Le Piment Rouge located in downtown Montreal is often voted the best Szechuan menu or the best Chinese food by reputable magazines but it’s surprisingly how locals avoid the restaurant. It’s not because the food is bad, the food is definitely acceptable, but it’s a combination of so-so cuisine, incredibly bad service and price that doesn’t justify the dining experience.
It would be irresponsible if my review didn’t tackle not just food but the whole dining experience. If you have to start with aperitif, I suggest you avoid their non-traditional mojitos. First of all it’s not always a good idea to order Cuban cocktails at a Chinese restaurant, but their “mojitos” don’t include spearmint, lime nor sugar cane juice… and how is that a mojito?
Thankfully the menu is better and more authentic, with a great variety of dishes you expect and demand from a Szechuan menu. However the actual food is just average: it is better than many Chinese eateries that are open 24/7 and charge less than $10 per dish, but not by a wide margin. There are better foods out there from both cheaper and fancier restaurants (such as Mr. Ma).
What’s worse than the food is the service you get for overpaying for average food. First, the staff isn’t courteous, doesn’t interact with guests very well and service is sporadic and unrefined even in an empty restaurant. If it was completely filled and the staff was busy, I understand some lapses in service but when we were the only occupied table, I expect a lot more. Frankly, there’s no need for me to wait 20 minutes to get the bill, and what a bill it is! It’s handwritten basically ensuring you have hard time reading whatever they scribble on. It is in English, but barely legible: a restaurant of this caliber needs to provide computerized bill that doesn’t look fake (for example when submitted for work expenses). After all, if every one of McDonald’s restaurant has it, I’m sure Le Piment Rouge can afford it as well.
In the end, the saving grace is the visually impressive 2-storey wine cellar located at the center of the restaurant. With almost 3,000 wine varieties, you’re bound to find one perfect for you. Only if the food was as good as all those wines…
Rating: 
? (1 out of 5)
Verdict: Avoid unless you’re a fine wine connoisseur