Dee wanted to have dinner at L’Académie as she had never been. I have already been at the one in Anjou and I remember it being a nice place with good food. We went to the one on Crescent, which looks much fancier. The main floor is bright with many lights on the ceiling and flashy green seats. I was very disappointed when we were brought upstairs where not only the lights were dimmer but the seats were burgundy red.
Dee ordered melon and prosciutto, which I have never had despite seeing it often on menus of various restaurants. It was nicely presented with the three pieces of prosciutto covering the pieces of cantaloupe resting over a salad mix with a couple of olives. Dee said I had to taste, which I did, even though I ended eating half the plate. She was surprised to see long pieces of melon; it usually comes with small pieces that are scooped. I haven’t tasted anything quite like this before and at first, I wasn’t sure it’d be a good mix but it was. The sweetnes of the melon combined with the saltiness of the prosciutto creates this perfect harmony that my taste buds appreciated.
Dee ordered the salmon as her main dish, which came with cream and basil sauce. Served with fried potatoes and steamed vegetables. Like always, she was satisfied with her choice of salmon. I even had a bite and it tasted good, but that won’t conquer my dislike for salmon and other fish in general.
I hesitated between the grilled chicken filet with peppercorn cream sauce and the chicken filet venitian style with lime sauce. When I asked the waiter what was different about the venitian chicken, he simply responded that it’s served with lime sauce. Not exactly the sort of answer I was expecting, I thought he’d say that they were cooked differently. I am not that stupid that I can’t see that the sauces are different. So I opted for the creamy sauce and I did not regret it. Also served with potatoes and steamed vegetables. The chicken was delicious and the sauce was so creamy and heavenly. The peppercorn (big red peppers) added some flavour and were perfectly edible. The potatoes were good and the vegetables were okay. I finished my entire plate with a bit of difficulty.
We decided to share a dessert as I was too full to eat one by myself. I let Dee choose and she took the lemon cake. Yes, it looks like a lemon pie but it doesn’t taste like one at all. I was disappointed, because as a cake, it was heavier while lemon pies tend to be light and sweet, with the crust and the jellified yellow part. I love that the desserts were brought on a huge silver platter. I have never seen anything as such; both Dee and I were expecting a menu not an actual dessert display. I admit that I kind of felt like a princess, given the choice of whichever dessert I preferred, too bad I couldn’t taste them all.
Even if our waiter wasn’t the most sympathetic waiter I’ve had, he was nice and smart enough to split both the appetizer and dessert on Dee and I’s respective bills. Why is this surprising you say? We didn’t ask to split it and if you don’t ask for it, it won’t be done. Also, he didn’t ask us if we wanted it to be split, which some waiters ask. I told Dee that I was amazed by his action who responded that we were downtown on a Saturday night in an area full of tourists and waiters don’t have time to amuse their customers except if they’re out of town. I mean it makes sense as tourists are most likely to tip more. Also a thing I noticed, the staff at l’Académie on Crescent is gorgeous. The waiters, mostly men, were all handsome and even the two waitresses I saw were pretty. I appreciate good food and eye candy, but both together is quite divine. Another fact, we saw 3 bachelorette parties having dinner with many bottle of wines. Did these girls go there because they heard about the staff? Or is it more for the price and quality of the food? The fact that you can bring your wine is also a good thing.
L’Académie is a popular restaurant and there are a couple of them in the different areas of the city and its surroundings such as the North and South shores. I give it at a 7/10 as the food was excellent, except for the lemon cake, the service was fine despite the indifference of the waiter. The prices are reasonable and not too expensive for a fancy-looking restaurant. My bill was 35 dollars with taxes, though if I calculate roughly, a full course (appetizer, main course and dessert) would be around a minimum of 40 dollars without taxes. I recommend it for any occasion, whether you’re only two or in a large group. Don’t forget to bring your wine. It’s also ideal for romantic and fancy dates, sharing a wine bottle together. Just make sure your date isn’t driving because drinking the two third of a bottle by yourself might get you slightly intoxicated and I say so by experience.
L’Académie Crescent
2100 Crescent, Montréal, QC
H3G 2B8 514-664-4455
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