Le Bengale

"We stumbled upon Le Bengale on Google during our recent visit to Saguenay. Their website says it provides “immersive experience” of fine Indian cuisine, however there is no menu on the website. In any case, we thought we give it a try. Upon arrival, we realized that Le Bengale doesn’t operate like a typical restaurant, rather offers blind menu service in two batches, one at 6pm and another at 8pm. All customers get the same three course meal with dessert. My wife is a vegetarian, so they suggested both of us will be offered vegetarian dishes.

Our meal included naan bread with three types of accompaniments, paneer in coconut milk and vegetables, and vegetable biriyani. There were three different types of sweets for dessert including traditional barfi. The food taste was great and portions just right. The taste is totally different from the blended commercialized cuisine that you find in typical Indian restaurants. We grew up in Bangladesh which share the same cuisine as in Bengal, India. We appreciate the owner’s love for Bengal which is reflected in their menu and the décor; there is even a quotation from the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore in the staircase. Presentation and service were excellent. Overall, it was a memorable evening."

Saroj Biswas

"First time to this restaurant but not my last. Beautiful decor, ambiance, and set up (can look into kitchen). We went for the “Immersive Experience”with wine accompaniment, and they catered to my friend who is a vegetarian. The food was amazing and the portions just right! Each dish was served with its own special plate. Drinks were also delicious and very decorative. So why only 4 stars? In such a fine restaurant, having utensils wrapped in the (very nice) linen for us to place is not a high standard! Second, asking us to keep our utensils after each dish is also not up to the standard of theirs kind of restaurant. The dishes all had different flavours and spices…please give us new utensils with each course. You did with the wine. Do same with food. Lastly, not to tell anyone how to dress, but one of our servers was wearing a tank top and very short cut-off jeans. I’m sorry but absolutely not appropriate for the setting and ambiance of such a restaurant. Again, I will definitely come back as my overall experience and the food was fantastic."

A Moment in Dive Photography

"The food was amazing, authentic to Indian culture. Homemade naan bread is provided, and all you can eat throughout the evening. It was delicious! The portions of each service were perfects sizes. Not too little, not too much. Enough to feel satisfied and savor all of the flavors. However be prepared to stay at the restaurant for approximately 3.5-4 hours. This is how long the service is. It's something we were not expecting, but I wanted to point this out so that future clients may better prepare their evening outings. We arrived for the 6PM service and left at nearly 10PM. You cannot make any other plans for the night. As well, the restaurant does not offer vegan options. They may provide vegetarian options upon request however this must be stated when making the reservation. My friend is vegetarian and the restaurant offered him some delicious alternative services which he thoroughly enjoyed. The table beside us had 4 clients who were all vegan. They appeared excited to be there however once the waitress explained that the restaurant does not offer vegan options they unfortunately had no choice but to leave. We enjoyed our experience, it's a "you have to try once" kind of restaurant. The opening of this restaurant was much needed to diversify the food options in Saguenay and offer insight to a different culture. Thank you!"

Cassandra Wuerth