So I obviously had to go to see how such a restaurant could get such a prestigious rating on Trip Advisor (it was rated the #1 restaurant in Edmonton at one time). Well, after visiting, I'm still stumped. Clearly I don't understand the rating system used by Trip Advisor. I'm not even sure how any restaurant with only 32 reviews at that time could beat out all of the other great restaurants in Edmonton, even if they had all perfect ratings (which they do not). Also, all of those with only one review are somewhat suspect in my opinion.
Having said that, now on to the review. It's a restaurant in a hotel, not the location or ambiance that I would normally choose. The lobby is very nice though and it does have some interesting artifacts but the previous comments about the little bugs in the restaurant are absolutely true. So our party tried a number of different dishes and tasted each so we could sample many different things. For appetizers we tried the Lobster Bisque, the Warm Cheesy Forest Mushroom Dip and the Pan Fried Dumplings. The Lobster Bisque was good, nothing that I would return for, but good. The Warm Cheesy Forest Mushroom Dip, on the other hand, was absolutely amazing. Very delicious! The Dumplings were also good but not anything any different from dumplings you can get anywhere else.
On to the main course. We had the AAA Strip Loin Steak, Fish and Chips, Lobster and Pea Risotto and the Apricot Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. All of the dishes were decent. My friends thought the chips with her Fish and Chips were some of the best chips she's ever and - and she likes chips! My other friend liked her risotto. I tried it and wasn't overly impressed but maybe because I didn't get a piece of lobster. My chicken was very tasty but a little dry - but I know better than to order chicken in a restaurant for exactly that reason. But the stuffing of apricots and almonds was tasty. The fourth in our party had to send her steak back as it was well done. When it was returned it was tasty. Because of this we were offered a free desert so we chose the Crème Brulee to share which was very good. The prices were exceptionally reasonable for what we got and even more so given that restaurants in hotels often inflate their prices. Not here. The service was a little awkward but fine overall. In the end, it was decent but I likely won't return.
Having said that, now on to the review. It's a restaurant in a hotel, not the location or ambiance that I would normally choose. The lobby is very nice though and it does have some interesting artifacts but the previous comments about the little bugs in the restaurant are absolutely true. So our party tried a number of different dishes and tasted each so we could sample many different things. For appetizers we tried the Lobster Bisque, the Warm Cheesy Forest Mushroom Dip and the Pan Fried Dumplings. The Lobster Bisque was good, nothing that I would return for, but good. The Warm Cheesy Forest Mushroom Dip, on the other hand, was absolutely amazing. Very delicious! The Dumplings were also good but not anything any different from dumplings you can get anywhere else.
On to the main course. We had the AAA Strip Loin Steak, Fish and Chips, Lobster and Pea Risotto and the Apricot Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. All of the dishes were decent. My friends thought the chips with her Fish and Chips were some of the best chips she's ever and - and she likes chips! My other friend liked her risotto. I tried it and wasn't overly impressed but maybe because I didn't get a piece of lobster. My chicken was very tasty but a little dry - but I know better than to order chicken in a restaurant for exactly that reason. But the stuffing of apricots and almonds was tasty. The fourth in our party had to send her steak back as it was well done. When it was returned it was tasty. Because of this we were offered a free desert so we chose the Crème Brulee to share which was very good. The prices were exceptionally reasonable for what we got and even more so given that restaurants in hotels often inflate their prices. Not here. The service was a little awkward but fine overall. In the end, it was decent but I likely won't return.
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