Nota Bene, at first glance, is rather unassuming, but I was star-struck the moment I stepped inside. Not only for the large portraits of celebrity guests, but also for the understated elegance that the restaurant itself holds. Having arrived early, we were shown to a small table in the bar area, and I was finally able to take it all in. The lighting is soft and indirect at all times but always enough to see your dinner companions and, of course, the menu.

The dinner was to celebrate a special occasion, which I mentioned when taking the opportunity to check in on Foursquare. The restaurant’s social media staffer offered congratulations via Twitter, and sent a direct message asking what name the reservation was under. After having answered and then received no further response I thought no more of it and set to examining the menu.

Nota Bene is currently celebrating both TIFF, and Perrier Jouet’s 200th anniversary by holding a champagne lounge. Despite the celebration we elected to have cocktails, having been drawn in by the menu. I was compelled to try the “Nota Bene”, and it was perfectly tart (but sweet enough not to pucker my mouth too much), and unexpectedly fizzy. A very pleasant kick-start to what proved to be an exceptional meal.

We were shown to our table, in the quieter of the two dining rooms, and in a sweet little corner spot. There were large dinner parties being held in the other room, and we were glad of the privacy afforded by our corner. We were served a soft whole grain bread with a mild olive oil for dipping. I have a real love affair with bread but I knew that so much was to come that I restrained myself from eating the entire basket. We ordered the steak tartar to share and did not have to wait long before being presented with such a sizable portion that it could have been a meal all in itself.

The meat was soft and gently seasoned, with a layer of fresh cheese hiding in the centre. Capers were sprinkled on the plate, and fine shavings of reggiano. I almost ignored the provided lemon wedge entirely, but I wish now that I had used it from the start – a few drops of acid was enough to bring into sharp relief the otherwise mild flavours. The only thing to be desired was some crackers to actually scoop up the dish.

As an entree I ordered the scallops, served in a cream sauce with chunks of sweet and crispy bacon, some small potatoes, and covered with shavings of black truffle.

It’s rare that I’ve ever had a unsatisfactory scallop, but there is still a huge leap from “well done” to “so expertly cooked it makes me want to cry”, and these definitely fell into the second category. Their sweet flavour was aided by the cream sauce, but saved from dissolving into mush by the hard bite of the bacon. The potatoes seemed a bit underdone and could have used more seasoning, which was a shame. I’d never had black truffle before, and was excited to have my first taste. The flavour was mild and I recalled it having once been described as “woodsy”, and this seems quite apt.

My dining companion also made an adventurous choice of rabbit pappardelle (above), having never tried it before. It was served on egg noodles that she found rather filling, but the rabbit was flavourful enough to cut through them. We agreed that rabbit has the texture of chicken but apparently the flavour of brown gravy. If all rabbit tastes this good then I am amazed that there are still any hopping around.

We were then surprised by being served two dishes with the chef’s complements. A small serving of tender garlic-dusted steak with candied onion and a sauce that we could only agree tasted both minty and basil-y. An unbelievable triumph, and one I would order again if it was made a main feature.

We also received a small plate of shishito, or Japanese green peppers. These peppers are mildly spicy by nature, but they had also been rolled in a chipotle powder to bring it up a level. These peppers and their crispy skins are already a favourite of mine, but I had never had them served in such a way and now I can’t wait to bring some home and experiment on my own.

We cleaned our plates and sat back, lounging in a near food-coma. The dishes had been rich but not over-powering. But nonetheless we sadly refused dessert, knowing that even though the panna cotta they serve sounds amazing I couldn’t possibly give it its due attention.

However the staff surprised us then with the answer to the earlier Twitter mystery: a congratulatory dessert!

They served us a sweet note on a chocolate plaque, alongside two of their classic salted butter caramel truffles. The truffles had a liquid gold centre that brought the meal to such an impactful end that I can safely say I will never forget it.

We chose Nota Bene as much for the star power behind it (Chef David Lee being well accomplished and a guest judge on Top Chef Canada) as for the menu we were able to view online. Not only was it a warm and welcoming evening, it was also the perfect place for an anniversary.