Call me a big nerd, but Men in Tights is still one of my favourite movies of all time. All those handsome gents with tight asses dancing around, trying, to some success, to drill off chastity belts. And, of course, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor turns me on.

When I heard about Robin des Bois for the first time three years ago I made a point to stop by in the hopes of being served by a man in tights. Instead, I was greeted by an older woman who didn’t know the first thing about serving, or anything within the restaurant industry.

Nonetheless, she kept me enthralled with her garbled Quebecois banter for a good fifteen minutes before she got around to taking my order. I quickly learned that the Robin des Bois moniker referred to the restaurant itself and not the handsome wait staff (sigh).

Robin des Bois is saving the world one dish at a time. They truly do take from the rich (or any paying diner) and give to the poor. The place is staffed by a pro bono cast of Epicurean altruists from all walks of life. They show up for their shift and are trained on the spot by Chef Sébastien Courville and Manager Judy Servay – two of the handful people actually on salary there.

All the proceeds from diners’ dinners go to a variety of charities including Refuge des jeunes, Sun Youth and Cactus Montréal. Just last year over $30,000 was handed over to those in need. Impressive, no? When word got around the city about this place, Montreal’s homeless and hungry flocked to the St. Laurent and Mont Royal location to cash in on a free lunch. Sadly, they were all turned away abruptly. Robin didn’t want to scare away the rich with street peddlers pan handling on their doorstep.