Le 101 Restaurant — Restaurant in Quebec

Please carefully review my experience here before you make reservation for your special dinner

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I had high hopes for my dining experience at Le 101, expecting an exceptional fine dining evening, especially on New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, the experience was deeply disappointing. While the food was decent, the service was chaotic and unprofessional, and the dismissive attitude of the owner, Sandra—who also served as our server—left a lasting negative impression. The Waiting Time We had a reservation for 8:30 PM and arrived early at 8:15 PM. Despite being seated promptly, it took an hour for the first course to arrive. This delay was unacceptable, especially at a fine dining restaurant where timing and attention to detail are critical. To make matters worse, newer tables that arrived after us were served drinks and food before we received our first course. The entire meal stretched from 8:15 PM to 12:15 AM due to excessive delays between courses. While fine dining meals are meant to be leisurely, the disjointed service made the evening feel unnecessarily prolonged and frustrating. Other Diners’ Experiences We weren’t the only ones experiencing issues. The table next to us, seated after us, received their first course well before ours but later faced a 30-minute delay between courses. Their excitement visibly faded over the course of the evening. Even more surprising, at least two tables decided to leave before finishing their meals, requesting to have their final courses boxed up. Watching diners pack up their meals at a fine dining restaurant was disheartening. Spending $130 per person to take food home in a box is not what anyone expects from an elevated dining experience. Interaction with the Owner After enduring the long delays and observing the inconsistent service, I decided to approach Sandra to share my concerns calmly and respectfully. I wanted to ask how she would feel paying $349 (for 2 person and 4 wines) for a fine dining meal under such circumstances. My goal was simply to provide feedback, not to request compensation. To my shock, Sandra immediately assumed I was asking for a discount. Her defensive and dismissive attitude was deeply insulting. When I clarified my intent, she criticized me for bringing up my concerns at the end of the meal rather than earlier, calling it “the wrong way to handle it.” This response felt unprofessional and misplaced. As a customer, I should be able to express my dissatisfaction whenever I feel it is appropriate. Instead of addressing my concerns constructively, Sandra focused on criticizing the timing of my feedback, which only added to my frustration. Final Thoughts Fine dining is about more than just food—it’s about delivering a seamless, memorable experience. Sadly, Le 101 failed to meet even basic expectations. Again I’m sorry for the bad review. I know they were trying to make it up to me but at the end Sandra was criticized me and made me feel insulted. For $349, I expected far better service and professionalism. While the food was decent, the long waiting times, poor management, and Sandra’s dismissive attitude overshadowed the meal. I really hope they learned something out of this. Again I was not being mean or making the scene. I asked her quietly, in a calm and professional manner. As an Instagram culinary influencer, I hope this review helps others make informed decisions. Until Le 101 improves its service, I cannot...

It takes a special kind of arrogance for the chef/owner to charge $18+ for essentially 2 tablespoons of food per serving.The portion sizes were ridiculously small, including the wine pour ($15+ for less than 2 oz.) I understand that there is a tasting menu option ($110 per person for 7 courses + $90 for wine pairing per person), which we did not order. We ordered a la carte, but the portion sizes were the same as the tasting menu - in other words tiny! We actually laughed when they brought our plates. We had to pay $8 extra dollars to get an extra scallop. While the food was good, it certainly did not warrant 5 stars in light of the portion sizes. When we go out to eat, we do so to fill our bellies. This did not even come close. It would be very expensive to bring a large group to this restaurant. I was not even going to review, because I grew up with the adage “If you don’t have anything nice to say …”, but the restaurant kept emailing me to give them a review. After the 3rd email, I decided to go ahead and do it. There are so many other choices in Quebec to get great food at good prices and portion sizes....

Wow! We’ve been to other first-rate restaurants in Quebec, including Légende a few times, but this was our favorite. The very kind wait staff accommodated us even though we had made the mistake of reserving for the guinguette in the back of the house, rather than for the main dining room. We enjoyed every part of the seven-course menu at 101, as well as the wine pairings. There was not a weak link in the series of plates. The foie gras with rhubarb was one of the most beautiful presentations I’ve ever seen, but our favorite dish was the “pre-dessert,” described as something between panna cotta and tzatziki, that was inspired by the chef’s knowledge of Tanzanian cuisine. The very kind wait staff accommodated us and explained everything to us in English. This is an out-of-the-way, unpretentious, unsnobby restaurant that is highly...