a silent waiter. He came back five minutes later and we ordered the Menu Degustation Signature" with the accompanying wine pairing (5 glasses of wine). He nodded, snatched away our menus, and was gone again without a word.
That kind of service continued, from him and the other servers at Europea. At any other meal I probably could have overlooked it, but the interaction with the wait staff is (in my opinion) one of the best parts of a tasting menu. Each dish is another interaction; instead of reading the name and maybe a description of a dish off a menu, you have the server there to describe the dish as he presents it to you, and answer any questions you may have. But instead the servers at Europea dumped the plate on the table, mumble the name of the dish, and were off again.
Regardless of the service, here's a run down of the tasting menu and my thoughts:
Lobster cream Cappuccino with truffle shavings Excellent! Started the meal off right.
Champaign, France - Okay, to be expected.
Princess scallops, prepared on their shells with a porcini mushroom foam, sea water emulsion. Amazing presentation, mediocre taste.
Late Harvest Vidal, Ontario - It was nice to see a regional wine on the menu, and I'm a fan of Niagara wines. Very sweet, usually more of a desert wine - I was surprised to see it so early in the meal.
Pan seared foie gras, Bourbon flavoured french toast, fruits chutney and wild berries jus. What's up with the seared foie gras??? It's a new culinary trend I don't understand. Regardless, the foie gras was pretty good and paired very well with the wine, but the French toast ruined the dish - it was sickly sweet and overpowered everything.
White wine (I forget what it was) - Obviously, it was unremarkable. I didn't even finish the glass (I know, I know).
Fillet of mediteranean bass, poached rice letucce, vanilla beurre blanc sauce, Abitibi-Témiscamingue sturgeon Caviar. The bass was good, but nothing to write home about.
Light CO2 foam prepared with César Salad. I think this dish is an example of kitchen creativity gone too far. It was just a green foam covered in grated cheese - there was WAY too much cheese, and it didn't sit well in my stomach.
Bordeaux - This was the best wine of the flight. The nose was incredibly, and instantly transported me back to my last wine tasting trip. Fantastic!
Short ribs of Kobe Beef, crispy galette of roots vegetables, braised chipolini onions and baby carrot. Highlight of the meal, although I'm not sure if it was because the dish was really THAT good, or if it was the only dish that really stood out. Paired excellent with Bordeaux.
Our selection of cheeses. Smorgasbord of cheeses, lots of fun - I just wish the waiter was more engaging when serving them.
A selection of desserts and sweets from our pastry chefs. To be honest with you, at this point in time I was so full, I had trouble enjoying desert.
Overall there was nothing BAD about my experience at Europea. There were some very strong points (the venue, a couple of the dishes, a couple of the wines) and a couple weak points (service, a couple of the dishes, a couple of the wines). Unfortunately, given the menu prices at Europea, a mixed review will not suffice. If I spend $400 on a meal for two, I expect to be blown away, and I wasn't. I honestly can't say that I'll ever go back, so I just can't bring myself to recommend them. Maybe your experiences will differ, but I think for this price range, there are better options in Montreal.
Note: if you ARE going to Europea, keep in mind that there is a "Best Western Europa" with the same color blue sign one block down on Drummond St, literally back to back with Europea. If you find yourself at Europa, take a left into the alley just past the hotel, and when you come out onto Rue de la Montagne, Europea will be immediately on your left. -
Review from Debbie P.
3/15/2010
The 9 course tasting menu was heaven. Simply one of the best French fusion restaurants in Montreal.
Seating is limited and reservations are required but you won't be disappointed with the food or service. They have an extensive wine list as well.
This restaurant feels much more intimate than Toque since it's more dimly lit and there are several floors to the restaurant vs. a big open space.
It's definitely worth the splurge!Listed in: Best French Restaurants
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Review from Caroline S.
