Restaurant Bivouac — Restaurant in Montreal

So this is a place my girl friend want to try and we booked weeks in advance.

I had some business in the area so I arrived early around 6 ish and our reservation was at 7pm. I decide to grab a drink and wind down a bit and the hostess was happy to escort me to the bar.

Although the place was half empty, it took more than 15 minutes and after two more group that were sit down, I was being greeted for the first time.

Somewhat tired and a bit frustrated at this time, I order a mix drink ( whisky sour ) will awaits for my girl friend. The server did not mention any suggestion for food or bar snack to me, although he mentioned the daily Sepcial to the other groups.

During this time I witness something unusual and somewhat disturbing: the waiter was topping up a wine bottle with another older bottle of wine and put it in one of the serving station. I have to say in all my years dinning out I have never saw it been done( in the open at least) this way.

Due to that knowledge, when I notice my drink has a somewhat unpleasant odor I point it out to the bar keep right away. He took a whiff of it and proceed to making a new one, no explanation, no apologie offered. The second drink was ok at first , but after a while the same odor begin to creep back. It was at that moment I kind realized that: perhaps they were using egg white to frost the drink, which could explain the odor. But since no explanation given before or after I send back the drink, there was no way to know.

I must say the star I given for service is for the hostess and her alone. Two times I waved at her she come to my service right away: first time was I enquiring the parking situation for my girl friend’s arrive, and the second time was asking her to set out table, window side if possible, and to transfer my bar tab to my main bill. All my questions were answered and all my requests were accommodated.

The runner that night was a different story all together: not only I watched him drop food in front of the guests, when he went to present the food to the table next to me, his butt was inch away from my face. Although the table was set tight in this place, a good server would never let something like this happen.

Food was ok, a lot of local ingredients were show cased, well priced and we’re coming out of the kitchen in a timely fashion. Same goes to the wine selection, after the fiasco at the bar I decide to order a bottle instead glasses, a local whit wine that was well priced.

But the service was continuesly a miss. Our waiter was in badly need of some breath mint and he was somewhat rushed, first time a server was taking away our oyster plate even we still have a few that we haven’t eat. My girl friend requested some bread for our appetizer spread, and again for our post main cheese plator. Both time they came shortly, nicely present but stone cold.

In all, it was somewhat below average experience and I think the place need a proper train program...

My friend and I had an incredibly disappointing experience Friday night, so much so that I have to believe it was purposeful due to the fact we’re American or because we did not order alcohol. After our order was taken we didn’t get a refill of water until after our app was delivered even though the cups were empty when it arrived. Our waitress passed us several times as did the manager in a suit, empty cups and not a second look in our direction. Once she cleared the appetizer plates we got a refill and she said our entrees would be up shortly. In the restaurant the kitchen is in full view and our table had a prime viewing spot. We were sitting inside instead of on the terrace as we had walked through the city all day so our part of the restaurant was completely empty. That is why we were able to see our entrees put into the window by the chef who even took a photo of one of our dishes on his phone. Our plates then sat for well over 10 minutes as bussers, other servers, and the suited manager passed our food in the window. My friend and I just sat watching our food get dry and overly hot. The plates were so hot the she had to bring them with folded napkins, not a word of warning that they were dangerously hot. We ate what was still moist (they at least have good heat lamps I’ll say that) and then sat with our silver on the table and napkins on our pate. The waitress passes us again and again (water cups empty while eating) and then strikes up a loud laughing conversation in front of us with the manager. Backs turned to as we still sit with napkins on plates food mostly un eaten and not a word from her the manager as to why. We had hoped to get dessert but it was so disheartening at this point we didn’t feel welcome so we just left. We had hoped to have a nice dinner in a beautiful restaurant but left severely dejected :/ If you’re an American coming to MTL to support our neighbor’s economy please eat elsewhere! MTL is a food haven and there are so many other...

The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a pleasant atmosphere that feels high end and inviting. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the setting. There was only one vegan option on the menu, which I ordered, and it was a major disappointment. It was soggy, wet, mushy, and overall unappetizing. The fries, on the other hand, were excellent. Honestly, I should have just stuck with the fries and a bottle of bubbles. For a restaurant of this caliber, I expected much better. It would be great to see a few more thoughtfully prepared vegan options that are actually enjoyable and worthy of the otherwise lovely ambiance. Another concern was the lack of attention to detail in service. It was obvious that I didn’t eat my dish. It was barely touched yet no one asked if something was wrong or if I was dissatisfied with the meal. That lack of care or curiosity about why a guest didn’t eat their food was disappointing, and ultimately, that’s the main reason I wouldn’t return. On a positive note, the gentleman who assisted us, dressed in a suit and appearing to be a manager, was extremely kind, attentive, and professional, which I greatly appreciated. When my friend and I were trying to figure out if it was possible to get a view of a concert outside, he was genuinely inquisitive and eager to help us. I hope the kitchen and service team can improve on these points to match the quality of...