When we arrived at Pigalle on a Tuesday evening, we were a little surprised to find that it was so busy.

Every table was occupied, and most seemed to have large groups of friends or co-workers festively eating, drinking wine and being merry.

We had wisely made a reservation, and were seated at a table for two by the window, overlooking the convention centre. Unfortunately it took a good 10 minutes before we got menus and drinks, because the wait staff clearly had their hands full.

While we waited, we sipped the complimentary spicy butternut soup and admired the decadent décor: Beautiful embroidered drapes, crown moldings on the ceiling, mirrored walls with sconces. The color scheme runs to golds, browns and burgundies, with brocade chair coverings and heavy brown leatherbound menus. Against the rear wall, three mirrored booths with ornamental cathedral ceilings sit a step up from the rest of the dining room. Our table, while romantically adorned with candles and crisp white tablecloths, was not actually very romantic because the restaurant was so busy and loud.

Despite the French name, Pigalle’s menu mainly consists of surf and turf, with a heavy emphasis on South African and Mozambican flavours. There’s a variety of fantastic-sounding soups, salads, steaks and grills, mains like slow-roasted duck and beef schnitzel, and piles of seafood: the ever-present langoustines, salmon teriyaki, and Mozambican prawn curry. Of course there are fabulous wines, as evidenced by the percent of diners who had a glass in hand or a bottle on the table. (If you don’t drink, try a clever mocktail, like the “purple passion” I had.)

For starters we ordered the salmon trio, which included a dollop of salmon roulade, a clump of salmon tartare, and a slice of cured seared salmon. The presentation was beautiful, but the seared salmon was a little under cooked, and my partner did not like the tartare – it seemed as if the chef just mashed the ingredients together and put them in a mold. However the cucumber relish that accompanied the seared salmon was phenomenal.

For mains we got the sirloin steak, cooked medium rare. Unfortunately it was closer to rare than medium, and we had a tough time chewing it, which was a major annoyance. The excellent creamy pepper sauce somewhat made up for that, as did the nicely done chips, which were a somewhat uninspired choice for a side, considering this is a pretty fancy place.

We got a deliciously decadent chocolate brownie for dessert, but left somewhat dissatisfied and envious of what other diners were eating. Every time a waiter passed with someone else’s plate, our heads turned. Maybe next time — I wouldn’t rule it out.