Looking for a cozy bistro that serves hardy, but elegant, comfort food? I may have found the place for you — Lily Mae’s in Gastown (12 Powell St.).

This Euro-style, hole-in-the-wall is intimate enough for a first date, but also down-home enough to be a regular haunt for locals.

Set in a classic brick-walled dining room that includes a quaint little mezzanine area, this boutiquey restaurant has romantic charm to spare – perfect for holding hands across the table with a new, or old, love interests. Part of what makes Lily Mae’s so delightfully unassuming is the shabby chic white decor. Another sweet touch is how all the food is plated on a carefully curated collection of rare and vintage dishes.

As for the menu, the signature dish is definitely the beef bourguignon ($19). This traditional wintery special is made with bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, baby carrots and served with some crusty bread — which you’ll need to sop up all that wonderfully savoury red wine gravy. And for dessert, may I suggest topping off your bacon dinner with some more bacon — this time in the form of a delicious warm apple bacon cake ($11) with caramel sauce and ice cream.

It should be noted that right now, Lily Mae’s is in the process of updating and tweaking its menu, so some of the items you see online (lilymaes.ca) may not be there by the time you book your table. But you can bet the beef bourguignon sure as hell ain’t going anywhere!