The 40 Westt Steakhouse & Bar’s sprawling Pointe-Claire location is the epitome of luxury

There are a lot of good restaurants on the West Island of Montreal. But since it first opened in 2002,   40 Westt Steakhouse & Bar has “carved” a solid reputation for fine dining and an ambiance that cannot be beaten.

There is ample free parking in a large lot and a valet option, which is particularly convenient for individuals with mobility issues. The restaurant is completely handicapped accessible. The entry and dining areas are all the same floor level and the same goes for the washrooms. Next winter, managing partner and executive chef Stefano Hinoropos plans to close the facility for a few weeks to undertake an extensive renovation. “After 21 years, it is time,” he told me.

Stefano runs the operation with a dedicated staff, as well as his wife Elizabeth, son Constantinos and daughter Maria. He does find some downtime off hours to go sailing on Lac St. Louis.

The restaurant is open for dinner every night but Sunday and for lunch on weekdays. Private bookings are not only accepted on Sundays,  they are quite common, from family celebrations to corporate or fundraising affairs. The latter is the mantra of managing partner and executive chef Stefano Hinoropos who has been on board since day one at this establishment. Most recently he hosted an annual affair for the Lakeshore General Hospital and a total of $121,010 was raised for their emergency department. Other organizations that have benefitted from the restaurant’s generosity include the West Island Cancer Wellness Center, the West Island Women’s Shelter, West Island Community Shares, Saint Mary’s Hospital, The Montreal Children’s Hospital, the Jewish General Hospital,  the McGill University Cancer Institute  and the Alzheimer’s Foundation 

“It is important to give back to our community,” Stefano says. “We try to be there whenever we can.”

We were greeted at our table by server Shak, who went over the selections and started us off with some drinks:  a lychee martini and a glass of chardonnay

After a nice bread basket was delivered to the table, we took the time to review the  menu  which has so many tantalizing hot and cold appetizers, main  beef and seafood dishes, sides and desserts  

It was always a treat to go to a restaurant with a raw bar. We happily began with a small Ocean Shellfish sampler, consisting of  two U-6 shrimps, two snow crab claws, two lobster claws, two half lobster tails and a half dozen oysters. This came with a number of sauces.  It was a good choice to share. In fact we added another six oysters to the order.

There are a wide array of salads and appetizers on the menu. We started off with the Atlantic salmon avocado and crostini tartare. It was delicious, complimented by the perfectly toasted pieces of bread. There was also a side order of extremely thin cut and crispy French Fries.

The restaurant serves the finest corn-fed Ontario beef under its  40 Westt  Belvedere brand label.  They date and dry-age their  products for four or more weeks in their meat lockers which are on display for all guests to see. This is their way of monitoring the dry-age beef every step of the way.

This is a place best known for its steak.  We previously tried the 32 ounce  Tomahawk-cut and decided to order it again. This is an on-the bone Rib Steak, cut from the Fore-rib with the entire rib bone left. The long bone is French-trimmed, leaving an amazing presentation, and dinner table discussion point.  Shak brought it to us pre-sliced, cooked medium rare.    For our side, we opted for the roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  

If fish is your preference  the red snapper, ahi tuna, striped bass, black tiger shrimp, lobster, Chilean sea bass, Icelandic cod and scampi, Atlantic salmon and  others on the  menu looked great.

The restaurant has a vast wine list.

Finally, it came time for one of their sinful desserts. Shak came to the table with some mouth watering  choices, all of them made on site from scratch. The chocolate cake was perfect to share.  

40 Westt Steakhouse & Barr is located at 2305, Transcanadienne in Pointe-Claire Quebec. For reservations or to book a private function call 514-428-9378 Lunch hours are  Monday to Friday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Supper hours are  Monday to Wednesday, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm  and Thursday to Saturday, 5:30 pm  to 11:30 pm. Log on to www.40westt.com to see the complete menu.