What's New and Good in BYOW places?

[aregularjoe]

The wife and I are making our yearly pilgrimage to Montreal this summer, and are looking for what's new and/or good in BYOW.

Some of our favorites

Le Colombe
Zest De Folie

Anything along those lines? Food made with love, care and quality ingredients?

[1Capricieuse]

Restaurant Le Pegase is amazing (especially the lamb rack)
Le Pégase
1831, rue Gilford
Montréal
H2H 1G6

514 522-0487

[Natt]

I was at L'Atelier on Saint-Laurent over the weekend!
Prices on the menu include tip and taxe!
So you pay what you see!!
I had the rabbit poutine and the bison tartar! Both delicious! :)
Its not very new... but still quite good!

[estilker]

Can you confirm that it's a BYOW? How much tip was included?

[Em24]

I was at l'Atelier this past Friday and the prices on the menu did not include tip and taxes?! It really is BYOW though, and I really enjoyed my meal.

[alixium]

I have heard good things about l'Atelier... I can confirm it is a BYOW, but not the tip situation (my enthusiastic friend failed to mention this characteristic)

[carswell]

Definitely BYOB and it is now said to have a connection to Le Bleu Raisin. Haven't been since the changeover because a couple of friends who went reported serious service and food glitches. Am glad to see the positive reports here. Will have to check it out, though not the rabbit poutine TYVM.

[cherylmtl]

I think they were always connected to the group that runs Le Bleu Raisin and others - but they were the only one that wasn't apporter (which has now changed). I haven't been since they switched formats, but quite enjoyed my last meal there.

[moh]

I had a very unfortunate experience at L'Atelier since they opened up as a BYOB. We had reservations for 6:00, and were told we absolutely had to be out of there by 8:30. But they did not take our order until 6:45, and our appetizers arrived at 7:15. There were unacceptably long pauses between the courses. Yet at 8:30, they rushed us out, and refused to offer us coffee with dessert as it was too close to 8:30. I'd be more understanding if they hadn't made us wait forever between courses.

We all had an appetizer, main and dessert. None of us left stuffed. A couple of people admitted they had to eat more after dinner, on the way home.

The food was Meh. I started with a torchon of fois. The torchon was lovely, but the serving was the size of a stack of 5 loonies. It was accompanied by a very odd and bitter salad that was at complete odds with the fois gras. Shame, because the torchon was really good. I don't even remember what I had as a main, it was a very boring prep of some protein (Beef? Lamb? Very unmemorable...). It was well- prepared, but not very original. And again, the serving size was meagre compared to most places. Dessert was disappointing, I had a financier cake which was also forgettable.

We spent about $50 per person before tax and tip. Our group all agreed that this was way to expensive for what we got.

I don't think I'll be returning. There are just too many BYOBs which give greater Quality-to-price ratio.

[cherylmtl]

That's really too bad - I was worried that things might have gone downhill with the change to BYOB, but that sounds a lot worse than I'd expected. I guess I can cross it off my list of places to return to...

[cricri7]

Like you, Zeste de folie is one of my favorite restaurants (unlike you I have the chance to walk there whenever I feel like it!) and I recently had dinner at another BYOW and liked it very much....Ô Thym on Amherst near Maisonneuve. I also like l'Entrepont on Villeneuve. It is more traditional though than the other 2 but still very good.

[moh]

Cricri7, is L'Entrepont different the Bistro L'Entrepont on Hotel de Ville near Mont Royal? Where on Villeneuve is L'Entrepont?

[cricri7]

oops.....Thanks Moh for correctiong me....l'Entrepont is on Hotel-de-Ville just south of Villeneuve. Seems I was not fully awake on this Saturday morning!

You asked Regular Joe about an upcoming chef...I could add that there is a bistro called Madre on Masson, near Le zeste de folie, that was opened by a chef called Navarette. He has another restaurant on Laurier called Raza and his bistro Madre on Masson is a bit less expensive, though it still is a bit expensive in my opinion. He makes the best ceviche ever! He has won awards with it. I just love his food!

