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| - I came here for Taste MTL and was not disappointed. $19 for three Tapas is a great deal, especially when you consider the quality of the food and the comfortable atmosphere. This restaurant looks like a really hip mile-end apartment that's been converted into a commercial space. The decoration is tasteful -- think vintage posters on the walls, exposed brick, coffered tin ceiling, and my favourite, dry branches with white lights hanging over the bar-- without being overdone. It's romantic and intimate but also seems like it would lend itself well to a small meeting among close friends.
It was a little strange when we walked in. We had a reservation, but were seated at a table in the back next to the bathrooms. When I asked our host if we might be able to get one of the tables near the front window, he pointed to the signs that said "Reservée" and told me they were reserved. I was more than a little confused since we had a reservation but were not seated at a table with a reservée sign. Either this place has super-reservations, or there were some famous people dining there that night who I was not familiar with.
All that being said, our waitress was incredibly sweet throughout the whole evening. When discussing which wine we should order by the glass, offered to let us taste the two we were deciding between. The cocktail menu and the wine list are nothing to write home about, but they're well priced and the wine list includes a few interesting discoveries.
Now for the food. I began with the ceviche: tilapia with lime juice, coconut milk, coriander and ginger. For tapas the portion size was quite generous and it was lovely and refreshing dish. The cutting acidity of the lime was well balanced by the coconut milk and the coriander lent it a nice herbacity. My fiancee had the beef carpaccio which was quite good. No strange twists like you get in far too many restaurants trying to re-invent the wheel these days, just razor-thin beef slices, peppery-fresh arugula and parmesan shavings.
Course number two involved the Cod Fritters for me and the Goat cheese croutons with grilled vegetables for my fiancee. Like the Carpaccio, the Cod Fritters were simple: just three traditional little fishcakes filled with delicious flaky Cod. The spicing was interesting, a little peppery and possibly some Old Bay which was nicely balanced by the tartar sauce. My fiancee's dish a little bit of a letdown, some slices of baguette with semi-firm (brie-like) goat cheese melted on little pieces of grilled vegetables. It was fine, but less exciting than she expected.
Our final course included the Chorizo with a balsamic reduction and the artichoke stuffed with ham, bacon and mushrooms. To be honest, I found the Chorizo a little too spicy and was disappointed to find out that they did not make the sausage themselves. The stuffed artichoke was good, but the bacon/ham/mushroom combo was in a very rich cream sauce which made the dish just a little too heavy.
All this being said, I would absolutely come back to Taza Flores without hesitation. It's a great place to grab a drink or two with some friends and to have some great snacks. I might not come back specifically for dinner, but then again, Tapas and Dinner are two very different meals. Taza Flores excels at Tapas and is a lovely place to hang out.
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