Le Moulin de Provence KD METCALFE & QUEEN — Restaurant in Ottawa

Awful service and awful management. I just left with such frustration. Being a client for the past 10 years, I love their bake goods. Today, I had the intent to purchase a birthday mousse cake for a dinner this evening. I politely asked if they offer the service of writing “Happy birthday” on their cake. The lovely employee went to go ask one of the Manager (did not get his name) and he nodded “yes”.

As a birthday cake, I wanted to make sure that the calligraphy on the cake was to my desire and well done. I understand that not everyone is able to do calligraphy, but I am flexible. I politely asked to see the writing before putting it on the cake. It wasn’t to my expectations, so I said that the “Happy birthday” was not necessary anymore. I was still going to purchase the Raspberry Mousse at that point. The lovely young employee told the Manager that I did not want the writing anymore. His reaction? Pure disgust; he kept doing disrespectful remarks and facial expression. Beyond NOT SATISFIED with his professionalism and ethics. I then decided that their service was not necessary and that I was going to get the cake somewhere else. I never received such bad service in my LIFE, especially from one of the Manager.

I went to go see the owner following this, and told him my unpleasant expression with one his, apparently very professional, Manager. I informed him of the Manager’s unprofessional and unnecessary conduct. He then told the Manager, and his reaction? The same unprofessional, disrespectful, rude and impolite conduct.

Moral of the story? Avoid this bakery if you want to feel 1) Welcomed; 2) Appreciated;...

I had lunch today at Moulin de Provence with great expectation. I am always looking for a good croissant outside France. This is not an easy task. Croissants are labor intensive and obtaining the proper ingredients in Canada is difficult. Forget free trade with 300 percent Canadian duties on dairy products. Stirling Creamery in Ontario does produce beurre sec with 85 percent fat which is rather expensive. I found finding the flour they have in France impossible to find in Canada. But the challenge is to get as close as possible. I have tried many times and failed.

Moulin de Provence fails with the croissant.

My seafood salad was decent. I asked my other two friends with me that had a pastry and a sandwich if they would seek out this restaurant again? No, it's nothing special.

Their Croissant is more like a piece of bread shaped like a croissant. It doesn't have the layers or pastry texture of a French Croissant. It is more like a freezer to oven croissant that most bakeries sell in Canada. Metropolitan restaurant uses freezer to oven croissants. These freezer to oven 4.5 oz butter croissant can be purchased from Creation Food in Toronto for 38$ for 100 sheets or 38 cents a croissant.

The price driver of a croissant is the labor if not machine made and butter. The freezer to oven croissant have low butter content, less than 20 percent. Good croissants have more than 50 percent by weight of flour.

My next croissant adventure will be Nadege Bakery in Toronto. Nadege Nourian is a 4th generation baker/pastry chef from Lyon, France.

Oh well, croissants...

The food is amazing but the manager (or assistant manager I’m not sure) is really weird! I would recommend doing a take Away. I’m definitely never coming back here.

I’m one for principles so paying is never a problem. My toddler wanted a slice of tomato so I asked for an extra after having ordered a whole breakfast worth 25 dollars. They said it would be an additional charge of 25 cents. Great I paid that! Turns out my toddler went another and this time instead of 25 cent it’s 2.1 dollars. I pay again.i later go to speak to the manager there should be consistency. I was talking to the manager perfectly normal conversation and mid conversation someone walks up, I thought they were talking about someone else and literally in the middle of the conversation, she huffs, mutters something and walks away! I was literally like ok? Anyway I come back sit at the table we’re having our food and the same manager walks up to the table, smacks down 25 cents and says these are your 25 cents and you can have a pastry on the house. I tell her to take the 25 cents back I don’t want them she’s like no, and walks away. Talk about picking a vendetta against someone!! Over 25 cents! Looks like someone needs a training in management or better yet having a...