L'Esprit Cuisine - Laval

My wife and I were in Laval on a business trip and wanted to make the most of our time. After doing a bit of research on local restaurants, L’esprit stood out so we booked a dinner reservation by walking in a few days before. Our experience was excellent! The host and chef were very friendly and the food was spectacular, both he and our waiter spoke excellent English; they were able to help us navigate the menu and provided excellent food and wine recommendations. For Appetizers we had beef tartare foie gras, for main plates we had beef filet and duck, we shared a cheese plate which had a delicious walnut liqueur washed cheese, and for desserts we had tiramisu and a chocolate/caramel dish. Amuse-bouche and palate cleansers were very good, and the unique tea served at the end was outstanding. We will definitely come again if we find ourselves in Laval in the future.

It had not started well as they could not find our booking (done weeks prior to our visit), which is always uncomfortable and annoying. They settled us at the counter in front of the kitchen and offered us a drink in a goodwill gesture duly noted. Later, finding our booking but under the wrong name, we were offered the choice to move to the main room for the rest of the dinner. Well, let's go down to the food. Ups and downs: years after enjoying foie gras made by grandma or the locals in Périgord, duh.... I think I have found the best foie gras i ever tasted this evening! By itself, it was the very best, with the rest of the dish, it was really harmonious and brought pleasant flavors the main dish, ris de veau paired with octopus, was a good surprise. the desert was however slightly disappointing. Not that it was bad, but I expected something more than what was served. My personnal taste makes me prefer more cooked fruits, but overall, despite being ok good, i was hoping for something more striking. To sum it up, this is indeed one of the three best places in Laval and the surroundings to get a great gastronomic experience.

We arrived in the rain with no reservation. Our party was six of us. When we entered we asked if we could get a table for six. At first we were told that it was all booked. As we turned to go out the door the manager came and asked if we would like to take a seat in the lounge and have a drink as he was waiting on a large party that was already late. Before we even ordered he was taking us to a table set just for us. All the staff treated us fantastic, the food was excellent. The other party did show up but was seated elsewhere. I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone. Nicholas the manager was a wonderful host. Bon-appetite!

From showing up 30 minutes before closing to a full restaurant and having “Nico” agree to make space for us all the way to the last delicious bite EVERYTHING was perfect. Nothing was too much trouble and evening was delightful. Miss this gem of a restaurant at your peril!!

Good lunch this noon! A pleasure! affordable enough for a good kitchen. A pleasure for the taste buds! Thanks for the cooks, the waiters! top