We’ll share more reviews to give you our impressions of hotels, VIP airport lounges, and airlines, but today, I wanted to do something very different and talk about 4 of my restaurant experiences. I’m not really a foodie, honestly, but I know almost all travelers are.
First and foremost, the 4 restaurants are among those where you can spend a nice evening completely free thanks to the $200 Amex Platinum dining credit.
Here are my experiences in some of Canada’s best restaurants to give you an idea of the type of free meal you can get.
Basics of my experiences with the $200 Amex Platinum dining credit
The Amex Platinum dining credit is an amazing benefit of the American Express Platinum Card (in addition to the free unlimited airport lounge access benefit).
It’s my favorite card, as it is obviously the favorite card of all Canadians who travel frequently or luxuriously. It’s by far the best premium card in Canada.
We’ve got a complete guide to the $200 Amex Platinum dining credit if you want all the details.
Here, I want to share with you my experience specifically.
While traveling to Montreal, I used the Amex dining credit at 2 restaurants. But also, while traveling to Halifax, I tried 2 of the restaurants that are eligible for the dining credit, so I think it’s worth including them here.
In all 4 restaurants, I was with my girlfriend, and we shared everything so we could each try everything.
Montreal — Park
I don’t know celebrity chefs, but I do know a lot about travel, so I knew about celebrity chef Antonio Park because of his collaboration with Air Canada to create some in-flight meals.
In fact, at an Aeroplan media event in 2020, I even got to meet him and sample one of these meals. Actually, the only other time I’ve met a celebrity chef was again at an Air Canada event, where I moderated a panel on the basics of Aeroplan that featured chef Chuck Hughes.

So, I chose the Park restaurant (rated 4.4 out of 5 on Google) for my first experience using the $200 Amex Platinum dining credit. I also love Asian food, so it was an easy choice.
It was a great restaurant. It was so good that I almost went back for the following year’s credit, but I resisted because I wanted to try a different one.
Located in the upscale Westmount area of Montreal, the restaurant’s look is very modern.

The modern style obviously continues inside, with a lovely bar counter that seemed appropriate for the Asian influence.

There are lovely wood accents and very high ceilings.

This was an open kitchen concept, as is now often the case.

In terms of food, the most delicious was Galbi-jjim pork, a Korean specialty.
It came with mashed sweet potatoes and wild mushrooms.

The filet mignon was very good too!

For dessert, I wanted to choose 2 different choices to taste 2 things, but I love chocolate too much.
The “Tout chocolate” dessert is a chocolate brownie with milk chocolate mousse, toasted pecan caramel, and dark chocolate sorbet.
A great choice.

The service was very good, and I really enjoyed the restaurant.

The main courses are quite expensive, so with taxes and tips, these 4 items cost $206. With the $200 Amex Platinum dining credit, it therefore cost me $6.
But no! The Amex Platinum Card earns 2 pts/$ (≈ 3%) on restaurants, so my net cost was absolutely nothing, just like I wanted!

Montreal — Place Carmin
I don’t like anything too posh, honestly, and it limits the choices a bit. To find another restaurant that seemed more casual than snobbish, I analyzed all the restaurant choices near me in Québec and even Ottawa (over 60 in total) because I don’t often travel within Canada.
I chose the French restaurant Place Carmin (rated 4.6 out of 5 on Google), which seemed very good. Honestly, I rarely go to French restaurants (my ancestors would be disappointed), so I wanted to take the opportunity to try one.
I’m very happy with my choice! I can’t recommend this one highly enough, too.
Located at the end of Old Montreal, the restaurant’s exterior is very pretty.

Inside, it’s just as beautiful.

It was super quiet and calm on a weeknight; I liked the atmosphere.
There’s a bar in the main section.

We were seated on the other side, where we could see the open kitchen.

It’s actually my only less positive aspect of the whole experience; it was a bit tight where we were seated. Not dramatic, but when the service, food, and everything else is this good, the flaws are minor like that.
The nice waiter recommended a cocktail, and it was indeed very good.

The main courses were more affordable here, so we could try a few sides too, to reach the $200 amount.
The classic steak and fries was very good. So were the roasted carrots (we asked for the sides at the same time as the main meals).

The pork tenderloin with charcuterie sauce, rösti, and red cabbage was equally delicious.

Another side dish was the plate of brussels sprouts with walnuts and bacon lardons (it comes with labneh too, but I put it on the side).

Finally, we took 4 desserts to go to complete the meal and reach the required amount. We ate them the next day in our room paid for with points at the Courtyard Montréal Brossard (a Marriott Bonvoy hotel).
The Paris Brest was the highlight — it’s a French restaurant after all — but the profiterole and chocolate cakes were very good too.

