In search of Good Bistros in Plateau or elsewhere

[lonestartor]

I'm meeting some friends from San Francisco mid July for a week and I needed some recommendations for French Bistros in the Plateau area or even elsewhere in the city.

I'm staying at the Hotel Gouverneur Place Dupuis on St. Hubert/Ste. Catherine.

My friends aren't looking for a highend highroller experience. They simply want good food in a Bistro which offers great food/great value.

Can anyone help with some recommendations?

thanks

[cricri7]

I really like La Raclette (Christiple-colomb and Gilford) which is a BYOW. It is quite snice and not too expensive.

[randyjl]

THANKS! I was just about to post an exact replica of lonetartor's! Wonder if he's from Texas like we are?

[garbonza]

Bistro de Bienville at de Mentana and Bienville. Just ate there and it is simple but outstanding, with a small menu and an exquisite wine list.

[UnConundrum]

I really like Le Margaux at 5058, avenue du Parc near Laurier. http://www.lemargaux.com.

[carswell]

Your hotel is in the Latin Quarter, just south of the Plateau and west of the Village and on the main north-south and east-west metro lines. The following bistros get a lot of discussion on the board, so make use of the search engine. My personal faves are Au Petit Extra, Leméac, Laloux (assuming it's returned to form), Au Cinquième Péché and Le P'tit Plateau, but you really can't go wrong at any of them.

Village (the northeastern edge): Au Petit Extra (great QPR and many people's favourite).
www.aupetitextra.com

Plateau: L'Express (the mother of them all, a little slice of Paris on St-Denis Street, with variable but never less than good food, fun wine lists and lots of beautiful people), Cocagne (just across the street), Le Continental (just up the street), Laloux (wonderful interior with a new and reportedly strong team in the kitchen). FWIW, Martin Picard once described Au Pied de Cochon as a "bistro du peuple" (bistro for ordinary people).
www.bistro-cocagne.com
www.lecontinental.ca
www.laloux.com
www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca

Old Montreal: Holder (big, bustling).
www.restaurantholder.com

Outremont/Mile End: Leméac (chic, bustling).
www.restaurantlemeac.com

There are also many smaller restaurants sometimes referred to as neighbourhood bistros: Au Cinquième Péché, La Montée de Lait, Le P'tit Plateau (a BYOB), Bruno Bistro, Truffert Bistro de Christophe, Les Trois Petits Bouchons, etc.
www.aucinquiemepeche.com
http://troispetitsbouchons.com

Avoid: Globe, Rosalie and, unless a nice terrace matters more than good food, Boris Bistro. Chez Lévêque, just across the street from Leméac, is popular but I've never been thrilled by the food.

[lonestartor]

Thank you for the great reply. It's given me plenty of ideas to go on for dinner etc and I really appreciate it.

[lagatta]

How about O'Thym? That is extremely close to lonestartor's hotel. http://othym.com/

[tombombadillo]

Where is Othym located? Who has the better confit, Lemeac, Holder or them

[rcianci]

O'Thym
1112, boul. de Maisonneuve Est
http://www.othym.com/

[carswell]

Have never seen duck confit on their menu. They're not really a bistro so much as a market-driven French resto, though the line is fuzzy.

[rcianci]

Though I don't know how current it is, their online lunch menu lists duck confit served with a red cabbage salad.

[carswell]

Oops. Am only familiar with the dinner menu.

In any case, a bistro doesn't by definition have to have duck confit on its menu nor does the fact that a place offers confit make it a bistro.

[lagatta]

Yes, true, though it being about five minutes' walk from lonestartor's hotel makes it a great pit stop.

It is a byow. There is a SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec - the government wine and spirits monopoly) at the corner of St-André and Ste-Catherine.