I’ve already mentioned in a previous post that Old Montreal is full of gems. The Bonaparte is another one of these gems, perhaps the gem. Housed in a five story building built in 1886, this restaurant/hotel has been operating since 1984. The entrance is modern and trendy, dripping with holiday cheer. If you are looking for a place to stay in Old Montreal this comes highly recommended and is incredibly affordable considering its location and history. The service is fantastic, the glass of sparkling wine when you check in doesn’t hurt either, and the rooms are great. Included in the room rate is breakfast…a full breakfast in the Bonaparte’s restaurant downstairs.
Montreal gets cold, really cold, and tonight was one of those evenings. It was beautiful outside, with big white snowflakes falling softly, and I was thrilled that we didn’t have to leave the hotel to find food. The Bonaparte is also an award winning restaurant, one of the best in town, serving beautiful French Food but with a Quebec twist. After a day walking around the city we order a bottle of red and the Degustation menu, which included Lobster bisque with ginger, duck foie gras crème brulee with sautéed apples, duck breast flavoured with maple syrup and wild berries and beef filet mignon with peppercorns and cognac. The atmosphere is romantic and relaxed, with a mix of business, celebrations, romantic dinners and friends and family get togethers.
Unfortunately the hot chocolate is not the highlight of the Bonaparte (although, they did wrap my hot chocolate glass in a blanket, mostly because it was too hot to hold without it). But I enjoyed it while watching the snow flakes fall, sitting next to a large Christmas tree decorated with candied orange pieces.
Verdict: Loved every moment we spent at the Bonaparte and looking forward to returning. Bonaparte, 443 Saint-Francois-Xavier, Montreal, Canada
