Jeremy & Vinita's Montreal Restaurant Guide (now receiving 10,000+ visitors monthly)

Looking for pans? see scathing reviews of Rosalina (Italian), Le Parchemin (see bottom of French listings) and Kaizen Sushi

Latest reviews: Biftheque (Burger, Steak & Grill), Sinfully Asian (Pan Asian - Chinese), Da Emma (Italian), Arouch (Armenian - Middle Eastern), Su (Turkish - Middle Eastern), La Gaudriole (French), Cote St. Luc BBQ (Deli, Diners, etc.), Top Tropical (Caribbean), Reservoir (Bistro), Nagoya Sushi (Japanese), Spanish Social Club (Spanish), Kashin Sushi (Japanese), Deux Singes de Montarvie (French), Thali (Indian), Saigonnaise (Vietnamese), Little Sheep Mongolian (Chinese), New Dynasty (Chinese), L'Atelier (French)

The following is a list of Montreal restaurants we have sampled since arriving in this wonderful city in November '97. Restaurants marked with a * are those we consider as memorable picks in their category. As of September 1999, we introduce the "Two-Strikes-and-you're-out" category for those restaurants that have so disappointed us after two tries (or are so obviously catering to the slop market that a single sampling is more than sufficient punishment) that we refuse to give them another chance.

Those curious about the (perhaps) disproportionate emphasis on French restaurants should note that this is, after all, Montreal. A favourite story I like to tell is that of the brief CBC radio interview with an unnamed British ex-pat, during our ice storm of January 1998. When asked if he wanted to go back to the UK after experiencing a Canadian winter, the fellow replied, "No, I view this winter as a freak event. But Montreal is an amazing city... I don't know any other place where one can get French food in American quantities at Canadian prices!"

Restaurants marked in light cyan text have -- for better or worse -- closed their doors.

Restaurant	Location	Comments
French
Le Paris	1812 St. Catherine W	good entree, but disappointing salad and soup; reasonably priced
Aux 2 Marie	St. Denis & Mount Royal	Belgian waffles, great smoked turkey sandwich, cool atmosphere
*L'entrecote St. Jean	2022 Peel & Maisonneuve (281-6492)	a time-honoured tradition, this moderately elegant restaurant has been serving the same set meal for years and it's hard to think of a reason why they should change it -- the formula consists of a vegetable cream soup, Boston lettuce salad with a vinaigrette dressing and walnuts, a tender steak in a light mustard sauce, succulent fries, and decadent profiteroles; the establishment was a haunt of Pierre Trudeau's
Vieux Montreal Creperie	St. Paul in Old Montreal	mediocre at best; probably succeeds largely on tourist appeal
Le Grand Comptoir	Carre-Phillip & St Catherine	excellent, reasonably priced French cuisine, voted "best affordable French restaurant" in town
Chez Leveque	1030 Laurier west of Parc	very good French, although a bit on the pricy side, good atmosphere
Fondue Prince Arthur	70 Prince Arthur E.	very good table d'hote fondue meals; great service, reasonable $
Toqué	900 Place Jean Paul Riopelle (between St. Antoine & Viger) (499-2084)	raved about but very pricy; the most succient review we can provide is that this is a restaurant for diners who enjoy looking at their food more than eating it; presentation is absolutely gorgeous but neither the quantities nor the flavour come close to measuring up; the Riopelle address is a new location with funky decor; in their former location on St. Denis, they started you off with a selection of breads from Fromentier (see below in desserts); the "gourmet menu" includes a selection of six dishes (two very small appetizers, a sorbet, main course, salad and dessert) chosen by the chef; the preparations were mostly quite ordinary (e.g. a trout filet appetizer, sliced magret du canard, salad of mixed greens) with a few interesting exceptions, and while beautifully presented, all with impeccable service, it was exceptionally difficult to justify the $80 price tag; yes, this place is probably overrated and so, we have removed its red asterisk
Bazou	Maisonneuve & Visitation	elegant presentation but disappointing flavour; steak, in particular was most unimpressive; restaurant loses major points for giving us directions to this (second) location, when reservation made for the original which has a BYO license
Luca Bianca	7076 St. Laurent @ Jean Talon	(BYO) superb food, in particular the duck, goat cheese salad looks incredible; fantastic fresh bread; but sadly, terribly understaffed, service was pathetic
Jardin Nelson	Jacques Cartier & St. Paul	beautiful tree-decor atmosphere with classical or jazz band playing in the background; the crepes are commendable
*Le Parigo	St. Denis & Mont Royal	(BYO) (re-opened as Dali/Matisse -- see below) superb all round, the salmon and escargots appetizers were deligtful, supreme a la vollaile incredibly tender, and the game special was uniquely delicious
Le Persil Fou	St. Denis & Mont Royal	great ambiance, wonderful fish but undercooked steak, even for those who asked for medium-well
Yoyo	4720 Marquette & Gilford	(BYO) simple setting, elegant presentation, meat entrees were very nicely done, although the accompanying vegetables were rather plain; salmon dish at the next table appeared far more impressive and the appetizers, which we didn't see, sounded very tempting
Le Vaudeville	361 Bernard W & Parc	reasonable, casual bistro, regular mussels and fries specials, cheap house wine, good filet mignon
*Le Pistou	1453 Mt. Royal & Garnier (528-7242)	Wonderfully seasoned steak and liver, great mushroom-stuffed pasta, beautiful presentation, in a friendly, open atmosphere. Excellent value.
Cafe Cherrier	3635 St. Denis & Sherbrooke	pleasant cafe setting; generous serving of steak with a very tangy mustard garlic dressing, with a well seasoned grilled vegetable side, although the fries were decent but somewhat overdone
A la Decouverte	4350 De la Roche & Marianne (529-8377)	(BYO) this resto lost its red star following our most recent visit: slow service, uninspired and lukewarm appetizers, over-sauced main dishes, and mediocre dessert; perhaps it was an off-night, but a top-notch place should offer consistency; previous review was much stronger: superb all-round -- duck liver mousse with mustard appetizer, fresh mushroom soup, pasta and game entrees -- were all exceptional; friendly, patient service without attitude; the restaurant recently relocated to their new, more spacious setting, now allowing for the possiblity of reservations
La Prunelle	327 Duluth E (849-8403)	(BYO) a relative of Bistro L'Entrepont and Luca Bianca, two other outstanding French restaurants
*Le P'tit Plateau	330 Marie Anne E @ Drollet (282-6342)	(BYO) charming, cozy and relaxed setting with outstanding dishes prepared to perfection; the foie gras and pleurottes appetizers were well worth the price and the salmon entre was one of the best we've ever tried -- beautifully seasoned with a rich coating of herbs; the deer was also delicate but we had a hard time distinguishing the flavour of the meat itself from the sauce in which it was served -- perhaps a good sign?
Au 917	917 Rachel E (524-0094)	(BYO) simple and relaxed ambience, boisterous atmosphere with a constant banging of dishes and voices raised above the din; unfortunately, the food doesn't measure up -- all the dishes, from the opening salad to the (watery) escargots and (unseasoned) warm duck salad appetizers and into the main course of veal tongue were bland, uninteresting, and served with scant attention to presentation
Le Caveau	2063 Victoria & President Kennedy	somewhat upscale in the price range, this resto offers an elegant decor with a number of cozy rooms from which to choose; the lunch dishes are fair overall, although nothing that warrants much excitement; while we were somewhat disappointed to learn that wine cannot be purchased in half-litre quantities, we were frankly appalled to find that the coat check downstairs charges patrons $0.75 per jacket -- how very petty!
Les Deux Oliviers	500 Duluth E & Berri (848-1716)	(BYO) a cozy French-Italian hybrid restaurant, specializing in veal dishes; despite a strongly positive review in the MontrealFood.com site, we were very disappointed with the quality of every plate from the cesar salad and avocado shrimp appetizers, through the veal scallopini main course and the chocolate-rasberry mousse dessert; the only modestly interesting dish was the osso bucco, deserving of a decent grade, and while the prices of the table d'hote are slightly below many of the superior French BYOs we've tried, we were far from impressed with the overall experience
* La Colombe	554 Duluth E. & St. Hubert (849-8844)	(BYO) A cozy atmosphere with simple decore and pleasant staff; the dishes were generally delightful, including a decadent hors d'oeuvre of vol-au-vent d'escargots, fois gras with a sweet chutney (our only complaint there was that biting into the thin slices of accompanying dry bread produced a crunching noise so loud as to distract one from the taste!), and a main dish of oh-so-tender venison in a rich blueberry sauce, served on a thin bed of green beans; however, the soup and rabbit pate appetizers, both served as components of the table d'hote, were somewhat disappointing; prices here are a bit higher than many French BYO's of this calibre, in particular for the appetizers, although these were of larger quantity than expected
Dali/Matisse	900 Duluth E @ St. Hubert (845-6557)	(BYO) the former Parigot has reopened with a new name, new location, new cuisine ("French/Spanish") and alas, need for a new chef; the service was fine but alas, the food came nowhere close to expectations; we suffered through overly pulverized and bland gaspacho, tasteless lamb ragout and an overcooked, dry confit de canard; even the creme caramel and chocolate crepe desserts seemed more befitting of a cafeteria
La Gargote	351 Place d'Youville & St. Paul (844-1428)	on occasion, we must differ strongly with the recommendations of our friends at montrealfood.com; in this instance, their suggestion that the restaurant's name ("greasy spoon") "belies... the quality of the cuisine"; on the contrary, greasy spoon dishes may have been preferable to the bland and insufficiently heated lamb and confit de canard we were served -- perhaps they were taken out of the fridge and simply warmed in the microwave; worse still, the dessert included in the table d'hote was an atrocious rasberry mousse, and while the waitress was happy to accommodate requests for a dessert upgrade to the profiteroles as an alternative, we were charged full price for these; pleasant atmosphere yes, but sorry folks, don't come here for the food
Au Petit Resto	4650 De Mentana & Bienville (598-7963)	(BYO) this cozy restaurant, tucked into a quiet corner of the Plateau and decorated with paintings for sale by local artists of modest quality (a somewhat disturbing trend), run by an accommodating and congenial maitre d', came just shy of warranting a red star; we were delighted with the entrees of warm chevre salad, angelfin gratine and a wonderfully wine-rich duck liver mousse; the featured plat principal, a steak farci, was interesting, but less impressive, and presentation was overly simplistic
Restaurant Julien	1191 Union & St. Catherine's (871-1581)	it is unusual to find a top-notch French restaurant outside of the Plateau area of Montreal, but this one, situated just south of Carre Phillipe is a pleasant surprise; the atmosphere is a bit on the high end of the spectrum, bringing to mind an upscale Parisian resto, but the service here is friendly and the prices reasonable given the quality of the dishes and the great care given to presentation, which was easily the most photo-worthy I have seen in town; the menu contains a nice mix of specials of the week and an interesting list of regular dishes, based largely on local ingredients, we were very impressed with the Arctic char, accompanied by some wonderfully seasoned vegetables and rice while the dessert of marquise fondante au chocolate made no effort to conceal its decedance; update (July 2003) -- unfortunately, I had to remove the red star formerly awarded after a highly disappointing lunch experience; the gigot d'agneau seemed stewed and tasteless while my lunch partner's fillet (ordered medium) arrived bloody and was simply microwaved after additional cooking was requested; I'm still waiting to hear back from the manager
La Maistre	5700 Monkland & Harvard (481-2109)	this resto, set in a cozy old house in the Monkland village and offering relaxed friendly service, does not, unfortunately, deliver consistency in quality of the dishes; the menu is heavy on the specialties of duck, veal and lamb, but none of these stood out as exceptional; the accompanying soup with the table d'hote was entirely disappointing; the entrees were creative and richly seasoned, in particular the smoked duck salad, although our companions were unimpressed with the shrimp guacacmole; as for main courses, we tried a generous portion of nicely cooked -- although unexceptional -- osso bucco-like lamb knuckle, accompanied by a very modest quantity of yam puree, spinach, and broccoli, and a fairly ordinary confit de canard; in contrast, the marquise de chocolat for dessert was wonderful and not overly sweetened, but the cappucino was an utter disaster
Opus II	1050 Sherbrooke W & Peel (985-6252)	an elegant locale, frequented by the moderately upscale business set, serving generous and beautifully decorated portions; the cauliflower soup was fantastic and the rack of lamb richly seasoned; the "mi-cuit" dessert is a sinful delight for chocolate lovers
Puy du Fou	4354 Christophe Colombe & Marie Anne (596-2205)	(BYO) while light on the atmosphere, this cozy east-Plateau resto offered excellent service, an inventive southern French menu heavy on Quebec meats (rabbit, carribou, quail) and consistently, delightfully seasoned dishes, from the complementary hors d'oeuvres and simple green salad to the tangy sauces and rich desserts
Bistro Gourmet 2	4007 St. Denis & Duluth (844-0555)	decent value for food and ambience -- this resto offers a Parisian decor reminisicent of L'Express but much friendlier service; the fish dishes were wonderful but the waiting time was somewhat excessive
*La Convivial	4785 Sherbrooke & Grosvenor (933-1000)	(what a pity to see this place disappear; one of our favourites, La Convivial brought great food to an otherwise culinaririly dismal area of town; unfortunately, the owners couldn't make a go of it in what may be a cursed resto location -- we'll see how the new breakfast joint opening shortly will fare); what a delight to find top-notch French cuisine in the Westmount area! the chef was previously head chef at Auberge North Hatley, and now serves up a wicked menu with a creative twist, for example (jumping right to the dessert), an unbelievable marquise fondante in a vodka-rasperry sorbet with maple syrup spears; their foie gras appetizer was simply decadent and main dishes of lamb leg and braised venisson shank were both exceptional; as if this weren't enough, the service was equally impeccable and polite; an update following a few more dining experiences -- if you opt to indulge yourself with the menu degustation, you'll be in a for a real treat: a flow of unique dishes, both aesthetically and mouth-wateringly delicious that leaves the pretentious Toqué (see above) far behind in its wake
Bistro Justine	1268 Van Horne & Outremont (277-2728)	simple ambiance, wonderful service and excellent food combine to give this cozy bistro a strong recommendation; the main dishes are generous in quantity, the leg of lamb beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection; unfortunately, the salmon and pineapple salsa appetizer was quite ordinary while both the spectacular appetizer of foie gras (prepared on the premises) and the truffle dessert were a tad on the small size; despite reasonable prices, it was hard to justify other reviews that consider Justine "a bargain" but we'd still happily return
Bistro Gourmet	2100 St. Mathieu and Maisonneuve (846-1553)	a very typically French bistro, with pleasant service and reasonably priced lunch specials; while the atmosphere is somewhat spartan, the food was simple but decent, reminiscent of basic Parisian lunches
L'Express	St. Denis & Duluth	we originally dined in this popular St. Denis bistro during our first year in Montreal, enjoying a seafood dinner in the bustling, crowded, and fairly noisy atmosphere; in the daytime, sun streams in through the skylight; fellow restaurant-reviewer Nick Robinson convinced me to make a return trip to try their steak-frites, following a pleasant debate about l'Entrecote St. Jean (see above); having spent a year in France not too long ago, this dish was an amusing reminder of the way it's served in a typical Parisian brasserie, as well as the university cafeteria's hanger steak, a default I'd choose when nothing else seemed worthwhile from the day's menu; the quality and flavour at l'Express were a notch improved over Parisian fare, but at $21 for the plate, I expected considerably better; in fairness, Nick's ravioli maison was spectacular, well worth the trip back and certainly deserving of his write-up of the recipe
Le Margaux	5058 Parc & Laurier (448-1598)	this resto came at the strong recommendation of another Montreal foodie (Amerlita Flores) so we finally got around to trying it for lunch; insofar as the ambiance, service, and inventiveness of the dishes is concerned, Margaux delivers solid value; we were generally impressed with the flavours of the appetizers -- a slightly spicy leek soup and salad with blue cheese appetizers and the duck magret "steak" on a bed of mashed potato and julienne vegetables was divine; the red snapper, served on sweet potato was similarly beautifully prepared, although itself, somewhat lacking flavour while the accompanying lobster sauce a questionable match
*Bistro L'entrepont	4622 Hotel de Ville & Mt. Royal (845-1369)	(BYO) friendly, small (seats 28) and a bit cramped, but the dinner was excellent; the appetizers, in particular were sensational; the duck liver salad and oyster mushroom in puff pastry entrees topped our list; on a repeat visit many years after our first review, the quality has remained consistent, both in taste and service; the opening soup (a zesty combo with leek and celery) set the tone for the rest of the decicious meal, which, according to our Aussie companion, included difficult-to-get-right kangaroo done to perfection; the desserts were, as expected, equally tantalizing, although after the richness of the previous courses, even a chocaholic was done-in by the marquise
Au cinquième péché	330 Mont Royal E & Drolet (286-0123)	French for the "fifth sin", evidently intended to refer to gluttony, but not according to the ordering supplied by Dante or Pope Gregory (for which fifth would be "wrath", hardly a desirable image for a restaurant), this is a pleasant bistro, with a relaxed ambience that makes you instantly comfortable; food-wise, the lunch menu was sparse, including a guinea fowl, flank steak, monkfish, and, if memory serves, pork, in other words, probably not a great bet for a vegeterian; the meal included a typical choice of soup or salad, the salads looked reasonable but basic and the soup (sweet potato and carrot) was acceptable, but didn't do anything to stir up the taste buds; I'd heard good things about their fowl, so decided to give this a try as the main; the meat arrived as two meagre pieces, reasonably seasoned although a tad overcooked, set on a bed of polenta and accompanied with a wet mound of cabbage; the polenta worked well, but the cabbage was a disaster, both in taste and after-effects (hint: not a great choice if you're on a date); while I was really hoping to come away satisfied, neither the preparation nor quantity left much to be desired; the chocolate-almond-date dessert was ok, but far too fruity for a chocolate purist; the service as well, which started off pleasant and efficient became practically non-existent by the end of the meal, as the restaurant had filled up; evidently, the place is popular for a reason, perhaps a better dinner menu, but lunch did not impress
La Chronique	99 Laurier W. & St. Urbain (271-3095)	While it was somewhat disconcerting to find the resto completely empty of patrons on our arrival shortly after noon, the pleasant decor and relaxing jazz, playing somewhat above background levels, soon put us at ease. The lunch menu was a typical one-pager, with a selection of half a dozen starters and mains. I started with the fish soup, a rich, thick broth, with several chunks of fish meat supporting a delightful cheese-covered crostini, decorated with chives; the flavours were well matched, although not up to the level of "Oh, this is amazing" that we'd experienced with a comprarable dish at a cozy resto along the Loire; for the main, I opted for the pasta bolognaise -- probably not a signature dish, but surprisingly, it offered a delicate texture and nice overall consistency, without overpowering the diner in tomato; presentation was gorgeous, but that seemed to be a constant for all of our dishes. To sum up the experience in a nutshell, Chronique offers the beauty of Toqué presentation but with adequate quantities of enjoyable food. For dessert, the choices included some sort of tart or pie, a tiramisu (again, the Italian influence here was obvious), and a fondant. For chocolate lovers, the latter was really the only choice, and at that, it was an excellent one
Le Parchemin	1333 University & St. Catherine (844-1619)	Our first review, based on early samplings, going back more than 10 years, summarized this place as "decent French food, high on snobbery, but with affordable specials that change daily". Given its proximity to the university, this was also a fairly regular choice when needing to find passable French cuisine, along with a classy interior and a bit of attitude, to take visitors for a quick lunch within a relatively short walking distance. However, after the most recent experience, no more. We made reservations for nine people, arrived at 1pm, ordered at 1:15, and learned at 1:35 that the lamb special, chosen by four of our group, was no longer available. We ordered substitutes at 1:40, that is, except for yours truly, as due to waiter incompetence (he was affable, sure, but not quite "together" as someone you'd want as the customer interface if you're trying to ensure repeat business), I wasn't given a chance to make my second choice, although somehow, this was resolved. Sorry, but while running out of a special is understandable, this level of delay and bungling of the orders was completely unacceptable. The mains finally arrived at 2pm, mine being the catch of the day, an entirely listless chunk of bass, most likely taken that day out of the freezer rather than a fisherman's net, sitting in an equally uninspiring sauce. All the more so, given that we weren't ordering the "budget" daily special, but rather, from the full-priced (i.e., overpriced, given the quality of the food) "business menu". Of course, if you're lunching on business, better bring your work with you, as by the time you pay your bill, there go two hours of your day. As an aside, the budget special is only advertised on the chalkboard outside, presumably to draw in passers-by, while no mention of the option is available inside, and certainly not in the menu. Need I go on? Ok, the potato leek soup, normally one of my favourites, was watery and far too light on the leeks, the salad was sugared to the point it should have been left for dessert, one of our creme caramels arrived with a chunk broken off -- at least not including teeth marks. It was still edible, but if that's their target quality of presentation, perhaps they'd be best off serving on paper plates. As a coup de grace, the waiter seemed completely oblivious to the fact he'd spilled water and ice into the plate while refilling my glass. I meant to have a quick chat with the manager on my way out, but he seemed busy in conversation with his buddy, blocking the front door with his back to the inside. I'll send him an email instead. Oh, but to be fair, top marks on the bread rolls, for which we had to remind the waiter to bring a second round while waiting an hour for our lunch.