Here, the 4th dessert was just a splurge, as we came up to $214.
That’s $14 out of pocket with the Amex dining credit, but with ≈ $6 worth of lucrative Amex points earned, for a net cost of $8.

Halifax — Peacock Wine Bar
I have to say that I didn’t choose this restaurant. I was on a sponsored trip and had 2 meals at the restaurant courtesy of the Muir Hotel, Autograph Collection (another Marriott Bonvoy hotel).
By the way, this was by far my favorite accommodation of all my 92 nights traveling in 2024 (I traveled less than usual). And I’m really not just saying that because they gave it to me for free.

So I tried the Peacock Wine Bar restaurant (rated 4.6 out of 5 on Google) and I’m very very happy with the choice that was made for me.
It was an absolutely amazing restaurant! My personal favorite of the 2 in Halifax. A great choice if you want to use the Amex dining credit in the Nova Scotian capital.
Located right next to the hotel, directly on Halifax’s waterfront promenade, the exterior of the restaurant is very chic — this whole development, called Queen’s Marque, was just built recently!

The interior is among the coolest I’ve seen; I really love the eclectic style and the green everywhere, from the ceiling to the bar chairs.

Peacock is a wine bar first and foremost, so there was a large bar in the center of the restaurant.

Even the hallway to the bathroom is beautifully decorated.

So we opted to eat indoors, even though there was a nice outdoor section and the weather was rather nice in Halifax in August.

The decor really suited the Peacock name, with its peacock feathers.

The theme even extended to the design of the plates.

The restaurant is all glass and the very kind hostess suggested the quiet side in the corner.
There’s a high table and standard tables…

But there are also tables surrounded by wire mesh that look like a cage, which is what we chose because it’s more unique.

Before eating, I ordered a cocktail, which the waiter flambéed in front of me.

As for the food, they strongly recommended pasta, so we opted for shells alla norma with pork confit, eggplant, tomatoes, and Thai basil.

I extremely rarely eat pasta in restaurants (since it’s one of the few things I’m able to do well myself), but this was delicious.
The other dish chosen was a classic (you’re starting to see the pattern), a steak which was also very good (with a stick of potatoes).

For dessert, we opted for the classic ice cream, which was also very good.

Everything was delicious, and the service was impeccable!
So whether you choose to use your $200 Amex Platinum dining credit or simply eat there while staying at the Muir Hotel, Autograph Collection… it’s a great choice!
Halifax — Drift
Again, this restaurant was chosen for me and offered to me free of charge, but that doesn’t change the fact that I found it a good choice. I got to dine there, but also to eat breakfast — my Marriott Bonvoy elite status (Titanium) gives me free breakfast in most of the 9000+ Marriott hotels worldwide.
The Drift restaurant (rated 4.3 out of 5 on Google) is a chic restaurant offering modern, upscale versions of regional classics from Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada.
It was very good — it certainly took me out of my comfort zone as it was so fancy.
Located directly inside the hotel, the exterior is very pretty, with long wooden panels enclosing the terrace.

The interior is truly unique, with more wood, reminiscent of the boats that are at the heart of the history of a maritime city like Halifax.

It’s really beautiful.

There are a few sofas for those who prefer to be more relaxed.

But we sat at a normal table, with very comfortable chairs. There was also plenty of space between the tables, which I always like.

If you prefer, the outdoor terrace has a superb view of the water.

It’s right on Halifax’s famous boardwalk, so if you like people-watching, you’re in for a treat.

The food presentation was indeed very upscale, and it was very good.
I’ll focus on the dinner. As an appetizer, there were some very pretty little bites.

As a main meal, I loved the Nova Scotia lamb. The rack of lamb was served with lamb bacon, ćevapčići, cherry tomatoes, and more.

The other dish was “Lawry’s Jiggs Dinner,” which contains slow-smoked brisket, potatoes, carrots, and more — in a broth. Very hearty and delicious.

My usual rum cocktail was once again very good.

Finally, we chose the most chocolatey dessert, and it was as good as it was beautiful.

If you happen to prefer morning meals, it was just as good; even though we went for more simple choices.

Once again, I would’ve been glad to use my $200 Amex Platinum dining credit!
If you get breakfast there while staying at the Muir Hotel, Autograph Collection, that’s very nice too.

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Summary
So far, all of my experiences in restaurants eligible for my Amex Platinum Card‘s amazing dining credit benefit have been wonderful. It’s not surprising, given that they’re all listed as “Canada’s best restaurants,” but I hope this gives you an idea of the type of free meal you can get.
What would you like to know about my restaurant experiences with the Amex Platinum dining credit? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Restaurants eligible for the Amex Platinum dining credit (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)