Montréal, QC
7/24/2011
I heard this was an amazing restaurant, but it was really even better than expected. Each dish was incredible and in between the restaurant serves up creative little bites. We had the waiter pair our dishes with a recommended wine and the wine choices were perfect also. Service & atmosphere... all A+. So far, this is the best restaurant I have been to in Montreal.
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Review from Johnny S.
Markham, ON
5/12/2011
My girlfriend and I have been here twice. Both times, everything was perfect -- food taste, presentation, service, and ambiance. We were completely impressed. One of our favorite dishes here is scallop, which was cooked so delicately. It's so soft we felt like it almost melted in our mouth! We'll definitely come back here next time we're in Montreal.
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Review from Khanh L.
5/31/2010
Table d'hote for about 60$ (4-5 service),
tasting menu for about 90$ (10 service),
You're thinking, wow pretty good deal, probably just run of the mill restaurant? wrong.
This place churns out some really nice dishes, it's imaginative and original. The dishes are quite tasty and refined, nice combination of textures, and ingredients.
The dishes and wine are well paired, food this caliber is served at restaurants that cost twice as much...the ingredients are fresh and the plating is very appealing. Did i mention it was tasty too? yep very tasty.
I remember very good ravioli with mushrooms, the entrées are very good. The ingredients are very fresh... all around it is exceptional.
But the best is the Dessert, a macaron, ice cream, mousse cake, chocolate sauce, some coffee sprinkles, then as you're eating, they bring out mini madeleines fresh from the oven, then a few minutes later they come out with cotton candy, then a whole slew of mignardise like jellies and little chocolates and what not... i mean dessert was a little canival of sweets that will really appeal to your inner-child... really it made me feel like a kid again... It is the best dessert experience I've ever had!!!
We were in love with this place, and the hostess even gave us a tour of the place, got to see the kitchen and the pastry kitchen, yep two separate kitchens it was a cool place to go, also it's a very noce romantic place, good choice to bring a special someone you want to impress... -
Review from Magnum W.
4/17/2011
Unbelievable! Every course was delicious. I had the short-ribs which were tender as mother's heart. The tasting menu was so satisfying. Service was consistently excellent. Great vibe.
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Review from Barb W.
8/9/2011
I am so glad the concierge at our hotel recommended this restaurant.The food was wonderful, the staff very attentive and the atmosphere was pleasant. The little tasting plates that they bring between courses are delightful and unique. It adds a sense of adventure to the meal and certainly enhances the memories of your visit.
Cant wait to eat here again on our next visit. -
Review from lexy M.
7/14/2010
One of the best dining experiences I have ever had! You must go here if visiting Montreal. The restaurant is very intimate--try to reserve a table upstairs.
What I loved about Europea was that every course was very creative, playful, sophisticated....
Appetizers: "lollipop-like" parmesean crisps with cheese, lobster "cappacino"...
entree: mushroom ravioli with truffles...SO GOOD
dessert: This was the best part-bright pink cotton candy presented very creatively, macaroons, little French cookies that came in a Chinese takeout container...
I will honestly go back to Montreal just for this restaurant because I am so interested to see what their next menu will be like. -
Review from Michelle G.
1/30/2010
Amazing menu, amazing service and great food. I recently went to Europea and entertained a bunch of clients in the semi private room, there were 16 of us in total. Although we were all english speaking, I found everyone very helpful and the service was tip top. All of the dishes we ordered were wonderful and a number of my clients remarked upon the fact that this was one of the best restaurant they had visited recently and would certainly be bringing some of their clients here.
Only reason I didnt give them five stars was that my entree of deer, was slightly over cooked. When I remarked to other diners they all said that there dish was perfectly prepared, so I think I was just unfortunate. I would defintely return when I next visit Montreal and would recommend to anyone. -
Review from adrian s.
