Dining in Montreal … I love French food

Despite the bad attitudes that I encountered on my last visit to Montreal, the food was excellent.

My first night in Montreal, I stayed in Downtown, I visited Chez Alexandre, a French Bistro on 1454 Peel St. and the food was incredible.  The foie gras is among the best that I ever have had.  Sorry PETA.  Along with the excellent food, the atmosphere is familiar like an upscale neighborhood restaurant without the pretense.  The house wine is good and pairs well with the duck.  Like many restaurants in Europe and Montreal, Chez Alexandre offers inside and outside dining and sometimes blends the two by opening it’s large sliding French doors to the outside.  Highly recommended for good food and atmosphere; service, however, is only average.

Le Grill Bistro is located in Old Montreal at 183 Saint-Paul St, near Jacques-Cartier Square.  This restaurant offers inside and patio dining, as well as live music … the musicians want a tip.  The inside seating is small and unimpressive, but the food more than compensate for this shortcoming and the live music minimizes the stodgy fill of the inside dining.  The menu is quite extensive and the chef is not afraid to experiment and jazz up traditional dishes.  Unlike other dining experiences in Montreal, Le Grill seems to understand the importance of service.  Highly recommended for the food and the service.  Just remember, this restaurant is in Old Montreal and there’s a premium for eating in this area.

Bistro L’Arqmate is another excellent French restaurant in downtown Montreal.  In fact, it is at 1410 Peel St, a few block from Chez Alexandre.  While the food here is good, not as good as Chez Alexandre, the dining experience is somewhat eclectic and modern.  There are three levels at this bistro and I believe the best seating is on the third level where you can look down onto the bar and other patrons.  Here too, the house wine is a fine selection.  The French know their wines.  Good food, but better atmosphere.  Service needs a lot of work.

In spite of bad attitudes, rudeness, sarcasm, and perhaps some French nationalism, the food and wine was a treat!