It’s been a little over a year and a half since Rosewood joined the ranks of Montreal’s busy restaurant scene. Part restaurant, part bar and part music venue (no doubt an influence brought to the restaurant by co-owner and Montreal rocker, Jonas), Rosewood has aimed to add a rock and roll element to our dining experience and they have found success in doing so. Though people have been quiet about the restaurant since its bombastic opening back in August 2014, Rosewood has maintained a relatively steady success with its reputation for fine cocktails and great food.
To drum up a little buzz for their on-going musical and sports themed nights as well as their up-coming event line-up, Rosewood gathered some of Montreal’s media to its second floor bar to feed us and have us sample their cocktails. The media event coincided with one of the restaurant’s famous jam nights. Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, musicians and singers are invited to showcase their talents on Rosewood’s stage. The restaurant also features live music every Friday night and of course, no winter season would be complete without a hockey night broadcasts. The restaurant will also feature an Oscar viewing party on Sunday, the 28th of February.
Soon after we started our cocktail adventures, food from Rosewood’s entrée menu started coming out of the kitchen. It was their goal to have us sample everything on the entrée menu and then have us choose a main dish a little later. One of the most popular items from the entrée menu is the chicken nuggets (pictured below) and it may also be their best. Though the name hardly does this food justice, the meat comes from the thigh of the chicken and is battered then fried and served with lemon and homemade ranch or jalapeño dip. We also sampled the charcuterie platter (no brainer), a delicious chorizo salad that blended fresh tangerines, lima beans and an emulsified mandarin dressing and the restaurants Kefta skewers (lamb, yogurt, mint and cucumber).
Things went a little off the rails when it comes to the main course. We were a big crowd and both myself and one other person at the table got forgotten in the mix. At first it wasn’t noticeable but after almost an hour, when the food I ordered still hadn’t arrived, I decided to call it quits. When my food finally came I asked for it to go and left the event. It would be explained later that there were more people in attendance then had been accounted for. This combined with showcasing their cocktails led to confusion as they waiters and waitresses where running back and forth to the bar and up and down stairs. I don’t accept “more people showed up than planned” as an excuse in any instance but the waitstaff at Rosewood were going out of their way to be as kind and helpful as possible (they were truly wonderful – an amazing display of professionalism). It isn’t the restaurant’s responsibility to control the guest list for an event such as this but when I attend a media event and I RSVP for one, I show up as one, not with my squad. But that’s just me.
Rosewood is an exciting part of Montreal’s nightlife. They have gone above and beyond to prove to me that they take pride in providing good service, serving great food and providing their guests with a great, music-filled atmosphere.
For more information, visit their website here and be sure to follow all our adventures on Instagram and Twitter @dayjobnightlife