text: Montreal is over-saturated with French bistros. Seemingly hidden on every side street and kitty-corner, they should be approached with caution. I generally pause to parse over the menus and maybe glance at the laminated reviews in the window as I walk by them. No more than that. Most are pricey and I'd say they aren't worth it but I haven't eaten at enough of them to make that judgment. But on my modest income, limited budget (if I ever bothered to sort one out) and meager debt-ridden existence, if I'm going to go out and spend 50 hard-earned dollars on a meal, it better be worth it.  There's nothing worse than a disappointing and expensive meal. Okay, there's a lot worse than a disappointing over-priced meal (like cancer) but you know what I mean.  \n\nThis brings me O Thym, a bistro that stands out amid this cluttered market. First things off the bat - it's BYOW. This already makes the price of a meal that much more reasonable since wine can tack on at least a dollar sign or two to any meal (and who wants to eat at a French bistro without a bottle of wine? It's like eating corn on the cob without butter. And it's even better when you can bring two or three bottles and feel extra extravagant without paying forty bucks a bottle). But, yeah, there are other French bistros that are BYO (specifically on the Plateau which has about six of them that I can name off the top of my head) so this plus has to be backed up by the food. And this unassuming bistro off of de Maisonneuve in the Village is the best BYO bistro I've been to (better than Au Petit Plateau, Colombe and a few others I forget) . The decor is minimalist and tasteful (it actually doesn't look like much from the outside - could be a fancy sandwich joint) with a daily menu chalked on a large blackboard. Prices are fairly reasonable considering it's French and BYO (something like 22 to 35 for main courses). I had the best ostrich I've ever had in my life there.  Sure, that may not say too much since I've only had ostrich a handful of times in my life but this one was cooked to absolute perfection. Great food, good unpretentious service and the bill only worked out to forty per person with an appetizer and main course (including tax and tip).