Friday, June 08, 2007

Trinity Restaurant Review (Montreal)

On Wednesday, May 23rd, we were invited to the opening of Trinity Restaurant on Drummond Street. Intrigued that it is from one of the owners of Queue de Cheval, Peter Morenzos (Pete as we called him), we were anxious to have a night away from the kids and celebrate that we sold our house.

The decor was inspired by monasteries, making us believe we are in the Mediterranean, tasting Greek delicacies and wine. Like Queue de Cheval, the kitchen was open and amazingly huge!

Since Trinity specializes in fish, we became adventurous with the menu. We started off with Calamari (I would have preferred it a little more tender), Octopus (Amazing), and they suggested a third entrée - Greek salad. Now the Greek salad had the biggest piece of Feta I have ever seen for a single serving. Much like the quantity you would buy for a week! It was interesting that every plate was inspected by Pete, and generously adorned with olive oil. Pete seemed like an owner totally invested in his creation. At one point, my wife felt the need to give Pete a hug, in a motherly way, calming him down, as he was obviously passionate about the preparation of the dishes, and being opening night...stressed. Pete was very inviting, and passionate about the food he serves, he told us. My wife choose the Sea Bass (to die for), and I opted for the 1/2 lobster (not usually a big fan of lobsters, but it was good). The side dishes were great as well.

As for the service, it was on par with Queue, but it was obvious that the staff was new, and understandably a little disorganized as it was their first night. I'm sure that given a few days, they will be at their best.

I have no clue what the prices are, but if I compare with Queue, I'm sure they will be up there, but worth it. We had a great time, the food was amazing, and the staff were terrific. Treat yourself to a trip to Greece, without needing a passport.

10 comments:

buzzby said...

claws were $70 & the 10 shrimp were $80. If you are in to overpaying for your meals, have at this place. I would not recommend this to anyone. I tried it based upon the recommendation of a competitor restaurant. Were they setting me up to slam this restaurant. I don't know...you decide. Unhappy from Portland, OR.

Anonymous said...

The food was delicious but the tab was outrageous. The service was not on par with prices and was sneaky about offering things like water, which end up at a whopping $8 on your tab. Very good fish though.

Anonymous said...

The food was absolutely superb! and the ambiance was very well decorated. The service was outstanding, left a good tip and was very well deserved. The menu wether for lunch or dinner is expensive, yet it's once again expected from a restaraunt owned by Peter.
If you're ready to experience "real" greek food, this is without a doubt, the place. Although, be ready to spend quite a bit, this is no fast food greek fod place.
Be ready to speak loud..very loud among the people who you go with. Their music is just too loud...Really loud I should say. We all had to scream to speak to each other. I thought restaurant music was suppose to be as a backrond type music... Perhaps not here.
Earplugs anyone?

Anonymous said...

Stunning decor, great atmosphere, cozy ambiance! The place to be BUT... The food was overpriced, portions were small and tasted like the average greek restaurant. Waiter was trying to push a $80 entree and his ``too die for french fries``????? in a high end greek restaurant???? spare me. Overall the food was good but unless they drop their prices and increase portions won`t be going back. Come on seriously.....$15 for a yogurt desert??

Anonymous said...

Too much of a good thing? Recently dined for the second time (through no fault of my own) at this fairly new spot with a group of 15-17 diners for a Bday dinner. My first visit was with a considerably smaller group (4). The place is just stunning, the architecture is reminiscent of what you would find on a Greek island. However, the layout is a bit confusing (bar far from dining area, lounge/drinks/appetizer tables are smack dab in the middle of the space (very large space) and the dining area is adjacent to an open kitchen where you can see the chef and his team at work - this is a plus). Unusual yet beautiful. The food was well prepared, the grilled items were done to perfection (you can taste the grilled/smoked flavour that only a well prepared grill and flames can provide). We were persuaded by the waitress to go for a mix of plates to share with the entire table. Well, not sure this was the best idea; some dishes never migrated down the table and because the same sampling was not offered on both ends of the table, not everyone got a taste of all the dishes offered (value wise, it would probably have worked out best with a small group of 4-6 people max, 15-17 people was just too large for everyone to share and everyone to walk away feeling like they got their money's worth). On my most recent visit, most of the staff was attentive but one waiter was downright uncaring; I sat for twenty minutes watching a waiter serve everyone around me and never once asking me if I needed something to drink. When a couple of members from my party arrived, he rushed over and asked them if they wanted a drink and still didn't make eye contact...hmmm The whole place reeks of look-at-us-aren't-we-cool, something I truly dislike in my dining establishment. To truly be cool, you cannot advertise yourself as such, you must work hard to be elevated to that rank. The wait staff look like androids from another planet all clad in the same budget fashion masquerading as stylish outfits making a departure from simple black and white staff uniform (and dare I say it, yes, I dare, awful beige, rounded toe pumps for many of the waitresses), the manager pacing the floors with his hands clasped behind his back, the chef making regular excursions out of the kitchen area to meet and greet...all of it is a bit too much. Fine dining and long lasting business is not built on the pages of Vogue but rather by providing your guests with outstanding food in great surroundings with great service. They would do well to remember that fashion comes and goes but flair (as opposed to in your face style) and great service are the things that keep a restaurant alive and keep patrons coming back for more.

Anonymous said...

At best our experience at Trinity was mediocre. I certainly do not recommend this restaurant with so many other great options in Montreal. The wait staff were completely useless, unhelpful and unfriendly; the so-called sommelier suggested expensive over-priced wine as opposed to helping us find a satisfying pinot we had asked for; and the food in general was luke-warm and overcooked. Not to mention cheap cuts of meat and a very limited selection of fish... we will not be going back to Trinity.

Anonymous said...

I loved this place! Especially since the introduction of the new menu! Business Dinners /Lunches as the service is quick!

Anonymous said...

Reviews are very outdated! I was recently at Trinity and they are absolutely worth every dollar! My wife was empressed..... and trust me she is the biggest food snob in the city!

Anonymous said...

Trinity Restaurant is a joke, and its a shame to greek cuisine. I would vere away from trinity if possible. Unless you like overcooked, luke warm food, and boxed wine at $15 a glass. 0 star, subpar.

Anonymous said...

Went there on a friday night and although the food was acceptable, the service was atrocious. They were rude and completely arrogant. I would not recommend this place.