Decca 77

Our Rating:
Time and again this restaurant has delivered food of a high calibre

With a $35 prix fixe 3-course option ($25 at lunch), this is great value

The Review:

A recent return trip to Decca 77 has given us an opportunity to update our review listings with this great find. It has an excellent location in Centre-Ville, amidst the action, and right near the Bell Centre (beware when the hockey's on...). The interior is an achievement in design, with a soaring ceiling, interesting use of features and lights, and warm woods giving a welcoming, um, welcome.

As we are wont to do, we ordered our usual "apero"—dry martinis: one gin with a twist of lemon, the other vodka with olives. Good examples of each were proffered, always a good sign of quality in our books. In fact, even better, one time we went to Decca 77, and the vodka martini was a little sub-par. We were discussing this, and the attentive staff overheard. Horrified, a new martini was promptly delivered, which was a much improved replacement.

Refreshments imbibed, we launched into the menus to see what new options were available. As always, the prix fixe was irresistible, with choices including fresh seafood, beef, lamb, and delicious-sounding desserts. While there are many more options à la carte, the selection and value for money of the prix fixe cannot be beaten for us. Our courses selected, it was onto the wine list.

There is an extensive and impressive wine list, and perhaps this is where Decca 77 makes a lot of their money—you won't be finding many bottles under $50, if any. Noting our perusal of the wine list, the sommelier materialised at our side to assist in our decision. We were happy, and a little surprised, to find this position held by a fellow Australian, and with that we launched into a discussion of oeneological variations within Australia, and what global wines we could begin tasting to lead us from our favoured homegrown wines to more local varieties. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable. A couple of more reasonably priced wines matched to our selected meals were chosen, and, well, the guy knows what he's talking about.

We should probably get onto the food now. The prix fixe includes 3 courses, each of which has 4 options to choose from. With a couple of fellow diners, we were able to sample most of these dishes, and there was not a disappointment between them.

For entrée, our first dish was the somewhat ubiquitous (and this is not necessarily a bad thing) seared scallop, served simply with a delicious sauce and salad. The scallop was crisp on the outside and mouthwateringly tender on the inside, melting away in a suffusion of fresh taste. Excellent. The other entrée that made it to our table was the beef tartare. Again this was fresh and delicious, with a gentle mix of fresh herbs and capers lifting the silkiness of the beef.

We leapt like Australians at the opportunity to have lamb—it's such a staple at home, and yet so difficult and expensive to buy here. On the menu were 2 lamb options, and both were among our selections. First was a lamb saddle, roasted to perfection and served with a chickpea sauce and roast vegetables. The lamb was fresh, tender, and brought back memories of home. The other lamb option was a novel "burger". This was a tall stack of a fresh tomato and lettuce atop a light burger of lamb with fresh herbs. The burger was intriguingly light, I can't think of another word for it. None of the normal heaviness of lamb, but all of the flavour. With this came a parsnip chips, a great accompaniment. On the non-Australian side of the table, roasted fillet of Tilapia was the dish of the moment, the fish with a plain crisp golden-brown crust, and meltingly flavourful inside.

Already with satisfied tastebuds and stomach, it was time for dessert. Firstly was a trio of profiteroles, each with a different filling: butterscotch, white chocolate, and dark chocolate, each with matching sauce. The profiteroles were light and fluffy, the filling rich and decadent. Across the table was a banana marmalade, which was a uniquely textured and banana-rich dessert. There was also a rich, yet light on the palate, chocolate option, which did not last long enough for a thorough analysis.

This was yet another great and varied meal, with very fresh produce presented in interesting and diverse fashions. The service was attentive and helpful, our courses appearing in a timely fashion, all our needs attended to, and with many a tolerant smile at our conversing in French.

One of the best parts about the prix fixe menu at Decca 77 is that it changes every week to include seasonal produce and the chefs' latest inspirations. So that means it is perfectly reasonable to go every week to taste the newest dishes. Isn't it?


http://www.decca77.com
1077 Drummond, Montreal
Closed Sundays