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| - L'autre Saison almost seems out of place when you compare it to its surroundings. Located in the middle of a decently populated street, its quiet and unassuming exterior offers one of the best fine-dining gems in Montreal.
While the concierge at our hotel told my fiancé and me that dressing up for fine dining in Montreal meant wearing jeans, we felt that it was more appropriate to wear dressier clothing. Not only did it enhance our overall experience at L'autre Saison, we felt it gave this restaurant the respect it deserved.
While it may have been on the pricier end, it was definitely worth it. The owner greeted us and instantly made us feel welcome from the moment we walked through the door. He went over some of the specials on the menu and gave us a bunch of recommendations.
We each got an appetizer with our entreés, as there is a sharing plate fee at the restaurant. However, I was incredibly glad we did. The duck foie gras was silky and unbelievably good. It was definitely one of the best dishes I have ever tasted. My fiancé got escargot and as the owner joked, "you will always remember your first time." Needless to say, he will definitely remember that dish.
For our entrees, I got the duck breast with bigarade sauce which was just as delectable. The duck was a perfectly cooked medium rare and the rich sauce complimented it well. My partner got the rack of lamb with Dijon mustard and bread crumbs. While I, personally, do not care for lamb, I agreed with him that the melt-in-your-mouth lamb was impeccably cooked.
For dessert, the menu stated that the waiter will assist us with our selection and sure enough, the owner made his recommendations. The desserts were just as mouthwatering. Normally we never get three courses each but we kept wanting more. As soon as the desserts came out, we shamelessly decided we could be tacky and took a picture of each dessert.
L'autre Saison exceeded beyond our expectations. The waiters were nice but seemed a bit inexperienced but the owner's warmth and personality more than made up for it. It was truly refreshing to see the owner make his way over to each of the tables and interact with every diner. As I later told him, this was one of the best restaurants in which I have ever eaten. I am incredibly glad that we found this place as it was the perfect end to our Montreal adventure.
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