Select

A friend passed on a groupon for Select to me and my wife so we decided to check it out. This was the first time using a groupon and our first time at Select.
The deal was something along the lines of a four course meal valued at $ 130, but my friend paid half — sounds like a great deal, eh? Reading the fine print, we saw that we could only use it during certain days of which the weekend was not included — which sucks.
I went on Select’s website to see what they had to offer and was impressed with the selection. With so many choices, I was starting to look forward to the midweek meal. Here’s where the wheels come of the cart. I don’t know if this is how groupons usually work, but as we walked into the restaurant we were immediately asked if we were using the coupon. When we said we were, we were given a special menu to select — and by «special», I mean VERY limiting. We were limited to only two options for each portion of the meal. Huh!?! What about the full menu that other people were selecting from? And by other people, I mean two other tables with couples also stuck with the groupon choices, and one large table that had all kinds of items coming out to them.
OK, once I accepted the fact that using this groupon was already a mistake that we had to live with, we ordered alternating options so that each of us had a completely different meal and could sample the limited choices.
The food came out and I have to say, it was more like a small sampler than an actual meal. The steak was tiny (not just small, but tiny) and came with a very small amount of under cooked veggies and a sphere of mashed potatoes.
When the bill came, I noticed that they charged $ 130 for the meal, added tax, then subtracted just the $ 130 amount. Wow, if I had actually been charged $ 130 for this tiny meal, I would have been livid. Actually, if I had paid the half price (the $ 65 my friend forked out for the groupon), I’d still be VERY angry for what we got. I don’t use the word «ripoff» very often, but…
Overall, the staff was friend, the service was OK, but the dining experience (both the meal and the use of the groupon) was horribly disappointing. My understanding is that businesses use groupon to get (through offering a great deal) customers to sample their wares and perhaps earn a patron for future business, but how Select is using this promotion did the exact opposite.

One of the better fine dining restaurants in the downtown core. Although the exterior of the building is not appealing. The inside is warm and cozy whole also maintaining elegance. The wine selection is good. Their staff is really nice and helpful, I like their service. Their food is extremely fresh. All fresh and tasty, I like tandoori chicken it’s really amazing and veg kurkuri yummy what I can say. Great Place, Great Service, We love it, definitely we’ll be back again. Thanks SELECT team.

Heard Select was under new management but had a Groupon to use, so we went a couple of days ago. The previous Groupon menu was an excellent value and we were hoping for a similar experience.
To start, I’d like to say that the service was very friendly, albeit slow. They also don’t have their liquor license yet for those who enjoy adult beverages with their meal.
The Groupon gave us a 4 course meal for two, and the menu choices were: 1) soup of the day (vegetable purée) or Caesar salad, 2) chicken tenders or bruschetta, 3) bacon wrapped beef tenderloin or halibut, and 4) carrot pudding. We ordered 1 of each.
1) The soup was extremely salty, though the flavour was there. Just lighten up on the salt and it would have been good. The server did notice I wasn’t eating much of it and came back with a spinach salad for me. I thought that was very nice! The Caesar salad was good but heavy on the dressing and extremely hard croutons.
2) The bruschetta was good, but vinegar-​y, which made it tart and the crostini soggy. There were 4 pieces to an order and big chunks of goat cheese on top. We asked to substitute the tenders (we saw an order come out & it looked like frozen chicken fingers) for wings and they were good, but not very big — crispy and breaded, 6 to an order.
3) Here’s where the value really fell short of the last meal offered because portion size and execution used to be great. The sides were the same for both entrees: mashed potatoes (odd gel-​like texture to them), 2 spears of asparagus and 4 slices of grilled zucchini, which were overcooked. The size of the beef was TINY — maybe 4 – 6 bites in total, & since we split it, the size was even more noticeable. The fish was a thin fillet that was also overcooked and dry. Thankfully it came with a wedge of lime to add moisture and flavour.
4) The carrot pudding came with a scoop of ice cream and topped with whipped cream. It was OK, but we didn’t love it.
Overall, the service was pretty slow although there were only a couple of tables in the restaurant. We waited quite a while for drink refills and we only received water refills — my pop sat empty for most of the meal. However, when we did have service, they were very polite.
The new menu is split into an Indian menu and a Western menu (that consists of everything from pasta to burgers). I’m not sure if that might be too much for them, and they should focus on a smaller offering.
I don’t think it was the $ 130 value of the Groupon like it used to be, so I didn’t feel like I got value for my purchase since we left still hungry. For now, they seem to be figuring out their staffing, their kitchen and it just wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I’ll miss the old Select.

