Star Power Fails to Save Accords le Bistro From Brutal Review

Everyone may talk about Accords le Bistro after this tough, lone star review in the Gazette today. Just not for the reasons Tout le monde en parle host Guy A. Lepage wants.

Lesley Chesterman is a fan of the original Accords in Old Montreal, which Lepage owns with fellow media celebs Chantal Fontaine and Jean-Pierre Des Rosiers: "However, the new offshoot of Accords, called Accords le Bistro, is the kind of restaurant I dread a tourist might stumble into."

The critic fears that the splashy new Accords in the Quartier des Spectacles, in the ex-Le St-Cyr, will not exactly "draw in the foodies." Shoddy wine service and a riesling that tastes like "apple juice and nail polish remover" dashes Chesterman's initial optimism: "When we requested assistance, our waitress said she wasn’t sure what to recommend, but that she would call the sommelier at home for advice. OK, I liked the waitress, who was friendly and tried hard. I also like a lot of natural wines. But if you’re going to sell these often eccentric vinos, at least have someone on the floor to help direct customers."

Unfortunately the food fails to lift the mood. A cauliflower starter is "ashram food." A dish called "variations on parsnips" makes Chesterman wonder whether the chef has "ever tasted his own food." Worse yet, the prices are exorbitant given the dainty portions. The mediocrity at Accords perseveres with the mains. The rabbit is drab and half of the walleye is left untouched. Chesterman loves the braised lamb but its accompaniments include near-rancid pistachios. Not good. Desserts neither, none of which "should have ever left the kitchen."

The final verdict from the Gazette critic is emphatic and devastating: "[N]othing could save this meal."