[lagatta]

Neither is a byow though.

I'm still going to point out Zitto e mangia as a small, not-expensive BYOW in Petite Italie.

The reviews find it uneven but we were lucky with our choices - it is interesting to have the Italian/Salvadorean food combo - the resto is run by the adult children of an Italian + Salvadorean couple. I like the corner spot opposite Parc de la Petite Italie (Clark & St-Zotique) and there is quite a bit of space; the sort of place that would be great for a book launch or similar event (and the owners are amenable to that). I'm very fond of their pupusas, much less greasy than others I've had hereabouts.

[aregularjoe]

Interesting on the Italian Fusion. we have a great italian/peruvian fusion place here in Boston that we like a lot. The octopus stew is awesome. If anyone is ever n Boston, it is called Tarranta and it is on Hanover St. in the North end (probably the only place in that brutal tourist trap of a neighborhood I would eat in)

[aregularjoe]

I noticed that O Thym has a link to Les Infideles. Are you aware of the connection? I found les Infideles good but not so good I would go out of my way to go back....

[cricri7]

We have the same taste in restaurants because I went once to Les infideles and would never go back. I thought it was okay, but much too expensive for what you got. Ô Thym I liked very much. I have trouble when I go to restaurants because I often compare to Le zeste de folie, but it still was excellent.

[johnnyboy]

I think O'thym, A l'Os et Les Infidèles have some sort of ownership link. I've tried the first two, O'thym I find a much better value and for having been a few times I can say it is very consistent. It's a rare place where vegetable side dishes are as interesting as the mains, but O'thym is that way. Also, the cheese cake dessert is out of this world.
If in your BYOW search Beurre-Noisette comes up, I wouldn't bother - was there a few months back, was OK but you can find better.

[aregularjoe]

Thanks to all who have replied so far. Can anyone think of a place with an up and coming chef perhaps?

[Alyson777]

http://www.othym.com/ (french Bistro style) 1112, boul. de Maisonneuve E

Anise Restaurant - Bistro, 104 Laurier, Montreal, Quebec (excellent

)

I was just at YUKAI on Park avenue below Bernard st for BYOW Sushi last night. My meal was very good! 5658, ave. du Parc

La Trattoria (ok Italian) 1551, rue Notre-Dame O

À l'Os (very good but not cheap) 5207, boul. St-Laurent

[carswell]

«Anise Restaurant - Bistro, 104 Laurier, Montreal, Quebec (excellent)»

Anise was never a BYO and, anyway, closed several years ago. Its replacement, Bazaar, moved to 365 Laurier West, wasn't a BYO and also closed last year. The windows have finally been papered over and the À Louer sign taken down but, as of Wednesday, there was no other sign of activity or annoucement of plan.

The restaurant on Park Ave. is spelled Yuukai. While it's probably one of the city's better BYO sushi joints, that's not saying much.

[Alyson777]

I really like Yukai ... it's not the most extravagant sushi I have had in Montreal but its always good and fresh.

As for Anise too bad it closed I thought it was good from what I remember.. I went two years ago at least so it hasn't been that long. It was known as Bazaar Anise after no?. Anyways it doesn't even say anything on their website about them being closed.. I thought it was BYOW but I guess I was wrong.

[eatkat]

New: Appolo bistro in Little Italy. Cheaper than Appolo restaurant and temporarily BYOW

[carswell]

For the search engine, it's Apollo. www.apolloglobe.com
Here's hoping the bistro is more consistent than the restaurant!

[carswell]

Just tried to make a reservation. Was told the bistro is no longer BYOB and now has its own wine list. My interlocutor said that markup was reasonable -- about $10-15 over SAQ list prices.

Apollo Restaurant remains a BYOB but is closed until August 5.