9/22/2010
This is a pretty good restaurant, but I disagree with all the raving reviews. I see the words creative, refined and sofisticated coming from my fellow reviewers. I disagree. I had the prix fix menu and I can't say I was impressed with any of the 8 or 9 dishes. They are all good. Just good. I just spent the week eating at places like l'Epicier, Milos and Au Pied du Cuchon and this place just couldn't comparre. I was bored. The service was not very good at all. I mean, it wasn't bad, but the attitude was just not right. If I'm paying $300 for dinner, I don't need a waitress who's snobby. I was ordering 18 year Yamazaki and every time she brought one out, it was smaller than the last. I mean, 2 sips maybe. I've never gone anywhere where they serve such embarrassing drink portions. Man, raise the price and serve a decent amount. I didn't want to complain so finally I just said, "do me a favor, please take this back and tell the bartender to serve me a double because I'm not used to seeing a glass served with such little alcohol." This girl tells me, no, drink that and then I'll get you anotherone. Are you kidding me? This was just one of the things. She had an attitude and frankly, I go pay big money to dine at these kinds of restaurants because I want to be treated like a king while I dine like a king.
As for the food, each dish was ok. I did not think they were imaginative at all. Like I said, absolutely nothing memorable. Nothing I haven't had before. When comparing it to the other restaurants we dined at in Montreal, I would say that this was easily the worst one. The ambience was nice and the presentation was very good, but it just came up short in the service and food, which is why I go to a place like this in the first place. -
Review from Holly T.
10/6/2008 1 photo
It can be a challenge finding a good place to eat on a Monday night, since so many fine dining restaurants are closed. We had hoped to try Toqué! but they were closed both nights we were in town. Europea was open and we were able to get reservations, so we decided to give it a try. The restaurant has an elegant interior, and the night we were there it was mostly a business crowd, so we felt slightly underdressed. We both got the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings. The menu is inspired by Québec's fresh produce. Presentation was excellent on all of the dishes; if I hadn't been to a place like this before I would have been more impressed, but we were a little underwhelmed as we've had better in LA (most recently at Gordon Ramsay), especially for the price. But it was still very good. As best as I can remember, our courses were as follows:
Amuse bouche: goat cheese mousse with risotto and bacon
Lobster cream cappuccino with truffle oil
Princess scallops, prepared in the shell with morel mushroom milk, sea water emulsion, parsnip purée
Duo of pan seared and torchon foie gras
Light C02 foam prepared with César salad
Surf & turf (medallion of milk fed veal with a crust of herbs pesto, langoustine ravioli with confit tomatoes, sautéed girolles mushrooms
Cheese plate
2 dessert courses
The desserts were extremely elaborate. Our first dessert course included panna cotta and a huge 3-tiered tray of bite-sized desserts, including maple marshmallow, chocolate-covered orange rind, chocolate-covered strawberries, apricot jelly pistachio tart, etc. Our second dessert course included a chocolate pot de crème with espresso foam and butterscotch ice cream.
Probably my favorite dishes were the scallops and the langoustines, and my least favorite was the veal, which was slightly overcooked for our more bloody tastes. Foam was used in several dishes (it is molecular gastronomy after all), which may be a little gimmicky but I'm not complaining - actually the caesar salad foam dish was fairly interesting, and the foam that came with the scallops was an excellent complement. For our cheese course a large table of cheeses was brought out, from which we got to choose 4, so we chose all of the local Québec cheeses that they offered. The wine pairings were somewhat uninspired in our opinion, but we did enjoy the Barolo that was served with our surf & turf course, and I appreciated that they served a local Canadian sweet wine with the foie gras course rather than the traditional Sauternes. There were only 4 wines served with the 9 courses, which on the one hand comes across as not enough, but on the other hand it was nice to still be fairly sober at the end of the meal.
Personally I don't need to go back anytime soon, but it was a good dinner overall, and it seemed like a good place for a business dinner or a date if you've got money to spend. -
Review from erick p.
12/30/2010 41 photos
Last night in Montreal, and Restaurant Toque was closed for the holidays and Au Pied du Cochon was booked...So, Europea was next in line. It was a tough choice between the other contenders...and there are so many good choices in Montreal. But i only had limited time and money. So, here it goes.