This was not my first dining experience at Select but I have to say it was very disappointing.
I visited Select mainly for downtown dining week. I went with the three coarse fair. Choosing the Calamari for an appetizer, the shrimp and bacon mac n cheese for my main entrée, and finishing off with the crème Brule.
First off the calamari was just wrong. The bread coating was soggy and bland. The calamari itself was cooked well but was more like room temperature maybe even cold, leaving me to think that it may not have been made fresh. I didn’t finish the dish, and I only ate as much as I did because I was hungry. I wish I would have said something but that’s not so much my personality.
The mac and cheese was definitely more mac and not nearly enough cheese. I mean it wasn’t even creamy. The addition of both the shrimp and bacon sounds better then it tastes. The two don’t really compliment each other. I also found that there was a hint of allspice or nutmeg or something like that in this dish that just didn’t go. Do yourself a favor and do not order this dish.
The saving grace of the meal was the crème Brule. The top was nice and crisp with a perfect burn. The crème was cold and smooth and nicely flavored. The one odd thing I noticed was the half of a grape garnished on top of the dish. I ate the grape first but one of my dinner dates ate it with the Brulee and she said it was not a good combination. (She actually looked like she kind of wanted to spit it out) I dunno what the chef was thinking. How odd.
Over all mixed reviews from my group. I did get to try the beef option on the menu and it was much better then the mac and cheese, although my one friend complained of it being bland.
To top it off our waiter was really lacking in the service etiquette department. While the service wasn’t exceptionally slow he would just somehow seem to disappear at odd times. Like come to pour water asked if we looked at the drink menu but then just leave without taking our drink order. (We had loiked at the drink menu) Or dropping of butter knives at the table, leaving us with no bread or forks and saying nothing. Then reappearing several minutes later to drop off forks to tell us our meal would be a few more minutes yet leaving us to ask for the bread. I could go on with examples but to sum to up it was very inconsistent and lacked in overall communication.
Unfortunately I really don’t think I will be back to Select.

Went to Select last night with the Groupon. With only one waiter (and maybe another, although she didn’t seem to be doing anything), the service was a little slow. However, the food was quite good (but not awesome). The bill for 2 people came to about $ 160 with 2 glasses of wine.
It started with the Marsala perogies and the mussels. The mussels were quite small, but the sauce was thick and flavorful. The perogies were just okay in my opinion, but my boyfriend really liked them. I think it just needed a bit more texture for me. A bit more crunch on the topping and it would have been really good.
Then, we got the tomato soups, which were really well-​seasoned and rustic. Then, we got the main dishes — one duck confit and one Arctic char. Both dishes were quite good! The balance of the duck confit with the potatoes was stunning and the Arctic char was a little overcooked, but had a really crispy crust which was delicious. The Arctic char dish did come with a risotto that had very little taste, but ended up being okay with the Arctic char (although I would have preferred all components of the dish to be great).
Next, we got the chocolate mousse and the crème brûlée. The chocolate mousse is rich and flavorful, although the brownie that came with it was hard and a little difficult to enjoy. The crème brûlée was very flavorful and tasted of bananas. It was akin to a thick banana pudding with a crispy sugar bruleed crust.
If you want to splurge, I’d say this place is an okay restaurant (but not my favourite by far).

Very nice atmosphere. Only had the mussels (appetizer) but it was delicious. Came with complimentary bread which could have used a little salt but it was nice for dipping.
Good service. Would definitely return to try more dishes.

I’m in love with this place. Definitely a good choise if you want to go on a classy date. The atmosphere is amazing and the food is unreal! I’ve tried almost everything from their menu and should say I’ve never had a bad dish there. Highly recommend it to everyone!

Two star because service was great, food not so good. Had 4 course dinner today. Food tasted like mall food. Walnut crème brûlée was amazing.