Bistro on the Avenue	1362 Greene & Sherbrooke (939-6451)	Parisian bistro-inspired atmosphere that doesn't measure up to its look; although the place seems to be doing a booming business, probably in large part to a good location, the service was painfully slow, the (four) slices of baguette were bland and (what's the opposite of "crisp"?); the Seared bison bavette with caramelized French shallots & veal stock reduction, ordered medium, was served well done and tough, while the osso bucco was overpowered by its sauce; we passed on dessert
Brasserie Brunoise	1012 Montagne & Gauchetiere (933-3885)	junior sibling to the acclaimed, but no longer in operation, Plateau-based "Brunoise", this beside-the-hockey-rink (Bell Centre) location is an enjoyable success; although picking up a nod from the Gazette last year, the review from montrealfood.com was not so kind (alas, with Chef Nick overseas, I can no longer debate...) so I went in wary; fortunately, the skate wing was simple, but nicely pan fried with a touch of flour, and offset with spinach, oyster mushrooms and a few capers for a zing, although the absurdly small quantity of fried cauliflower sprigs could have been an accidental leftover from a previous dish had the waiter not specifically mentioned them; on a subsequent visit, the liver on a bed of spinach equally impressed, but in fairness to the true food critics out there, I didn't try the steak frites, so my choice of dishes may have been fortunate; the pannacotta, which confused me on arrival as I distinctly did not order the green soup (it turned out to be hidden under the passion fruit and basil syrup) was a superb combination of flavours, good enough to sway this chocolate purist to consider the merit of non-cacao-derived desserts, but the beignets au chocolate just didn't do it for me; service was prompt and courteous, despite dealing with a nearly full house, and prices were very reasonable; I'll be back
*Chez L'Épicier	311 St. Paul E. & (878-2232)	l'Épicier (the grocer) one escaped our attention for far too long; while we didn't expect to find anything exciting in Old Montreal, in particular right acoss the street from the Marché Bonsecours, this gem stood out; heaven forbid that we'd start judging restaurants by their web sites, but l'Épicier's plays Nino Ferrer's "Les Cornichons"; it's French, fun, light-hearted, and food-centric -- what could be more appealing to bring you in? decor was fitting with the location, an interior spruced up with the blasted stone look and getting plenty of light through the large windows; as an added touch of style, the bathrooms include a waterfall sink; service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive, and most importantly, the food was top-notch; starting with a slightly fruity pumpernickel bread and curry butter (how's that for different?), or for the more conventional, baguette and "regular" butter; moving on to appetizers, the ginger-spiced potato soup was a crowd-pleaser, the fried tilapia accompanied by salt cod and leek was beatifully seasoned without overpowering, and the pan-friend foie gras gracefully melted on the tongue (as it should); this was accompanied by miniature side-cups of mushroom mousse and an inventive mixture of aged cheese with diced pineapple, shaped into balls with a thin dough cover and fried, much like an empanada; all were beautifully arranged and served with plate-specific cutlery; desserts included a chocolate moelleux and pannacotta served with a miniature fruit salad of strawberries, orange, and mint; both good, although clearly not the main attraction
Chez Gautier	3487 Parc & Milton (845-2992)	elegant setting, a neighbour and affiliate of the Patisserie Belge next door, serving an acceptable equivalent of Parisian bistro lunch fare as well as (sometimes) great desserts; check out the first item on the menu -- assiette de crudité, jokingly (I'm sure) translated as "plate of crudeness"; while the food is "safe", it's definitely unexceptional; the lunch menu (in particular the daily specials) seem catered more to the tastes of middle-age genteel ladies, rather than diners seeking something that stands out; case in point was the the bland "duo of poached salmon and tilapia" on a limp bed of spinach, served with absolutely no starch; unexcited by the description of the fruit tart (which looked miserable on arrival) included with the table d'hote, two of us ordered the profiteroles off the à la carte menu; although the waiter informed us that they were down to the last two tartes in any case, I'll wager we were nevertheless charged full price for the two special desserts
Détour Bistro	2480 Beaubien & Iberville (728-3107)	this came as a recommendation from an otherwise reputable source, so I was expecting it to measure up, which, sadly, it did not; the decor and service are both pleasant enough, but the quality of the dishes didn't score as well; for appetizers, the fennel and split pea soup was all split pea and bland, while the celery remoulade would have benefited from anything to infuse a touch of zest; I was pleased with the confit de canard served with a peach chutney and accompanied by super-thin-sliced fried potato, although the side greens were lackluster; my companion was dissatisfied with the amount of fat content on his short ribs, although to my tastes, these were deliciously tender and I would have been happy with the plate; perhaps we should have stopped there, but the table d'hote included dessert, and we unwisely ruined whatever pleasant taste was left on our palates with the atrocious sponge-cake-like concoction they called a pastry; quelle horreur; keeping in mind that Dé is a somewhat out-of-the way French bistro for most downtowners, unless you happen to find yourself stuck in this neck of the woods for lunch, it's hard to justify the trip; perhaps the saving grace was the resto's sense of humour in referring to the taxes (on the bill) as "Jean" and "Stephen" rather than QST and GST
Montée de Lait	371 Villeneuve E. & St. Denis (289-9921)	we tried the Montée (which in formal French, translates as "lactation", although in Quebec, the phrase apparently, has a different meaning) for lunch, immediately remarking on the crisp bistro-like decor, heavy on the pine, and unquestionably friendly service -- the waitress even offered to lock my bike to hers when I couldn't find my key; food-wise, after warming up on one of the best baguettes we've tried (surprisingly, from Premier Moisson, as our experience in their bread department has, shall we say, been mixed), we moved on to a thoroughly enjoyable ricotta-stuffed pasta in an asparagus sauce, while one of our companions tried the shitake hangar steak, served semi-blue at room temperature (I regretted not having both!); our mains were split between a black cod with two tempura fried onion leeks (the highlight of the dish) and a very tender cheek of veal, served on a polenta base; both were good, but neither hit a home run; the choice of desserts included a chocolate-centered shortbread with a sour ice cream topping and a pear sorbet on baked pear; regrettably, only one of the former was available, as this was heads above the pear
*Laloux	250 Pine E. (287-9127)	in our initial review, Laloux earned our approval as one of the best in the semi-affordable French category; the owner-chef was a real character, raised in France where he became a dessert specialist; main dishes were creative and beatifully presented, etc.; unfortunately, subsequent dining experiences through the following years were increasingly disappointing, and the red star initially adorning its name was removed; but now... with a new chef and an entirely different approach to the menu, the star is back; while the "taster menu" was highly intriguing, not everyone at our table was game, so we went a la carte; my pick began with an appetizer of seared foie gras with a tantalizing mix of eggplant puree and raw mushrooms and almonds, continued with a delicate veal loin offset by baby onions, and wrapped up with a delightful layered Madagascar chocolate "Pot-de-crème", with a thin layer of nutty caramel, topped off by a Maldon cream with a distinct touch of salt (oh yes, it worked!); bravo Laloux, and welcome back!
Les trois petits Bouchons	4669 rue Saint-Denis & Mont Royal (285-4444)	recommended by a friend, I tried this for a lab celebration dinner; this is a cozy, basement-level resto in the popular and competitive Plateau area, so one has to do a decent job to survive here; the winning points at Bouchons were the excellent choice of wines and beautiful presentation of imaginative appetizers, of which the mushroom dish was a personal favourite; in terms of the mains, I sampled the caribou and grilled beef, both were, as per my friend's comment, "good, honest food", although nothing that stood out as exceptional; service started out friendly and most helpful but progressively declined through the evening to the point where we had to call the waiter over for coffee requests around 20 minutes after our dinner dishes were cleared
*Bistro Cocagne	3842 St. Denis & Roy (286-0700)	housed in the former location of Toquée (before Toqée forgot that good food means more than posing), this bistro has a sleek modern look but service that runs a bit leisurely, especially for a not-too-busy Monday night; nevertheless, as you progress into the dining experience, the "no rushing here" atmosphere can be excused, and perhaps even appreciated; this is, after all, not a meal you want to rush; there was some back-and-forth with the menu as the waiter first noted their special of pan-seared foie gras... of which they were out... but a re-supply was imminent... and then sadly, wouldn't be showing up, oh wait... it just did!; we started with a cute amuse-bouche, followed by a mix of appetizers, including a zesty baked okra-something; next came that famous foie gras in an apple purée with shallot chutney; oh, this was Nirvana! I've had my share of force-fed duck livers and enjoyed pretty much every one, but this was something exceptional, not to mention, entirely rewarding a second time around, as our order of mains included one more slice adorning the Macaronade pasta with mushrooms; the pan seared (yes, a recurring theme) venison (in place of beef, of which they'd also run out) bavette with shiitake mushrooms was similarly superb and tender to perfection, although the lacklustre beef cheek (that was brought in as a substitute for the lamb) was, in contrast, rather disappointing; bottom line: it's hard to keep track of what's on the menu at any given moment, but chances are pretty good that you'll walk away with a big smile regardless
Le Cercle	3000 Chemin de la Côte-Ste-Cahterine, RJ.511 (340-7170)	this is an upscale, semi-private dining hall intended for members of the Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC); food is well above average for a university-affiliated dining establishment, in particular when compared to the atrocious fare that McGill serves in its Faculty Club; the menu is tantalizing to the taste buds, and the menu we tried deserved considerable praise; a deliciously smoky carpaccio of deer, followed by the most tender and gently seasoned carribou I can recall; on the downside, the included dessert was far less inspirational, the espresso was devoid of crema, and the (red) wine was served at 10 degrees; when we pointed this out to the manager, we were surprised to learn that this is the temperature they normally kept their bottles, and that apparently, nobody had yet commented on this... tsk tsk
Le Jolifou	1840 Beaubien E & Papineau (722-2175)	this is a friendly French resto with a Mexican twist; rather than starting off with the traditional baguette, you're treated to corn bread with a corn salsa; it's interesting, a touch zesty, but alas, not a preview of what's to come; trusting in the recommendation of an otherwise reliable source, our group opted to go for the gusto and ordered from their "tasting menu" (the red cover); this included a small salmon roll, avocado on a tortilla chip, a glazed beef chunk or sweatbread, seared foie gras, and as a main, most of our group had the hake with mushroom; unfortunately, it all sounded a lot more impressive on paper, in particular the rather disappointing fish (bland) and (dare I say it?) unenjoyable foie gras; even the dessert was unmemorable;
Les Heritiers	5091 de Lanaudière & Laurier (528-4953)	(BYO) our initial review from approximately 2002 suggested that this was the closest we'd come to awarding a double "red asterisk"; we had been wowed by the interesting and delectable flavours of the feuilleté d'escargots au brie et aux pleurotes and seafood in a blue cheese sauce for appetizers, a wild mushroom soup and entrees of canard a l'orange and ginger plus a tasting of our companion's rack of lamb and the piece de resistance, a dessert of truffle-like fondant in a beautiful chocolate cream sauce, served with Corinthian grapes; given the great memories from that meal, I was afraid to go back for many years, lest the memory be corrupted; unfortunately (granted, with that setup, coupled with the conspicuous lack of an asterisk beside the resto's name, you just knew this was coming) time elapses, decor changes, and so do the chefs, with the result that assurances from the hostess that "it's just gotten better over time" had me wondering what happened in the interim! overall, the food quality remains above average but service was impossibly slow, with the meal running three hours on a not-busy-Sunday night; appetizers were acceptable but a far cry from the first experience of sheer delight from years back, the soup was disappointingly watery, the evening's special, a veal steak, accompanied by various mushrooms and a pesto was reasonably enjoyable and the first few bites of barbecued bison rib (an oddity for such a venue that piqued my curiosity) fell ever so tenderly off the bone, infused with a rich, zesty seasoning, however, the novelty quickly wore off and I was soon dreaming about Bofinger, where the flavour stays with you through the whole rib; desserts again were good, especially the marquise, but nothing of the glory from before; sniff sniff... the current "heirs" have not inherited the quality of their predecessors
L'Atelier	5308 St. Laurent & Macguire (273-7442)	(BYO) despite the play on its name in terms of decor, including a stack of lumber adorning one wall, this "workshop" presents a highly polished appearance, as befits the higher than average prices, and serves, at least from our lunch sampling, a creative take on confit de canard, with a healthy dose of orange, wrapped in a thin spring roll exterior, and served with a well-matched side of pureed sweet potato (apparently a recuring dish); the opening gazpacho was somewhat bland, but the truffle dessert scored high marks; I've been warned that the ambience can be extremely noisy in the evening, but I'd be tempted to give it a try all the same, to see how well the fare measures up for dinner, although with warning that servings tend to be on the small side
