For a place whose slogan is "welcome home," it didn't strike my partner & I as either homey or particularly welcoming. We went at opening since it was the only reservation available that evening, but it all felt so rushed it was almost comical. A minute after sitting down, we started with one of their gin-infused cocktails, which came with a mini spoonful of caviar on the side. The drink was decent, if a little flat - salty, briny fish eggs help but felt a bit outta place. To actually enjoy the taste throughout the drink, you have to awkwardly lick small portions off the spoon, which is clumsy, messy, & honestly kind of unappealing. Barely three minutes later, the server came over to ask about food & wine. Drinks were still 5/6th full, & we thought we made it clear that we wanted to take our time, enjoy the experience, with no rush. Despite that, the server stumbled into a sorta automated, rehearsed-sounding, surfacy wine spiel, leaning on words like "interesting" & "lovely" without offering any real description of the wine's profile. Whatever - I get just memorizing a simple thing about the wine, but he works at a wine-focused restaurant, so you'd think he'd know it better. He then immediately fetched the chosen bottle, brought it over, & had us taste it right away - while we were still on our second sip of the cocktail, which made it impossible to distinguish or appreciate anything about the wine. Two seconds later, we're now holding two additional full glasses of wine we didn't want or need yet & still have 2/3 of the cocktail left; the first plate arrives. Guys, we've been here for eight minutes. Foreplay. Chill. The portions, for sharing, were on the smaller side, the pacing was relentless. One dish after another, no time to breathe, enjoy a glass of wine, or have an uninterrupted conversation. Anyway, the server recommended four dishes, so we got what he suggested. Without dragging this out too much, here's the gist: the food was good, but the flavor profiles were very classic, very straightforward which I expected, i dont want / need anything pretentious… overall everything was tasty, but it felt very safe - nothing surprising. Back to pacing, at one point, we dipped outside for a cig between the 3rd & 4th plates & as soon as we sat back down, the last dish landed. It was clear they wanted us out. I get it, small spot that relies on table turnover to make their profit… but I'm not the lingering type. This was so fast we finished eating, & our wine bottle wasn't even halfway done… they had us out the door within an hour of arriving, despite us spending upwards of $350 & still tipping decently. Another thing often times ignored, but crucial to get right imo: the music. The music selection here is just so damn basic. Fine, but it's so poorly curated. You've got a record player & a shelf with a record on it, clearly, someone here likes music? Can we broaden the horizons a bit? You're running the same mid, funk playlist everyone else uses. Get out of the Spotify algorithm, please. It's boring, uninspired, & uninspiring. There's nothing magical, researched, romantic, interesting or deep - nothing to discover. Doesn't make me want to hang out at your spot. Bref, wanted to love Parapluie, but it didn't hit. It's a cute joint, but it all feels so predictable & kinda try-hard. Because of that, it's ultimately / unfortunately, devoid of any real vibes. The whole thing felt like a copy-paste of what's already being done in other corners of Montreal's "fine dining" scene - competent but often soulless. & for what it's worth, when people spend nearly $400 on a four-course meal recommended by the server, they shouldn't end the meal at Starbar for slices of pizza. Also thx for the free pannacotta - gotta say the server was friendly & nice. Service was hasty & clumsy, but the staff were kind. So final verdict… would come back if it didn't feel like it'd probably be the same, but then again you'll do just fine catering to diners who match the vibe: unadventurous & easily impressed.
Bonne cuisine, honnête, gastronomique sans être prétentieuse. Confort assez simple & rudimentaire, tout petit restaurant, mais sympathique & soigné, avec du potentiel. Personnellement le niveau sonore de musique a gâché mon expérience, cela a rendu mes discussions avec mes amis difficiles & c'est dommage. Je l'ai signalé. Je comprends que c'était leur dernier service, mais bon… je viens ici pour bien manger & profiter des gens qui m'entourent; quand je veux de la musique forte je vais en club ;)
