I had visited Creemore numerous times always intending to try out Chez Michel. Unfortunately it did not live up to the fine dining experience it claims to offer. The ambiance is poor (vinyl tablecloths have no place in a "fine" dining establishment); servers while pleasant were a bunch of nervous and inexperienced 18 year olds who weren't familiar with the menu; and the food was mediocre at best. The soup was bland and my steak (sirloin, no tederloin on the menu) was well done at one end and medium rare at the other. Chez Michel needs to either shape up, or downgrade customers' expections.
We had wanted to try Chez Michel for a few years and finally took the plunge on a Saturday in August. What a mistake. We were soundly disappointed with the entire experience, as were both of our guests who had driven in from the US. For an alleged fine dining establishment, the service was indifferent, the food was mediocre at best and the ambiance was no better.
Our prix fixe menu started with a watery cauliflower soup, which was followed by a steaks that were poorly seasoned and not even close to cooked to order. We hoped that Chez Michel could redeem itself with an interesting-sounding list of deserts but it was not to be. After we had ordered from the list, the server returned to inform us that she had made a mistake and that the deserts we ordered were not available as part of our menu, but would be available for a small extra charge. (The owner later informed us that the server would have had to pay out of her pocket if we stuck with the choices we had ordered.) As the prix fixe choices were extremely limited, we decided to stick with our original orders. Like the rest of the food, the deserts were tiny, and disappointing. More disappointing was the fact that the "small extra charge" for three bad deserts was $32 plus tax.
Chez Michel does not come close to living up to its claim as a fine dining establishment. The food is poor, the service is poor, and they nickel and dime their customers. If we were considering giving them a second try, that sealed the deal. I would strongly advise against a visit to Chez Michel. For the cost of a meal there, you could have 2 or 3 better meals at one of the more reasonable and more pleasant establishments in town.
Was told this restaurant was to die for!
Service was OK, but does not make up for the disappointing flavor and texture of the meal.
Wine was OK, but both meal and wine are very overpriced.
We went in for lunch as 2 couples and as soon as we sat down we requested 2 separate bills, one for each couple. I appreciate that this may make a tiny bit of extra work, but bear in mind that the place was NOT busy (only 1 other table was taken) - the woman (the owner perhaps?) flat-out refused to do it. We said ok, we would sit at 2 separate tables, but no. She wouldn't budge. I found this astonishing for Canada, where restaurants are usually so keen to oblige.
Also irritating was the menu - all written on a blackboard across the room, where I couldn't see it from the table. As if this wasn't annoying enough, the waitress then came over and recited a long list of daily specials - I had forgotten the first one by the time she got to the third one... why can't they just write it down - along with the prices - for people to consider at their leisure?
The food was OK, nothing special (the fries were not hot), but pretty expensive for what you got.
We will not bother to return. Overpriced food and shabby service. A disappointment.
This was our first visit but it will not be our last. There was an ample selection from the menu to choose from, including multiple specials. The meals were presented within a suitable time frame, were prepared perfectly and the portions were just right. The French ambiance was accurate in detail - and that included the music! We have experienced outstanding service at some top of the class restaurants. The service at Chez Michel would fall into this category most assuredly.
