Mimi La Nuit - Montréal

Beef tartar was excellent. Overall small portions. Don't go hungry.

The restaurant was closed without prior notice, which made it difficult to find an alternative after arriving at the location.

I went to this restaurant on a Thursday night during the holiday season with a business client. Despite having a reservation for a table for two, our table was not ready when we arrived. The maitre'd apologized and offered us a couple of glasses of Prosecco to wait at the bar. After an hour of waiting with no table available, we decided to dine at the bar, which was loud with club music and a birthday party. The wine I wanted was not available, so the server presented four bottles to choose from, including a Chianti, Ripasso, Argentinian Malbec, and a 2012 California cab. I assumed the California cab was in the same price range as the others and ordered it, only to find out later that it cost $160, much more than the others. The food was good, with tasty oysters and well-spiced steak tartare, but the high price of the wine left a sour taste in my mouth. I believe the server should have informed me of the price difference before I ordered. I am sharing this experience to caution other diners and avoid similar mistakes. I generally like this restaurant, but this particular experience was disappointing. Looking back, I should have left when it became clear we were not getting a table, to avoid the unpleasant situation altogether.

I made a reservation, received a confirmation from Open Table, and arrived on time. I was surprised when the restaurant told me it was closed for the day and asked me to leave. This is unacceptable, and they blamed Open Table for accepting the booking. It appears that I was the only reservation and it wasn't worth it for them to stay open with only one party. It was supposed to be my birthday celebration! Shame on you!

Thank you for a terrific evening as always. Ali was an outstanding host! Merci Ali from NYC, Detroit Rock City and Montreal.