Good and bad

Posted by andrewh from San Francisco, CA on 5/8/08

Food: Given everything I've read, I went in with pretty high expectations. I was both pleasantly surprised and slightly disappointed. I was most impressed by the tarragon bison tongue -- extremely tender and flavorful. The foie gras cromesquis was very good too -- it's like eating a chocolate truffle (technically bread "truffle", since it's deep fried and the outside is breading) with delicious foie gras sauce filling. The duck in the can was slightly disappointing -- great flavor but too chewy, also the foie gras itself is definitely not as good as what you'll find in other good restaurants. Service: Unfortunately I have to agree that service was a bit sloppy (maybe it's because I don't speak French). I ordered a poutine and it never came (especially upsetting since I was dead set on trying it on this trip). Along with some other slight mishaps, I really would like to see more attention to details from their staff (the service wasn't slow or unfriendly though). Tips: The restaurant is open until midnight, so if you go there late (past 9pm, especially weekdays), it'll probably be realatively easy to get a table. Also they have about 12 dozen bar seats that accommodate walk-ins.

johnnydread

Posted by johnnydread1 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on 9/3/07

This restaurant seems to be running on reputation to a certain extent. The place is always packed to the max. Service was very slow. Food service slow. For those people who do not eat red meat, watch out. No chicken dishes, one fish dish (made with bacon no less). Salad was excellent but enough to feed three people easily. Do not overorder!!!! Bill for two people will easily top $100 canadian. Knowing what I now know, I would definitely go somewhere else, considering all the choices in Montreal.

Is this Heaven?

Posted by shathaway from Boston on 8/15/07

I thought that Poutine with seared Foie Gras was going to be the utlimate temptation. That is only because I hadn't yet tried a little miracle that Cochon likes to call Foie Gras Cromesquis and describe as an exlplosion. The staff goes into great detail about how to eat this square, lightly fried morsel of epicurean genious and I can see why. It is hand's down the only way I'm interested in eating my Foie Gras ever again. I could go on and on but that wouldn't leave room to discuss how perfect the Duck in a Can, Foot of the Pig stuffed with foie gras and Lamb shank were. Did I mention everything is covered in slabs of foie gras? Best of Montreal no question. Get a reservation and ignore the comments about service, while it was not fast by US standards the waiters were informative and friendly. If you're looking for quick service, go to Applebee's or better yet, stay out of Montreal altogether.

Gourmet Dinners Take Note

Posted by Frequent_Traveller from Atlanta on 6/3/07

The best dinner in Montreal. Each course was better than the course before. We had Foie Gras croquettes, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Duck in a Can and a fresh lobster. The atmosphere was casual, lively and fun. The tables are so close together that you easily end up chatting with your neighbors. If you like to cook, we recommend the Chef's award-winning Cookbook. (Another great, yet totally different Montreal restaurant in Montreal, is La Montee de Lait.) Bon Appetit!

Excellent

Posted by cocoched from Reddin, ct on 11/28/06

Great place. Extremely busy. Reservation highly recommended. Do not go there if you are on a diet. The menu is a cholesterol heaven but who cares it is delicious!

Most memorable meal in Montreal

Posted by Jill from Lake George, NY on 10/17/06

We enjoyed the most amazing meal. The plogue a champlain (fois gras) was shared as an appetizer. We took tiny bites so as to make it last. The roast veal and steak were also delicous. Next time, if we are feeling more adventurous, we will try the duck in a can!

Food = Good, Wine List = Good, Service = Poor

Posted by Rose from Boston, MA on 6/26/06

We had a decent meal at Au Pied de Cochon that could have been outstanding execpt for the poor service. We started with oysters which were fantastic and were looking forward to our appetizers but were a bit surprised when dinner showed up first. They began to take dinner away to order our appetizers but I wasn't interested in eating a $36 plate of duck that had sat under a heat lamp waiting for a half hour. The remainder of the evening was just as annoying - we had to ask twice for coffee with desert and in the end, the waiter didn't compensate us at all for his mistake. However, the "duck in a can" was quite tasty and the rhubarb cake was one of the best deserts I've ever had. Perhaps this will convince us to give this place another try on our next trip to Montreal.

Good but Would Return for a Second Chance

Posted by Patrick from Washington, DC on 5/8/06

The fois gras is excellent and the service was very attentive. Our table started dinner late though and some items were not available. Also, the menu items were too heavy given the spring weather. I would go back though to try some else. On a warm day, do not sit near the wood-fire oven.