Bistro on Notre Dame — Restaurant in Winnipeg

I recently visited Bistro on Notre Dame and it was an amazing experience. This is the best place to try real Canadian dishes with quality ingredients that are all local from Manitoba. The fresh and locally sourced ingredients add to the quality of the dishes served. You can tell that the restaurant has a focus on being social and environmentally conscious since they actually know where everything comes from. They strongly support the local food producers and use sustainable materials and methods of production to enhance the experience. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great, with rustic decor that gave off a cozy and relaxing vibe. I had the opportunity to meet the owner and manager and they were very friendly and provided excellent recommendations, which made the experience even better. The smoked mushrooms and olives were an excellent choice for starters, and the main course was great as well. The Salisbury Steak with elk and bison and Fesenjan with Montreal smoked duck breast were our selections, both were delicious and very tasty. For dessert, the Cotton Cake was really fresh as it has mint, and the tea was a great pairing that was a perfect ending to a great meal. My experience at Bistro on Notre Dame was exceptional, and I would totally recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great meal experience. The use of fresh and locally sourced ingredients, social and environmental responsibility, a welcoming atmosphere, and fantastic staff make this restaurant a must-visit...

Went in a group of 4. Ordered the tomahawk meal. The waitress asked us if there was anything that we didn't want to see on our plate. She could not tell us what we would be served, said it would be a surprise. We ordered a cocktail and settled in. The first course came out it was Roasted Brussel Sprouts and the second part was cauliflowerin hit pumpkin sauce. Both dishes were flavorful and delicious. Served charcuterie style and meant to share. Plenty of time between courses. Next was a rabbit rossito and a duck dish served in a creamy sauce that I can't recall the name of. Both these were delish as well. My only disappointment was there were 4 of us and only 3 small pieces of rabbit to share. The main course was the tomahawk steak, served with mushrooms, onion rings and a couple of cherry tomatoes. So tender, so good. We also had the fruit bread pudding with sauce and icecream. Sorry, I also can't recall the name but its on the menu. Everything thing was excellent. Chef came out to chat with us and answer our questions a couple of times. We were there for about 3.5 hours and I like that we...

I hope it was just an off day because I wanted to like this place and decided to try it based on all the good reviews, but now I almost have a hard time believing they were written by people who like food.

Went around brunch time on a Sunday and ordered the bison melt, which was possibly the driest, blandest, most overcooked burger patty I have ever been served. Bison already tends to be dry, so I would expect a specialty place like this to know how to cook it. The bannock was also dry and sauces non-existent. The fries would have been good if they had actual ketchup instead of the bland pasta sauce that comes with it. I am begging all restaurants to please stop trying to make your own ketchup!

Partners dish was equally bad, the hash was a soggy mess with runny egg whites and a “Moroccan” bbq sauce that was more like a runny lavender(!?) flavoured jam.

The server was way too familiar for my taste, chairs were very uncomfortable. I really do hope this was just a random bad day for the kitchen, but the food was so disappointing I probably won’t be giving them another chance.

1 star for French...