Les deux singes de Montarvie	176 Saint Viateur West & St. Urbain (278-6854)	this oddly named Mile End resto makes minimal effort at decor apart from some sparse artwork of disturbing Chinese "monkey X-rays" (don't ask) but more than compensates with their efforts to provide dishes with interesting flavours; we enjoyed a lively cauliflower soup entree and a curry-seasoned risotto, and gave good marks to the consistency of their chocolate fondant, although this dessert lacked a certain richness, with one of us questioning the chocolate content, and another the sweetness
La Gaudriole	825 Laurier East & St. Hubert (276-1580)	hailing itself as "cuisine métissée" (mixed blood), this is a fairly typical for Montreal French restaurant inspired by Quebec ingredients and traditions, hence, fries and mayo on the side of an onglet de boeuf; admittedly, the lunch menu was far less inspiring than the dinner offerings, and given the flavours of the former, I'd be happy to return to try the latter; this was solidly good food, reasonably priced, and served in a comfortable, no-rush atmosphere
Swiss & Belgian
Petit Moulinsart	139 St. Paul W. & St. Sulpice (843-7432)	Tintin-decor Belgian, tasty and friendly, fairly casual, reasonable $
La Raclette	1059 Gilford & Christophe Columb (524-8118)	this Swiss resto impressed us with their signature dish (raclette) as an entree and main plates of delightfully seasoned fish, one with an interesting caper and dill sauce; the minced veal, served in a thick, rich cream sauce, was equally enjoyable; both the black cherry torte and decadent chocolate torte desserts were outstanding; the appetizer accompaniment of tangy baby pickles and onions was a nice touch
Italian
Giorgio	2201 St. Catherine W	Olive Garden-inspired Americana version of institutional family dining
Focaccio di carpaccio	2077 University & Maisonneuve (284-1115)	decent and slightly upscale lunch bar with reasonable pastas, oversize and dried out burgers, served in a focaccia bun and some interesting specials
Piaezzetta	St. Denis and Rachel	great thin-crust gourmet pizza
*L'academie	4051 St. Denis and Duluth (849-2249)	(BYO) the kitchen manages to churn out consistently superb dishes for a very large clientele, seated in the spacious three-story building, rebuilt after a fire gutted the building in '99 (rumour has it that the management refused to buy cheese from the "right company"); the decor is elegant and one senses that this place should be far more expensive and pretentious than it is -- in fact, it's decidely friendly and very affordable, considering the excellent quality, probably offering one of the best values for your dollar in terms of decent dining; on a recent visit, we witnessed top-notch service as three waiters descended almost instantly on a couple to change the table setting and one of their chairs after a mild "wine accident"; popular dishes include the veal scallopini and tangy pastas, but we've been back many times and have enjoyed many other offerings from the menu; note that the restaurant does not accept reservations but generally manages to seat waiting guests without an inordinate wait
Eduardo's	Duluth & St. Denis	(BYO) very popular, similar to L'acadamie in menu, with more atmosphere but less impressive dishes
Euro Deli	St. Laurent & Prince Arthur	affordable pastas, the El Sole Mio sauce is a delight, outstanding cannoli, especially when very chilled
McGill Pizza	Milton & Alymer	popular McGill ghetto pizza joint stuck inside a condo building, pizzas are decent value
Modavie	St. Paul, Old Montreal	nouveau Italian, attempting to be chic, but highly disappointing and boring dishes
Weinstein & Gavinos	1434 Crescent	lively ambiance, very popular with the yuppie crowd, features fresh baguettes and pour-your-own wine, the Italian pasta dishes are quite good but the Thai is mediocre at best
Amarone	St. Denis & Maisonneuve	good service, reasonable prices, good pasta
Tutto Pasta	Parc & Prince Arthur	overpriced cafeteria pasta; cool ambience and apparently good for their market section, but the in-house food just doesn't cut it
Montefiore	McGill College & Kennedy	trendy Italian bistro with mediocre pasta and salad playing the all-too typical merengue tunes; waitresses are the main attraction
La Popina	4993 Queen Mary @ Snowden	(now replaced by Chalet Rendez Vous, see below) hole-in-the-wall country-style; excellent thick vegetable soup, but the main dishes very amateur
A Propos	5375 Queen Mary @ DeCarie	attempting-to-be-upscale decor Kosher Italian; the food is nothing exceptional but definitely overpriced
La Cucina	5134 St. Laurent & Laurier (495-1131)	casual but warm ambiance; modestly priced dishes with very good homemade pasta and antipasti; the sauces were decent but nothing inspired; the linguini au pleurottes, while nicely seasoned, was somewhat overpowered by the sundried tomatoes
Monkland Tavern	5555 Monkland @ Old Orchard	a semi-elegant setting with friendly service; delightfully spiced pasta with an interesting Mediterranean flair; the bowtie pasta with lamb and olives was outstanding
Primadonna	3479 St. Laurent & Sherbrooke (282-6644)	tres hip atmosphere in the heart of trendy St. Laurent; the food measures up to expectations and the service was attentive but patrons should be prepared for a confused mix of background music, moving between quiet jazz to loud grunge (which, however, Vinita enjoyed); the waiters' hormones are on full display -- one goes chasing after a group of recently departed young ladies while another two ogle the attempted pick-up through the window, and later, a third gropes a waitress in front of the bar; and all are too preoccupied to close a door left open by newly arriving diners
Ti Amo	Prince Arthur & Coloniale	situated along the ever-popular Prince Arthur pedestrian walkway, this is one of the few non-BYO establishments, but the maitre d' was very accommodating (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) of our "bottle-in-hand" situation; while the service was friendly, the food, unfortunately, fell below even the surface standards one expects from the area; calamari appetizers were one decent exception, but the miniscule salad and cafeteria quality pasta (with -- count them -- four prawns) was utterly disappointing; a saving grace was that we warned not to bother with dessert; definitely a place for the atmosphere, not the food
La Capannina	2022 Stanley & Maisonneuve (845-1852)	despite all the posturing of a fine establishment including elegant decor, classical background music, and complementary veal meatball appetizers, this restaurant doesn't quite pull it all together; the veal dishes -- heavily emphasized in the menu -- were tender and nicely seasoned although the Ceasar salad was dull, jazzed up only by an overload of parmesan; our waiter, while pleasant, lacked the finesse appropriate for the job and neglected to bring a water refill, despite two requests; however he more than redeemed himself with an unsolicited offering of Cointreau-filled chocolates shells for the whole group at the end of the meal
Via del Parco	3458 Parc & Milton (845-0501)	a pleasant atmosphere with attentive service during the lunch hour, popular with the local business crowd and offering a wide variety of lunch specials; the salad was fresh and gently seasoned but the penne a la arabiata sauce, while pleasantly zesty, was perhaps a bit heavy on the chilli and in need of some reducing of liquid
Madona	(various locations)	fast-food pizza; surprisingly half-decent and certainly good value for a low-cost meal
Trattoria Carissima	222 Mont Royal E. & St. Laurent (844-7283)	friendly service and decent, although unexceptional pastas; of the veal-stuffed tortellini and the smoked salmon-wrapped scallops on linguini, the arabiata, although the simplest of the dishes, was probably the best choice
Il Cortile	1442 Sherbrooke W. & Musee (843-8230)	housed in one of the classic museum-area buildings on the south of Sherbrooke, this upscale establishment offers diners a choice of a pleasant, albeit somewhat cramped interior or a beautiful courtyard that evokes images of upper-class Europe; the service almost fits the setting -- it's a combination of Italian exhuberance with a touch of Parisian indifference; as for the dishes, the eggplant-zuchini and cheese-filled crepe appetizers were both interesting and unique, while the risotto and wide spinach pappardelle with porcini mushrooms were excellent
Il Piatto della Nonna	176 St. Viateur W. & Clark (278-6066)	This is what happens when you put an Italian grandmother who loves to cook in a pleasant, relaxed environment and let her make all the rules, including "what's for dinner tonight?" Serving up wonderful dishes of pasta and meats (the menu changes nightly at the whims of the Nonna); we were delighted with the ministrone soup, veal osso bucco and penne, all made and served without the fuss and pretension that accompany more formal establishments
Pizzedelic	3509 St. Laurent & Sherbrooke, Monkland Village (and other locations)	highly disappointing; but I suppose it's what one should expect from a chain, despite the prices that are definitely not of the fast-food category
Le Petit Italien	1265 Bernard W. & Outremont (278-0888)	a very pleasant setting and friendly staff, offering an interesting assortment of antipasti and some beautifully arranged dishes that tasted almost as good as their presentation; the veal scallopini with porcini mushroom and nuts was a powerhouse of flavours -- definitely a good choice if you like that sort of thing -- although it overpowered the wines we chose to accompany the dinner; portions were generous and prices seemed quite reasonable
Prato Pizzeria	3891 St. Laurent & Duluth (285-1616)	reasonably good pizza with thin crust, but nothing to get too excited about
La Transition	4785 Sherbrook & Grosvenor (933-1000)	promoting itself as a "Mediteranean fusion" we would suggest that a more apt description is an Italian restaurant trying to incorporate a few basic North American dishes into its repertoire, with rather limited success; while the ambience is friendly and relaxed, the dishes are lacking inspiration and priced comparably with much better French and Italian restos in the Plateau area
Pizza Mella	107 Prince Arthur E & St. Dominic (849-4680)	(BYO) part of the Prince Arthur pedestrian mall strip of mediocre restos, this one, obviously specializing in its namesake, manages a reasonable four-cheese pizza
Pasta Casareccia	5849 Sherbrooke W. & Oxford (483-1588)	a simple, but comfortable pasta supply store with a small restaurant on the side; we gladly followed the waitress's advice and ordered the roasted pepper soup, which was, indeed, delightful, while the riccota and spinach-stuffed pasta in a porcini mushroom and cream sauce was one of the finest such dishes I've enjoyed outside of Italy; other dishes, such as the minestrone soup and vanilla mouse dessert, were, however, only mediocre
Mess Hall	4858 Sherbrooke W. & Victoria (482-2167)	I've long believed that a sauce should enhance the dish on which it is served, rather than distract one from the main flavours; unfortunately the Mess Hall chef doesn't seem to agree -- the chestnut risotto with pheasant, while beautifully described in the menu, was simply overpowered by the accompanying sauce, such that the delicate taste (assuming there really was some) of both the meat and rice, were totally lost; sadly, while the decor is upscale, it can't compensate for the mediocre food
Agostini	5545 Upper Lachine & Old Orchard (485-0235)	it's hard to imagine that a reasonably busy, family-run Italian joint in Montreal would not be delicious, but this place proves the point that you often have to judge a resto by its location; unfortunately for Agostini, they're in the burbs, where the competition is largely fast-food chains; our meals were uniformly disappointing, from the bland chick-pea soup and the lifeless Ceasar salad right through the airplane-food chicken and soggy veal marsala
Buonjorno	2001 McGill College & Sherbrooke	a pleasantly set split-level atrium set in an office building, advertising an affordable lunch buffet, which, while including a reasonably aesthetic layout of dishes, significantly fails to match the appearance with quality; dishes were generally edible but uniformly unappealing to the palette; had they at least tried to use decent tomatoes in the salads, this would have been a significant improvement
Trattoria Al Dente	3768 Monkland & Wilson (486-4343)	despite several recommendations, praising this venerable Monkland street restaurant, we found the dishes mediocre; the Natasha pasta was no better than something we'd throw together as a short-on-time dish at home, the pizza was soggy, and the only flavour to be found in the tomato bocaccini salad was in the vinaigrette poured over the lettuce
Sapori Pronto	4894 Sherbrooke & Prince Albert (487-9666)	solidly well-prepared, reasonably authentic, pleasant ambiance and decore; delicious talapia, great use of polenta
Carmine's Tuscany Grill	5525 Cote St. Luc & Clanranald (484-7525)	there don't seem to be a wealth of restos in this part of time, so we were somewhat hesitant, but pleasantly surprised by their modestly priced lunch specials; both the pan-fried sole and the surprisingly tasty breast of chicken in a lemon sauce scored reasonably well, the rice and mashed potato sides were acceptable, although the veggies were most disappointing
Guido Angelina	2313 St. Catherine & Atwater (228-5225)	despite initial appearances and location-motivated concerns, set up in the corner of the old Forum, this place manages a reasonable, although unmemorable preparation of dishes; don't expect authentic cuisine as this is strictly for the downtown crowd, tolerating overpriced faux-Italian and willing to pay too much for it; in fairness, the pasta and salad were fairly decent and service was friendly without being obnoxious
Roselina	1177 McGill College & Maisonneuve (842-2530)	(Update: a repeat visit a few months later and my comments about overpriced water stand: this time, Evian for $9.25; in protest, I took the amount off the tip and left them a note to that effect; interestingly, my credit card was charged an extra $10 -- the manager claims that it was an honest mistake (yeah, an extra '1' just appeared on my receipt); the McGill College strip is not known for its dining options; despite proximity to the university, we're impoverished when it comes to choices for relatively affordable cuisine that does not cause offence to the palate; this newcomer to the area (apparently, a second location to an original on Gauchetiere) is hopefully the start of a trend; the jury's still out on the mushroom soup, which departed from tradition by skipping the cream, but the salad with goat cheese, pine nuts, and apple scored strong marks and the penne dishes chosen by my colleagues were all rated highly; desserts were imports, not sure from where, but the lemon meringue pies pushed by our server were well received; less so the fondant au chocolate, which attempted to compensate for quality with quantity; only complaints: $8.50 for a Pellegrino -- come on! and how about getting with the program by processing credit cards without needing the patrons to accompany you to the cash register?
