Buena Notte

Montreal is a sexy, trendy city, and despite the old world charm, there is definitely an edge to this uber chic city...and Buena Notte is just the place to go when you want to see and be seen. The good thing is that it's not just the atmosphere of the beautiful, model-esque Montrealers that frequent this St. Laurent hot-spot that you can enjoy, but also the food. The restaurant offers the typical range of fare found in Italian restaurants - pastas, pizzas, various antipasti and an assortment of main dishes...all delightful. The portions aren't huge, but instead a great size that fills you up without filling you up. What's more is you can order funky delicious cocktails, a glass of wine, beer - whatever, because they have a full bar. In the summer, you can enjoy the people watching inside & out sitting in their outside dining area, or simply by the open windows, and if you really want to enjoy yourself, go for a late dinner and watch the restaurant transform from a trendy restaurant to a full fledged lounge. So sit back, move to the beat of the music that's always bumping, and enjoy your dinner AND your eye candy! Oh, and if you don't believe me about the high brow crowd, just check out the wall of autographed plates...

3518 St. Laurent, (514) 848-0644, www.buenanotte.com

Restaurant Yoyo

Intimate and a bit of a hike if you're staying downtown, but definitely worth it. This restaurant offers everything a great restaurant should - excellent food, a warm and inviting atmosphere where you can delight in a good meal and a good conversation, and best of all, reasonable prices (relative to the quality of the meal). Though some might not love the idea of having to bring their own wine, this is an attribute of Montreal restaurants I adore. For one thing, it really saves you money, and for another, you can bring what you want, drink as much as you want, and take undrunk bottles with you! Their menu changes with the seasons, but is consistently good. Call ahead for reservations and expect to leave full!

4720 Rue Marquette, (514) 524-4187, www.restoyoyo.com

Au Pied de Cochon

This one I'm going to begin with a warning - this is definitely not for the light hearted, vegetarian,
calorie watcher, or anyone else who isn't sure if they like Fois Gras. Au Pied de Cochon is consistently on Montreal's top restaurant lists, and never receives poor reviews...for good reason. Their dinners are rich, heavy, and mmm...mmm good. As I said, if you don't eat meat, this wouldn't be my recommendation, since the entire menu is based around the type of meat you want, predominantly focused on Fois Gras and pork, though they do have Poultry, red meat, and a fish of the day. Pair your selection with one of their beers (literally - they have their own brew amongst their other selections), and dive into what will undoubtedly be one of your more memorable dining experiences! Things of note? The Fois Gras burger and Duck in a Can!

536 Duluth Est, (514) 281-1114, www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca

Les Infideles

There is no better place to eat than Montreal. Really. There are amazing restaurants, bistros, sandwich shops, pastry shops, you name it! So let's start...fine dining.

Let's begin by one of my absolute favorite restaurants - Les Infideles. Tiny, delectable, decidedly Montreal. This bring your own wine restaurant offers a summer and winter menu of exquisite french cuisine with Quebecois flavors mixed in. It's intimate atmosphere is quite nice for a small group but can sometimes get rather crowded and noisy when it's packed. I recommend going with a few of your friends, maybe a max of 4 (6 people if you're pushing it), to better appreciate the petite dining room. A random thing I like? Their "water" menu - a cute detail for a restaurant that doesn't offer it's own alcohol, though they're happy to serve the bottle you bring with you. And just in case, call for reservations. I have been their many times over the years, and am never disappointed (well, almost never...they did stop serving their AMAZING trio of Fois Gras dish which I absolutely loved and actually have taken friends there just for this one dish!). My favorite? The Caribou (seasonal)...it is melt in your mouth delicious.

771 Rue Rachel Est (514) 528-8555 http://www.lesinfideles.ca/