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Restaurant l'Academie
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Italian French, Italian [Edit]
2100 CrescentMontreal, QC H3G 2B8
(514) 664-4455
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
21 reviews for Restaurant l'Academie
Review Highlights
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"...you stumble across a BYOW (bring your own wine) restaurant." In 5 reviews -
"Denis and Duluth, right next to a SAQ." In 3 reviews -
"The major plus is that they are BYOB." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Natalia T.
Montréal, QC
3/13/2012
L'Academie has a really elegant interior but I found it to be lacking something. It's very modern looking, with some classical elegance and always very busy. The prices are surprisingly affordable for such a posh atmosphere, especially on Crescent street.
The food is quite good, although we didn't realize it was BYOW and we definitely would've liked some wine with our meal (if you're not eating meat, the large part of the menu is pasta). I would say the food deserves only 3 stars.
The best part about L'Academie? The service is STELLAR, absolutely excellent, compared to my Montreal dining experiences. At other restaurants you get a snooty server that doesn't check up on you often, but that was absolutely not our experience at L'Academie. Two hosts came up to check on us, and several people offered us water, and our server was amazing.
And if you are curious about the washrooms / restroom, I think they only have one in the lower level (there are 3 levels), but it is a really nice one (free floss, anyone?). This place is definitely great for dates, group dinners, but I wouldn't say I would bring someone from out of town here. -
Review from Juliana H.
Toronto, ON
2/27/2012
Oh come on now! I am shocked by all the good reviews. The restaurant isn't too hard on the eyes, but really that's all it has going for it. I know some people are excited because you can bring your own wine, but so what? This most certainly isn't the only place that offers this, yes even in Toronto never mind Montreal where this concept has been familiar for ages.
The food was pretty crappy. My partner's peppercorn tuna had no peppercorns. Worse yet, a good part of it was inedible, full of gristle. I had a taste and wished I could turn back time and decline the offer. YUCK! The swordfish I had was better, but had almost no flavour. In contrast, the veggies had too much nasty flavour. I'm betting it was MSG or some other additive. Though I didn't have a full out allergic reaction, my stomach was queasy after; ergo, I deffo conclude "flavour enhancer". Yes the portions were large, but bigger sure as hell doesn't mean better in this case. -
Review from Victoria J.
Vancouver, BC
2/25/2012
Another great downtown Montreal restaurant. It's a little more on the pricier side, but well worth it. All I had was spaghetti and tomato sauce and fine herbs, which was so good. - Their tomato sauce tasted different than most other ones I've had at other restaurants.
For dessert my friend and I split a cheesecake with strawberry coulis, and that was very delicious, as well. I rarely ever like to spend that much on cheesecake, but I think I'd make an exception for this place.
Service was just okay. I guess because it's so busy in there that they kind of unintentionally neglect some of the tables or they take forever to come by. The food sure came fast, but otherwise, the servers rarely came by unless we called them over. -
Review from Adrian K.
Toronto, ON
5/17/2012
I really enjoyed this place. Restaurants have to but put into perspective - not every restaurant is suitable for every occasion. I went on a Wednesday night with a friend, looking for a place that would have good food, a hip atmosphere and fair prices - l'Academie definitely fit the bill. The calamari and pasta on special were delicious, I brought a good wine from the SAQ, service was excellent, the decor was hip, the restaurant was lively but not too loud, and price came to around $25 / person pre-tip. Had a great night thanks to l'Academie - it's definitely going to be one of my top picks for a social night out.
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Review from Jason L.
5/2/2012
Wonderful cuisine with an elegant and modern ambience. Service was friendly and attentive. Food is priced how you would expect for a nice restaurant, but the fact that you can bring your own wine or beer makes it more palatable for those on a budget.
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Review from Rob W.
2/13/2012
Went here on a cold snowy Montreal night with a group of six. The place was packed but we called ahead an grabbed a nice table next to the front window upstairs.
I have never had such a hard time picking my meal, I could have ordered any of 20 things on the menu and been perfectly happy. I was jealous of all 5 of the other people in our groups meals, and mine was delicious.
They have about 12 adaptations of mussels and frites, which were delicious. Its also BYOB which saved a ton of money as we brought 6 bottles of wine.