Casa Napoli	6728 Boul Saint-Laurent & St. Zotique (274-4351)	no question this was decent quality; the primo di casa, with buffala cheese, tomatoes, rich olives, and a smoky beef carpaccio was a highlight, the risotto was the real deal and even the fettucine alfredo (ordered off the slightly lower priced bistro menu) seemed to pack an extra something in flavour; service was relatively attentitve and friendly; if they dish out similar quality for the $10 lunch weekday lunch specials, this would be a real bargain
Pasta e Basta	896 Sherbrooke & McGill College (288-7874)	basically a university-style cafeteria with a bit more decor; the pastas and salad were acceptable, and the quality is probably appropriate for the cost
Da Emma	777 de la Commune West & Prince (392-1568)	in brief, I don't like pretensionsness, and Da Emma is full of it; billed as an upscale joint for "authentic" Italian-Roman cuisine, housed in the architecturally stunning interior of a former women's prison in the old city, it may score marks for the setting but throws them all away on overpriced, mediocre dishes and lacklustre service; for starters, the menus, displayed on faux chalkboards at each table, are written exclusively in Italian, which means the waiter spends several minutes reading out the full list to the table in English or French; of course, by the time he's half-way through, you've forgotten pretty much everything; a tip for the management: sometimes, being "different" doesn't mean "better"; food-wise, the salad and soup appeared very plain; the signature pasta, fettuccine with porcini, was reasonably good, but didn't come close to the magic of the dish I've experienced throughout Italy; the lamb was nicely tender, but devoid of flavour, and the outrageously overpriced (at $20) tomato with bufala appetizer was entirely run-of-the-mill; to top it off, the waiter brought a third bottle of mineral water to our table, unsolicited, just as we were finishing our meals, tacking on another $7 to the bill -- a drop in the bucket of the bottom line, but indicative of an attitude that is 90% cash register and 10% kitchen
Spanish & Portugese
*Coco Rico	St. Laurent and Duluth	great rotisserie Portugese chicken; it's won over a number of vegeterians to the other side
Chez Doval	150 Marie-Anne & Hotel de Ville	excellent Portugese chicken & calamari, known for the singing and spontaneous party atmosphere on Friday nights
Le Canard	St. Laurent & Laurier	mediocre family-run Portugese
Jano Grill	St. Laurent & Pine	decent Portugese grill, super hot sauce and sardines, great dessert mousse
*Casa Tapas	St. Duluth & Rachel (848-1063)	mouth-watering tapas, served in a dimly lit, cozy atmosphere; a wonderful place to spend a few hours sampling some good wine with your pick of marinated vegetables or grilled seafoods and meats seasoned with garlic and olive oil; reservations recommended, especially on weekends
L'Etoile de l'Ocean	Rachel & St. Laurent	bland Portugese; very run-of-mill
El Gitano	Parc & Milton	pleasant ambiance, good gazpacho, very mediocre paella
Don Miguel	20 Prince Arthur & St. Laurent	affordable, boring tapas, the dishes were acceptable but nothing inspired
La Bodega	Parc & Milton	a somewhat upscale, although pleasantly relaxed setting, good service, and decent, although unexceptional dishes; while the lunch specials are perhaps a bit pricey for the area, the quantities are generous
*Romados	115 Rachel E. & Bullion (849-1803)	Montreal has some excellent Portugese grilled chicken offerings, such as those from Coco Rico, Jano Grill, and Chez Doval, but this one tops the list; we're talking about an almost strictly take-out only joint, coupled with a modest bakery section, and we're talking about easily understood line-ups to get at those delicious birds and wonderfully seasoned fries; yes, this is how it's supposed to be done
Cafe Ferreira	1446 Peel & Maisonneuve (848-0988)	in Montreal, a C-note should go a fair ways toward a decent lunch; at the popular-with-the-suits Ferreira, we dropped that on two lunch specials, a shared glass of wine and a shared dessert, expecting something at least warranting the term "special" rather than "disappointment"; sadly, the appetizer (seared lamb in a mint sauce and ill-matched chick peas) was mediocre, the mahi-mahi, which we expected to come with the scallops, as advertised, but was instead served straight as the "fish of the day" at a higher cost (!), although correctly cooked, was entirely bland, and would most certainly have benefited from a modicum of seasoning; the bouillabaisse was the one tasty dish, although not served with any accompanying bread beside the initial (meagre) portion of two slices per person; to top it off, coffee was not offered, although included in the lunch price; the dessert was the sole exception, beautifully decorated, and almost worth the trip itself; still, we'd have been better off grabbing the main meal elsewhere
Vasco de Gama	1472 Peel & Maisonneuve (286-2688)	it's surprising how dramatically different two restos under the same ownership can be; de Gama proves the point, as the junior sibling to the disappointing Cafe Ferreira, the upscale sandwiches are well worth the price, and indeed far more salubrious than the dishes next door; although the salads (we tried a goat cheese and tomato, as well as a palm heart salad) were fairly average, both the fresh tuna and the beef and foie gras burgers were exceptional
Pintxo	256 Roy E & Laval (844-0222)	Pintxo, the Catalan equivalent of tapas, makes its mark on the Montreal resto scene with a distinctly inventive flair that warrants the praise it has been receiving; the dishes, most smaller than traditional tapas, range from good to superb, with the salmon tartar, duck confit, and a (main dish of) rack of lamb in the latter category, joined by a wonderful chocolate crème brulé for dessert; other strong showings were the ostrich terrine, octopus, mushroom combo, sardines, and duck confit with goat cheese, although the opening strawberry gazpacho didn't really work me though, disappointingly, this was more strawberry juice with a hint of paprika and a far cry from the delightful mix of zesty flavours that are normally associated with this dish; a warning, the ambiance here is on the high side of noisy, so while it's a fun place for an interesting dance of the taste buds, this is clearly more for a group dinner than a quiet date
Spanish Social Club	4388 St. Laurent & Marianne (849-1737)	the setting is what you'd expect from a large dim sum restaurant, except it's Spanish, and on the Sunday night we visited, the large hall was practically empty apart from a few tables near the windows, a few more on the patio, and the requisite tv screens playing some Spanish soccer (sorry, football) match; the dishes we tried -- sardines, chicken wings, garlic mushrooms, cod nuggets, and paella, were all solidly good, but nothing that leaped into our minds as warranting a "wow!"
Thai
Bato Thai	Baudry Metro	decent
Souvenir de Bangkok	1925 St. Catherine W	spicy soup, decent
Thai Express	3710 St. Laurent & Prince Arthur (287-9957)	formerly a trough-based Thai fast food without any pretense of quality, we were pleased to see that this joint, with a whole new look, now offers an actual restaurant experience including a passable som tam (papaya salad) and decent fried tofu; unfortunately, the tom yum soup was an insulting, watery mess, but otherwise, this was a major improvement
*Cuisine Bangkok	Faubourg St. Catherine (@ Guy) (935-2178)	after many return visits, this early entry warranted an update: I'm becoming convinced that there is simply no need to seek elsewhere in town for excellent Thai food (at least if you stick to basics of pad thai and green curry chicken... and yes, "hot" really does mean "hot"!); the prices are an absolute bargain and the long lineups (not to mention numerous "readers choice" awards) are a testamant to Bangkok's excellence; note that for those averse to the food court environment, they've opened a (recently relocated) formal restaurant branch across the street, but be cautioned that the quality may not measure up
Thai Son	Jean Talon & St. Denis	good spicy lunch soup
Chuch	4088 St. Denis @ Roy	cafeteria sibling of the more upscale ChuChai (next door), featuring all-vegetarian fare including imitation meat that comes surprisingly close to the real thing, especially the crispy beef; that dish, along with the curries and eggplant stand out as best picks
Thailande	88 Bernard W.	excellent tom yum soup and a reasonable red curry lamb; unfortunately, the som tam (papaya salad) was rather bland, although we have yet to find one properly made outside of Thailand
Access Asia	904 Sherbrooke W.	a recently opened pan-Asian joint with an emphasis on Thai, although the regional flavouring is in need of some refinement; the lunch special was hopefully a mistake, with the spring roll lacking the requisite crispiness and the beef strips too big for a mouthful and far too tough to rip apart; decor was also minimalist, but their location provides a captive audience nearby; on a more recent sampling for dinner, the main dishes seemed to have improved although the cold vegeterian spring rolls were tasteles
Maison Thai	3780 St. Laurent & Pine (843-9001)	disappointing take-out, the interesting appearance of many of the dishes is sadly deceptive of its true quality
59 Bangkok	1639 St. Catherine W & Guy (846-1003)	described elsewhere as a "sit-down resto with take-out prices" this newcomer across from the Faubourg offers some very good dishes in an elegant setting at surprisingly low prices; however, one should be prepared for absurdly slow service -- upwards of 40 minutes for a take-out order; the pad thai was excellent and the beef curry also scored good marks, although a chicken curry was disappointingly bland and consisted primarily of potato
Talay Thai	5697 Cote des Neiges at Cote Ste Catherine (739-2999)	a mixed bag in that some of the dishes (green curry chicken with bamboo and long beans, Tom Ka Gai) are superb, while others (pad Thai, red curry chicken, Tom Yum) are disasters
Pad Thai	Eaton Centre food court (McGill College & Maisonneuve)	bleah; despite the popularity as evidenced by the long lines, this place just doesn't measure up to the quality and authenticity of Cuisine Bangkok (see above); the one dish we tried -- their namesake -- was overly sweet with badly overcooked noodles, eggs added far too early in the cooking, and what could well have been tough, boiled chunks of chicken
Bouddha Bouddha	3712 Saint Laurent & Pins (287-9957)	while the restaurant tries to be a bit pan-Asian, the menu has a bias toward Thai dishes; the atmosphere inside is pleasant, decor is sparse but clean, the kitchen range visible at the far end; as for food, I sampled a lunch with a bland salad appetizer followed by beef pad thai; the seasoning was almost acceptable although far too mild (I had requested hot) but the beef was tough and overcooked, while the tofu was inconsistent in size and texture... sorry, but these are basics and the Bouddha doesn't cut it
Phayathai	1235 Guy & St. Catherine (933-9949)	this popular sister restaurant of the larger location on Laurier offers a reasonable compromise between comfort and price while serving nicely seasoned, albeit a tad mild; the soups in particular seem to be favourites, and with good reason, as the tom yum gai we sampled was by far the best of the dishes, and had the rest of the meal kept pace, this would easily have garnered Phayathai a red star; perhaps we were unfortunate in choosing dishes that, by and large, fell short of the requisite spice level expected from authentic Thai
Chinese
Just Noodles	2061 St. Catherine W; 3711 St. Laurent	cheap noodles, once half-decent but generally very disappointing
Maison Kam Fung	1111 Saint Urbain & Gauchetiere	(recently relocated to this new address) large, highly popular dim sum
Zen	Sherbrooke (Westin)	nouveau Chinese-focus; Peking duck and chili shrimp with pecans are superb; however, this restaurant lost its red star after a mediocre Zen-experience ($27) dinner, made especially disappointing by the $2 surcharge for each cup of after-dinner tea. Beware of exceptionally poor serice on Saturday night.
Ming-Do	Clark & Gauchetiere	great ginger and onion Chinese lobster special during the summer; tung choy veggies are a second great pick
Beijing	St. Urbain & Gauchetiere	excellent all-round Chinese, wonderful seafood dishes, hot and sour soup, and XO-sauce specials
Lotte Furama	1110 St. Laurent & Rene Levesque	we once wrote that this was perhaps the best Dim Sum in town but quality is variable; on a good day, great texture and flavour as well as excellent service; in their new location, it's still good, but not deserving of special acclaim
Zyng	St. Denis & Ontario	trendy noodle house featuring build-your-own tepanyaki; fresh and zesty, the place has a fun, hectic atmosphere
Dobe & Andy	St. Urbain & Gauchetiere	incredible value lunch special; BBQ duck is superb
La Maison Chung Mei	Queen Mary & Snowden Metro	reasonable westernized-Cantonese; food was fresh but seasoning is bland -- the pitfall of catering to a largely Jewish clientele?
Sun Shing	5255 Queen Mary	ordinary bland Cantonese/Szechuan
Nouveau Village Royal	1059 St. Laurent @ Gauchetiere	very cheap lobster special but not up to the Ming-Do standard; otherwise mediocre, as evidenced by sparse crowd on a Friday night
Kam Tong	1059 St. Urbain & Gauchetiere	$4.50 lunch specials (taxes included) but beware of coming late as the food seemed microwaved; General Tso sauce was as subtle as a bag of bricks
Hot and Spicy	DeCarie & Namur	Excellent "taster's experience" dinner where you can sample as many dishes as you wish for $26; the Peking duck, shrimp with cashews, and crispy sesame beef are top picks
*La Baguette d'Ivoire	1242 Mackay & St. Catherine's (932-7099)	By far the best Asian food we've enjoyed in Montreal; although a bit pricy at about $25/head, the quality is worth the cost. The restaurant offers a mix of Cantonese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes and the chef appears to have considerable experience in each of these genres. The Thai soups were excellent as was the chili beef, black pepper prawns and orange duck in hot pot, and mango chicken in bird's nest. The basil beef, the most memorable of the dishes, was marinated to perfection and retained a wonderful tenderness.
Keung Kee	70 Gauchetiere W. & St Urbain (393-1668)	Crowded and noisy, but the dishes were enjoyable and the quantities reasonable. The crispy beef in orange sauce and duck with vegetable were both superb.
Le Gourmet D'Orient	3766 St. Laurent & Roy (286-6648)	Modest joint, very popular and crowded during weekday lunch; a reasonable selection of decent lunch special -- don't know about the rest of the menu
L'Orchidee Chine	2017 Peel & Maisonneuve (287-1878)	somewhat upscale in terms of ambience and price; the dishes are delicately prepared and seem fairly light on the oils; Schezuan chicken with crispy spinach and vegetables with shitake mushrooms were both oustanding
Guang Zhou	84 Gauchetiere W. (397-9410)	another of the lobster-fest joints offering somewhat larger and better broken (easily accessible) pieces than many of the other restaurants on the Gauchetiere strip; typical low-end service and boring mixed vegetables but one goes for the lobster...
Soup and Noodles	1871 St. Catherine W. & Guy (933-0531)	fighting it out with a slew of other fast-food Chinese restaurants on the block, this place seems to pack in the biggest crowds and it's little wonder; while this is certainly not a gourmet experience, the service is friendly, the dishes are very good and the quantities generous for the price
Chine Toque	4050 Catherine W. & Atwater (989-5999)	somewhat upscale atmosphere serving reasonably cooked and mildly seasoned dishes
Noodles Express	1510 Maisonneuve & Mackay (939-0115)	drab fast-food and take-out; the General Tso chicken was passable but the recommended vegetables were Americanized Chinese at its finest and the tom yum soup, ordered for curiousity, contained almost nothing to speak of apart from water and spice, and relied on an overdose of chili to substitute for actual flavour
Jardin Asean (Asian Garden)	5828 Sherbrooke W. & Melrose (487-8868)	reasonable quality orange crispy beef and tofu with vegetables although not up to the standards of Keung Kee; somewhat expensive for the quality
Village Szechuan	4242 Decarie & Monkland (488-0096)	horrid crispy beef, with tiny tough-as-leather chunks of beef smothered in batter, the vegetables were not nearly as appaling but the overall experience was a definite write-off
Tao	374 Victoria & Sherbrooke (369-1332)	while service for take-out orders borders on apathetic, the food here is well above average; the lo mein struck the right balance between tender and firm while the sesame crispy beef was a pleasant mix of tangy flavours and light breading
Wok	1845 St. Catherine W. & St. Mathieu (938-1882)	fast food Chinese; decent portions and a well-rated (in some Montreal survey) General Tso chicken, although we found that the orange beef had an almost identical sauce
Mr. Ma	1 Place Ville Marie #11209 (886-8000)	while doing a bit of research, I discovered a possible reason why our review site is so popular -- too many other "restaurant guides" are clearly not written by food critics who sampled the dishes, but rather, lifted straight out of the restaurant's own promotional material; in Mr. Ma's case, this is most clear when reading about how the restaurant "promises an authentic Chinese meal at the cutting edge of gastronomy"... please! at $20/head for overcooked, over-sauced and largely westernized lunch specials, this is a place that survives thanks to a trapped clientele of white businessmen who wouldn't recognize authentic cuisine if it hit them on the head with a heavy wok; the giveaway should be the difficulty of finding a pair of chopsticks on any of the tables, but judging from the liberal sprinkling of caramelized onions over the rice, the chefs probably couldn't use a pair either
Nouilles U & Me	1900 Ste-Catherine W. & St Marc (931-0081)	some of the fast-food Chinese joints in this busy corner, right across from Concordia, serve a passable, if not necessarily impressive set of dishes; Nouilles U & ME does not; their wide noodles came with large clumps stuck together and a most unpleasant sauce, the mixed vegetables consisted of a few pieces of brocoli, carrots, and onion on a mound of rice (horribly overpriced even at $7), and the orange beef -- the only passably edible item of the three -- was easily five-parts breading to one-part beef
Soupebol	1245 Square-Phillips (282-8388)	although probably more oriented to Vietnamese and Thai named dishes, this joint seems to prepare everything from the same "Oriental food for whities" stock, including the requisite General Tao chicken, the Pad Thai that isn't and the spiceless Tom Yum noodle soup; decore is crisp and modern, as befits the location and prices, but the food clearly delivers on quantity over quality; a reader noted a rather unpleasant experience involving a 2" metal wire found in her soup and the manager still charging for her husband's dish... that kind of attitude might earn the restaurant a marginal profit on one customer but it will cost them many more in the long run
Yu Hang	400 Rene-Levesque West & Bleury (866-8788)	we first passed up this resto after a disappointing look through their menu, only to learn, several months later, that they have a different, somewhat less westernized, although still predominantly written in English, menu, available to those who ask; we're glad we did, as the dishes we tried were excellent; the crispy noodles with chicken and vegetables were a generic safe bet for the kids, but memorable picks for the grownups included a "homestyle" eggplant and "spicy" beef, heavy on cumin, a rather unusual but interesting approach to the seasoning
*Niu Kee	1163 Clark & Rene Levesque (227-0464)	those following the evolution of listings on this page will note the long wait for an addition of a red star, but Niu Kee earned it solidly; scanning the message posts on Chowhound, you'll see why -- everyone seems to love the place, and with good reason; from the moment you enter the door, climb the musty carpeted stairs and make your way to the disposable-plastic covered table, surveying the rest of the patrons to realize you're the only white face there, you just know you're in for a good meal; indeed, the dishes we sampled, a spicy beef with cumin and onions, spicy fish with peanuts, and eggplant with peppers were excellent without exception; all were zesty to a certain extent, the fish beautifully sweat-inducing hot (hardly surprising when the dish is swarming with chillies), and the waitress was right on the mark in terms of suggesting which items would be too hot for the kids
Prêt à Manger	1809 St. Catherine W. & Guy (931-8889)	this joint has the ambiance of the typical budget Chinese, catering in good part to a nearby student crowd, but their menu, which offers "Cantonese, Thai, and Szechuan" should be taken as due warning that you're not in for authentic anything; sticking to the first part of the menu, where their emphasis supposedly lies, my friend suggested the snow pea leaves with garlic -- an excellent choice, and the waitress recommended the fried haddock in XO sauce, which was a lukewarm disaster of flavours and texture that didn't belong together... lesson learned: trust your friends
Restaurant du Bonheur	1441 St. Mathieu & Maisonneuve (935-2321)	formerly a Mongolian dumpling joint, now offering more typical westernized Chinese fare, this place does a decent job on the mandarin orange beef, less so on the dummplings (which we had to try, given the history of the place), and far less so on the noodles
New Dynasty	1110 Clark & Rene Levesque (871-8778)	despite a glowing recommendation from a colleague, we found the dishes mediocre in general; I'd be tempted to fault bad luck in the ordering but most of the dishes were recommended by our waiter
Little Sheep Mongolian	50 Gauchetiere W. & St. Laurent (393-0888)	the pots come as a choice of mild, spicy, or half-and-half; the spicy is authentic, and a wonderful treat for those afraid of a watered down level for western tastes; each table is served a large broth of spicy chillies, Chinese cloves, and various other spices, into which you add (i.e., cook your own) thin slices of beef and lamb, along with vegetables of your choice, available from supermarket-style shelves on one half of the restaurant; it's great fun and a delicious meal with plenty of variety
Sinfully Asian	1001 Sherbrooke West & Peel (Bronfman Building, McGill)	in 2004, McGill University renovated the Bronfman building and installed a bistro location for "Upper Crust", which apparently didn't cut it commercially; recently, they've been replaced with a pan-Asian cafeteria, serving a small menu of spring rolls, General Tao chicken, fried beef, chicken with cashew, laksa, tom yum soup, and a few other offerings, all made relatively fresh; normally, the "pan-Asian" designation is enough to scare away anyone who values their taste buds, but at the recommendation of my students... and to my delight, I gave the laksa (Malaysian) a try; I'm a newcomer to this dish, but the mixture of colours of coconut milk, oils and chili immediately stirred my appetite to life, the aroma wafting up from the bowl hinted at something spectacular, and my taste buds were not disappointed; even the thick noodles delivered a texture and flavour of their own, although the morsels of chicken were obviously generic, flavourless, white meat; more sampling of the dishes is required in the weeks ahead, but at $7 for a "small" serving, which was more than adequate for lunch, this may represent the first decent place to grab a quick meal on a campus that has otherwise been known for its atrocious culinary offerings, and for that alone, it warranted the prized red star; unfortunately, after a sampling of a few of their other dishes, the red star was hastily removed; just as in music, there are the "one-hit wonder" bands, this may be a "one-dish wonder" eatery
Korean
Manna	Bishop & St. Catherine	very good and interesting Korean, very different from the ordinary fare
Korea House	Queen Mary & Snowden	Delightful, zesty fare in a relaxed setting; the barbeque beef ribs were wonderfully done and the side vegetables added a nice bite; it was especially refreshing to find quality, authentic Asian fare in this part of town
Quatre Saisons	4200 Saint-Jacques (across from St. Henri metro)	while they offer a mix of Asian cuisine including a significant Japanese menu listing, favourable reviews from the local press suggested concentrating on the Korean specialties; the barbeque beef was definitely a good choice although we had trouble settling on an accompanying dish so went for the fried tofu (Japanese) which was a adequate but hardly exciting; the atmosphere is that of a relaxed, open space with Oriental screens separating rows of tables; a number of private booths are also available for large parties
Seoul	5030 Sherbrooke W. & Claremont	picking up at the site of two failed restaurants (Mahatma and Ichiban), this new entry on the Korean scene seems to be off to a good start with high quality and reasonable prices; while the barbeque beef was fairly ordinary, the vegetable tempura was simply superb and the fried tofu also gets high marks
Hwang Kum	5908 Sherbrooke W & Royal (487-1712)	good bulgobi beef; otherwise unexciting
Vietnamese
14 Prince Arthur	Prince Arthur & St. Laurent	mega portion Vietnamese, excellent duck
Uncancan	St. Catherine & St. Laurent	reasonably good Vietnamese
Dong Que	Rene Levesque & Clark	ok Viet but disapointing shrimp sugar cane; reportedly disappeared or moved... can anyone confirm?
