I said I wasn't going to do it on this last visit, but I broke down. I'm talking about going to…read morethe buffet at Saveurs des Continents, the apparent new name for Buffet des Continents. The newer name means "flavors of the continents" when translated into English and that probably has a better ring to it than the previous name.
The dishes here go all the way from 2 to 5 stars, so that averages out to 3.5 stars, which isn't so bad considering how much choice they offer. Mostly I take from the Canadian-North American, Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern food. They also have a staffed grill where they can cut you a nice little slab of meat. They have a section with Asian food and I also noticed a sushi area, the latter of which is beyond my line of demarcation. This is why, as I've said on the previous review, you will be breaking bread with people from 5 continents. (Should there be a token Australian in attendance, that would take it up to 6 continents.)
The service at Saveurs des Continents is fine. Be sure to engage the server in such a way that they don't forget you and won't clean off your table while you are going up to the buffet line to get another plate of food. (I've had that happen up at St. Jerome once, and the place was far from full.) In this case, the server and I spoke Spanish and he didn't mind at all because, after all, this is Montreal and it subscribes to the concept of a "cultural mosaic." Bring it on. There is also a person who will come around to take a drink order, but I go with the included coffee or tea.
With all that said, the pricing scheme is fair. It is slightly different depending on the time of the day and day of the week. The pricing includes a gratuity to the tune of about 12.5%, if I recall correctly, that they distribute to the employees. You are free to give your server a little bit more if you choose to.
So, in revisiting Saveurs des Continents, I'm going to go with 4 stars. They offer a lot of food choices across a broad spectrum, fair pricing, decent service, and a unique brand of quirkiness and diversity that you don't easily forget.
Also, with REM joining the Metro system and Exo commuter trains, this newer light rail system can take you from the city to the south shore. Your stop will be the Panama station and, from there, there is a pedestrian underpass and path that goes to the shopping center with this buffet. One thing is that it will be easier to get back home with the light rail and not think of having to adjust your tilt steering wheel upward. Finally, if this American manages to come in here once on each visit to Montreal area, then this Saveurs des Continents is more realistically a 4 star sort of place.