In Montreal, bring-your-own-wine
BYOW restaurants are really popular – probably a reflection of how deeply entrenched wine culture is here. You can find everything from BYOW Greek to BYOW Vietnamese restaurants in most any neighbourhood. But when I want to bring my own bottle to a French restaurant with full-on sophistication, I go to Les Infidèles.
Check out the slideshow I made of their dishes.
As you can see, the portions are generous and the quality of the food is undeniable. The last time I ate there, I started with a divine wild mushroom and brie tartlet. That was followed by what the French call a trou normand – a small, alcohol-based palate-cleanser meant to stimulate the appetite (as if mine needed stimulating). In this case it was a pear and maple whisky sorbet! For the main course I had maple pork loin with mignon de Charlevoix cheese. The tender pork and salty cheese was balanced with a maple sauce. They really did an amazing job harmonizing the flavours. I could have eaten a second round of it, were it not time to move on to dessert: Guanaja chocolate marquise with mocha custard. Yeah, ok, it was not the lightest meal I’ve ever had, but well worth every calorie! In fact, big eaters will appreciate their set menu, which offers five amazing courses for just $47.
To sweeten the deal, the restaurant is close to both the metro (Mont Royal station) and an SAQ (that’s a Quebec liquor store). Your best bet is to hang left on Mount Royal when you leave the station, then turn left again onto St-Denis. Walk three blocks to Duluth, and voila, there’s the SAQ, where you can pick up wine. Then back-track one block to Rachel street, and you’re just down the road. If you get confused, don’t worry. There’s non-stop foot traffic in the area, so you should be able to get instructions easily.
Business Hours
Sunday to Thursday:Â 6pm to 10 pm.
Friday and Saturday: First sitting at 6 pm, second sitting at 9 pm
Reservations recommended
Average bill (before tax and tip): $45 per person
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