UPDATE: Quebec Language Police Warn Restaurants About English TripAdvisor Stickers

Quebec's language watchdog — the infamous Office québécois de la langue française — has sent a letter to Burgundy Lion about an English-only TripAdvisor sticker in the popular pub's window. Burgundy Lion co-owner Toby Lyle took to Facebook today to explain: "The OQLF has sent a warning to the Pub Burgundy Lion because of our English only sticker that states we are recommended by TripAdvisor users. The sticker in question is in the bottom corner of our front window (about 2 feet off the ground) and measures a whopping 3 inches by 3 inches."

Photo credit: Toby Lyle

When reached for further comment, Lyle said that the letter was "kind of vague, it says that what we are doing is illegal, cites the law, but then says this letter is to aid you by informing you of the law, and they are not currently going to follow up, but it seems to suggest that they could in the future." This is not Lyle's first brush with the province's language police. The restaurateur faced off with the OQLF at his other establishment, Brit & Chips, where he was ordered to change authentic English-only signs, and replace "fish and chips" with "poisson frit et frites."

"They're telling us that 'poisson frit et frites' is the translation, but it's not. Not in French culture, not in international culture," Lyle told a reporter at the time. "I can't comply with this because it will literally kill my business." More recently, the OQLF strongly objected to the term 'grilled cheese' at a Quebec City restaurant.

Update, January 28, 2016: Imad Nabwani, owner of downtown Montreal restaurant Le Pois Penché, reports that he, too, has received a letter from the OQLF about a TripAdvisor window sticker — and, for good measure, an English-only Interac debit payment sticker.