SERVICE was 5 stars....our experience was very positive from every staff member. i forgot to mention, i went with my wife and 6yr old daughter.. we ordered Ala carte for our daughter, while my wife and i had the tasting menu. They still brought out some soup, amuse bouche and desserts for FREE for my daughter. They were Very friendly, accommodating to my daughter and attentive to our needs. They anticipated every need...water was never empty or low, offered more wine when my drink was low, silverware replaced consistently, chef Ferrer comes out to greet us, Host comes by to check our satisfaction, the wait between dishes was well paced and presented well, and our jackets were waiting for us when we are about to leave the restaurant. No attitude, and very generous.
Ambiance- The restaurant was very nice and tasteful....it feels very romantic, clean and well designed. 4-stars for this.
FOOD- unfortunately, after eating at other heavy hitting places....the food here seemed pretty average. So 3 stars for this..... Everything was good....but the flavor is rather average...nothing really blew my mind.
So, blow by blow account....
Bread/butter - 4-5 kinds of bread....but all of them seem to be the same kind. i had the olive bread and fig bread. It was a bit salty also.
Parmesan crisp lollipop- nice texture.
lobster cappuccino- i was expecting a thick lobster bisque...but i guess that is not the point in calling it cappucino...coz' it really had the consistency of coffee. its good and light...and would be better if he pronounced the truffle more.
Foie gras- Awesome! this was done perfectly...and i love this preparation as well.
Cod-this was good, very light, you can taste the flavor of the fish...has a bit of a mackerel flavor.Not sure what the sauce did...it was rich but not memorable.
Mediterranean bass- this is basically sushi. Its good...but Im a big sushi fan, and Ive had better white fish than this...he should've used some truffle oil....and bring out the flavor more.
giant scallop- again, this is another great dish that could use more flavor... bearnaise is just too bland and rich.
cornwell chicken- great presentation, but very plain...very traditional. I wish he included some darkmeat and whitemeat to contrast the texture and flavor. Flavor is very clean and brings out the fresh chicken flavor.
Fresh mushroom ravioli- love the truffle sauce! TRUFFLES!! i wish i had more of this...
Smoked short ribs- wins best presentation by bringing it out in a smoked cover....but flavor was very typical...i wish he used pork belly instead....short rib could be more tender melt in your mouth...but it was very grainy. The galette of root vegetables also didn't work well with it...
Cheese- not much selection...actaully, we didnt even choose...only 2 kinds were brought out with some nuts and jams...it was the perfect amount since we were getting full.
Dessert was very good- probably the best part. It was simple and very familiar....frozen parfait, sugar coated marshmallow, macarons, sorbet with marangue...etc. Love them all!
So, im not sure if im just jaded....but i would rate Europea in the middle. Not bad by any means....and i would love to return....The price is very reasonable for the amount of food you get and the quality you get....it just did not show enough definition, or any stand out flavorto it....presentation gets all high marks...but it was just lacking in flavor...they played it too safe by sticking to a more traditional flavor range........the wine selection is very good,...i had a bordeau...which was fantastic.... and with the great service and staff...i think it gets a well deserving 4-star. -
Review from gee b.
6/25/2011
some of the best meals i've ever had were from restaurants/eateries that are outside the good ol' US of A, which makes me kind of sad because chances are, i'll never get to eat at those places again.
but now there's europea restaurant! a mere 5-hour drive from boston, this is much easier to get to than, say, marrakesh, cusco, and kuala lumpur, so i'm very happy!
when my mom and i chose to have dinner at this place, the main reason was simply because we were parked near it. we looked at the menu, and it looked pretty good. we had no idea that we were about to have quite a dining experience!
we walked in around 7pm on a tuesday night without a reservation, and we were seated right away by the friendly, professional staff. we weren't really very hungry, so we just ordered one appetizer (seared foie gras) and one main dish (braised veal cheeks) to share. i also ordered a glass of pinot gris, recommended by the sommelier--so refreshing, light, and good!
