I don't have a lot of discretionary income to spend on restaurants so when I do go out I tend to be a little fussy. I'm the kind of person who combs over online city guides, reads both blogger and critic reviews and checks the menu more than once before committing. For the most part I'm pretty good at weeding out the good from the bad, but when I do get caught at a bad restaurant or a restaurant having a bad day I feel like I've been duped. I feel like everyone's had a similar experience but no one's been brave enough to stand up to the funky decor, large portions and reputation and say it sucks - even the wait staff.
It's like they've all drank the Kool-Aid or in the case of L'Avenue, a trendy Montreal restaurant, the exotic fruit cocktails.
Tourists of Montreal - I know you want to be très hip and hang with the locals, but waiting for hours only to be ignored isn't what the locals do. Instead why not grab a few bagels from one of the famous bakeries and hastily eat while walking to your next destination or stop on a street bench to spread some cream cheese. If you choose Fairmount over St-Viateur you can stop in at Caffee Grazie-Mille for a latte, eat your bagels in comfort and watch the city move.
Don't be like the boyfriend and I and waste half an hour in line and another forty minutes for bad coffee and cold eggs. There is more to see in Montreal than the inside of a restaurant.
