ARVI — Restaurant in Quebec

Absolutely horrible. This was the worst dining experience of my life. Please do not trust the reviews from “local guides” who are in South America. We had the tasting menu and had to pay for the entire meal in advance, $110 per person. Had we not, we would have walked out immediately. The dining room is very small and not modern. We were given a table for four that was two misaligned two tops put together. We were literally ON TOP of the kitchen, and could feel the heat from the stove. There was no waiter, the food was brought over by the “cooks” and the parsing was terrible. Had to pay supplemental charge for the bread and butter (which was very good) and the foie gras (which was also good, but sliced about as thin as piece of deli meat. Nothing special about the cocktails. We asked to taste some white wine and my colleague and I both made the same sour face the second we tasted it. The portions are incredibly small and there is no beef or chocolate on the menu. The watermelon granita made it too cold to taste the tuna, which I had problems finding, probably by design. The Halibut and roast carrot was good. The eggplant dish was tasteless. The small slice of Gunieafowl was good and cooked properly, but the “sauces” were very simple and did not go well. Dessert was a small round piece of apple cake. In summary, the ambiance was terrible, service was terrible, some of the dishes were OK but otherwise completely lackluster, the portions were too small even for a tasting menu, and they saved much on food costs by using mostly vegetables and poultry. The price was MUCH TOO EXPENSIVE and this “restaurant” poses as a fine dining establishment though most of the staff do not appear to know anything about...

We had a very good experience here. The food was quite good, the service was friendly, and the space was relatively attractive. I recommend this place, with caveats.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high. For the price point, everything should be flawless. My comments are not complaints, just observations to guide other diners so they know better what to expect.

One thing that is more than a nitpick is that the left wall (brick) in the restaurant is lit with modern tubular lights that I found very harsh. I was facing that wall, and really regretting it. They should be turned lower significantly, or better yet, replaced with bulbs that have a much lower value on the warmth scale. (These were about 6,000K, whereas a 3,000K would be much less harsh on the eyes.) It contributes to a modern aesthetic that is too cold.

The music playlist was varied, and occasionally a bit too hip-hop for my taste. This is an individual taste and not a general complaint.

Most of the dishes were excellent. I would recommend the add-on of the foie dish if it is available. It was really memorable and decadent.

The portion sizes are spot-on, and generally well-balanced. On the night we were there, one dish, the tuna, lacked seasoning and was visually unappealing. But the fish was perfectly cooked. It just lacked visual appeal and taste.

I found the informal service manner of sitting with the patrons on the banquette, or squatting while conversing with the diners to be a bit odd. I suppose it is meant to express a casual friendly hospitality, but it didn't work for me. But "a chacun-a-son-gout" as they...

Absolutely wonderful restaurant. Food quality compares to 2* Michelin in Europe.

ARVI features a 5-course tasting menu. The dry-aged duck breast with smoked carrot and ginger-carrot chutney was probably the best duck preparation I’ve ever had. Tender, perfectly cooked meat supremely complemented by the sides. The riff on a Pavlova for dessert was again, among the best desserts I’ve ever had - think a super-moist, blueberry filled jelly donut encased in a maple cookie, encased in a meringue and topped with whipped cream. Just to die for!

The preparations of the various dishes are creative, thoughtful and well executed. Smoke, umami and savory flavors juxtapose with both soft and crunchy textures in the various dishes. And five courses is perfect.

You can go for a vegetarian track if you don’t want proteins and there are options to add oyster, mushroom or foie gras courses as you wish.

The wine pairing is similarly thoughtful and well composed with several Quebec wines featured.

Service is outstanding. It’s an interesting concept as everyone does everything - I saw one gal shucking oysters and 5 minutes later she was mixing a cocktail.

Casual vibe with exposed brick and the staff wearing ARVI t-shirts.

Price points are exceptionally reasonable so, given the food quality, the QPR (Quality-Price Ratio) is off the charts (in the diner’s favor).

Honestly, one of the top restaurants in North America!

HIGHLY...