Chez Lien	1694 St. Catherine E	decent Vietnamese
Le Petit Vietnam (Optimum)	Union & Sherbrooke	good, low-price Vietnamese
Chez Tung	Parc & Laurier	reasonable quality Vietnamese
Dalat	Bleury & Pres. Kennedy	decent food but small portions
Nouveau Saigon	Prince Arthur & Collonial	Overall mediocre main dishes, althouh asparagus crab soup was quite nice
La Porte d'Asie	Bleury & Sherbrooke	a rather unappealing decor and downright awful vermicilli but the honey-grilled beef was quite decent as was the pleasant after-dinner tea
Dakao	360 Jean Talon E	reasonable Tonkanese soup but the papaya salad was tasteless; other dishes such as the grilled chicken combo and the vegetable soup were highly disappointing
Le Gout du Saigon	5658 Parc & St. Viateur	good Tonkanese soup; mediocre grilled chicken and beef
Pho Lien	5703 Cote des Neiges & Van Horne (735-6949)	with both indoor and outdoor seating packed on a Sunday evening, the locals obviously know a good thing; this very casual "specializing in Tonkanese soup" location did indeed deliver on the promise: this was by far the best we've tried in the city; we chose the soup with rare beef, shank, and brisket, which were all wonderfully tender and served in a delicious broth of rice noodles and scallions; the other dish we tried, a crispy noodle plate with vegetables and prawns was compartively a big disappointment
Escale a Saigon	107 Laurier W. @ St. Urbain (272-3456)	an upscale spot on trendy Laurier with a pleasant decor; this was, unfortunately, a major disappointment pace a glowing recommendation by the Montreal Food site; as much as we wanted to enjoy our meal, the dishes, apart from the beef soup, were generally boring, the service was poor, and the non-smoking section wasn't
Pho Rang-Dong	Cote St. Catherine & Victoria	somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall, this is the sort of place where you walk in to find only three locals sitting in front of a television and you're not sure if anyone really works there; however, the beef soup was good value and reasonably tasty -- nothing exceptional but it's what you'd expect
Souvenirs d'Indochine	243 Mount Royal & Parc (848-0336)	while the food sampled was prepared off-site by the head chef for a catered event, the dishes were excellent, in particular, a diced pinneaple mixture and salmon chunks stewed in a heavy broth
Le Coin d'Asie	6020 Sherbrooke W. & Belgrave (482-4035)	after numerous disappointments in the Vietnamese category, this was a surprisingly enjoyable change of pace, even as a delivery meal; we gave high marks to the green papaya salad mixed with thin strips of beef, the slightly spicy coconut curry fish, and a chicken sauteed with lemongrass; unfortunately, they forgot to include the dressing for the papaya salad and the birds nest base for the kids' order, but to their credit, they managed a quick turnaround with the driver once notified of the error
La Saigonnaise	5711 Cote des Neiges & Gatineau (344-4952)	yet another surprisingly delightful offering in the Vietnamese category, we were impressed with a take-out of their dry Saigonese soup and chilli beef with rice; apparently tastes even better fresh
Japanese
Katsura	de la Montagne & Maisonneuve	I was sure this place was Korean-run given the presentation style on my one and only visit, but a waitress from Isakaya (see below) who used to work there assures us that it's authentic; adequate but unimpressive
Osaka	Berrie & Sherbrooke	so-so
Sakura	Montagne & Maisonneuve	very good sashimi, authentic ambience, affordable
Sushi Express	Faubourg St. Catherine (@ Guy)	low quality for the price; unworthy of the Faubourg food court reputation
*Isakaya	3469 Parc & Milton (845-8226)	finally, a taste of authentic Japanese pub food (the Japanese equivalent of tapas) comes to Montreal, although in a very non-pub atmosphere; the tofu, spicy salmon wrap, and beef tongue skewers were fantastic, reasonably good tempura
Tokiwa	1184 Bishop & St. Catherine	excellent sushi with a healthy, sharp bite of wasabi and wonderfully seasoned tempura, both served in generous portions at affordable prices; the miso soup came fresh and piping hot and even the rice was cooked to perfection, although on the downside, our waitress forgot to bring the tempura sauce, which in itself was enough of a mistake to cost them a red star, but the yakinuku was also somewhat dry and the flavour disappointing; cozy setting although perhaps a bit cramped
Sushi Ogura	2025 Union & Maisonneuve (847-9000)	solidly authentic sushi in a small, family-run establishment; the tempura gets good marks as well
Waldman's Sushi	76 Roy E. & St. Laurent (285-8747)	as the offering here is Japanese only in the sense of the main dish being sushi, it's a stretch to fit it into this category; furthermore, despite Waldman's being a well-known fish market in town, all the ingredients arrive pre-packaged straight from Vancouver; the only worthwhile part of the sushi lunch special was the spicy seafood soup, which, somewhat unsurprisngly, was definitely not Japanese
Sho-Dan	2020 Metcalfe (987-9967) also 1425 Rene Levesque (871-0777)	while offering a large and lively modern business-set decor, this restaurant was an unfortunate disappointment; despite strong reviews from several colleagues, it seems that the warning of Luc Devroye (who formerly maintained the definitive guide to Japanese dining in Montreal), "if you aren't greeted by a chorus of 'irrashaimasu!' then beware" was quite a propos; while the miso soup got good marks for its choice of mushrooms, the tempura and sashimi selections were adequate at best -- hardly surprising, once we discovered that the fish sits in the kitchen pre-cut; the rice was decidely non-Japanese and my dining companion pointed out a modest clump of knotted rice in one of his sushi appetizers, something that simply wouldn't have been tolerated by an authentic sushi chef
Sushi and Soba	5227 Sherbrooke & Grey (482-6883)	nominally a Chinese-run sushi take-out counter, which, at that, is what you'd expect, apart from the extra disappointment of finding the sushi made without a wasabe layer; the featured menu leans more toward the standard food court Chinese fare
Kaizen Sushi Bar and Treehouse	3527 St. Laurent & Prince Arthur (932-4284)	(note: only the Treehouse remains here; see below for review of Kaizen Sushi at at new location) Kaizen opened this location on the popular St. Laurent restaurant strip, where sushi maestro Tri now runs the kitchen; while the upstairs section offers a la carte sushi, the overall menu is far from traditional sushi fare -- a more apt description would be "designer Asian" -- it is spectacularly creative and delicious; our favourite was the spicy tuna lambas, a rice-kernel-free mixture of aromatic greens and spices with diced sushi tuna in a rice-paper wrap, but we were also highly impressed with the tempura kobe beef and green-tea soba on a bed of ice; the ground floor offers 2-for-1 dishes during happy hour (5-7pm), which makes dining here a great value
Kashima	1232 Greene & Maisonneuve (934-0962)	moderately high-end, authentic sushi shop; the sushi platter (party tray) is a nice mix of creative "nouveau" designs with the more traditional preparations, freshness factor was good
Tokyo Sushi Bar	185 St. Paul W & St. Francois Xavier (844-6695)	the trendy "washed in white" look and the location, in the heart of Old Montreal, should have been enough warning; this place is apparently aiming for a cool feel but can't be bothered to deliver any quality in the dishes; the lunch menu was conspicuously lacking sashimi, but the waiter offered to substitute this for the sushi combo -- the problem was that the chef seemingly did nothing more than remove the cuts of fish (intended for a sushi preparation, but far from the freshest) and served them without the rice... wrong! worse yet, we had to order the green tea separately
Tampopo	4449 Mentana & Mt. Royal (526-0001)	outside, a big green Budha bodes welcome to the young crowd of diners; the very limited mat-seating space leaves most crowded around the counter in the style of a Japanese bar or fast-food sushi shop; the name is decidely Japanese but the menu is more a mix of pan-Asian noodles, spanning Malay, Thai, Indonesian, Cantonese, as well as the requisite soba and udon; prices are very attractive, with mains topping out around $10 (with tax, included in the prices); while the mini-appetizer of vermicelli vinaigrette was a delightful way to start, the main dishes were unfortunately quite mundane; bottom line, this is a fun place to hang out for an hour and enjoy a cheap eat, but sadly, not one to savour
(the new) Kaizen Sushi Bar and Restaurant	4075 Ste. Catherine West (707-8744)	the attitude deserved a full web page... read the details here
Takara	1455 Peel & St. Catherine West (849-9796)	located in a quiet corner of the 4th floor of a shopping mall, with both western and semi-traditional tatami dining, this resto offers reasonable value and quality of preparation; the tempura was a bit inconsistent and the tofu agadashi somewhat heavy on the bonito, but the Takara sushi/sashimi plate was excellent and the staff were indulgent of our two little ones
Mikasa	2049 Peel & Maisonneuve (907-8202)	this was a mixed bag; the salad and miso soup were standard fare, although with a stronger dose of dashi than we're used to; the epynomous sushi platter included two tangy diced salmon tempura rolls -- definitely the highlight of the meal; however, the other sushi items all lacked the requisite layer of wasabi between rice and fish (tsk, tsk, inexcusable) and the Chinese broth-flavoured udon soup was an unmitigated disaster in any form of Asian cuisine
Akiko Sushi	5701 Cote-des-Neiges & Cote-Sainte-Catherine (739-0888)	a solid miso soup and decent mixed sushi plate but the noodle dish was far too heavy on the chicken and vegetables and light on the actual noodles
Odaki	1836 Saint Catherine W. & St. Matthieu (846-1268)	Odaki opened recently at the site of the former Tavola Grande (never tried it); we didn't expect much from "buffet approach", all-you-can-eat sushi (conveyer belt sushi-boat), especially one that also features Chinese dishes, ordered separately, but included in the buffet price; surprisingly, most dishes were decent or better; the sushi and sashimi was fresh, variety was reasonable, and yes, I confess, we even enjoyed some of the Chinese dishes; the setting is atypically upscale for the area, service was flawless, and if they keep up the quality, this place is likely to become popular
Kashin Sushi	5147A Cote des Neiges (735-9091)	reasonable sushi plates, with some decent mixes (dynamite, kamikaze, and spicy salmon) and adequate nigiri, but the smoked salmon didn't cut it
Nagoya Sushi	4435 St. Catherine & Metcalfe (933-2575)	average, uninspired sushi, and reasonably affordable; it is amusing to see a local paper tout Nagoya as "Westmount's best sushi"; well, it's fair to say that there aren't a lot of options in the area!