what proceeded in the next half an hour or so is that complimentary amuse bouche kept coming and coming and coming and coming. cauliflower, sausage, lobster bisque...i wish i could remember them all! but by the end of it, we had a total of 8 amuse bouche, plus some freshly baked bread. every single bite was heavenly!
when our foie gras finally arrived, we were already kind of full, but we weren't ready to quit yet. the foie gras was rich, delicious, and just melts in your mouth. (my mom said it was her favorite out of everything we had that night.) a few minutes later, our veal came. it was tender, moist, and flavorful.
but wait! there's more!
after we finished our main dish, our server asked us if we wanted any dessert, but we were both so full so we declined. a few minutes later, a complimentary dessert plate arrived. it had french macaron, strawberry marshmallow, and a bite of pistachio cake. plus, there was also a bowl of cotton candy! even though we were already full, we managed to finish our desserts, all of which were as yummy as they looked.
europea, thank you for a DIVINE DINING EXPERIENCE! next time i'm in montreal, i'm definitely going back! (but next time, i'm making reservations--by the time we left the restaurant, it was already packed and people were waiting for tables.) -
Review from Mathieu B.
Roxboro, QC
2/22/2009
Except 200-220$ (tip included) for the
Previous Commentary by Christopher M., but I must add some notes. First of all the French Toast with Foie Gras and berry with reduces Chicoutai was Extraordinary. I think I'd have that everyday. The Princess scallops with porcini cream was really good: The texture - almost crispy-ish of the scalopp with the creamy taste was a nice blend in mouth .It is some New French Cuisine with some extreme talent. As for the Service, I'm French I know it was relaxed and absolutely professional and since there as no english-speaker client around our table, I must say that I don't know if they might be a language barriage of not. The Service was fast and you could feel the kitchen staff was drilled and professionnal; The talent was constant. I took the Menu Degustation Signature" with the accompanying wine pairing (5 glasses of wine) (too)). Wine were approx. some 20-50$ wine so somehow some decent quality wine.
As for the CO2 ceasar salad, it is presented as an experience therefore I could not agree on the taste. Personally I thought i was special but not in the bad way. Good mixed taste with the Parmeggiano but I would have found the taste a little bit more fun if the porcetta was cut in small bites and pour into the «Salad Mousse».
All the portion were really by the book of French Cuisine standard full 7 courses meal ; approx from 40 to 100g per course (2 to 4 onces) and the main course was 150g (4.5-5 onces). The Cheese course was really well presented and all cheesed were tempered so the flavours were enhanced and tastier. As an ex-cheese-seller I can definately assure you the selection is good.
The presentation and the freshness and taste of desert were incredible.
Again, another point where I would disagree with the previous post is the price which is justifiable because you have some extremly high quality products that are fresh and as an Ex-Chef I can tell that the cost of the products that are served in your dishes easiely cost 30$- 40$. So basically if you go there and have some training in the food business, trust me, you'll be AMAZED by the technics they're employing for the menu. I think the same Restaurant in New York City would cost approximatively 300-400$ per person. Such products are really hard to find and not foundable in a near area. -
Review from Daniel C.
7/8/2010
I'm surprised this place only has 8 reviews so far. Not sure how long it's been in business, but I would have thought more people would have reviewed the place.
It was very easy to setup a reservation as I did it online. It was a Monday evening and it was not very busy. A mix of tourists like us and business dinners. We sat on the second floor. Noise was not an issue.
I'll admit that I was put off immediately with the service when they took our order. The server asked me for my order before asking my wife. So I told him what she wanted to order and then gave my order. That said, the rest of the waitstaff were much better and service improved over the course of the evening.
To start, I had the crab declination, which was fantastic. My wife had the seared foie gras, which tasted great, but for the price we paid, we were expecting more foie gras. Perhaps I'm being hard on them as the Canadian dollar has probably appreciated since they first put this menu together. The pricing would be at par to what we've paid in the past were the CDN$ be weaker.
