Looking for a great spot...

[epicurious]

Hello,

Just recently got engaged and I've started to look around for a great spot to host our wedding reception. Since a St-Leonard hall is not my style and because there will be in between 50 and 60 guests only, I was thinking of doing it in a restaurant. So I'm looking for suggestions of restaurants that have great food and setting and that would be willing to rent out the whole place on a Saturday night!

Thanks for your help!

[carswell]

Depending on what you mean by setting, the Lion d'or, the funky art deco hall located next to Au Petit Extra might fill the bill. The 'hood leaves something to be desired, however.

Question: what kind of price range are you looking at?

[epicurious]

Thank you for you reply!

Our budget for the whole wedding + honeymoon is $20,000. Now since I'm new at this, I checked out some websites and they suggest putting 40% of your total budget towards food & booze (including rental fees) so that means about $8,000 in our case. Now we don't know the exact amount of people yet but it should be around 50, so it comes out to $160/pers. I'm pretty sure we can come up with something pretty good for that amount!

Our first idea was to make it a wedding cocktail party instead of a sit-down formal dinner, because we'll be a small group. We also thought it would be more fun since it allows people to mingle and sample tons of delicious hors-d'oeuvres (I looooove hors-d'oeuvres!)

I saw the Lion d'or on the web, I'll go check it out as well!

[gms]

Some other suggestions:

Chateau Vaudreuil

Very beautiful from what I've heard, a bit pricey, but your budget should fit. http://www.chateau-vaudreuil.com/english/frameset.htm

La Saulaie

This is in Boucherville, it's very nice, picturesque in the back.

1161 Marie-victorin road, Boucherville

450- 449-5005

Chateau des Arches

West Island, on Pierrefonds. I'm not sure about the size of the rooms.

http://www.chateaudesarches.com/

Restaurant du Vieux Port

Old Montreal. Rooms of all sizes.

http://www.restaurantduvieuxport.com

Auberge le Saint-Gabriel

Old Montreal.

http://www.auberge1754.com/html/frame_an.html

[carswell]

Auberge le Saint-Gabriel

Old Montreal.

http://www.auberge1754.com/html/frame_an.html

When dealing with ASG, you might want to bear in mind this sad story recently posted on the Chowhound Montreal board.

Doesn't Chez L'Épicier have a party room? No details of it on their website but I'm pretty sure they do.

Edited August 25, 2004 by carswell (log)

[Lesley C]

gms, I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't consider any of those restaurants a winner for a food lover (this is EGullet after all).

I would call some of the better BYOW restos -- La Colombe, Le Petit Plateau, Les Infideles, A L'Os, Christophe -- and ask if they would be willing to book their entire restaurants for the night. Then I would call BICE because they have a nice private dining room on their second floor, and the food there is excellent.

You know, I would even call a restaurant like Les Caprices de Nicolas and talk to the owner Dan Medalsy. Call all your favourite restaurants and try to cut a deal.

BUT I would definitely go for a high end place over a bistro. The food will always be better. As long as you don't need a dance floor, a small restaurant is a good choice.

[carswell]

ask if they would be willing to book their entire restaurants for the night.

The former owners of Le Club des Pins used to do this; perhaps the new owners would consider it. The space handles 50 or so quite comfortably.

[HELLCOOK]

HELLO EPICURIOUS !

Am part of the BICE group and i now that for the budget you have you we could some very nice for you everything include.like LESLEY said 'THANKS" we have 2 nice private room, one with a bar . if you would be interested call TONY CAFARO at BICE 514-937-6009 tell him GAETAN refer you. We could make a tasting menu .

Good luck and be happy!

[cook-em-all]

I just wanted to say that I had my wedding reception at Bice, five years ago.

John Ledwell was the Chef at the time, the food was great.

Gabriele made some beautiful raviolis, however he no longer works at Bice.

The room is beautiful.

[ABG]

Our budget for the whole wedding + honeymoon is $20,000. Now since I'm new at this, I checked out some websites and they suggest putting 40% of your total budget towards food & booze (including rental fees) so that means about $8,000 in our case. Now we don't know the exact amount of people yet but it should be around 50, so it comes out to $160/pers. I'm pretty sure we can come up with something pretty good for that amount!

When is the wedding? What season? That might help in nailing down a place.... I''ve done many a party at Bice and Tony is always great, just get a contract as to what is included and not included to avoid any surprises. A ceremony on the terrasse would be lovely.

$12,000 honeymoon sounds perfect to me.... PM me for ideas! Its my favorite thing to plan next to a party.

[Chewie]

We are in fact doing just such an event this weekend (in the afternoon), at Le Club des Pins.

We can fit a maximum of sixty people, and can arange menus in many price ranges, paired with wines or not. It is the whole restaurant, as opposed to a banquet room.

if this is what you are looking for, you can call 272 9484, and ask for either Grant Macdonald or Carl Chevalier for more information

Good luck with the wedding arrangements!

[epicurious]

Just went to check out Bice (I work 2 blocks from the place) and I'm quite impressed with the upstairs rooms. It fits exactly with what we're looking for: intimate, elegant and conveniently located! Tony - great guy - gave me a sample menu and the food looks fantastic too.

I'll continue looking but my heart is already set on it... now let's see if my better half thinks the same way

Thanks everyone for your help!

[epicurious]

Hi everyone, it's me again... back here after a few visits to different spots for my wedding reception.

Still love Bice but the reception room at Hotel St-Paul is just PERFECT... and since I've heard mixed reviews about Cube (never dined there myself because of that), I would like to get your honest feedback, esp. if you've attended a cocktail party/reception there (that's the format we'd like to do for our own reception).

Thanks!

[Aix]

I was recently invited to my friend's wedding which was held at Les Chèvres. While not your typical wedding venue, the setting was perfect for an intimate evening. The staff and owners were wonderful, and seem to know us all personally by the end of the night. Best of all, I really felt that they didn't skimp on food quality just because it was a banquet.. Prices were reasonable from what I was told, probably more so than at some of the more typical wedding-y places. I myself had my reception at Chez Queux several years ago. I can say this: in the end, intimacy and great food will get you better wedding memories than a great looking room with a pretentious staff.