The Marc — Restaurant in Edmonton

I find this review difficult to write as I wanted to love this restaurant, but it really missed the mark (pun intended).

First off, the service was excellent. The hostess and waitresses are incredibly kind, warm, and welcoming. The atmosphere is also very warm, and as a bonus, there is free parking in the loading zone just in front of the building after 6pm.

The issue with this restaurant is the food. We tried a variety of starters including the roasted bone marrow with crostini (a feature appetizer), the escargot, and the scallops. The bone marrow was simple - if you like the taste of bone marrow, you will like this. The natural flavour is not masked by seasoning and the pricepoint was appropriate ($17).

The scallops were not the right texture (mushy), with an underwhelming taste, and you only get served 3 small scallops for $25. The escargot was not memorable, and as my husband said this morning when I asked for his input, all the appetizers we tried were "meh".

For mains, we tried the duck as well as the ribeye steak and fries. The duck and steak were both well-cooked, but that is the only positive thing I can say. The duck had some interesting accompaniments (sunchoke chips, some sort of pasta base, and an odd sauce), but although all components to the dish were interesting alone, they did not come together to make a harmonious, complimentary dish. For dining of this caliber, that is certainly what I expect.

The Entrecote Frites (ribeye and fries) were also underwhelming. They were aiming for a natural meat flavour, not masked by seasoning, etc. The quality of the steak must not have been very good, as it was the worst tasting steak I've had in recent memory. It was also the most expensive main on the menu at $50.

The "best" part of the meal was dessert - we had the lemon curd. It was light but not as refreshing as expected - a stronger curd taste would have helped that. It was still nice as is and I think others would enjoy it.

All in all, the food served at the Marc was underwhelming.

We also tried cocktails and they were just okay. As an aside, they do have a variety of canned beers available (nothing on tap), but if you order Guinness and are expecting to receive the full can amount (i.e. 500mL), beware. They pour it into a glass (certainly not 500mL), and that's...

Went to The Marc with a couple of friends for dinner. Service was great! Wait staff was very attentive and non-intrusive. Dinner on the other hand could still use some tweaking. We started off with the pate and courgette blossoms. Flavour of the pate was good, but it was so hard you couldn't spread it on the crostinis provided. Courgette blossoms were amazing. Well seasoned and you could really taste the crab meat on the inside. Now onto the mains. My favourite dish of the night was the lamb. The combination of the yam purée with the pearl onions and pea shoots were absolutely delicious. I usually like eating my lamb medium rare, and the lamb was cooked to well done, but the flavours were really well balanced. My next favorite dish was the Cornish hen. Perfectly moist and the skin was crispy. The green tomatoes added a nice hint of acid to the dish. The pork main was delicious as well. Although I wish they had cut the pork belly into smaller pieces. It was so hard to cut into the crackling. Pork always pairs well with apple and fennel, so this was a winning combination for me. The two dishes we didn't enjoy very much were the grilled octopus and Arctic char. Octopus was very well cooked, but lacking in flavour. I felt the dish was also very dry. It needed a sauce to really tie all the elements together. The Arctic char although cooked well, was over salted. To finish off we had dessert. Lemon tart was a little grainy and the pastry was tough. The chocolate torte was delicious though. Walnuts and salted caramel were a great addition to help balance out the sweetness. We also had the beignets. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Best dessert of the night. Overall, it was a great experience. I would...

Stepping into The Marc felt like being transported to a Parisian bistro… the décor is understated and elegant with white linens, warm lighting and dark wood accents that create a comfortable, romantic ambiance. The food is exquisite… every dish we tried was thoughtfully prepared and executed with precision. The steak frites was tender and perfectly cooked with crisp golden fries… the duck confit had delicately crisp skin and rich flavour… the seared scallops were sweet and buttery with a velvety beurre blanc. We started with a charcuterie board and French onion soup… both were outstanding… and finished with a decadent crème brûlée that had a perfectly torched sugar crust. The wine list is extensive and curated with interesting French and Canadian bottles… and the staff were extremely knowledgeable about pairings and happy to offer recommendations. Service was impeccable throughout… courses were timed well and servers were attentive and friendly without being intrusive. The atmosphere remained lively yet intimate, making it suitable for a romantic dinner, a special celebration or a business meal. Vegetarian guests in our group had delicious options like ratatouille and creamy risotto, and the kitchen was happy to accommodate dietary requests. Overall, The Marc delivers a refined dining experience that combines classic French cooking with warm hospitality… it is a true gem in downtown Edmonton that I...