I'll pause here and note that the Parmesan and oregano bread rolls were great. None of the bread was warm when served to us. But they had good texture, crispiness, and taste.
For entrees, my wife had the lobster stew. Now, if we hadn't eaten at Bonaparte earlier on our trip, we would have the said the lobster stew was great. However, the one at Bonaparte was both more in quantity and better prepared. I had the braised short rib, which was fantastic.
Throughout the dinner, we were served a number of amuse-bouche. The first two prior to the starters were a crispy sandwich of cheese and tomato on a lollipop stick, and a lobster cappuccino with slices of truffle. The former was just ok and the latter was very good.
Between the starter and the entree, we were served two more. The first was an egg nog with shaved truffle served in an eggshell. The second was a melon sorbet with prosciutto and splash of port. Both were very good.
In order for me to have rated Europea as 5 stars, their service would have had to have been impeccable from start to finish, there would have had to have been more foie gras in the starter, and the lobster stew would have had to have had more lobster. That said, it is still a great place and one that we'll likely try again.
Oh, some other thoughts. The 9-course tasting menu looked very good. It had a bit of everything that we wanted and it was very tempting. However, we went for a la carte because we wanted to try the lobster stew. "La table d'hote" menu also looked good, but the entrees were not enticing enough. -
Review from Sarah W.
6/10/2011
Wow. Now here is a fantastic place where they seamlessly marry amazing food with beautiful presentation. Then there's the elegant and yet relaxed atmosphere with exemplary customer service. We're from the SF Bay Area and have eaten at numerous amazing restaurants including several times at The French Laundry. We were completely blown away by Europea's food-- they hit especially hard with their teaser the Lobster Cream Cappuccino with Truffle Shavings. To. Die. For. Treat yourself- go here.
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Review from Preeya J.
9/8/2010
Literally one of the best meals I've ever had. Didn't look as amazing from the outside but the second you walk in, it is a great setting. Definitely do the tasting menu. The Halibut was the best Halibut I've ever had and the lobster soup was the best lobster dish I've ever had. I highly recommend this place!
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Review from Yumi L.
10/11/2010
I was really looking forward to this meal with all the awesome reviews. I visited this restaurant for the last supper of a 3 day weekend trip to Montreal. I was very disappointed.
First, the restaurant has a weird design. The kitchen is in the basement, seating is available on the 1st and 2nd floor, and the bar is on the 2nd floor. I feel bad for the waiters there. They had to walk up and down carrying the food and drinks.
We had 2 discovery tasting menus with different selections so we can try everything. They started us off with a lobster bisque, which was good but would of enjoyed more lobster bits in the "shot" of soup. Appetizers, we had the tomatoes with mozarella and crab salad. The tomatoes were very sweet and served on top of a syrup glazed wafer-like thing, which made it even sweeter! I think I would of enjoyed it more with a savory cracker base instead. The crab salad had non-existent crab. Although the presentation was fancy, I was not impressed. Thank god we ordered an extra appetizer, Bison tartare, which was the only fantastic dish. Entree, we had the mushroom ravioli which was very heavy and served on a big bowl, which made it hard to cut up and eat. (They were huge pieces of ravioli, not bite-sized.) Also, had the veal served with some potato puree, not impressed. They finished the meal off with a bunch of sweets/cookies, icecream lollipop thing, a huge fluff of cotton candy, and more cookies to take home. Sugar overload!
I think they try really hard to make it creative and fun dining experience. But for me, I care more about the food over the presentation. The service was okay, they forgot our tea and coffee (had to remind them) and they did not offer ground pepper for our raviolis. This was the most expensive meal we had during our trip and it was the most disappointing. There are plenty of other nice restaurants to go to which will definitely give you a better "food" experience. (Toque! was excellent and so was Au Pied de Cochon) -
Review from Alex G.
