General comments:
– Booked prior to RPM being named Canada’s Best Restaurant by Canada’s 100 Best so it was a lot easier to reserve.
– It seems like resos have become more difficult as all available dates are sold out now.
– Solo reservations aren’t available via Tock. I emailed the restaurant and they were able to book me in for any of the time slots that were available on Tock.
– Tasting menu was $205/pp. $95 was pre-paid at the time of reservation, remainder was paid after dinner.
– Also did the $94 garden drink pairing (non-alcoholic)
– Garden tour is ~ $40 which I wasn’t able to do due to scheduling conflicts but I think it’d be a fun thing to do before the dining experience to get to know the ingredients that’ll be used that night!
– As it’s also a winery, you’re able to purchase wine bottles at the restaurant or the bottle shop that’s on the property.
– They told me at the bottle shop that they have the same inventory at the restaurant & the shop, but when I got the purchasable list at the restaurant it seems like the inventory is a bit different.
Notes on the restaurant:
– It is located in a more remote area with limited public transit access. Will likely need to drive or uber to the restaurant.
– Was a 30 min uber ride from my hotel in Niagara Falls (~$45/50 one-way)
– Blind tasting
– Menu provided afterwards (main ingredient of the courses on the front, more detailed ingredient list of each course on the back)
– Lighting was great when I was there for a 17:30 reso in the summer.
– Clean bathroom
– 3-ply toilet paper & hand towels provided
– Not very accessible if you have mobility issues – 3 flights of stairs & no elevator.
Notes on the food:
– All of the ingredients are sourced within Canada and they don’t use anything that doesn’t grow here (e.g., lemon, chocolate, etc.)
– Some people may find it restrictive, but I really enjoyed how they worked around not being able to source certain ingredients and how it highlights Canadian ingredients.
– Enjoyed every dish except the last one. Carrot crisp, Dungeness crab, Duck, and Pork were the stand-outs for me
– I wish I could have a bag full of their carrot crisps, it was very addicting.
– The surprising standout in the crab dish were the peas. It was cooked perfectly and I loved the crisp, but tender texture they provided. The hay & alder custard was also delicious
– The duck gave peking duck vibes which I thoroughly enjoyed
– The mushroom & lobster stuffed morel was unbelievable in the pork dish. I really enjoyed the dish so I asked if I could have another one and the kitchen happily brought out another plate (at no charge!). The chef said he can “keep it coming,” which almost tempted me to ask again for a 3rd one.
– The last dessert, “ice cream sandwich”, was suuuuuper cold so it was very surprising.
– Really enjoyed the non-alcoholic garden pairing. Really enjoyed seeing the juices/teas that RPM paired as it felt different than other NA programs where it tries to mimic the drink pairings without the alcohol content (e.g., faux red wine, mock champagne, etc.).
Notes on service:
– They didn’t offer coffee or tea at the end which I found a bit odd, especially after I saw them offer it to the table in front of me.
– I was too full at this point anyways but it would’ve been nice to have the option in case I wasn’t
– Had 2 somms throughout the service. 1 of them kept putting the bottle down in a way the label was turned away which was a bit frustrating.
– Service was really friendly – didn’t feel too stuffy.
– Once again I have to mention how much I appreciate them for accommodating my request of having the pork dish again – at no charge no less. I would’ve been perfectly happy paying extra for it and to see it have no charge made it even better.
TL;DR – Fantastic restaurant that highlights Canadian ingredients. Definitely worth a trip if you’re in the area!
Beli: Rank 1 in Canada, 4 overall.
by Woowiwong