I’ve recently been dragging my friends to a few restaurants on James Street North in Hamilton including Saltlick, Charred, Jack & Lois, and Mulberry Street Café. Every time we wander around, we also discover other restaurants to check out. This time we stopped-in at Acclamation – across the street from Mulberry Street Café. The interiors and exteriors are elegant, neutral, and classy. Deep wooden fixtures and furniture sit in a romantic, cozy space. The staff are friendly, respectful, and patient. We had two gluten-intolerant diners in our party and they were able to find a few items to suit their needs.

191 James Street North, Hamilton  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   Website  |  Menu  |   Map

The menu is sophisticated and affordable. Appetizers and shareables range from $10-$15, while entrees range from $15-$30. There is an even distribution and variety of meats, seafood, and pasta dishes to choose from. I decided on the Seafood Pappardelle in a spicy marinara sauce. I tend to always order anything with seafood and pasta… I’ll switch it up next time. Bob ordered the chicken pasta, mainly because the ‘café au lait’ caught his interest. Emmeline and Oli ordered both ordered the Crispy Skin Trout and Michelle ordered the Fried Chicken.

My pappardelle was perfectly cooked and al dente with a beautiful balance of sauce to pasta ratio. Mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallop were littered throughout – they did not skimp out on the seafood at all! I definitely recommend this dish to seafood and pasta lovers who also like a little kick in their marinara sauce.

The aroma of Michelle’s fried chicken made me drool. She wasn’t able to explain to me whether or not the chicken was cooked nicely, overall, she enjoyed it. Bob’s chicken pasta had a beautiful cream sauce with a hint of coffee colour and a subtle coffee taste.

The trout for our two gluten-free-eaters were great. Oli destroyed his dish before anyone else and cleared his plate no problem. Serving sizes were perfect for me but for big eaters out there, you might need to add an appetizer or dessert to your meal.

I really enjoyed my dinner here and I’d come back for sure. My dining experiences are much better when the staff are friendly and attentive, even the chef came out to check on our meal. You don’t see that happen often. Overall, the food was executed and presented well for a reasonable price. A great restaurant for a dinner-date or a celebratory dinner!