7/17/2010
This was a true "foodie" experience: great service and delicious food from start to finish. We had a table at the top of the stairs, giving us a view of all the action - including all the dishes as they came up the stairs! Without repeating the other reviews, my wife's lamb was succulent and sweet - amazing. I had the most unbelievable deer chop; thick, moist and super flavorful. With the amuse bouche, breads, intermezzo, and appetizers, it's basically like having a "tasting.". The wine selection was top notch, and the server suggested great choices (by the glass) for each part of the meal. This meal exceeded my expectations in every way.
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Review from Komal B.
5/31/2010
We wanted to try Toque last weekend, but they were closed on Sunday. We were told Europea was one of the best in Montreal and were very, very pleased. It was by far on of the best meals I've had. We had the 5 course tasting menu, but we ended up getting a lot of "surprises that would come out of the kitchen in between the courses. The most memorable dishes we had that night included the lobster bisque cappucino, crab ceviche and the beef cheeks.
The vibe is very chic. This meal would have been double the price if it were in the states. We were very impressed by the wait staff and had a wonderful experience. -
Review from Chance X.
QC
5/4/2009
I love Euproea. If you treat dinning as an experience as opposed to just good food, you will love it too. I was surprised and delighted for all the gifts from the chef. It was fun and creative. The food is great too. I don't think it is too expensive given the amount of variety you will receive. Try the tasting menu. It will be a fun night you will remember :-)
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Review from Rich J.
2/25/2011
Easily in my Top Five Restauarnts..a unique, amazing dining experience in the beautiful city of Montreal. I'm pretty sure our 4 course prix fix meal ended up being 10 with all the add-ons, plus the take home cotton candy and madolines in a chinese take out box. I am used to amuse bouches and after dinner treats, but I have never been to a place where I got a got the worlds tastiest 'cheese cigar' served to me in a humidor in between my app and entree. And then some slices of sashimi right after that (can't remember the fish). The food itself was really great..especially the foie...seared and finished with veal ju and a pinch of coffee, it was a really rich dish...very bold for the chef to serve it like that as opposed to the usually way of serving seared foie with some sort of fruit garnish to offset the richness of the foie. The teaser of a lobster "cappucino" with black truffle left me speechless. My entree of veal cheeks was really good, but maybe a tad less exciting than what came before. Then the parade of desserts...all Ii can say is..wow. And the value for all this food is amazing. I can't wait to come back and do the tasting.
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Review from Leslie D.
9/17/2010
My boyfriend and I went to Europea for our 2010 New Year's dinner. I had Googled options for a few days and it seemed like a good choice to spend the countdown at. There was a special NYE tasting menu which we of course had... ok so I lied, I wanted the tasting menu haha. Some dishes were great while some were very very bad. There was one I couldn't take another bite of because it made me (us) want to throw up. Graphic, I know... but I don't think it was the restaurant's fault. The dish had a particular cheese in it that was just so overbearing and it offended my mouth!! and I love cheese! So that was weird. The service was overattentive which is always a good thing when you are wanting a romantic evening with your squeeze for a holiday. For the money and the inconsistency of the food, I don't think I will be going back again if I'm in Montreal.... Piet de Cochon will always win my vote...but it is a beautiful restaurant. Try it and form your opinion on the place? I honestly think your experience could go either way!
Listed in: Fancy Schmancy Meals
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Review from Fraise T.
9/21/2009
amazing execution. Nice and creative recipe. nice atmosphere. Service a bit too relaxed for the place but I guess is the the Quebec way.... Make it a stop when you are in Montreal, you wont regret it.
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Review from Jeff C.
