Pilsen Restaurant et Pub — Restaurant in North Hatley

Last weekend, I came to the Pilsen with my husband and daughter. It was our first time trying it out, as we recently moved to the area for work. It was the first warm weekend of the season, so we walked upstairs to sit on the terrace. We were then told the terrace was for 18+ but we could sit downstairs, as we were with our 5 year old daughter. We walked downstairs, to an area with little ambiance , where it was damp and cold. We debated leaving but we were hungry so we stayed, as we wanted to give it a fair try.

Our food was underwhelming for what we paid for and we left disappointed in our experience. I am from Montreal and have worked in great restaurants there-Joe Beef, hotels in the Old Port and was honestly shocked by how our evening turned out. Here are some tips for the owners:

1. Please have a sign at the bottom of the 3 story staircase indicating that the upstairs is for 18+. I was 7 months pregnant and it was a brutal walk up, to not only have to walk it right back down. Actually, the whole 18+ thing is ridiculous, as the 'family-friendly floor' resembled of an old Irish Pub. Discriminating against kids in a family-town is just odd, and plain downright a way to lose potential customers in the future. Perhaps a sign indicating after 9:00 pm it turns into a bar or something if you really want to go that route, but North Hatley is a cottage town and very family-friendly.

2. Please offer those with children a similar experience on the family-friendly floor. It felt so uninviting and very bar-like-not the look you want to be going for if you truly want to go that route.

3. Even if we had stayed on the top floor, the terrasse vibe gave off a club-vibe as if you were in a large, busy city.

I am not sure what happened here or if it is perhaps new owners with little experience in the restaurant industry, but what could have been a positive revamp of the place for the North Hatley area is just a really big disappointment.

If you are looking for a delicious restaurant with an unpretentious feel, I highly suggest you try Mercantile Café right...

I love the Pilsen. The menu has improved greatly since the new management took over a few years back. The food is delicious. Why not 5 stars? I rarely write anything but 5 star reviews but I can tell you that if this was my first experience with the Pilsen, this would be a 1 star review. The loud, bass heavy, electronic, techno music was not anywhere conducive to an enjoyable dining experience. The building is being improved in wonderful ways. They’ve added a top floor that has great potential and wonderful views! We sat outside a few weeks ago and had a wonderful time with the people we brought with us. Tonight, the service was attentive… except for the awful music. When asked if they could possibly lower the volume or adjust the bass, we were told they couldn’t control it. Seriously? We should have left. The noise nearly destroyed what could have been a very enjoyable evening. My ears are still buzzing.

The staff could not read the room and realize that the music was making other diners (mostly older than 45 and looking for a relaxing evening) uncomfortable. We saw another couple move away from being under the speakers.

Years ago, when I was a waitress, I understood that my customers came out to eat to enjoy themselves. If they asked me to turn down the music, close a window or any other reasonable request, the answer was “absolutely”.

We skipped extra drinks & dessert so that we could leave as soon as possible.

Living in this lovely village, I am often asked where I recommend to eat. I will now have to caution friends, family & acquaintances about the noise factor. Unfortunate. The Pilsen has everything else...

Second visit and it's still excellent. We sat upstairs in the new dining area and it was delightful. Food was excellent and service also in spite if the fact that there was one waitress and about 12 tables she did an excellent job. This is a somewhat limited review since we only had the French Onion Soup and the House Smoke Salmon...both of which were excellent. The soup was served nice and hot with local melted cheese on top. Just the right balance between broth and onion flavor. Crotons were large enough that they didn't end up as tiny specks of mush in the bowl, which was perfect. The house smoke salmon was impressive. I like my smoked food to have that real smoked flavor and this salmon delivered the smoke and the salmon flavors in unison and it was served with very fresh toasted slivers of bread to put it on, I may have dreams about this! The service was excellent we were promptly greeted and told to pick any table we liked. Even though it was a bit breezy and cloudy we did opt for sitting outside which was nice. My only gripe is the outside patio could use a power washing and the hanging baskets need some love, minor details. The inside I would describe as rustic rather than elegant but I am about the food not the decor. The waiter was busy but very attentive to every table. I like waiters that make being very busy look as smooth and easy as this guy did, definitely a pro. We will return and have a full lunch or dinner in the...