I am visiting Montreal the weekend of July 6th and I had my heart set on dinner at P'tit Plateau. I just called for a reservation and it turns out they are closed for vacation for the month of July.

What's my next best bet? Looking for a BYO with classic, delicious bistro fare. Not concerned with price as long as the food is great.

Thanks!

This list is awesome! I am planning to take my boyfriend to Montreal in early July as a birthday surprise; some of these places are already on my list and others I will have to check out. Thanks for the report!

Thanks for the tips. We are coming from New York City, so I think the menu might still seem unique, but I am not up for standing in line; I get enough of that at home!

Thanks for your input!

I wonder if we shouldn't try Lawrence for brunch and go somewhere else for dinner? While I'm on the subject of lunch, is Schwartz's worth it?

The menu at Lawrence looks amazing! You'd recommend that over Lemeac? I think we're definitely doing L'Ptit Plateau one night.

Thanks!

Thanks ahnuld!

I am posting on my parents' behalf, in their own words:

My wife and I are going to be for in Dijon for two nights this June.

We have a reservation for Stephane Derboard's restaurant and was hoping to hear of any recent experiences any one has had there?

We also would appreciate any suggestions for our second night in Dijon. Derboard will be costly for our budget so something less expensive would be great.

Merci!

Thanks mangoannie!

We are going to be visiting July 6 - 9, which I think coincides with the second weekend of the Montreal Jazz Festival. Does the city get equally busy for that event?

We have three nights in total for dinner. I've been doing some searching myself and what's caught my eye thus far are the BYOs in the Plateau, particularly L'Petit Plateau, Lemeac, and Pintxo for tapas.

Thanks for your suggestions!

I am taking my boyfriend to Montreal for the weekend as a surprise for his 30th birthday. I want to take him to at least one really special dinner while we're there and I'm hoping for some suggestions. Some background:

- "Special" does not have to mean fancy or really high end, though I'm open to that. Mostly, I just want the best food, though an interesting setting or historical import would be cool.
- Price is not really an issue, though I'm generally of the opinion that $$$$ does not always equal quality. We love finds off the beaten path.
- We're pretty open in terms of cuisine but for this occasion, I think I'm less interested in ethnic foods. Would love a bistro, farm to table, Italian, or French food.
- We love good cocktails, wine and beer.

Thanks in advance for your help!

i agree - jaiya will make it so hot that your insides burn if you ask for "extra spicy."