Although my appetite (and head) may have been a little skewed after the half dozen Molson Exports at the Canadiens game before dinner, I would surely recommend this place and will visit it again next time I am in Montreal. -
Review from Yvonne T.
How often do you stumble across a BYOW (bring your own wine) restaurant? As a Torontonian, I haven't!
Although that was not what lured me to Restaurant l'Academie, its an interesting concept. It is a multi-storey, house-converted restaurant with simple yet elegant decor. Exposed brick, and white paneled walls makes you feel like you're the home of a housewife who has all the time in the world to fuss over all the elegant details of her humble abode.
The waiter here is probably one of the shyest I've ever met, but he was polite and very friendly. The food here is French/Italian and the prices are great for the dining experience you get. I would probably throw down roughly the same amount for a less than stellar meal at Jack Astor's.
We started off with Escargots and Fried Calamari. Escargot was rather oily and the calamari, albeit having a light batter was not crispy.
For mains I opted for the Sole Meunière and William T. opted for the Linguini Vongole which was a garlic and tomato, white wine pasta.
The fish came with orange cauliflower, carrots and potatoes. It was tender but I felt it was rather bland. The linguini was fantastic. It was a clam pasta and the pasta was very yummy!
Overall good value for your money and great service.Listed in: 30 Day Yelp Challenge: The…
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Review from Sean D.
So as I am still somewhat new to Montreal, I have to keep reminding me of these places that let you bring your own wine. l'Academie is one of those places. Great deal to bring your own wine, but you need to remember ahead of time. I was meeting three others and realized I needed wine so took a walk for a few blocks to Sainte-Catherine & Drummond to find an SAQ to buy my wine at...no big deal, could use the exercise!
Regarding the meal itself, I have to say I was a little disappointed. There is nothing specifically wrong with this place, but nothing stood out either. The food was average, the service was good. I started with garlic escargot that was decent enough, but not distinctive in any way. I then ate seared tuna for my main dish. Again, mediocre. Price is pretty good, however, compared to many restaurants in the area, -
Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
I've eaten here only a handful of times, but it's a winner. Every person I have recommended it to, LOVES it. Like they really love it. They call me and go on and on about how much they loved it. Here's why: it's a fantastic multi-storey restaurant at St. Denis and Duluth, right next to a SAQ. (Actually, that SAQ is now closed...but there's one kiddie-corner...rejoice - Montrealers now how to roll.)
This would be a good time to mention Montreal is huge on BYOW - bring your own wine. Just look for "approtez votre vin". And unlike the rest of Canada, they don't charge a corking fee, nor do they stare at you with their judgy little eyes. The Quebecois simply uncork and pour. It's genius - why can't every restaurant do it.
Now that you have your bottle (or bottles), slip next door and get a table. L'Academie is best described as boisterous. Everyone needs a fail-safe restaurant. This would be it. -
Review from Krystle J.
Montréal, QC
6/3/2011 1 photo
A Bring Your Own Wine with a Sunday - Wednesday special is good in my books!
The food is good, especially when you can accompany it with as much wine as you choose to bring with you! The staff is young and nice, and the restaurant has a very clean, modern, classy look.
They've got a special on pasta & muscles everyday at lunch & Sunday-Wednesdays for dinner, 11,95$ accompanied with a soup or salad.
I've been to he one on St.Denis and my pasta tasted like cigarettes and our server was miserable, and kind of rude. So I definitely recommend the one on Crescent!
I plan on going there this week! :) -
Review from Michael C.
8/17/2011
Not often can one experience good food but yet feel so angry about just about everything else. After a long day biking, I just wanted a happy meal to end the day with my friends and this place just found a way to make me give up my 1st big fat 1 star to a business. L'Academie, you deserved this 1 big star and here's why.
Your place is modern and chic and centrally located. With 2 floors, you can definitely satisfy groups of all sizes. But do yourself a favor, hire more waiters and not just that, hire waiters that actually give a damn. My table waited over 30 minutes just to get an order, and not once did the waiter say he'll be right with us. When he did come, he rudely rushed to take the order without even asking what we wanted to drink. By the time one of us said I want to drink...he zipped away. Then when we asked for more water, 3 separate times during the night, they just rudely said we'll be with you, but never did service us.
