Gini’s

Gini’s is a quaint little restaurant tucked away on the traffic circle in the westside of Edmonton. Known as a hidden gem, Gini’s specializes in contemporary fine dining influenced by the French culture. The restaurant itself has a warm and inviting atmosphere, complete with friendly service that has a personalized touch. Simple decor to make the food stand out. Although their dinner menu leans towards the smaller size, there’s a variety of dishes to choose from. Entrees are freshly made and feature meats such as duck, veal, and lamb. At Gini’s, they certainly deliver quality over quantity!

One-page dinner menu 

To start off, our server recommended me a strawberry daiquiri because I wanted a fruity drink that wasn’t too strong. The daiquiri was blended well and the rum wasn’t overpowering, allowing the taste of strawberries to be savoured.

After we received our complimentary appetizer of fresh, warm bread and butter, the palette cleanser was brought out. A small scoop of mango sorbet for each of us was enjoyed before we anticipated our main entrees. The sorbet was cleansing and refreshened our palettes.

For myself, I ordered the Crevettes ‘Thermidor’ ($34). The shrimps were enriched in a creamy dijon mustard sauce with a hint of cognac. The taste of the dijon mustard in the sauce wasn’t too strong and allowed the spices to flavour the components of the dish perfectly. Along with the shrimps, the dish came with roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, and softly buttered mushrooms. I had never tasted a shrimp dish as delicious as this! It was filling as well even though the portion may appear small. I would definitely recommend this to anyone dining at Gini’s.

The lamb chops, roasted in dijon mustard, (carre d’agneau aux herbes for $39) were cooked to perfection, and accompanied by mushrooms and vegetables.

The filet mignon aux deux sauces ($36) was covered in a peppercorn sauce, which made it really stand out from how filet mignon is normally served. The sauce added a kick of flavour to the juicy and tender meat. 

The halibut ($32) was very fresh and cooked well. The sauce flavoured the halibut with a lemon kick. 

Overall, Gini’s is the perfect place for a romantic date or a nice dinner out. Their concept of European fine dining is very professional and well developed. Gini’s has recently acquired new ownership that has been in the works of upgrading and redeveloping the restaurant. The restaurant shows the changes through its clean and simplistic setting. Along with their menu, a five course meal is offered ($55) for those who want to try out the food to its fullest extent. I would definitely recommend stopping by Gini’s and helping them celebrate their 25th anniversary!