service: familial
atmosphere: classy and elegant
food: delightful
would return? absolutely.
my girlfriend decided on this place after doing a quick google search for top k/w restaurants. again google did not lie. we were greeted by some soft french jazz and the very kind proprietor. the space was well lit with a quaint bar, and the walls lightly decorated. once seated we were given a quick run down of the establishment. we were pleased to hear that 271 west makes all of its pasta from scratch, its fish is brought in fresh, and its sauces and desserts are all made in house.
we worked our way to the drink menu choosing a chardonnay and a manhattan. the wine wasn't as dry as most and had a nice fruity finish, and the cocktail was nice; a little heavy on the vermouth but still a smooth drink. also, just a note there was no garnish on the manhattan. nothing groundbreaking, but for people who need things done the traditional way you might not find it here.
looking through the menu we found that it was varied, not just focused on italian dishes. we decided on the cheese garlic bread for an appetizer. for the main, my mind was made up when the special was mentioned, and my girlfriend settled on the salmon, holding off on the mushrooms.
the bread was so soft and its natural taste was agreataccent to the garlic and cheese, which was not overpowering in the least. it was clear that bread was made fresh that day and it wasn't too filling like some others.
as stated before, i order the special which was fettuccine alfredo with chicken, red and green peppers, mushrooms, and green onions. it was agreatdish, with the sauce being creamy, but not drowning out everything else. the chicken was cut into nice, tender chunks and the greenery added a wonderful variance to the entree. it also came with two slices of garlic bread; it was a nice surprise to get a second helping. the salmon champignon, which i guess should just be called the salmon, had agreatlemon and wine reduction with cambozola cheese, served on top of rice pilaf, with some vegetables on the side. the fish had agreatflavour that wasn't too fishy, which was a good change of pace.
for dessert we decided on the flourless chocolate cake, which was crumbly and rich, with walnuts baked in. it was served with agreathelping of french vanilla ice cream, which wasn't necessary due to how moist the cake was. still the combination wasgreatand it was a wonderful ending to a delicious meal.
in the end it was an excellent evening withgreatfood, kind and friendly staff, and fairly good cocktails. i will definitely be returning here and trying out some of their pizza.