Malay, Indonesian, Philippine
Nantha's Kitchen	9 Duluth E. & St. Laurent (845-4717)	sadly closed following a long-standing dispute with the landlord; one of the city's most colorful characters, Nantha Kumar, with a real panache for lively, inexpensive food, put together a zesty Malaysian menu blended with some Indian, Chinese, and Thai; update: Nantha opened a new restaurant, "Cash and Curry", not far from the original location; although it's getting mixed reviews, this remains on our "to try list" if only he'd keep stable hours
Nonya	151 Bernard West (875-9998)	(this resto moved twice since we reviewed it at its original location on St. Laurent and St. Catherine; we have not tried it since but note from other reviews sharp increase in prices; hopefully this is a testament to enduring quality, even if less accessible to budget-conscious diners) we were delighted to add an Indonesian entry to this list, as we haven't come across many authentic restos of this genre here; this new arrival in the downtown scene, located, unfortuitously between a strip club and a number of fast-food greasy spoons, is a welcome breath of fresh air to the area; while the decor is a work in progress (after all, they had just opened a few weeks ago when we visited), the service was delightful, the prices affordable, and the menu offered a few interesting dishes in addition to the standard fare of gado-gado, mei or nasi goreng
Sarling Atin	5940 Victoria @ Van Horne (731-0638)	in the most basic of settings with absolutely no frills, and catering almost exclusively to a local crowd; simple Philippine dishes, including some interesting fish
South and Central Asian
Tandour Village	St. Laurent & Prince Arthur	tasty curries and nan, ok price
Maharaja	Rene Levesque & Guy	huge Indian $10 buffet; fairly tasty
Lune d'Inde	St. Catherine & St. Denis; Sherbrooke & Oxford	one of the better downtown Indian restaurants, the St. Denis location also offers a decent catering service
Khyber Pass	506 Duluth E. & Berri	good, tasty Afghan; Tibet-India cross (relocated from their St. Denis & Rachel location)
Chez Gatse	St. Denis & Ontario	mediocre Tibetan, bad ketchup sauce
Genuine	5487 Victoria	yummy S. Indian/Sri Lankan hole-in-wall, serving zesty kutu roti, an interesting blend of meat, egg, onion, and a bread-like filler (now taken over by new owners under a different name)
Allo Inde	Stanley & Maisonneuve	while the lamb korma and onion bajis were excellent, the rest of the dishes were rather disappointing and came in small portions given the price
Maison du Cari	1433 Bishop & St. Catherine	decent, but somewhat mildly spiced Indian; portions were reasonably sized, parathas were very good
Punjab Palace	920 Jean Talon W & Stuart	inexpensive and delicious, the meat thali with ginger chicken and lamb was superb as were the fresh nan; the idlis were also very good but the accompanying sambar was too watery
Sitar	4961D Queen Mary & Snowden	moderate Indian with a delightfully tangy lamb kourma; the naan and stuffed paratha however were very disappointing
Le Taj	2077 Stanley & Sherbrooke (845-9015)	above average quality lunch buffet, although the selection of dishes is fairly restricted; excellent naan; modestly priced
Raga	3333 Queen Mary & Cote des Neiges (344-2217)	good service but an astoundingly disappointing buffet; dishes were uncompromisingly bland, even the butter chicken and lamb curry (two dishes almost universally rich in flavours) were write-offs and the so-called "spicy pickles" were an embarassment to the name; perhaps this is Indian cuisine prepared for those who've never seen a chili pepper in their lives; the one half-decent item was the naan... sigh
Mahli	880 Jarry W. & Wiseman (273-0407)	probably the best take-out Indian we've tried; superb butter chicken in a thick cream sauce with just the right amount of piquant flavouring; the paneer was also excellent, and wasn't too heavy on the cheese, as some recipes tend to be
Pushap	5195 Pare & Decarie (737-4527)	while this hole-in-the-wall specializes in desserts -- reputedly excellent, according to those who enjoy the taste -- the eat-in menu is great value, in particular the very filling thali accompanied by a zesty raitha; however, what makes this place so memorable is the ever-friendly proprieter, who shows such genuine kindness to his customers that it's a pleasure to dine there
Asha	3490 du Parc & Milton (844-3178)	the quantities served here for the lunch specials are fairly generous for the price and the food is moderately good but way too mild (at least when "medium" was requested)
Jolee	5495 Victoria @ Cote. St. Catherine metro (733-6362)	offering a similar kutu rotti to Genuine, above, but with a range of other dishes, including chicken thali and lamb hoppers (rice noodles), served in large quantities and much sufficient spice to cause even chili-holics to break a sweat, even when ordered "mild"; pleasant but simple decor
Malhi	880 Jarry W. @ Wiseman (273-0407)	wonderful for take-out, with great butter chicken and naan
Dev	5997 Victoria & Linton (733-5353)	good naan, a fine thali dish and reasonable chicken biryani in a modest, friendly setting; good value
Shaheen	758 Beaubien E & St. Hubert (904-0156)	decent Pakistani with take-out service; we tried the saag gosth (chicken spinach), which came with lentil soup, rice and a small dessert; watch out for the spice level -- medium was quite hot
Taj Mahal	5026 Sherbrooke & Vendome (482-0076)	modest portions and bland seasoning make this a good bet for those who aren't fans of authentic Indian cuisine
Bombay Palace	2201 St. Catherine W. & Atwater (932-7141)	yet another overpriced, uninspired Indian buffet; sad to say that Maharaja does it better
Bombay Mahal	1001 Jean Talon W. & Stuart (273-3331)	this restaurant was surprisingly crowded with a small line of waiting patrons at 6pm on a Saturday! the Thali dishes were "well spiced and reasonably priced" but somewhat lacklustre in variety of ingredients; service was understandably quite slow
* Halal 786	768 Jean Talon W. & Champagneur (270-0786)	sometimes, just from the aromas wafting out of the kitchen, you know the meal is going to be memorable; this was such a case and delightfuly so! we found ourselves fighting with our two-year old over the Lahore fish (we were lucky he left us any) and can't recall tasting better nans anywhere in the city; the mutton kadhai, channa, and biryani rice were also wonderful; thanks to GB for recommending this one
* Mysore	4216 St. Laurent & Rachel (844-4733)	joy! thanks to the exhortations of a fellow food critic who suggested an evening here, I'm pleased to report that there is, in fact, a memorable Indian resto reasonably accessible to those downtown; prices are only slightly higher than what is found in far less appealing Jean Talon locations, whose quality doesn't come close to Mysore; we had a wonerfully rich chicken Jalfreizi that perfectly accompanied a beautiful pulau with a touch of crispy onion, along with a Bangalore beef dish, authentically spicy (beware), but to a degree where the more subtle flavours still made themselves pronounced; this was a hard dish to stop eating; the nan bread would also give Halal 768 (above) a run for the money; however, the samosas were, while somewhat unique in their preparation, hard to recommend
Bombay Choupati	5011 Sources & Gouin (421-3130)	this cozy resto, situated in a strip mall far from the downtown core, bustles with activity during the dinner hour, and quickly packs in a mixed clientele; the remarkably calm hostess manages to do everything (apart from cook the food) although service can, as would be expected, slow down somewhat during the peak; dishes were uniformly very good, although perhaps not quite adequate in quantity and certainly a tad shy in the spice department for those who expect their vindaloos to taste the part
Sana	621 Jarry W & Bloomfield (274-2220)	the ambiance and unkempt decore are typical of what you'd expect for a no-frills but honest, good ethnic cuisine dining experience; despite warnings by students not to expect much in the way of service, we were pleasantly surprised by the staff's helpfulness in rushing out our order (to help us placate the tempers of our two hungry young children); the food itself was excellent, wonderfully spiced, although not piquante, which was a surprise for traditionally hot dishes like the vindaloo and chicken tika; perhaps this is the default for Pakistani seasoning, but regardless, we had no complaints
Thali	1409 St. Marc & St. Catherine (989-9048)	chili chicken curry, lamb curry, and channa were very good, but some of the other thali dishes, in particular the veggies, were average at best
Greek
Arahova	St. Viateur & Parc/Crescent & St. Cath.	good Greek appetizer spread, otherwise mediocre but affordable
Casa Greque	200 Prince Arthur E & St. Dominique	standard Prince Arthur fare; big portions at modest quality
Jardin de Panos	Duluth & St. Denis	very good Greek, flavourful
La Cabane Greque	Prince Arthur & St. Laurent	slightly better than mediocre
Le Prince Arthur	Prince Arthur & St. Laurent	not bad, but not terribly exciting; quantities for the table d'hote makes a good meal for two
Hercules Souvlaki	Monkland & Oxford	cozy, friendly neighorhood stop for quick, mediocre eats
Sabayon	Sherbrooke & University	nice setting, typically very empty, with reasonable, although not great dishes; moussaka was very plain
Rodos Brochetterie	5019 Queen Mary @ Snowden Metro	mediocre mezes and boring moussaka
Diogenis	925 DeCarie (747-7271)	basic decore, mediocre food, and quick,
Philinos	Parc & Villeneuve	a noisy, party atmosphere prevails in this friendly, relaxed setting; the food is wonderful, in particular, the lamb chops, although the place is apparently best known for its octopus dish
Marathon Souvlaki	5365 Des Jockeys & Namur (other locations in town)	despite this locale getting top marks for souvlaki from a survey of Gazette readers, you get what you expect from this mall-restaurant setting -- quantity over quality in a big way; the Greek salad contained a measly piece of fetta and two olives and used vegetable oil; enough said
Ouzeri	4690 St. Denis & Gilford (845-1336)	heavy on the yuppie atmosphere with copious light pine finish and an energetic, rushed feel, we were only modestly impressed with the dishes, which ranged from decent pikilias to good -- but unexceptional lamb brochette; perhaps the frenetic and noisy ambience interfered with our digestion but for great food in the Greek category, my money is still on Phillinos, above
Villa du Souvlaki	5347 Sherbrooke W. & DeCarie (489-2039)	a popular, busy eaterie with minimal decor and affordable prices; the pikilia was a decent mix as was the quality of the chicken souvlaki; this is not fine dining but it delivers as far as the atmosphere indicates
*Milos	5357 Parc & Fairmount (514) 272-3522)	this is the sort of place the Michelin guide gushes over... impeccably attentive service and a spotlessly clean and crisp atmosphere, along with prices that qualify for a triple-dollar-sign designation (mains run around $35 a head, unless you head down the crustacean path, in which case you might want to double that); for those who care more about the quality of the food, you won't be disappointed either as the dishes are generally superb; we savoured the thinly sliced, fried breaded eggplant and zuchini appetizer as well as the perfectly grilled grouper that served our table of 5; chocaholics must try the sole chocolate item on the desert menu (whose name, sadly, escapes me) as both its texture and flavour were exceptional; the only two criticisms were a lacklustre Greek salad and a (no doubt deliberate) acoustic din that severely challenges the intelligibility of conversation with your dinner companions
Nostos	9540 L'Acadie & Metropolitan (388-1981)	located in a small shopping center, this popular eatery makes an excellent grilled chicken, as well as a highly recommended spanikopita, feta salad, and a decent plate of pikilias, with a taramsalata that will appeal to those (like me) who enjoy the dish but often find it too salty; we tried this as a take-out dinner -- most of the dishes held up well apart from the fries; modest prices
Middle Eastern
Amir's	St. Laurent & Pine/ DeCarie & Jean Talon	fast food Lebanese chain; you get what you pay for
Basha	666 Sherbrooke W & University (807-7097) and various other locations	yet another fast food Lebanese chain; portions are reasonable for the price, and no surprises, on the verge of possibly edible, but as expected, most of the items are served from the trough
Soleil Mediterranneen	St. Denis & Roy	(Tunisian) excellent couscous + salad/dessert bar
Au Tarot	Berri & Mt. Royal	couscous, nothing special
Au Vieul Istanbul	Bleury & St. Catherine	adequate Turkish; heavy on meat, service ranges from indifferent to poor
Minera	St. Paul W.	pricy Moroccan - decent appetizers but main meal was mediocre; best part was belly dancer
Tehran	Maisonneuve & Vendome	reasonable Iranian; standard fare heavy on meat, with laid back atmosphere
La Sirene de la Mer	114 Dresden (Jean Talon)	excellent Lebanese; fillet of sole was simple but nicely done, stuffed vine leaves were outstanding; friendly family atmosphere
*Byblos Le Petit Cafe	1499 Laurier E @ Papineau (523-9396)	a wonderful Iranian restaurant with charming decor and exceptional dishes; the olive, pomegranate and walnut appetizer was a delight and the traditional "Dizy" dinner special was a real experience. Service was friendly albeit a bit too relaxed.
Monsier Falafel	St. Laurent & Pins	moderately priced, reasonable quality fast food Lebanese
Le Soleil Marrakech	5131 Decarie @ Queen Mary	very large and very empty (at least on a Thursday night) -- that should tell you something; the food was mediocre apart from the excellent appetizers, but the service was abysmally slow
El Morocco	3450 Drummond & Sherbrooke (844-6888)	update: while the restaurant itself seems to be overpriced and serve disappointing Jewish-Moroccan -- bland merguez, boring and uninspired couscous, their catering is extraordinary and apparently the true raison d'etre for the resto; for those looking for a real culinary experience in this style but not doing catering, try Boujadi's in Toronto (Eglington and Bayview) -- it's worth the drive from Montreal
Chez Benny	Queen Mary & Snowden	kosher fast food; good mixed salads plate
Aux Lilas	5570 Parc & Fairmount (271-1453)	upscale Lebanese offering excellent mezes and a wide variety of entrees; the proprieter is a very friendly individual who delights in telling stories and is obliging in showmanship when it comes to pouring water from the traditional Middle Eastern jug
Daou	519 Faillon E., 2 blocks N of Jean Talon (276-8310)	Reputed to be one of the best Lebanese restaurants in town and a favourite of Rene Angelil (Celine Dion's husband) although I'm not sure what all the fuss is about; the ambiance is casual and the food was good -- hummus with ground meat and stuffed vine leaves were both enjoyable and the kafta kabab was delicately seasoned, but none of the dishes rose above modest expectations, while service was conspicously lacking.
