tately and austere, Restaurant XO, in Old Montreal's venerable Hotel Le St. James, is a high tea room for the little-eyeglasses and pinky-set. Sure, $90 for snacks and submerged bags of leaves is a bit high, but our Parliamentary-based aristocracy envy and corresponding capitalist irresponsibility easily justify it.

Though open for contemporary-fare breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the tea period is XO's most talked about offering. The room befits the grandness of the hotel which ensconces it. Expect tablecloths, chandeliers, and the good china.

The evolving dinner menu boasts elbow-less table selections like Roasted Rack of Lamb, Veal Sweetbread, and Wild Salmon, while breakfast runs the standard continental to omelette gamut. Chef Eric Gonzalez and his staff create expectedly artful plates that aim to infuse contempo fare with a progressive bent. -S.T.