Sheraton Laval – Restaurant La Piazza

The 411

All-you-can-eat buffets are something you won’t find much of on this site. It’s mainly because of two things: firstly they cost way more (remember I pay for all my meals and my guests meal as well) and secondly, I find that quality takes a back seat when you try to feed so many people. I have been going to brunch at the Sheraton for years, usually Mother’s day and or Father’s day is spent here and my family has liked it for quite some time so I know the meals there in quite detail.

At 1st glance

For starters, it’s up in Laval so a car would be needed to get here. Although, with the new metro expansion in Laval all you need to do is get to the De La Concorde metro and you can get there in about an hour which is actually quite impressive. Once you get in you will see a kind of indoor courtyard style dining area to your right. Reservations are recommended since this place can get large groups coming for various occasions. Coincidentally, it is particularly good for large groups on special occasions.

Food

The Sheraton Hotel up in Laval holds an impressive Sunday Brunch for the price of $50 ($20 for children 4-11 years). You get a choice of a main dish to go along with can best be described as an epic list of options that will make even the pickiest of eaters happy. Normally, I would transcribe part of the menu and group it into sections but I got my hands on their menu (which may change at any time) and I will simply post it here so you can see what there is in detail:
Cold buffet

• Variety of salads
• Crispy vegetables with tzatziki sauce
• Duo of smoked salmon
• Mixed grilled vegetables
• Country-style pâtés and Terrine
• Giant mussels with roast and sweet peppers
• Olive crostini with arugula and feta cheese
• Marinated mushrooms with roast garlic and italian parsley
• Red tomatoes with bocconcini
• Italian cold cuts
• Shrimp in its shell with seafood sauce
• Italian prosciutto and dried sausages
• Crostini with prosciutto and smoked salmon
• Crispy calamaris with sesame, green onions and asian-style mayonnaise
• Shrimp salad with spicy mayonnaise
• Seafood salad with lemon and ginger flavoured olive oil
• Assorted olives and its condiments
• Breaded cod fish
• Assorted breads and viennoiseries

Selection of hot dishes

• Barbecue braised beef
• Veal ossobucco with rosemary and dijon
• Grilled shrimp brochette on rice noodles
• Fried drumstick
• Veal polpette saltimbocca
• Cannelloni with tomato and parmesan au gratin

Chef’s Pasta Station

• Three tomato strozzapretti
• Tortellini rosé sauce
• Rigatoni carbonara
• Penne putanesca

Egg Station Selection

• Choose your own ingredients for your omelettes and style of eggs
• Waffles and crêpes with choice of coulis and garnishes
• Sausages, bacon, baked beans and potatoes
• Ham (with bone) sliced on sight

Maindishes served at your table!

• Table d’hôte-3 different choices every week!

Cheese Station

• Variety of cheeses
• Selection of assorted bread and croûtons
• Assorted nuts, raisins and jams

Baker’s Corner

• Chocolate Fountain with diced fruit
• Assorted cakes and pies
• Miniature pastries and verrine
• Cookies
• Jello and mousse
• Candies and jujubes
• Bagatell

This year, I went for Mothers day so the menu is different and does not have the main dish option but the food is very similar to the menu so you will get something pretty close to what they normally offer. The food is broken down into stations and there is a very long one where people tend to lineup, you really need to time it right unless you plan on getting stuck in line for a while.

The bread station has a generous assortments of croissants, chocolatines, danishes, and some prepared cups with cheese, salad, and various little concoctions that give your taste buds a small sampling before you get onto to the main dishes. To say the offering of croissants was generous is an understatement since there was a mountain of breaded treats and no matter how many times you come back, you cannot put a dent in that mountain.

The main buffet line is where you will find a mix of hot and cold items. There are loads of pasta, vegetables, couscous, mussels, shrimp, salmon, mushrooms ,egg dishes, sausage, and ham – to name a few. Also, they have a very generous fruit section, cheeses, and loads of dessert. There is even a main course option out of 3 from the table d’hote that are available on normal brunch days (not on Mother’s day)

The egg dishes and overall breakfasty items were limited. There was more of an emphasis on the lunch items but that being said, you could get a full plate of breakfast items and if you like croissants, danishes and those little breads then you have more options to choose from. The vegetable section is very generous, so if you are vegetarian or more health conscious it’s nice to see more than 1 or 2 options, which is often the case. Oh yeah, I forget to say that they also have sushi which, although not very breakfasty, is nice to see as an option.

There were also stations with chefs at them for meats, like roast, and pasta, I like that little something extra where you can get an on-the-spot custom order of something. Another particular standout was the seafood options which bring value to what you pay since items like shrimp, calamari and sushi can usually cost you a little more and you can get your fill for under $40. Other all-you-can-eat spots don’t usually offer this.

Part of me is torn on the menu: on one hand I love the vast selection and mountain of options while, on the other hand, I would like more classic breakfast options. Some more egg options, maybe cereals and waffles and crepes would be a nice touch. That being said, when you look at what you pay and what you get, it’s a pretty good deal.

Service

The service is usually good here however, this time we had some issues such as the coffee being only available to order halfway though the service. I mean, let’s be honest: they do call it a brunch and every brunch I go to starts with coffee. When one of us got tired of our waitress not showing up and went to get a cup, she got attitude from the staff like she committed a crime and was told to ask our waitress. The person who did this had a whole lot of attitude and did not seem to grasp the concept of “service.” As well ,they required a cash deposit for the group and credit card deposit seemed like a foreign concept to them. What made this more complicated is they used the deposit against the meal. This makes it complicated because even though we were one group, it wasn’t one person paying for all.

Vegetarian

There are some serious vegetarian options as well as vegan options. Food items like fruits, breads, vegetables, couscous, salads, pastas were very plentiful. Don’t go expecting tofu faux bacon but they did have lots of fruits and veggies which is nice to see and healthy as well.

Wrap up

Overall a good buffet for the price. The service issue was unfortunate and only happened once which, although is still bad, I will overlook this considering the amount of times I have been here and had good service. I would like more breakfast options but you do get choice on almost everything else. The price point is very good and when you factor in items like seafood, the chefs at the stations along with the vegetarian/vegan options, it makes for a good deal. The size of the venue makes it great for large groups.

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Price	$$$$	$50
Overall		3.5/5
Wheelchair Access		3/3
Parking	Lot	Easy
BUS	42,56,60,61,70,902	Get Directions
Metro	De La Concorde	26 minutes

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