Often when traveling abroad and we have the opportunity to dine in a fine dining restaurant, we often opt for a midday dinner, rather than an evening meal. This frequently enables us to enjoy excellent cuisine in a smaller format (perhaps 3 or 4 courses for a luncheon set menu rather than 6, 7, or more courses in an evening tasting menu) and have a long, leisurely walk afterwards to savor the experience while getting a chance to “work off” a little of the meal with some fresh air strolling.
Unless we had booked way in advance, we weren’t going to be able to dine at Restaurant Toqué, the top-rated restaurant in Montréal. However, we luckily were able to get a reservation the week before, online, for a 1 p.m. luncheon. Our experience brought home the wisdom of both dining midday and wanting to sample some of Restaurant Toqué’s excellent food and service. The photographs below recap our three-course luncheon and the wine pairings that were expertly provided by the sommelier.
The website for the restaurant notes their “avant-garde vision: Through Toqué!, Normand Laprise and Christine Lamarche, the co-owners, aimed to create a restaurant based on market-fresh cuisine where the emphasis is placed on local products. To make this happen, they decided to build strong relationships with small producers and focus on traceability of ingredients at a time when those concepts were not in the forefront. Pioneer of a cuisine made with local and seasonal produce, Toqué is now synonymous with a gastronomy rooted in Quebec [Province] and its surrounding regions which draws from the fields, the rivers, the ocean and the forest.”
This spirit and philosophy are noted on the first page of their menus: “Over twenty-five years ago when we created Toqué, we wanted to showcase Quebec products and the people who worked with us to supply us with them. We believe, now more than ever, that we need to continue to emphasize the contribution of these suppliers, who are true artisans. We have them to thank for our products, from duck foie gras to wild samphire, from lamb to our vegetables, and from seafood to fresh herbs. These tireless artisans inspire Toqué’s cuisine, to which they bring various tastes, texture and natural flavors of unparalleled freshness.” Following this introduction is a full-page list of the restaurant’s main suppliers and the artisanal products they provide.
Our online review of distinctions awarded to Restaurant Toqué include ranking number one among restaurants in Montréal; the top 100 restaurants in Canada, including 1st place in 2015; the top 100 restaurants in the world by Elite Traveler Magazine; and a place on the world’s 50 best discovery restaurants list.
We found a recent Forbes Travel Guide review to be not only succinct, but right on the mark: “Toque! is a luxurious, contemporary French restaurant located across from the Convention Centre and Jean-Paul Riopelle Park. Plates are garnished with such impeccable attention to detail that you may spend several minutes debating whether or not to ruin the presentation. The talented and hospitable chef, Norman Laprise, wields magic with a whisk and uses locally farmed ingredients to create a miraculous menu of sophisticated, avant-garde French fare.”
We were very happy that we had the opportunity while in Montréal on this trip to dine at Restaurant Toqué and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. All of the food was exceptional, and the wines were well matched to each course. Service was outstanding and we were made to feel very comfortable and welcome. For anyone visiting Montréal, Restaurant Toqué is very highly recommended!
Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2023 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.
Where in the world is Riccardo? 
Fabulous feast and beautifully served.
Janis
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