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| - It's hard to believe that the Michelin Guide refuses to consider restaurants in Canada. Europea is quite simply one of the finest restaurants in the world, and the dining experience is worthy of every type of acclaim.
I really wanted to splurge for a dinner and when I booked a trip to Montreal, the first thing I did was make a reservation for Europea (you'll need a reservation made more than a month in advance, and if you don't show up to your booking, you'll incur a $200 charge). The style of the restaurant is fine dining, with a French-Italian focus. The dress code is "business casual," but men should wear at least a jacket or tie (preferably both).
When you arrive, you'll be received into a handsome dining room, with immaculate and bilingual staff ready to attend to any desire. There was a personal note from the chef waiting at my table. I had the 8 course exploration menu, with wine pairings chosen by a sommelier. They started with an amuse-bouche of dried meat, goat cheese and maple smoked salmon lox. The subsequent courses were simply perfect, each one was served with an expertly chosen wine and the waitstaff attentively refilled my wine glass before it was even half empty. The presentation of the dishes was also impressive. The cappuccino lobster bisque changed my life, and the veal carpaccio was ten times better than anything I've had in Italy.
The menu provides an excellent fois gras and handmade pasta with quail egg and caviar. The main seafood dish was fresh halibut and the main meat dish was clay-baked veal cheek, and the tasting menu gave me an opportunity to taste both. The meal concluded with a cheese course and assorted bonbons. The total bill was about $200 per person, but I would gladly pay twice that for the Europea experience.
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