It is notoriously hard to get a table at the world's greatest restaurant, but diners hoping to sample the cuisine at Le Nouveau Duluth in Montreal will have an especially hard time.
It had the highest Tripadvisor rating of the city's 3,678 listed eateries until recently, although reviews on the website indicate that its menu is beyond belief.
One reviewer said that they can't believe this place really exists.
An investigation by CBC News revealed that the restaurant and its 85 five-star reviews are fictitious, highlighting the ability to manipulate sites that rely on user feedback and the general murkiness of restaurant reviews, which is a disappointingly for would-be patrons.
But to the most naive diners, Le Nouveau Duluth's near-endless list of features might have seemed excessive, including proximity to a beach, valet service, private and buffet dining, live music, a playground and a drive-through option.
Businesses on the corner of Duluth Avenue and St-Denis Street, where the restaurant was believed to exist, were confused.
Yoo Jeung, who runs a flower store called Le Spot Saint-Denis, told the Guardian that she had no idea where the restaurant could be, even though it purportedly occupied the same building as her business.
A picture of comedian Charles Deschamps was displayed on the Tripadvisor page and there was a phone number associated with him. Deschamps didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.
In recent years, both the ethics of travel companies and the integrity of the reviews have come under scrutiny.
A failure in human moderation practices made the fake listing on the platform longer than it should have, Tripadvisor said in a statement. The reviews and photos associated with the listing are now inactive.