I recently found two of Montreal ’s best kept secrets.

The Hilton Montréal Aéroport Hotel is a landmark on the cutting edge of trends and home to one of the best steakhouses in the city, Au Coin du Feu, as well as one of the best wine bars, Eclipse. We found the Hilton tradition of excellence in both.

Eclipse is a trendy upscale bar featuring over 50 wines by the glass. Wine bars have been creeping up all over the city but none feature the extent of wine selections as Eclipse in both reds and whites. It’s also a great place to sneak away for a cinq à sept or as I did, a nice glass of wine before dinner in the fabulous Au Coin du Feu restaurant.

Au Coin du Feu has its main entrance in the lobby; however, most of the restaurant is glassed in and overlooks the magnificent gardens. With the light of the moon, the scenery created a relaxing and romantic ambiance. The restaurant is famous for its flambéed steaks and scallops cooked right at your table by very talented head waiters.

We ordered a nice bottle of Beaujolais Village from the extensive wine list which featured many exciting Californian wines as well as the classics. My companion and I began our meals with entrées of a salad and flambéed escargot. I chose the escargot which where large, the perfect temperature and had just the right amount of garlic. My companion had a beautiful spring salad. For our main course, I chose the flambéed sirloin au poivre and my companion chose the prime rib, both were served with large baked potatoes and fresh green vegetables.

I was extremely impressed when not only was the steak prepared at the table but so was the pepper sauce. The pepper sauce was created with Woodridge red wine, pepper, brown sauce and a touch of cream. The steak was flambéed with cognac and cooked to perfection. I am someone who usually prefers my steak grilled, however, I have to say it was indeed perfect.

My companion told me his prime rib was the very best he had ever had. Cooked exactly as ordered, it was a thick juicy cut. In fact, for several days afterwards he was still raving about the prime rib being the very best he had ever tasted.

We ordered cappuccinos after our meal and were presented with a dessert tray filled with extraordinary desserts. I chose the lemon cake and my companion ordered the chocolate mousse. Both desserts were exquisite. The entire dining experience was delightful.

Although Au Coin du Feu is situated by the airport, we at no time heard a plane and really felt like we were at “the resort by the airport”. The Hilton Montréal Aéroport hotel has many unexpected treasures within its walls, and it was a pleasure to discover two of them.

I have attached the menu and a sample of the wine list offered at Eclipse for your perusal. Both bar and restaurant where a great find!