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| - The Burgundy Lion is my favourite pub in Montreal, and I go past many others to get to it (I live on the opposite side of downtown.) The beauty of a good pub is that it offers a cozy, authentic atmosphere and pulls together food from around the Commonwealth in a competent way. There are far too many "pubs" that think they can offer Newcastle and Guinness on tap along with 20 varieties of Molson/Bud and serve burgers and fries. The Lion says "piss on that" and has a great bar and food menu!
I have tried about 10 things (5 of my own, 5 or 6 friends' dishes) in the past 6 months, and the only mediocre item was the Colonel's Rabbit (the batter wasn't very special....although the accompanying Mac n Cheese was excellent.) Everything else, from the Toad in the Hole to the Colonial Chicken to Lancashire Pot is very nicely done (for a pub....this is not haute cuisine, of course.) The Fish & Chips are very good, although I'd visit Brit & Chips (owned by the same company) if you want the best I've found in town. The Yorkies are excellent (and my personal favourite at any decent pub.)
The service at the BL is great, too. Everyone is friendly, has a number of tailored food/drink recommendations, and unlike so many places in Montreal, they clear your dishes and quickly and top up your water regularly, even if that's all you order to drink. Even the security guards (weekend evenings) are nice and will strike up conversations as they watch over the crowds.
This place has weekly events and a very clear schedule on their website of when everything is happening. They are also involved in the community. I went to a really great costume party the Saturday before Halloween 2011 that was raising money for breast cancer, and they are also celebrating/fundraising for "Movember" for men's cancers.
I am not sure if I would frequent this place on a busy Friday or Saturday night, as it turns into a crowded, loud stand-up meat market, but were I 5 years younger and single, I might like that, too.
The Burgundy Lions does everything it can to get a 3 or 4 star rating relative to its Montreal counterparts, and gets a 5th star for all the extra effort, the "don't quite know what" (the Briton's translation of what we say here, "je ne sais quoi") that puts it kings' heads and lions' tails above its competition.
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