What a find! You may have to look for it, but it is worth the effort. Had a terrific meal there on 5÷1÷2015. Outstanding.
The chef is inspired in his mix of Japanese and Persian flavors with traditional classics. I had steak and crab that was great. The sides were even better.
To top if off the wine and drink menu is inspired. Very good selection of Wines (better than most I’ve seen in Canada) and the desert drink menu is right on point.
The ownership and staff seem to really enjoy what they do, and it shows.
I’d suggest a reservation as it is not a huge place. I’m a real fan from California and I’m looking forward to returning.

Went to Select AFTER calling to confirm I could eat their lunch Downtown Dining menu because of my allergies… Well, even though the hostess said «oh, no problem» turns out that just about everything on therr I could not eat. Oh well, I ordered off the regular menu after explaining that I called ahead to be able to try this week’s special menus. No nastiness just nice convo. She apologized. They offered to cover my entrée. I said no, not an issue. Well, they covered my whole meal! Now THAT’s service above and beyond!
About the food…
I decided to try the Mac and Cheese. The menu described it as being a creamy cheese and béchamel blend. I asked if it was spicy and was told no spice at all. So I ordered it with the added shrimp option. Unfortunately, it ended up being far from creamy and quite spicy. At that point, I just ate the shrimp, which was a generous portion, and left the rest. I didn’t want to complain anymore.
My husband chose the cod and pommes frites. It was quite good. Regular fish and chips, nothing French about it. French fries wete homemade. Both portions were quite big for lunch.
We shared a crême brûlée for dessert. Unfortunately, the sugar crust eas soggy and not crunchy as it should have been, the crême was tasty but very cold.
I gave it 3 stars because of they seemed to want to please. I will not be returning there though, it did not impress me enough to want to return.

The hubs and I came to Select during Downtown Dining Week 2015 to celebrate our Anniversary as this was the restaurant we came to on our wedding night 12 years ago when it was formerly Café Select.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by staff promptly who advised that we would need to wait approximately 10 minutes for our reservation time as a large table of 30 was just clearing out.
The restaurant itself was laid out the same to how I remembered it 12 years ago despite the change in owners (not owned by the Pakrat Louie brothers).
Our server and co-​owner, Jordan (??? I’ll double check my receipt later and update if needed), seated us shortly after and attended to our every need during the dinner. He truly was the perfect server — informative, friendly, and attentive.
We started off with two lovely cockatils — El Gordo (martini with pear vodka, St. Germain, limoncello, pomegranite, & orange) and a Ginger Beer cocktail (Dark & ???). I wish I could remember the name of the Ginger Beer cocktail because it was definitely one I’d order again.
We opted for the set Dinner and Executive Dinner celebebration meals:
Hubby did the dinner for $ 28 and I did the dinner for $ 48.
For starter, he chose the Chicken Masala Perogies with sauteed bacon, onion, and tamarind yogurt and they were DIVINE! Cooked to pefection and the flavours could not have been more delicately balanced.
For my starter, I opted for the Select Mussels with garlic, tomato concasse, onion and white wine. The mussles were huge and juicy and the broth so unbelievably good that I had to treat it like a soup.
For mains, my husband chose the Blackened Salmon Filet with risotto jardinière, sauteed vegetables and a basil-​pesto cream sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly, oh so tender and moist. The basil-​cream sauce was flavourful yet delicate enough to not overpower the salmon — perfection!
I chose the Three Pepper Filet with roasted garlic smashed potatoes, peppercorn cream, and sauteed vegetables ordered medium rare. The steak came prepared exactly as I ordered and was flavourful. I think I would have preferred the seafood option but the hubs and I usually switch plates halfway through so we wanted to try a meat and a seafood.
For dessert, my husband had the Maple Whiskey Crème Brulee which I quickly stole as my own. It was AH-​mazing! My dessert ws the Callebaut Chocolate Duo: hous made brownie and dark chocolate mousse. I’m not much of a brownie person so it didn’t wow me but the dark chocolate mousse was soooooo good and not too sweet, it could not have been made any better.
Presentation for both desserts was lovely as was everything else.
Our server finished off the night by bringing us to complimentary sweet liqueurs over ice in celebration of our 12^th anniversary.
Thank you Select for both participating in Downtown Dining Week 2015 and for providing the perfect Anniversary meal experience.
Merci beaucoup!

A solid choice any night of the week that improves every time we go. We have gotten hooked on their wine/​beer/​spirits dinners, always a good time when you go with a group.

