First Impressions
For starters I have to disclose that I am a huge Ricardo fan. I had the chance to meet him once years ago at a charity event and he seemed genuine and sincerely the personality that he shares with everyone on his food network show Ricardo & Friends. I also was a huge fan of his magazine which closed earlier this year due to the high costs of publishing the magazine and the diversion of magazine advertising revenues to online media. Regardless of that, I became a Ricardo fan because of his great recipes! EVERY recipe I tried of his did not require a bunch of strange ingredients and came out exactly as it should. One of my favorites is his sandwich bread recipe, which my kids LOVE!
Guessing no longer running a magazine freed up time for Ricardo to work on his product lines, boutique and open a Café. Well 3 Cafés to be precise. WHen I saw there was one in Laval I had to check it out. I was happy to find it was located next door to the vegan restaurant Lov in trendy Centropolis. If you are wondering the other 2 restaurants are in Saint-Lambert and Quebec City.
Before the Meal
Before the meal go and check out the Ricardo Boutique right next door! Almost everything in the Ricardo line looks great and is functional.
Pick out what you’d like to buy for yourself or for a hostess gift and wait until after you eat because I was informed you get 10% on your purchase at the Boutique with your meal at Café Ricardo.
Main Course
Some people have commented that the menu does not offer a wide variety of choices, but I found there were enough menu options that offered something for everyone. Others have commented that the food did not reflect the originality and creativity that Ricardo had built his name on. I have to disagree. To me Ricardo means good food that is wholesome and can be shared with family and friends. That is exactly what we found at Café Ricardo.
When looking at the kids menu I noticed their options were half portions of the adult menu. So if you aren’t looking for a big meal or want to try a few dishes, I suggest you ask for a half portion of whatever takes your fancy! For myself I chose the half portions of the gnocchi and crab cakes.
My vegetarian daughter having a sweet tooth went for the Chocolate Banana Waffle with Homemade Raspberry Lemonade.
The two grandma’s with us both chose the same quiche and both were very happy with their choice. Both were also thankful that they had not taken an appetizer because they had trouble finishing the generous portion.
I was told that they change the menu every two months, so I will have to go back and see what type of French Toast they have then.
Should you go?
It is a bit pricey, but the open space and natural lighting give it a fresh look and a great place for lunch with friends or family. That along with the boutique next door makes it a worthwhile trip. If you get a chance try some of the desserts, they all looked AMAZZING, but we were all so stuffed from our meals we didn’t have room for any. Next time I may just go for dessert and a coffee. Who am I kidding it’ll be wine… it’s always wine.
This was the Raspberry Lemonade… but bet an adult version with alcohol would be great!
Be prepared that there may be a wait. Although we went off peak time on a Thursday the wait staff seem overwhelmed and unorganized. We did have to wait a bit for our table and service was delayed, but overall it wasn’t more than you get going into most other restaurants in the area.
What you need to know before you go:
- Make your reservation in advance. This trendy place fills up fast, but luckily you can easily book a spot easily online.
- With your meal you get 10% off yoru boutique purcahse, but it’s only the same day and not on discounted products.
- The Restaurant is located in Laval’s trendy Centropolis at: 150, Promenade du Centropolis, Laval (Québec), H7G 2Z6, 450 505-6160
- The restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thursday and Friday when it is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Follow Cafeé Ricardo on facebook.
Have you visited Café Ricardo? Let us know what you thought.