Chase	5672 Monkland @ Oxford (482-2256)	a smaller than medium-sized, plainly decorated setting, but the dishes are plentiful and tasty, particular favourites were the kafta kebob and fried pita; service is prompt and friendly
Khaima	5211 Sherbrooke W & Gray (369-3555)	this is very much home-style Moroccan cuisine, with most of the dishes served from buffet trays behind the cashier counter; the flavour and quantity is decent and offers very good value, but don't look for the gourmet dining experience
Quartier Perse	4241 Decarie & Monkland (488-6367)	while the dishes were adequately interesting, they did not reach the standards of Byblos (see above), a point made obvious by the lackluster pomegranate-olive appetizer as well as the flavourless vegetarian grilled skewer; other dishes were adequate but nothing to warrant an enthusiastic return visit
Quartier Perse	5899 Sherbrooke & Royal (482-0009)	sharing the same name as the resto listed above, but apparently completely distinct, this one is more of a take-out shop with a modest eat-in space for those so inclined; prices are reasonable and several of the dishes, in particular the various chicken preparations, are reasonably sized and great value in terms of flavour
Torino's	Eaton Centre food court (McGill College & Maisonneuve)	for food court cuisine, this place offers more-than-decent quality and quantity; the grilled chicken with generous accompanying side dishes was fresh and well seasoned
Brochetterie Persepolis	5700 Sherbrooke W & Wilson (807-8747)	overpriced and typical heavy-meat Iranian cuisine although both the scented rice and lentil soup appetizer were memorable
Toucheh	351 Prince Albert & Somerville (369-6868)	(BYO) it's hard to classify this as Iranian, as the menu is a blend of Persian with Italian, French, and general Mediterranean fare, but as the twin brother owners emphasize the former cuisine, this is where it ends up; Toucheh is a popular Westmount restaurant with modestly affordable prices and a relaxed, family-friendly attitude that complements its reputation for excellent dishes with a taste of home cooking; we were most impressed with the chicken penne in a rosé sauce but the steak in a tangy tomato sauce was also an enjoyable dish, albeit somewhat overcooked
*Le Petit Alep	191 Jean Talon E & Gaspé (270-9361)	this is a fun, laid-back place to enjoy a mix of zesty Syrian appetizers and some interesting main dishes; we were fortunate to come with friends, and so, able to try a decent variety of plates, in particular the appetizers which were generally more interesting than the mains; don't miss out on the mint-mango shake or the wonderful desserts; our only disappointment were the store-bought pitas, served in the original bag; it would have been a nice touch to warm them in the oven first
*Rumi Grill	4403 St. Laurent & Marie-Anne (670-6770)	it's a real thrill to be discovering innovative and high-quality middle eastern fare in Montreal, after shuddering for years at the ubiquity of nondescript fast-food Lebanese fare (Basha and Amir); Rumi is one of those places that exudes a love of food, attention to seasoning, and an oh-so-pleasing flare for mixing ingredients to create mouth-watering results; I've been enjoying humus with ground lamb since my first exposure to the dish almost 20 years ago, but don't think I've ever seen it prepared with such finesse; the lamb, gently cooked, mixed with a healthy portion of olive oil and toasted pine nuts, sitting ever so happily (for me, anyway) on the perfect bed of humus -- exactly the right texture, and with a strong does of lime that wasn't overpowering... and this was just one of the appetizers; for mains, top marks for the marinated salmon in a zesty Aleppian sauce, as well as the yogurt-lemon marinated chicken in a garlic sauce; it's so easy to ruin a grilled dish, either by letting it dry out or overpowering the main flavours with the wrong sauce, but here, there were smiles all around; the resto also prepares a house ginger juice, definitely worth a try for something out of the ordinary; the only low mark came for the imported brownie from a nearby bakery; as the cardamom aroma fits with the Middle Eastern ambiance, but the result was unfortunately not up to par with the rest of the meal; perhaps they should stick to the traditional dessert fare, even if it leaves us chocoholics out in the cold
Marché d'Alimentation le Méditerranéen	5785 Cote-des-Neiges & Cote St-Catherine (341-1042)	while it's really more of a Halal butcher shop, this place also runs a small take-out and sit-down corner where customers can order a hot lunch; specialties include a delectable tagine and the trio of grilled meat, served accompanied by a fiery harrisa; be warned that despite appearances, this is not fast food... most of the dishes are apparently made fresh, right down to hand-forming the kababs, so serving times are similar to an average restaurant
Su	5145 Wellington & 6ème; (Verdun) (362-1818)	authentic Turkish food is nirvana, wishes dishes that delight meat eaters and vegetarians alike; Fisun Ercan, the chef/owner of Su, takes authentic Turkish cuisine and infuses a certain Quebec-French flair with excellent results; our tasting menu was a superb combination of flavours, ranging from the traditional beef-yogurt soup, shakshuka, grilled calamari with a (heavy on the) garlic tzatziki, a tangy red pepper spread which could have benefited from a bit more zing, and a scrumptious trio of lamb (kebab, chops, and shoulder on a skewer) to the more nouveau cuisine servings of seared salmon fillet, rubbed with a pepper spice mixture, artichoke heart with peas, and a wonderful celery root; true, I would have preferred to sample more of the traditional dishes to relive memories of some amazing meals from travels of many years back, but given the dearth of decent Turkish offerings in the city, I was happy to settle for the chef's choice; my only serious complaint was the slow pace of the service; even a tasting menu shouldn't take 2.5 hours for lunch
Arouch	1600 Maisonneuve West & Guy	Arouch is a small chain of Armenian pizzarias, which are really more pizza dough with a thin layer of toppings, but deliciously so; choices include an exceptionally tasty zahtar (made so by the combination of lemon and sesame seeds), cheese, lahmajoun (minced lamb or beef), cheese, or cheese and spinach; we tried the zahtar and meat, and even if these were the only decent items on the menu, would easily explain the popularity of this place
African
Blue Nile	St. Denis	expensive and unimpressive Ethiopian
Sabouyouma-Le bienfaiteur	St. Laurent & Mont Royal	zesty Senegalese with interesting ginger juice, apparently now closed
Au Messob d'or	5690 Monkland (488-8620)	while we'd heard good things about this Ethiopian restaurant and were looking forward to finding an alternative to the unsatisfying Blue Nile (see above), to quote one of the Limeliters (60's folk band) pre-song audience interaction, "not quite what I expected... I'm a little disappointed, really"; major complaints were a very confused waiting staff who couldn't advise us in ordering suitable quantities and a lack of spicing so severe that we wondered whether the chili crop had gone off this year; perhaps they're catering to a non-ethnic crowd who can't handle the heat, but alas, it seems that if you want to enjoy good Ethiopian in these parts, you'll have to make the trip west to Toronto
*Le Piton de la Fournaise	835 Duluth & St. Hubert (526-3936)	(BYO) an absolutely delightful dining experience, this resto features cuisine from Reunion Island, decor from Bali, and friendly, efficient service; the appetizers were interesting, but paled in comparison to the main courses of seafood we tried -- an unbelievably delicate and tender shark and perhaps the most delicious salmon fillet we've tasted, served in a thick, wine-enhanced cream sauce; both dishes were accompanied by an ample quantity of mildly seasoned vegetables
Carribean, Latin and South American
Chilenita	Marie Anne & Clark	charming authentic Chilean empanadas and light sandwiches; a homemade zesty salsa rounded out the appetizers
Mexicala Rosa	Bishop & St. Catherine	while I'm no fan of Tex-Mex in general, this one was quite decent; impressive fajitas and a nice salsa appetizer
Bayou Brasil	4552 St. Denis @ Mt. Royal	the restaurant offers a richly coloured decor with beautiful, old wooden tables and large tropical plants in the front; the fare is an interesting mix of Brazilian and Cajun dishes, I particularly enjoyed the blackened shrimps and seafood gumbo, although the Brazilian main dishes were hearty and tasty as well
Lele da Cuca	70 Marie-Anne E (849-6649)	(BYO) a delightful cozy and relaxed setting with colourful decorations and a friendly staff; the Brazilian combination plate was a zesty mix of chili-seasoned mango, fried minced giblets, coconut, black beans, and a gently seasoned palm heart salad although the fried shrimp dish was drowned in a heavy sauce; the restaurant apparently boasts a loyal following and filled most of the tables on a Sunday evening; a talented mariachi performer added a nice touch
Carlos & Pepes	Peel & St. Catherine	generic American tex-mex chain, cheerful service and adequate food, although somewhat pricey given the quality, best item may be the complementary nacho appetizers
El Zaziumm	4581 Parc & Mt. Royal (499-3675)	a mariachi performs both inside (and outside in good weather), an oversize wooden wagon holds a table for about 10 while the bathroom doors are labelled with slightly artistic and anatomically correct designs; the atmosphere inside is lively and fun, but fortunately, it's a far cry from kitchy Americana aiming to appeal to a Tex-Mex kid-clientele; the food is slightly non-Mexican -- some of the dishes listed on the menu hint at a Tex-Mex origin, e.g. the potato skins with guacamole, while others may have a touch of French fusion influence, for example, a zesty spinach salad with chicken livers; most quantities are generous and the food is certainly good value
Los Altos	124 Prince Arthur E. & St. Laurent (848-0249)	a pleasant stop along the Prince Arthur pedestrian mall, offering food of modest quality and some interesting fare including a light cactus salad in a crispy tostada shell
Jardin Tropical	Parc & Laurier	Haitian; simple but fresh food, affordable
Chef Mitch's Jamaica Way	Queen Mary @ Snowden subway	tasty, authentic Jamaican; saltfish and jerk chicken were delicious, reasonably priced -- $12 for a very large serving
Sosua	6548 St. Laurent & Beaubien (271-6622)	a relaxed, friendly bar atmosphere greets lunchtime patrons in this ostensibly Dominican restaurant, the sandwiches are fresh and reasonably tasty and the fried plantain earned top marks
Lola Rosa	545 Milton & Alymer (287-9337)	after almost a decade, I tried a repeat visit; this little resto, tucked into the student ghetto beside McGill but with prices a bit higher than would be expected for the student crowd, has been doing an aparently good business by turning out imaginative and very tasty dishes of the veggie variety; trust the waiter's suggestions -- our's steered me toward a delightfully zesty tomato-olive dish
Chez Rendez Vous	4993 Queen Mary @ Snowden Metro (340-1155)	a self-described cornucopia "specialized in sea food, pasta, cajun, Canadian, and selections of menu catering for parties;" yes, it's quite a mix, but the food has surprisingly interesting flair and offers great value given the quality; the new proprieter has set up shop at a location known for revolving door ownership but if the quality continues, we hope he finds a comfortable niche
Top Tropical	133 Jean-Talon W & Waverly 807-6958)	Top Tropical is largely a take-out hole-in-the-wall joint, with a decidedly ethnic clientele in colourful attire, crowded around the two or three small tables and having a fun time chatting with the cook; the atmosphere evokes the imagination of zesty, memorable eating experiences, but alas, falls far short; someone who shall remain nameless raved about this place having the best rotisserie chicken in town; whether informed by a restricted palate or perhaps deprived of the experiences of some of Montreal's Portugese joints, I must consign culinary recommendations from this individual to the "don't trust" category; the chicken was barely adequate while other dishes (lamb, or was it goat?) and fries were downright atrocious
Eastern European
Mazurka	Prince Arthur & St. Laurent	Polish perogies/blintzes, reasonable
La Metropole	St. Marc & St. Catherine	impressive Russian; a great deal for the quality
Ermitage	5001 Queen Mary & Snowden	interesting, reasonably priced Russian
Fireside	4759 Van Horne & Plamondon metro (737-5576)	we visited for lunch during Rosh Hashana, with the result that we were the only patrons in this normally bustling place; true to Nick's review at montrealfood.com, the menu, decor and friendly service give the impression that they cater to Snowbird patrons; as for our impressions of the meal, Nick seemed to have better luck with the dishes than we did
Bistro
Bistro 2000	St. Denis & Maisonneuve	mediocre bistro food
Bagel Expressions	St. Laurent & Prince Arthur	mediocre Italian sandwiches
Premier Moisson	1490 Sherbrooke & Peel (931-6540); main site on Bernard in Outremont	nice bistro with snobby Parisian attitude; reasonably inventive sandwiches and wonderful baked salmon pie; a nice place for a Sunday brunch; see below for Croissants and Dessert
Cafe Republique	Crescent & St. Catherine	nice outdoor patio to people-watch and enjoy good pannini and pasta
*La Louisiane	5850 Sherbrooke W & Belgrave (369-3073)	offering a lively, festive atmosphere and excellent, tangy cajun dishes, this restaurant has a lot going for it; we sampled the "not really corn" corn bread appetizer, prime rib -- one of the house favourites -- a wonderful blackened catfish, and an angel-hair seafood pasta, all worth a repeat visit
Restaurant du Vieux Port	39 St. Paul E. (866-3175)	offering the typical Old City charm in a classic stone building with elegant interior, with decent, although unexceptional food; as for the actual dishes, we sampled this restaurant as part of a set menu experience and found the salmon steak far superior to the filet mignon
Commensal	McGill & St. Catherine	veggie buffet by the gram; decent dessert, but rather expensive for what you get
Movenpick Marche	Cathcart & University	it's the usual marche experience: decent, fairly healthy food, cooked fresh in front of you at various booths, at modest prices; don't expect anything surprising or exceptional
Bistro Duluth	121 Duluth E & St. Laurent (287-9096)	lacklustre grilled dishes, blandly seasoned, and moderately incompetent service
Le Cap Vert	1200 McGill College & Maisonneuve (866-0662)	run-of-the-mill downtown bistro, popular with the Ville-Marie business crowd; sandwiches and salads are popular
Casey's	1031 l'Acadie & Hwy 40 (382-1234)	it's the typical big suburbian-mall dining experience, including a long, generic menu, but the food is above average for its genre and the service was prompt and friendly
Boccacinos	1251 McGill College & St. Catherine's (861-5742)	pretty much what you expect from the genre of American-chain-style family joints with the 10-page+ menus; bland, boring, and may cause stomach upset
Sheraton 4 Points	475 Sherbrooke & Aylmer (842-3961)	a reasonably pleasant hotel restaurant near McGill University; however, their trout pave was overseasoned and left this diner with a bad case of stomach upset; perhaps the fish was not quite as fresh as advertised
Shed Cafe	3515 St. Laurent & Milton (842-0220)	In contrast to most Montreal restos that follow the French interpretation of "medium" to mean somewhat rare, these folks managed to turn out a "well done" hamburger steak... which wouldn't have been so bad had the meat not (I suspect) have gone off, thus causing some stomach upset an hour later. Tsk tsk. The accompanying salad was drab and seemed to use a generic store-bought vinaigrette. The frites, in contrast, were respectably fried, although served with both mayo and ketchup; either an indication of indecisiveness on the part of the chef or a lack of respect for the clientele's palette. My lunch companion tried the pasta and was unimpressed, although apparently with no ill effects. Her espresso, however, suffered from an unfortunate sour taste.
Java U (aka "New Bistro")	4914 Sherbrooke & Prince Albert (482-7077)	around 6 pm, the coffee joint transforms into an upscale bistro, serving a limited menu of meat, seafood, and pasta as well as some kid-friendly burgers for the little ones; the pasta of the day and grilled veal chop both deserve high marks for care in preparation and seasoning, service on the sidewalk patio was attentive, but casual and friendly, as one would hope for in such a setting
Meat Market	4415 St. Laruent & Mt. Royal (223-2292)	this relative newcomer to St. Laurent is an amusingly named, sandwich-heavy resto that tries hard; despite prices that are kept very reasonable, the owners have managed to convey a sense that they care about their customers; this comes through in making a reservation, reading the menu and the little touches of decore, despite my lack of affinity for the modern art on display; the food itself was generally quite good, although the salad accompanying the table d'hote was a disappointment, both in flavour and preparation, in particular since the regular plates all include a similar arrangement of greens; my dining companions went most for the beautifully arranged sandwiches, while I was happily tempted to try a cerf de boileau (venison) burger, perfectly cooked and served with a wonderfully interesting sauce; all dishes were served with an enjoyable mix of regular and sweet potato fries with mayonnaise-based dip
Le Figaro (shared location with La Croissanterie)	5200 Hutchinson & Fairmont (278-6567)	pleasant service and a bustling atmosphere; the lunch special included a choice of salad or a gazpacho -- I chose the latter and was relatively pleased; the fish (a talipia filet) was modestly flavoured although disappointingly miniscule and the veal option appeared to be a similarly sub-standard portion
MBCo (Montreal Bread Company)	Dorval Airport (633-2274) (with other locations at 1447 Stanley and Complex Desjardins)	although the experience would no doubt be different at other locations, this is a most welcome addition (and improvement) to the culinary offerings at Montreal's main airport; the menu is reasonably diverse and the food is actually enjoyable, especially at 30,000 feet when one considers the available alternatives in economy class; I was impressed with the smoked salmon salad although the chicken village salad did not measure up and the chocolate cake looked far more enticing than it tasted; service is what one expects for an airport joint -- I saw one passenger almost reaching an argument with the staff just to get a sandwich with a bagel that was not falling apart -- a perfectly reasonable expectation at $7.99
Chez Nick	1377 Greene & Sherbrooke (935-0946)	relaxed family-friendly joint, serving a decent pita burger and fried sole, but the regular burger (chosen for the kids) was atrocious
Le Jardin du Ritz (Ritz Carlton Hotel)	1228 Sherbrooke W & Drummond (842-4212)	high on decore and style, modest in food quality, Le Jardin features pleasant atttentive service in a beautiful outdoor patio (in the summer), with tables arranged around a large pool housing a family of ducks, this is a luxurious setting in which to enjoy Sunday brunch; the buffet is substantial in variety and generally enjoyable, although largely unexceptional; dishes span the requisite salads, smoked salmon, and roast beef, but also include quail, rack of lamb (both, unfortunately, left cold), a modest Chinese section (including a horrific General Tao), and a wonderful selection of cheeses and desserts; at a price tag of $55 a head, this is a place for special occasions, but not likely for savouring the food
Chandelier	1180 Maisonneuve W. & Drummond (845-0101)	nice atmosphere and reasonably elegant, weekend lunch was respectable and modestly interesting, although short of memorable; soup and salad both earned good marks, the veal hamburger somewhat less so; service was notably lacking, in particular given the small number of patrons on a Saturday; apparently they do more business at Sunday brunch
Mangia Mangia	1101 Maisonneuve W & Peel (848-7001)	this is an upscale, largely deli-to-go place, with an emphasis on Italian, located just beside the Peel metro; the dishes we sampled were all enjoyable, from the artichoke/palm hearts salad, cheese ravioli, a zesty penne (a winner with the kids), to fish cake, and a decent honey-mustard chicken; however, the upscale qualifier is by way of explaining their prices... by the gram and at just enough for a family of light eaters, $50 was a bit of an eye-bulger
McCord Café	690 Sherbrooke W. & Victoria (398-7100)	(first the initial review from a few years back) just to the left of the main entrance, the museum offers a pleasant stop for lunch with a reasonable selection of hot and cold entrees; the cold poached salmon fillet with hollandaise was run-of-the-mill, but provided a dose of entertainment when we pointed out to the waitress that the poaching plastic had been left on top of the fish before the sauce was added -- her reaction was a very French "Oh mon dieu!"; a more recent return proved to be a major disappointment on the service end, although the food itself was still reasonably good; we didn't have reservations so had no problem standing in line, but the maitre d' neither responded to our queries regarding the expected wait time, nor gave us an opportunity to place our orders while awaiting the table (which we also requested); once we were finally seated, the wait staff were pathetically inattentive, and had to be prodded for each stage of the meal, all the way from taking our orders and bringing bread with the appetizers to delivering the bill at the end; in summary, we arrived at 1, were seated at 1:45, and left at 3; sorry, but not everyone can afford two hours for lunch!
