where jess ate

After nine years, Victor Restaurant + Bar’s Executive Chef and partner, David Chrystian has decided to focus on his most important role: being a father. He had quite the success at the restaurant and was even a Top Chef Canada season 2 finalist. But have no fear, the restaurant is left in great hands with Chef Lanny MacLeod taking over the reins.

Victor Restaurant + Bar (@victorlounge) is located in the lobby of the gorgeous Hotel Le Germain. Being tucked away on Mercer Street (between Peter and John) gives it a very exclusive feel.

The space features sky-high ceilings, with a bar down one side of the restaurant. With its contemporary decor, the restaurant has a lounge-y feel to it. It also features a semi-private dining space at the back of the restaurant with can accommodate 40-60 guests.

With David’s departure, Victor will now be bringing comfort food in a relaxed atmosphere to guests.  “Looking forward, our patrons can expect a more casual approach to our food with a strong focus on flavour and accessibility. My goal is to make Victor not only a great hotel restaurant that caters to guests who want a little comfort food after a day of travelling, but also make it a familiar neighbourhood spot where you can come in after work, relax, have a great meal and a glass of wine. I’m extremely happy to be part of the new direction here at Victor” says Chef Lanny MacLeod.

The menu is filled with dishes that most people can relate to and are downright enticing. Items like the braised beef poutine, Berkshire bone-in pork chop and steak frites will you have you drooling. And you can’t be serving up comfort food without a burger on the menu! Burger lovers will have to try the Big Vic Burger with caramelized onions, Boston lettuce, tomato, aged cheddar, Russian dressing and double smoked bacon.

In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant is featuring the following daily specials:

Monday: Fried chicken, fries & Slaw ($15)

Tuesday: Buck-a-shuck oysters

Wednesday: Curry and beer or wine ($21)

Thursday: Burger and beer or wine ($20)

Friday: Fish & chips ($20)

Saturday: Surf & Turf ($30)

Sunday: No corkage fees

Last week Mike and I dropped by Victor to check out their new menu. Here’s a look at some of their new offerings:

Le Germain – St. Germain elderflower liqueur, pearl cucumber vodka, egg white, fresh lime & cucumber ($15)

Sazerac – Lot 40 Single Pot Still Canadian Rye Whisky, Peychaud’s bitters, sugar, lemon zest & Pernaud wash ($15) 

Amuse – mole with chips

PEI Mussels – in a curried IPA cream with grilled toast ($16)

Steak Tartare – with grilled toast, house pickles & mustard ($18)

Pan Seared Scallops – with carrot/fennel butter and roasted vegetables ($26)

Strozzapreti Pasta – with braised short rib and tomato ragu ($22)

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake – with mascarpone cream, orange marmalade, cocoa caramel and chocolate crumble

Vanilla Panna Cotta – with blueberry meringue and micro sponge cake

Almond Frangipane Tart – with caramelized apples, apple gel and dulce de leche ice cream

Dinner will always begin with a complimentary amuse bouche from the kitchen. This evening’s amuse was the appetizing mole which really sparked our appetites. While there wasn’t anything we didn’t enjoy, our personal favourites were the pan seared scallops, strozzapreti pasta and vanilla panna cotta.

I loved each and every component of the scallop dish which tasted as incredible as it looked. The pan seared scallops were cooked to perfection and I particularly loved the pairing of it with the carrot puree and the carrot chips which provided a great crunch. It’s a definite winner!

Another winning dish was the strozzapreti pasta. It’s definitely the ideal dish for a cold winter night. This hearty portion of pasta was cooked al dente and consisted of melt-in-your-mouth chunks of braised short rib. Highly recommended!

We ended our meal with a trio of delicious desserts prepared by pastry chef Martin Gouthro. The highlight for me was the vanilla panna cotta which had a nice soft texture to it – not too hard or rubbery. It had just the right amount of sweetness to it and I enjoyed the addition of the blueberry meringue which gave the dessert some necessary texture.

Like I said, you’ll be in great hands with Chef Lanny MacLeod and his pastry chef (and partner!) Martin Gouthro.  With a revamped menu filled with comfort food favourites and daily specials, there’s something for everyone at Victor!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*