Upstairs Fondue Restaurant (Saskatoon)

Atmosphere: 3.5 out of 5

Service: 5 our of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

Okay, I'm actually starting the blog on Regina restaurants with a review of a Saskatoon restaurant.  We were in Saskatoon for convention last week and we decided to finally try the Upstairs Fondue Restaurant (http://www.theupstairsfondue.ca/) at 613 8th Street East.  

The place is a slightly out of the way and a little hidden - I had noticed the sign before while traveling down 8th Street heading toward Broadway, but it is easy to miss.  Pulling in was a bit of driving gymnastics and parking is limited, but Patrons do park in the Running Room's parking lot when it's closed.  

When we first entered, I was a little confused on layout - bathrooms are the first thing you see - thought I entered a back door.  Kitchen and the reservation counter are downstairs, and as the name suggests, the dining room is upstairs - with a flight of stairs that is not well lit.  Safety and accessibility concerns aside this was not a problem for us but if you have mobility issues this might be cause for concern.  The dining room is intimate, maybe 10 tables, total seating of about 30.  It is nicely decorated - I love the lighting fixtures - not over the top or trying to be too trendy.  For music they opted for Sirius/XM station set to world/latin music.  I enjoyed that touch (happy I didn't have to listen to commercials on regular radio and set a nice tone to the evening).

The Menu looks busy - which is a little odd because, although you get a number of choices, it is not a wide menu - it's a fondue restaurant after all.  I would recommend a revamping of the menu layout with the options cleanly laid out and a separate wine list.  You can order separate fondues (cheese, entree or desert) or you can order the 4 course meal which runs about $40/person - that's the route we went.

First course - soup or salad.  We wanted to mix this up so one of us got the mushroom soup and the other the broccoli almond salad.  The soup was not too thick and had a great earthy flavour with ample fresh cut mushrooms.  The salad had lots of crunch with broccoli, almonds and peas and a sweet dressing that made the broccoli pop.  The serving size was quite ample as well.

Cheese Course - your choice of 2 different cheese or a non-dairy alternative (for the vegan's out there I guess).  We chose the Garlic Cheddar which was served with bread cubes, vegetables & apples.  A couple share the fondue itself but they serve the dippables on separate plates.  The fondue had a nice bitterness like horseradish and a garlic flavour that didn't overpower.  The server offered more bread/veggies to finish up the fondue itself.

Entree - Although a fondue place, they offered hot rock in addition to oil or broth fondue.  Maybe next time for the hot rock but we went with the oil fondue.  We each choose 2 meat and one veggie - they also have some seasonal specials and Elk was on the menu.  Elk, Pork tenderloin, Teriyaki beef tenderloin, and chicken was ordered up.  All is served with a breading mixture and a variety of dips from dijon mustard to hot sauce and a side of dill potatoes.

I've had hotpot before but this was the first time for an oil fondue.   Cooking of course is a bit tricky - lighting provided it's challenges to see if your meat is done, and the odd oil pop did cause a couple of mild jumps at the table.  As for the food, I must say the elk was very nice and the teriyaki beef is a must.  I liked the variety of dips but I was hoping for a bit more unique mixtures to try out.  The potatoes were good, but I would suggest fewer potatoes and more veggies.  The size of the table was also a bit of a challenge with a large fondue pot, a number of dips, 2 plates and various glasses, room was at a premium. 

Desert - well of course here comes the chocolate.  With a choice of 5 different chocolate flavours or butterscotch (peanut butter cup was this nights choice) -  it came with melon, pineapple, pretzels, banana and crispy squares.  I was hopping for a slightly better mixture of fruit (apples, strawberries) and maybe a nice pound cake but the actual fondue was smooth and delicious.  I think I will try the special chocolate with a shot of liqueur next time.

For those who know their wine, they have a nice wine selection ranging from $30-$80/bottle.  I had a nice zinfandel from BC which was nice with the cheese and entree fondues. 

The service was exceptional.  The waiter was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Oh and remember to tip - our waiter made a lot of trips up that stairway with hot fondue and loaded plates of food.

I don't think this is a place I would visit weekly, or even monthly...but as a special occasion place this is fun and intimate.

Overall, the restaurant is an experience and not just a meal.  It is on the pricey side of $40 a person plus drinks, but for a 2hour+ dining experience, the fun of fondue and relaxing with good food and friends it is well worth it.