Reservoir	9 Duluth East & St. Laurent (849-7779 )	for a bistro known for its seafood and from reading a number of positive reviews, I was expecting significantly better; unfortunately, the dishes we tried, one of mackerel and another an eggplant-chevre ravioli, while reasonably interesting, did little to pique the taste buds, and the cherry beer, which seemed intriguing on the menu proved to be a major disappointment; only the chocolate-mint mousse dessert was modestly rewarding; service was abysmal -- one of the very few times I couldn't bring myself to leave a tip
Sandwich
Grano	St. Laurent & Prince Arthur	can't go wrong with their Italian sandwiches and great fries, also wonderful value in the 2-for-1 desserts; you can play board games at the tables or just people-watch
Santropol	Duluth & St. Urbain	specializing in custom sandwiches and big with the Mt. Royal hippie crowd, the food is creative and healthy, served on very fresh and tasty breads; milkshakes and juice-based drinks are also popular and well prepared; great atmosphere in the garden patio
Olio	Sherbrooke & Peel	popular Mediteranean-inspired cafe with excellent grilled sandwiches and salad selection; reasonable prices for the largely student crowd
Cafe L'Etranger	680 St. Catherine W. & McGill College (392-9016)	a casual, spacious basement joint popular with the student crowd offers an entirely eclectic menu, spanning creative sandwiches and wraps to Thai-inspired and SoCal recipes, plus a beer special of the day; the daily lunch specials come with a decent soup and slice of "is-it-bread-or-sundried-fruit?" plus a colorful, although fairly tasteless, salad; the main dish I tried, a grilled lime chicken breast with mini-guacamole, was surprisingly well prepared and tasty -- definitely a good choice for an affordable (at $12 with tax and tip) downtown lunch
Burger, Steak & Grill
Alouette Steak House	St. Catherine & Peel	good meat, little atmosphere
Mister Steerburger	St. Catherine & Peel	cheap fast food
Monde o' Fritz	St. Laurent and Duluth	decent burger, yummy fries and beer
L'Anecdote	Rachel & St. Denis	great burgers, poor fries
*La Paryse	302 Ontario & St. Denis (842-2040)	deservedly rated as the best burgers in town; crayons and white paper-tablecloths at the tables to doodle while you wait for your meal; their milkshakes also receive a bonus mark for quality at a very affordable price
Frites Alors	433 Rachel E.	great fries and dipping sauces but really terrible burgers; they should be ashamed... good beer selection
Patati Patata	4177 St. Laurent & Rachel	hole-in-the-wall joint serving excellent fries, small but reasonably tasty burgers; great value for the price
Bofinger Barbeque Smokehouse	5667 Sherbrooke W & Harvard (315-5056)	the barbeque smokehouse part of the name defines the menu, but unlike other rib restos we've seen around town, this place, with a simple crisp interior decor, plenty of outdoor seating, and a buzz of happy patrons, even early on a Sunday evening, gives you a sense that the owners and staff take some pride in their establishment and care about serving up honest, good food; we order two sets of beef ribs, asking the girl at cash to give us whatever sauces are the most popular, along with a side of fries, one of coleslaw, some cicken a and mac n' cheese for the kids; the dishes arrive quickly, almost too fast in fact, and we're a bit nervous, but the ribs are delicious and moist (Kinik at the Mirror must have had bad luck); the Texas sauce has a nice zing to it, not too hot to overpower the meat, but enough that we keep it away from the little ones; South Carolina was mellower and probably not the right fit for beef; unfortunately, nothing else came close to measuring up and I'd suggest that the colelsaw be struck from the menu post-haste; also, don't try to make sense of the pricing -- 3 ribs for $8, 6 for $17 (the girl at cash warned me not to ask)
Copoli	5181 Maisonneuve W & Marlowe (483-0000)	ever so foolishly, we were swayed by a number of posts on various food groups where readers professed their love of the burgers here; all I can say is that they must also be fans of McDonalds; the burger is a squashed Big Mac on a quasi-focacia bun; it may have a large surface area, but the patty is ridiculously thin and tastes like cheap picnic; the fries were re-deep broiled (perhaps several times) to the point of carbonization; and the plates sat at the counter for a good five minutes before being served, not that this would have affected the flavour in any measurable way
Firegrill	1490 Stanley & Maisonneuve (842-0020)	a somewhat upscale grill resto, this offered an adequate cream of carrot soup and a surprisingly tender prime rib au jus, with wonderful garlic-mashed potatoes (although you may be advised to stay clear of your loved ones for a few days thereafter); seems to cater largely to the business set at lunch, haven't seen the dinner crowd yet
Biftheque	998 de Maisonneuve W & Peel (658-5880)	why is it that suits end up dining consistenly in overpriced but mediocre-at-best steak joints? Biftheque offers up the canonical "make it look classy" ambience that appeals to the business set, but can't bother to put in the slightest effort in their kitchen; starting from a watery lentil-cumin soup -- usually a sure hit, but this time, I left the bowl after a few spoons, with my dining companion choosing what appeared to be a listless salad; the meat itself was decent enough, but the overpowering sauces (both on the steak-frites and the pepper steak I sampled) hid any possibility of enjoying the flavour, while the accompanying low-end diner fries (served with either mayo or ketchup -- you just know that's a bad sign), destroyed whatever was left of my appetite
Bars & Nouveau Cuisine
Ginger	Pine & St. Laurent	lousy noveau cuisine with lots of cleavage
Baba-Reeba Cafe	St. Laurent & Prince Arthur	Imaginative and tasty tapas, great service, at least for an early Friday night
McLeans Pub	1210 Peel & Maisonneuve	big-scale pub with friendly service, good selection of brews and decent pub grub at average prices; the burgers were boring by Montreal standards and rather overcooked but the pizzas, highly recommended by others, appeared to be a good choice
Le Claremont	5032 Sherbrooke W. & Claremont (483-1557)	after a highly disappointing gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb) at Julien's (see above in French), I was delighted by the contrast in quality at this trendy Westmount resto; while the burgers (evidently one of the more popular dishes) was mediocre, the specials of the day included, for a reasonable $19, an exceptional grilled blue marlin appetizer with a light teriyaki sauce, along with a main course of curry rice, grilled vegetables, and a fair sized portion of lamb chops in a delicious thick Dijon sauce; service was friendly and professional, to the point of keeping us informed of a problem with one of the beer taps (which was corrected by the time our main course arrived) and politely asking an adjacent table to move outside with their cigarettes (as they were on the edge of a non-smoking section)
Dundee's	106 rue Sainte-Anne, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (457-4272)	apparently a sibling of the downtown location, this family-friendly place with a great view on the water of Saint-Anne's serves a decent fish and chips and chicken fingers that were a hit with the little ones
Deli, Diners & Breakfast Joints
*Schwartz's	3895 St. Laurent & Duluth	pretty well world-famous; this is *the* place to go for smoked meat, lineups day and night, and well worth it
Mamma's Pizzeria	75 Pine W. (288-1128)	a run-down "institution" reputedly serving (by the claims of local students) the best poutine in town, although this is far from a claim to haute cuisine; open late at night
Ben's	Maisonneuve & Metcalfe	old-style deli, smoked meat is the main fare but you can get decent, although expensive blintzes along with a full diner-style menu
*Beauties	Mount Royal & St. Urbain	historic diner with character
Dusty's	Parc & Mt. Royal	lousy breakfast
Great Eggspections	Maisonneuve & Montagne	trendy brunch, very good food but it's too noisy for a conversation and the lineups tend to be nasty
Chez Cora	St. Catherine & Stanley	reasonable breakfast place
Place Milton	220 Milton & St. Famille (285-0011)	good value, popular student hangout, serves decent crepes
Cafeteria	St. Laurent & Milton	trendy but relaxed atmosphere; good portions at a decent price; great place for a weekend brunch
El Dorado	921 Mt. Royal E & St. Andre (598-8282)	Good breakfast crepes and elegant fruit plate, warm decor, friendly service, weekend lunch menu (heavily Mediterannean with some fusion and tex-mex fare) doesn't start until 3pm
Ernie's & Ellie's Place	6900 Decarie & Vezina (Decarie Square)	popular with the kosher crowd, this resto features adquately tasty and generous servings of typical favourites such as chopped liver and chicken soup, but mixes their offerings with a large kosher Chinese menu
Tutti Frutti	4024 St. Catherine W. @ Atwater	part of a local chain offering mega-portions of mediocre quality of various breakfast fare, ranging from chocolate-chip crepes with fruit and whipped cream, waffles, eggs and sausage, etc.; popular with the student crowd, downscale atmosphere, almost diner-like in character, with the added drawback of dirty bathrooms
Chalet Bar-B-Q	5456 Sherbrooke W. & Girouard (489-7235)	rumoured (at least according to Gazette readers) to be the best rotisserie chicken in town, we found this old-style institution offers a decent, moist bird, accompanied by a reasonable barbeque sauce for an extra nominal charge -- however, this is not on par with Coco Rico (see under Portugese), which still takes top marks; the fries were delicious and the coleslaw, while simple, also deserves praise
Reubens	1116 St. Catherine W. & Metcalfe (866-1029)	only tried them for breakfast but the service was friendly, the prices reasonable, and the portions generous; the only fault was in somewhat cool, but still enjoyable French toast (perhaps waiting out too long); the waiter offered not only to reheat them but to have a new batch made (we thanked him but declined the kind offer)
IKEA Cafeteria	9191 Cavendish Blvd & Autoroute 40 (738-2167)	mega-store cafeterias are not renowned for quality food at decent prices, but one has to hand it to IKEA for delivering on both counts; one does not come here for haute cuisine, but the dishes are surprisingly well prepared and certainly affordable; the salmon plate is passable and fish and chips surprisingly good; where else can one get a decent chocolate mousse and capuccino for $2?
Cote St. Luc Bar-B-Q	5403 Cote-Saint Luc & Earnscliffe (488-4011)	I've never understood the appeal of Swiss Chalet and its cousins but evidently, the genre has its followers; the venerable Cote St. Luc BBQ draws the praise of numerous web postings as "perfect" rotisserie chicken, but to put it simply, this ain't for me; again, talk to the Portugese, who know how to do this right
Croissants and Dessert
Cafe Linda - La Croissanterie	1909 St. Catherine & Guy (932-2604)	tucked into the sprawl of shops on St. Catherine W. across from the Faubourg is this little neighbourhood cafe, which makes its own croissants - a standard mix of butter, almond, and chocolatines; generally good almond, priced very reasonably, although the plain butter were very plain...
Patisserie Belge	Parc & Milton	the butter are generally very good, although on at least one occasion, they were downright unpleasant;the chocolatines often lack any more than a drop of chocolate; they used to have excellent chocolate-almond, but alas, these are almost never available any more
Au Bon Pain	St. Mathieu & Lincoln	reasonable butter and chocolate, somewhat disappointing almond
Pain D'Oré	various locations	on first review, we called this a chain of overpriced and decidely below average croissants; however, after enjoying their frozen, thaw-overnight-then-bake-in-the-morning croissants and chocolatines for several years, we apologize profusely for the earlier slight; having these piping hot croissants in the morning is by far the best way to enjoy them... even beating out Paris
Pagnelli's	1616 St. Catherine & Guy (Faubourg ground level) (934-1512)	very rich almond and chocolate almond, certainly their best offering; the chocolatine is reasonable but the butter leaves a bit to be desired; beware, however, of their associated breakfast/lunch grill on the side, which dishes out insipidly bland servings after inexcusable delays
Fougasse & Quignon	Complexe Desjardins #72 (basement of St. Catherine & St. Urbain) (847-8393)	located at the edge of the food court, this little boulangerie offers some of the best chocolate almond croissants to be found, but you have to arrive early on weekdays as they sell out quickly; their butter and chocolate croissants are also some of the city's best; another location exists at the Rockland commercial centre
Duc de Lorraine	Cote-des-Neiges & St. Mary	reportedly the best croissants in town; great coffee, but we found the croissant-based sandwiches to be only reasonably good; full deli available at a limited number of tables
Premier Moisson	1490 Sherbrooke & Peel (931-6540); main site on Bernard in Outremont	excellent butter croissants, which is where their real strength lies; the chocolatines are also good but their almond only rates an average grade; in the dessert category, top marks on a killer chocolate mousse
Les Plaisirs du Palais	Queen Mary & Snowden Metro	a modest selection of varieties are available, although the patisserie offers a wide range of other delectable sweets
Au Kouigan Amann	3447A Mt. Royal & Henri Julien	offering, in addition to the usual selection, a rasberry chocolate, but unfortunately, the quality didn't measure up to the novelty -- all their croissants suffered from poor "flakiness" and more resembled buns
*Patisserie de Gascogne	4825 Sherbrooke W. & Grosvenor (932-3511); second location at 237 Laurier & Parc	popular and bustling pastry shop with a nice gourmet food section, pleasant service, and the best hot chocolate ("chocolat chaud a l'ancienne") we've found in town; in terms of croissants, their creme d'amande currently tops the list as by far the best we've tried, standing tall above its competitors; the consistency of the dough as well as the rich but not overpowering almond filling were an absolute delight
*Rockaberry's	St. Denis and Rachel; second location on Queen Mary	incredibly decedant truffle, mouth-watering pies
Kilo	St. Laurent & Fairmont	very good desserts; retro-candy sales
L'Amandier (Croissants d'Ore)	1479 Laurier E & Fabre (523-1501)	average croissants in the filled almond, plain, and chocolate variety
Le Glacier Bilboquet	1311 Bernard W. & Outremont (276-0414)	superb ice creams and sherberts with an interesting variety of flavours and generous servings; on a hot summer weekend afternoon, there's always a line in front of this fixture of the Outremont scene
Pagliacci's	125 Prince Arthur E & Coloniale (289-0904)	near the east end of the Prince Arthur pedestrian walkway sits a popular gelateria, featuring mouth-watering flavours including black currant and a scrumptious mango; rated as one of the city's finest, this stuff rivals the best from Italy
Fromentier	1375 Laurier E. & Fabre (527-3327)	with a different "bread menu" every day of the week, you know you're onto something special when you step foot inside this basement bakery in the trendy Plateau area; while we've only tried the breads, including our favourite "chocolate explosion" (featuring a mixture of chocolate and cranberries), we recently discovered a wide selection of croissants, which, alas, don't compare to the quality of their breads
Calories	4114 St. Catherine's W. & Atwater (933-8186)	reputed for its desserts, but the lunch pannini specials are a serious disappointment
Patisserie de Nâncy	5655 Monkland & Oxford (482-3030)	although reasonable moist, the croissants are far too crispy and devoid of flavour
Les Co'Pains d'abord	1965 Mont Royal E. & Bordeaux (522-1994)	croissants have an interesting high-crispness factor, possibly resulting from application of a thin layer of butter pre-baking, but unlike the clever name of thos boulangerie, the output of the oven is otherwise fairly ordinary
The Two-strikes-and-you're-out Club
Indiana's	Maisonneuve & McGill	(two strikes) very poor quality grill; if you should brave the establishment, check to see if the kitchen staff still smoke in the non-smoking section. Last visit involved an altercation with waitress who promised a speedy meal but took 45 minutes to bring out the first appetizer -- a tepid soup.
Amelio's	St. Famille & Milton	(two strikes) Friendly atmosphere near McGill but the food is atrocious. I have frequent arguments with die-hard loyalists who swear by their five-cheese pizza, but our experience was that the pizza is sparse on toppings and far too runny while the salad ($7, rather expensive considering that this is largely a student pizza joint) was 90% iceburg lettuce and incredibly bland. Eggplant parmesana sub tasted like it came from a cheap cafeteria.
La Belle Provence	St. Catherine & Aylmer	horrid fast food
Sushi et Boulettes	St. Laurent & Pine	The fact that it is under the same management as Just Noodles (see above) should have been sufficient warning. While we've only been there once, this was without question the worst meal we have ever suffered in this city. The seaweed was tough and chewy, the wasabi was so dry it wouldn't dissolve in the soy sauce, they used canned(!) tuna in the sushi, and even the rice was off. Please...
Dunn's	Carre Phillip & St. Catherine	wanna-be bar-like atmosphere and atrocious food; the sirloin steak was absolutely vile -- almost made me want to become a vegeterian
Bal St. Louis (Grill/Pub)	82 Prince Arthur & Coloniale	atrocious veal parmesan served cold and poor service to boot
Rahamim	5136 DeCarie & Queen Mary	a Kosher Japanese restaurant and it's vile, vile, vile; now we know why sushi never made it big among religious Jewish circles; everything was off, all the way from the fish and soy sauce to the ginger and even the texture of the rice; and adding insult to injury, it's expensive (now closed, and deservedly so!)
La Belle Thailandaise	4514 St. Denis & Mont Royal (843-6269)	(BYO -- and you'll probably want a lot to drown the food) it's not so bad when you walk into an obviously low-class restaurant, pay low prices and get fed slop, but when the decor is nice and the prices are in the order of $10/plate, one has the expectation of -- if not good food, then at least -- a modicum of attention to service; the "Belle" here, offers neither; for starters, the red fish curry in eggplant appeared to be made from frozen breaded fish fillets and the eggplant was the large North American variety, the Pad Thai was nothing of the sort -- essentially devoid of flavour and made with thin chow mein noodles (with an almost burned taste); when we complained politely to the waiter concerning the latter dish, he refused to take back the plate ("I'll have to charge you for it"), although a more senior staff member did discuss the seasoning with us and repeatedly offered to add more chilli despite our protestations that the spice level wasn't the problem!
Foxy's	Victoria & Plamondon	not quite awful, but somewhat evocative of what kosher food would taste like if it were made by McDonald's; enough said
Moe's Deli & Bar	Dorval Airport	those who say that airport restaurants have captive audiences are right; this place should be sued by the city for advertising "Le Montrealais" in their burger category; this slab of tasteless cardboard-meat, accompanied by insipid, undercooked fries, is a disgrace to the fine culinary offerings of Montreal; in contrast, a number of decent take-away sandwich joints have sprung up in the pre-security area of the airport, which, in contrast, offer something actually palatable

Last updated: 15 November, 2009