Décimal 81, Saint John, New Brunswick

Before leaving Bourbon Quarter, I asked the bartender where else I could go for good food. He said that he hadn't tried it yet, but that Décimal 81 had opened that year not too far up the street.

I decided to come in for an early dinner to beat the rush in a restaurant that was sure to be fully booked, and my plan worked. When I arrived, they were still setting up, but they promptly offered me a seat at a two-top near the entrance, the perfect place for me to watch passers-by while enjoying dinner. The restaurant itself is pale yellow, bright, and elegant with etched glass windows and dark wood furnishings. My server, however, seemed to be quite nervous, and may have been fairly new. She had to check with the restaurant often when I asked about the dishes.

While the restaurant specializes in five- or seven-course tasting menus for what is quite a reasonable price, I knew that I wanted to save room for dessert elsewhere, so I decide to order two courses from the menu. Before they came, however, I ordered a specialty cocktail. Unfortunately, they didn't have any mint, and after they offered to substitute basil, a member of the mint family, they discovered that they were out of it also. Ultimately, I settled on their Uptown 81, Cuban Rum with lemons, limes, sugar, and tonic, but the quinine overwhelmed the rum.

The chef was gracious enough to send out an amuse bouche, a spoonful of braised beef in a red wine reduction with fresh herbs and sea salt. The beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned, but would have benefited from a bit more of the fresh herbs to brighten it up a bit.

My starter was russet potato gnocchi, and it was fantastic. (Is my love of dumplings showing?) They were perfectly tender and served with roasted tomato, and goat cheese. The tomatoes were rich and warm, and they balanced the creamy cheese beautifully.

Before my main course arrived, I was ready for some wine, a glass of Fortius Tempranillo, which was a good match for my dinner, a braised lamb shank. The lamb, which was fork-tender and pulled apart easily, was served atop a bed of creamy polenta with parmigiana reggiano and roasted root vegetables au jus that were cooked just to the point of tenderness, not a bit longer.

In brief: Décimal 81 serves exceptional food that it would be difficult to improve on. The decor is bright and cheerful, but the service that night was professional, but strained. This doesn't seem to have hurt business, though.

This is a "First Impressions" review.

Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Service: ★★☆☆☆

Check, please: $$$$

Bourbon Quarter

81 Princess Street,

Saint John, New Brunswick

(506) 642-8181