664754 Wed Nov 04 14:01:14 -0800 2009 6 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 5156127 I'm a real die hard foodie living in Montreal. And - I admit, I am a huge fan of French bistro food. Not very in vogue these days, I know. But I'm just going to own it - I love it. Do any of you have any suggestions for good French bistro food in Montreal, preferably in a casual but stylish setting? I'm not after anything chi-chi. No table-side flambés or crumb-scrapers between courses. Just good French food at an affordable price. There are a few I'm familiar with - Boris Bistro on McGill, Truffert on Laurier, but if you can think of any others - let me know please! Thanks a mill! Wed Nov 04 14:01:14 -0800 2009 1121754 NickMontreal 1 5156196 Last time I was looking for an affordable bistro, I tried Bistro Justine, on Van Horne. The menu is simple and very inexpensive (appetizers $5.50, and mains between $13 and $16). I enjoyed the niçoise salad, cream pasta and filet mignon on past visits. The service was pleasant, and my companion and I felt at ease in the cozy atmosphere. Of course, this is not extravagant, fine dining. But I love it when I get a craving for simple bistro food. Wed Nov 04 14:20:05 -0800 2009 5156127 194657 alixium 1 5156339 Holder, Le P'tit Plateau, Au Petit Extra. And there's always L'Express (not the best, but better than Boris...) Wed Nov 04 15:06:21 -0800 2009 5156127 19331 cherylmtl 1 5156423 Hardly a lost art, especially in Montreal, especially these days. The big boys are Leméac, Holder, Au Petit Extra and, the granddaddy of them all, L'Express. Laloux bills itself -- or used to -- as a bistro de luxe. Au Pied de Cochon's Martin Picard once told me he thought of his restaurant as a "bistro du peuple." There's also the ill-defined category of neighbourhood bistro (personal favourites are asterisked -- though apparently that knocks them out of the brain-dead autolist): *Cocagne, *Au Cinquième Péché, *Bistro Bienville, *Cuisine et Dépendance, *Kitchen Galerie, *Mas Cuisine, Le Valois, Le Petit Conti, Le Margaux, La Fabrique, Le Grand Comptoir, Au Petit Bistro, Bistro à Justine, Figaro (aka La Croissanterie), Paris-Beurre, Les Cons Servent, Bistro Le Répertoire, Café Cherrier, Les Deux Gamins, Au Bistro Gourmet, Bistro on the Avenue, Le Bouchon de Liège, Le Saint-Urbain, etc. -- and those are just the ones that pop into my head. Many BYOBs could be considered bistros: Le P'tit Plateau, L'Entrepont, etc. A few to avoid IMHO (many of which are, of course, included in the brain-dead auotlist): Au 917, Boris Bistro, Chez Lévêque, Le Pois Penché. Wed Nov 04 15:31:59 -0800 2009 5156127 10520 carswell 2 5157579 These all look great – thank you. I especially appreciate your extensive list Carswell... Funny – it seems the unanimous opinion of everyone on this website that Boris is a no-go, but I really enjoyed my lunch there... Perhaps I went on a good day. And I stand my ground – it is a lost art. People get it wrong more than they get it right these days. But good bistro food is out there if you look hard enough, as you've all proven! Thanks again. Nick Thu Nov 05 06:05:34 -0800 2009 5156423 1121754 NickMontreal 3 5158390 I think some of the aspects of Bistro food are a lost art. In particular, stews, odd cuts, and braised meats. I know that you can find examples of these at some places, but I sort of think that this should be the rule, as opposed to the exception. I don't think of filet and chicken breast as bistro food =D Thu Nov 05 10:35:31 -0800 2009 5157579 208595 The Chemist 4 5158423 I have been once to Boris Bistro, and had the beef tartare. Never Again. Huge portion of machine-chopped meat covered in mustard. The texture cannot be compared to a hand-chopped tartare. Thu Nov 05 10:44:43 -0800 2009 5158390 194657 alixium