I’ve walked by this restaurant hundreds of times but have never been in! I’m glad my friend suggested we try it for Downtown Dining Week. We made reservations (which I would recommend as it filled up quickly) and arrived a few minutes before noon on a Friday.
Once we looked at the menu, we couldn’t decide what to order! But we both decided to get the DDW specials as they wouldn’t last and we could come back to try other things.
We both selected the greens over the soup, and I had the beef stroganoff and my friend had the fish and chips. I didn’t like my greens as much, likely due to the pickled vegetables making it a little sour for my liking. The stroganoff was a hearty meal that I wasn’t sure I could finish but it was too good not to.
We were seated at the table right by the front window so the noise level was fine. With the restaurant full, it might get a little noisy. The service was good and for $ 15, I was happy with my meal. Will definitely return to try other items off the menu!

I took my wife here the other day to celebrate Woman’s Day (March 8, huge day in post-​Soviet countries). The meal we had was alright; my chicken was good, but my wife had a fish dish and she said it wasn’t fresh, and was a bit overcooked. The server was great, and we had a table right at the front of the restaurant, giving us a view of the (quiet) street outside. I thought the prices were a bit expensive — the entire bill was just over $ 100 for the two of us, but I don’t feel like I got value for what I paid. Thinking of similarly-​priced places, I would have rather eaten at one of them.
It wasn’t a horrible experience, but there are other places I’d rather eat at for the price.

Boring. Uninspired menu. Bland desserts.
I used to frequent café select for those late nights you wanted to eat fine dining after 9pm. I was a regular for years as this was a fun late night hangout. It really was a treat before. But the new owners have simplified this place to a boring uninspired menu. Much like packrat is (same new owner). The french menu has been replaced with comfort fusion foods at ridiculous prices.
The ambiance is nice. Modern and more lit then it was previously. But I could not get fact that they took escargots off the menu. It was the best in the city before. So I started with cod and potato cakes. They were ok but nothing special to make me order it again.
My main was the beef tenderloin. I always order the beef tenderloin as the sauces accompanied it before were divine. Now its just that plain average steak with bland side dishes of brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.B.O.R.I.N.G. The food is par with the cheesecake café or outback steakhouse. It was cooked properly but I dont think ill come back bc of the high prices for such bland food ($ 38 for a 6 oz and brussel sprouts). At least cheesecake café or outback were cheaper considerably by half the price.
I finished with a cheesecake which was average like any other cheesecake with whipping cream. My friends had the ginger cake and none of them finished it (normally we lick our plates clean of dessert) but it left a boring stale taste in my mouth that I dont think I will come back for. Packrat is overhyped tasteless food and now select is just that as well. I miss café select.

Taner and I chose Select for our NYE dining excursion and we’re very glad that we did.
The restaurant offered a 4-​course menu with starter, salad, entrée, and dessert. All entrees came with a complimentary grilled lobster tail or three prosciutto-​wrapped Hokkaido scallops on the side. The scallops, of course, were the deciding factor.
Select offered two seatings for New Year’s Eve; we booked for the later seating at 8:30pm. When we arrived, we were promptly shown to our table and taken care of in style for the rest of the evening.
The service? Great.
The food? Even better… after the first couple of courses.
To start, we had the chicken and corn chowder and the beef tartare. The soup was creamy, delicious, and tasted homemade — a beautiful starter. The beef tartare was less admirable, with bland beef and crumbly rye crisps. The tartare was served with red onions and no garlic, which I found disappointing. I’ve heard much about Select’s tartare, often heralded as the ‘best in the city’ — while the rest of the meal was excellent, I’m inclined to prefer Accent Lounge’s iteration of this dish.
The salad course was next, with mesclun greens, pickled carrot and asparagus, Canadian goat cheese, and pistachio vinaigrette. This salad had mounds of flavour and the vinaigrette gave a tingly, citrusy kick to the tastebuds. Next time, I’d avoid using pickled vegetables with such a strong vinaigrette, though; certain bites were a little overpowering.
The entrees are where Select really came into its own: tender, flavourful Chilean sea bass with saffron basmati rice and a beautiful plate of Sterling Silver tenderloin with truffle smashed potatoes. Add a side of prosciutto-​wrapped scallops to both of those dinners and you have yourself a perfect meal.
The sea bass was aromatic, with a taste accentuated by the intensity of the saffron rice.
The tenderloin melted in the mouth, cooked to a perfect medium-​rare and complemented beautifully with the truffle mashed tatties.
The scallops were to die for. Pure and simple.
We finished off our meal with a peppermint crème brulée and chocolate truffles with mousse: lovely palate cleansers that sated our appetites completely.
For $ 75 a person, we were treated to a number of courses that delighted the senses and pleased our palates. While I wasn’t entirely impressed with the beef tartare and the excessive acidity of the salad, the entrée and dessert were enough to blow me away. Pair that with helpful, friendly, and attentive service, and you’ve got yourself a regular customer, mate.