8/12/2010
So I was trying to find a restaurant comparable to Toque. Someone suggested Europea to me. I went there by myself. Got an outside seat. First, the weather was good, so it was okay. However the club across the street was blasting dance music all night, which degraded the dining experience. Then the dishes took at least 20 minutes each, add that to the tasting menu, and we get a 4 1/2 hour dinner. Yes, they said it was their busiest night, but that's no excuse. At the end, the cold night air was too much for me, and I had to call it quits early. Even with like 10 patrons left there, the dishes were taking half an hour each. The food was so-so. Maybe better than your average restaurant, but nothing to wow about. Even the full Foie Gras dish I ordered extra wasn't well balanced, with too heavy of the liver taste. Yes, there was some hype with the thick egg soup, bringing you a whole crock pot showing you a chicken, but you got to taste about a mouthful. The cotton candy bit (which came too late for me). The quality of food was there, just not as good as I expected. The place is tiny, and I am not sure doing up, downstairs and outside is the way to go. Overall, I regret going to Europea instead of Toque. Will not do that again.
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Review from jenilee p.
10/14/2008
i think everyone can recall specific detail of many momentary tastes they had experienced in their first truly exquisite meal. it may not be their favorite meal, or their choice of hypothetical last meal (as this often returns to something your mother made), but it is etched in each person's memory as the moment where they spent more than they ever had before, and walked away with a memory an experience, and a justification as to the value of fine flavor in a world of economic woes.
europea is that first fine meal for me. i and my then boyfriend, and now husband, had spontaneously driven the hours and hours up to canada one year for an international film festival, and as we had been experimenting with several cooking techniques, we decided to splurge, and really try to find out what food cooked by someone with classical french cooking skill tastes like. the person at the hotel desk recommended europea, which was located only a few blocks away.
we decided on the tasting menu, with wine pairings, which was a tremendous amount of money in that we had both just started "grown up" jobs. but it was completely worth it, and again and again, this restaurant remains my benchmark in an experience of a meal that was completely worth the amount of money we had paid.
i can't recall the exact order or items of the menu. but i will tell you that i still recall the taste of the amuse bouche as if it were ten minutes ago. a tiny spoon, and a little espresso cup, filled with the finest, richest taste of lobster cappuchino, or bisque, that you could ever imagine. it sent both of us into a closed eye making of a memory. other dishes that followed included my first taste of foie gras, which was seared and served with a fruit based sauce. of course, the meal continued on with wines, meats, cheeses, and delightful deserts, ending with the finest cup of coffee i've ever closed a meal with. we both left, slightly tipsy, and with the feeling that we would value food as an art for the rest of our lives. each dish cooked once, for one patron, and is different each subsequent time it is cooked due to variations in cooking time or seasons. i felt truly lucky after this meal.
i wish i could recite to you the sequence of dishes, but honestly i wasn't of the initiated at the time that i had eaten here. what i would recommend is that if you're in montreal and in need for a real treat, but have never had an extensive tasting menu before, take the plunge and try this restaurant which will set your standards for you. i truly enjoyed it, and have gone on to taste the creations of the likes of pierre garnaire (paris), david chang (new york), the chefs at les ambassadeurs (paris), my boy ken oringer (boston), etc etc. europea still remains amongst the best and of course my virgin tasting menu. and as a result, fine food is now draining my expenses day after day, but without regret:) -
Review from CE C.
9/21/2010
This was probably the biggest waste of money. We got the table d'hote which was 60 bucks per person. A lot of filler courses for pizzazz that just wasnt impressive, really a lot of fluff. Started off with the lobster cappucino, which was good once you got passed the cream part. The appetizer were parmesan crisps with goat cheese. For appetizers we had the crab declination which was a trio of crab (not good, so bland), got the seared foie gras in which we really enjoyed the morel mushroom emulsion. The highlight of the meal was definitely our entree. If we had ordered only the entree we would have rated the meal higher. We had the filet of halibut, cooked perfectly over creamy mashed potatoes, with a tomato "ketchup". The veal cheeks were great! They were cooked perfectly, and were very flavorful. Dessert was weird. It was like a strawberry parfait, different, but not good with madelines. They also brought out some petit fours consisting of passion fruit marshmellow, pistachio macarons and peach, and chocolate lollipop? They gave us a nice parting gift of meringue cookies with nuts (although they tasted a little stale).
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