I really never make a big fuss over food and this place's food was good, but I will not detail what my party had that night. I just can't contemplate promoting business for a place that was an outright scam. -
Review from Suky H.
Montréal, QC
11/8/2011
I love the atmosphere of this hot restaurant. There are so many ppl in weekends .I tried mussels with creamy soup, not kinda of astonishing,but it's good. I love the decor, services more than their food anyway.
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Review from marcus g.
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
WE loved this place. The waiter was great, very outgoing and accommodating. The major plus is that they are BYOB. The Mussel section was a big hit with our kids. They did make one mistake that was more than made up for. We told the waiter that we don't eat meat, but our Caesar salad came out with bacon on it. But the waiter bought us four desserts. In a way we were glad he made that mistake. We realize that no place can be perfect, it's how you handle your mistakes. And they went above and beyond. Kudos to the management there for letting the staff make quick decisions to handle mistakes.
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Review from Brian B.
9/4/2011
Gnocchi. Atmosphere. Patio. Friendly service.
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Review from Dylan O.
8/16/2011
Excellent Mussels and the BYOB, Sun-Wed special of $12 for pasta/mussles and soup or salad is unbeatable. Although my g/f was unimpressed with the pasta the mussels I had were delicious and a sizable portion considering the special. Will go back again when in the area. Dessert was very nice with Creme Brulee.
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Review from Nikolaos N.
Montréal, QC
12/24/2009
I've never been the the L'Academie at St-Denis, so I cannot compare. I will assume the quality is comparable. I went to L'acadmie hearing not so great reviews, however I am one to never trust the opinions of the masses(we'll only on Yelp :P).
Food Quality/Price - 2.5/5
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Firstly, I want to mention that this is a BYOW (bring your wine). I adore this concept, mainly because I detest paying the premium when ordering wine at a restaurant. However, this is how many restaurants make the lion's share of their revenues.
That being said majority of BYOW restaurants are usually sub-par in the food quality because they cut corners to beef up profit margins. Unfortunately, L'acadamie is no exception, they food is "palatable", yet the prices are fair. Its saving grace is that it is a BYOW.
Ambiance/Service - 4/5
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The ambiance and service are great. The food was served in a timely manner and the wait staff was courteous. Also, I loved the novel idea of actually showing patrons the desert before they order directly at their table. The ambiance was appropriate for a mid tier crescent street "hot spot" and as decorations were not too garish making for a decent dining experience.
Overall - B-
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I would go back to L'acadamie, solely because its BYOW. The take home message of this review is that if your looking for great food look elsewhere. However, if your looking for a good time and place you can bring your own wine(or beer), L'acadamie will fit the bill. -
Review from M J.
Montréal, QC
12/13/2011
The decor is fresh and modern, and the service is friendly and prompt, without being overbearing. It is worth checking out their lunch / Sun-Wed dinner special: choice of soup or salad, plus pasta or mussels for $12.95. There is a huge selection to choose from. Portion sizes are reasonable, and the food is good (but not outstanding) -- I found their mussels to be better than their pasta dishes. The best part is that this place is BYOW!
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Review from Amy N.
8/18/2010
I love this restaurant. Its modern and classy decor. This is a nice romantic dinner date or a good place to bring a small group of friends. You bring your own bottle of wine. The mussels are yummy and that's all I go for. All the flavors are good. I usually like the white creamy cheese soup one- Rockafello and comes with yummy fries to dip. They're known for the mussels. Wednesdays are half off mussels ($13) fyi!
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Review from Brett R.
11/6/2011
Very good Italian cuisine. I had the linguine with pesto but the mussels and fries looked great. I can see why everybody likes this place.
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Review from Christina m.
9/5/2011
We ate here twice. It's a great little French/Italian restaurant and the end of the bustling Rue Crescent. Prices are reasonable for the portion size. We only had pasta but it was great. Desserts were good too.
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Review from Matthew G.
7/11/2011
We loved this restaurant on a recent trip to Montreal. In fact, we ate their 3 times on a five day trip! I was surprised to find that this was one of several locations. It has all the charm of small downtown BYOB, and delicious fresh baguettes served with quality Italian food.