Select has a legacy in Edmonton, most everyone has a story about it from «back in the day». It unfortunately fell from grace a few years ago, but has been rescued from impending doom by the fabulous gentlemen of Packrat Louie’s. I admire that they strive to keep the name alive with a few nods to the Select of old; the amazing mussels in white wine sauce for example is still on the menu — original recipe from 20 years ago. But they have streamlined the menu and, well, it works!
I went in for lunch and well, basically I didn’t want to leave! The food, amazing, the staff fantastic. The tables are are set in a way that the room feels so comfortable, you can have a real business lunch and have enough privacy that the table next to you won’t hear what you are saying! The patio is two tiered and has a real Euro feel (I hear they may be redoing it as well, and that would really notch it up a peg!) The wine list is excellent and has some really, really great picks for excellent prices.
From a working lunch to a late leisurely ‘ladies or lad who lunch’. Quick casual dinner or special occasion night out. Some how Select is one of the few places in Edmonton that you can select (pun soooo intended!) to meet any of these needs and meet them well.
Mussel spoons up my friends!

I came here for DTDW 2013 with the boyfriend on a Friday afternoon. My food was mediocre at best, salad had too much dressing although it was great to try escargot! My chicken was average, nothing fancy but I know the boyfriend enjoyed his burger. We both Loved the maple crème brûlée but really if you give us any type of crème brûlée we will fall in love.
The service was okay, I felt like our server checked in on us a little too often, which I guess is better than not checking in at all. She was very friendly and I would definitely come back to this place.
I enjoyed the French décor and the wine was excellent! Apparently 106^th street is where all the French restaurants are! This place was another great value for $ 25, I love down town dinning week and can’t wait for next year!
I’d love to check this place out in the summer as the outside of Café select is adorable and very French. While I’m only giving it three stars this time, I’m sure ill be back and hopefully ill be able to update my review!

It’s been quite some time since I ate at Café Select. My friend had a Groupon, so we decided to have dinner here on a Tuesday evening. The interior is very beautiful and the ambiance is extremely romantic and sweet. This is a nice place to bring someone on a date. The waitress was very professional and well mannered. She was always coming around to check up on us which is suppose to be normal in this kinda upper class restaurant. I thought I was under dressed because I was wearing my work out clothes, but surprisingly I felt very comfortable in my attire.
My favorite dish of all is the mussels in a white wine sauce. It left a lot of flavors on my palette. I ordered the Atlantic Cod and my friend ordered the Duck Confit Macaroni dish. Both dish had a great looking presentation. At first I thought the portion looked kinda small or maybe it was the lack of lighting in this restaurant that prevented me to see the portion correctly. But as I broke down the food, I found that it was a good entrée amount. My friend also enjoyed his dish and overall we had a pleasant experience.
The one thing I missed though is how they use to have a display of desserts in the front with different selection, but now they simply just have a few house dessert on the back of there menu.

I’m sad. This place was my favourite restaurant, and was my first review on Unilocal.
I have to update my review because since visiting the newly-​revamped & rebranded Select, I’ve been sorely disappointed. The actual concept of the place has been evolved and all of the dishes that made me return often have disappeared.
Still, I wanted to give it a solid try, as I do enjoy Packrat, which is as I understand it, managed by the same people.
I didn’t really enjoy my meal — the macaroni and cheese with duck was overly rich and sat in my stomach for hours after in an unpleasing way. My friend who ordered the chicken was disappointed as his gnocchi was overcooked (and a little black). For the price, a very disappointing meal lacking in the kind of charm that always brought me back to Café Select.
The service was good on the Wednesday night that I visited — our server was efficient and friendly.
Ultimately, I think my love affair with the restaurant has ended. Café Select, you will be missed!